Mutuals

[4]

IF  YOU  HAVE  THE  ABILITY  TO  LOVE,  LOVE  YOURSELF  FIRST

~~~~~~~~

I wake up to the vigorous sound of my phone ringing and I groan

Can you tell I'm not a morning person?

I check the caller I.D. and see that it's my mum
"Hello" I yawn
"Morning darling what time are you getting home tomorrow?" She asks because I'm getting on a plane back to London later today

"My flights at ten o'clock in the afternoon so I'll probably land at half eight" I explain
"Okay I'll tell your dad, have a safe flight darling" she says
"Okay bye mum" I reply ending the call

I see a text from Adam and one from Naz too

Let's go out before you leave for the airport - Adam

So I reply saying,

I've just woken up so give me two hours I'll be ready by two - Me

I read the message from Naz

Yo I heard you're in New York let's meet up - Naz

I'm going back to London in the evening so we can meet in a few hours? - Me

Oh yeah when and where? - Naz

Me and Adam are probably gonna go to the mall so you can join us? - Me

Safe, we'll come - Naz

We? - Me

Yea me and Harris my man - Naz

Oh shit, Harris

Okay I'll just tell Adam - Me

See ya later then - Naz

I text Adam and he replies saying that he'll text Slim to join us too

I get up and slip my slippers on and run to the bathroom. I do my business and have a quick shower even though my bones feel frozen because it's so cold

I get out and wipe my body before looking for an outfit. I have to look good because I haven't seen Naz in so long and I don't want him to think he's friends with a scrubber you know

I take out a cute dress and a pair of black tights. I do winter-y makeup look and wrap a matching hijab around my head. I put my favourite boots on because it looks like it's gonna snow today so I wanna be on the safe side. Besides, it's not really the right weather to be wearing flats. I grab my black faux fur jacket and slip it on.

I take out my suitcase from my wardrobe, which I packed last night, and leave it on my bed so that it's ready for when I need it

I grab my phone and handbag before rushing out the hotel and into a taxi that was waiting outside

I sat in the back and told the driver where to go before taking out my phone and texting Adam

I'm running slightly late I'll be there soon - Me

Slightly? You're fifteen minutes late already - Adam

Give me another fifteen minutes and I'll be there - Me

We're waiting under the fountain as soon as you walk in - Adam

Okay see you in a bit - Me

I switch to my snapchat and take a selfie and caption it, 'Last day in NYC😔', and post it on my story

Seventeen minutes later the driver pulls up at the shopping centre. I pay him and thank him before slowly walking in. I mean, I'm already late so what's the point in rushing, right?

"Finallyyyyyyy" Adam groans when he sees me
"I'm a busy woman" I reply rolling my eyes

"Zaraaaaaa" Naz smiles
"Hiiii" I say and hug him
"Did you miss me?" He asks
"The question is, did you miss me?" I reply and he chuckles
"You're exactly the same" he says and I smile

"Hey Slim, Harris" I nod my head towards them and they say 'Hi' in reply
"Right I need some heels to go with my dress" I say clapping my hands
"I don't like shopping with you" Slim groans
"Why?" I ask pretending to be hurt

"You spend five hours in one spot" Adam explains and I look over to Naz who nods his head in agreement
"So who's gonna come with me then?" I ask flapping my hands in frustration

"Harris?" Adam suggests and I look at Harris whose on his phone
"Huh what?" He asks
"Will you go with Zara she needs to get something?" Slim asks

Harris looks at me and I give him a pleading smile. I can't be walking around a shopping centre alone where I barely know the way around it

"Erm yeah I'll go" he shrugs and I smile gratefully
"Thank you" I emphasise and look at Adam, Slim and Naz in the eyes

They roll their eyes before we part and I lead Harris to New Look.
As I'm looking at the heels I realise that Harris has been on his phone since I saw him

"Girlfriend?" I ask when I catch him smiling at his phone
"Huh?" He asks looking up, "No it's my brother"

I raise and eyebrow,
"Oh really?"

"Yeah he's telling me this funny story" he justifies himself
"Enlighten me" I say sarcastically and he chuckles

"Basically..." he begins and I prepare myself for the world's shittest story

10 minutes and £25 spent on heels later...

"Oh my god really?" I ask laughing and Harris nods his head
"I swear down fam" he says in between laughs
"You crack me up" I say wiping my tears away

My phone pings and I hand my bag of heels to Harris and check it

We're outside next to that charity shop - Adam

"They're outside the charity shop, lets go" I tell Harris and we walk out New Look towards the exit of the shopping centre

We're about to cross the road when a car drives past and splashes the snowy water puddle all over Harris.
"Oh f- flipping hell" he prevents himself from swearing

"Oh my god" I say catching up to him because I'm a few feet behind, "come here"

He turns to me and I grab tissues out of my bag and clean his cheek.
"Ew it's in your hair" I say trying to take the big bits out of his hair

Suddenly I see a sparkly snowflake swiftly land in his hair and, there we're both stood. Me on my tiptoes reaching to his hair and him staring at me with a soft look in his eyes...

...and snowflakes falling as if by magic all around us and, for us? Everything stopped