Ashlark

2; oh god i miss you too

Alex couldn't help but feel that, after twenty-two odd years of being alive, he shouldn't be quite so nervous to introduce himself to people.

But life, as it so often was, wasn't fair, and here he was, on the doorstep of a strange apartment, not quite able to shake the feeling that there was something unpleasant waiting for him on the other side. It was one of the recurring themes in his life – no matter how hard he tried, new people terrified him.

Knock on the damn door, Alex, he told himself. And he did, finally, three times.

He was left waiting for all of five seconds before the door was flung open by a young woman in a blue A-line dress. She looked to be about his age, maybe slightly older. A pair of round glasses sat on her nose and she'd pushed her hair back with a flowery headband. The whole effect was one Alex could only describe as "accidental hipster".

"You must be Alex! Come in, come in! It's so lovely to meet you. Welcome to your new apartment, I guess! Oh, you can leave your bags over there. I'm Maddie, if you hadn't guessed. From the phone call we had, where I told you my name and- anyway." She extended her hand and Alex shook it. He couldn't help but grin back at her. Her enthusiasm was contagious.

The apartment was more spacious than he imagined – living room with modern, comfy looking sofas and a flat screen TV, and a black dining chair and tables in the corner. There was an archway across the room that led into what looked to be a kitchen, and doors to – presumably – the bedrooms and bathrooms. It was a nice apartment, and he said as much to Maddie.

"Aww, you're sweet. Your room is that one there, by the kitchen, Ryan gave it a clean when he moved his stuff out so it should be spotless in there, he's very assiduous..." Maddie bounced on her heels. She looked a touch nervous. "It's so nice to meet you, Alex. I've heard... well, I've heard a bit about you from Oliver, but he can be very closed off, you know? It's been so long since somebody new's been around this place. Except Flis, I guess, but she used to live here so it only half counts. She's my other roommate, by the way. Our other roommate. Sorry, I'm word-vomiting at you. Meeting new people can be very stressful, I find."

Alex felt himself relax slightly. "I get it, don't worry. I was really nervous about this too."

Maddie smiled and gripped his shoulder. "Don't worry. We're not scary, I promise." Then, "What do you make of Ashlark? Have you been here before?"

"No, it... it never really came up with Oliver." He's been quite startled, when the train had finally pulled into the station and he'd realised just how small the town was. It made a change from London, that was for sure. So far he couldn't decide whether it was a good change or not. There wasn't a single chain shop, no buses, no constant bustle. The whole place was strangely quiet. It was the sort of place where everyone knew everyone else – that could be fun, he thought ruefully. He wondered how many around Ashlark knew who he was, and what had happened between him and Oliver.

"I'm sure you'll get used to it. You're working for the Ashlark Tribune now, then?"

"Junior reporter." Nobody back in London had been able to understand when he told them he was leaving for a titchy backwater town to work for the local newspaper. In reality there was single, simplistic explanation – Jonathan Steele, journalistic legend and Alex's personal hero. He's written for every national newspaper there was – the Telegraph, the Guardian, the Times - and edited a couple of them too. Why he'd given them up for Ashlark was anybody's guess, but Alex wasn't about to let something like an ex-boyfriend and an empty town get in the way of the chance of working for Jonathan Steele himself.