Are we friends or are we more?

Chapter 34

I sit on my bedroom floor with Joe. My clothes are flung out everywhere and I am trying to organize what I want to take away and what I want to throw away. So far there are two items in the 'keep' pile and one item in the 'trash' pile, we have been doing this for half an hour now. I can tell this is going to take a long time.

"Keep or trash?" Joe says reaching forward and grabbing a pale pink top. I look at it as he holds it up in the air by it's shoulders. It's the top I normally wear when I go for a run but it's starting to get old now and it looks it looks more mucky pink than pastel pink.

"It is kind of a useful top." I say shrugging not really wanting to trash it.

Joe sighs, "Yeah but I'm sure you could buy a newer cheap one when you get over there. You can't keep every single item you know." 

"I know but..." I try to think of reason not to trash the top but none come to mind. I sigh shrugging, "Just trash it." 

Joe chucks the top onto the pile with another old yellow sponge bob top I decided to get rid of. "Right good okay." He says before reaching forward and grabbing a dress. It takes me a moment to realize which dress he is picking up and by the time I do it's too late. I'd forgotten I even owned the dress, I've had it for about three years now. 

"Joe no!" I squeal reaching across to him and trying to grab the dress off him. The dress is an awful green, yellow and orange one that my granny made for me . It's long and frilly and has no shape to it at all. I haven't chucked it away because I know how long my granny spent making it, it took her ages.

Joe's eyes light up when he sees how terrible the outfit is. A smile spreads across his face. "What is this?" He asks.

"Just some dress." I say trying to play it cool.

"It's hideous." Joe says, "Please tell me you you have a good excuse for it." Joe looks from the dress to me.

"My granny made it for me." I say, "It took her forever to make, I couldn't just chuck it out."

"Did you ever wear it?" Joe is still grinning like a mad man at the dress.

I shake my head feeling a little guilty. "I said I was going to wear it to a Christmas party but I never did." 

"You've never even tried it on?" He looks so shocked that I haven't.

"No, look at it. Why would I want to see what it looks like on?" 

"You're not even curious to what it would look like?" Joe says, I shake my head.  He looks at me for a while then back to the dress then back at me. He doesn't even have to say what he's thinking, I already know.

"No way." I say bluntly. "I am not trying that thing on." 

"But you're granny made it." Joe says, "Think of all the hours she would of spent sewing away." I feel guilty as I imagine all the hours she would of spent making the dress. The fact that she passed away a few months after making the dress makes me feel even worse. 

"Don't guilt trip me Joe, it won't work." I say.

"I will force you into this dress if I have to." Joe demands at me.

"Do it." I challenge. 

Joe sighs, "I hoped it would come to this." Joe puts down the dress before he grabs me and starts to tickle my stomach. I squeak and try to get away put he pins me to the floor my back pressed against the carpet.

Laughter escapes me and I gasp for air. "Joe!"

"Wear the dress." He says as he carry's on tickling me.

I squirm beneath his grip to try and  get away from him, I won't give up. I will not wear that dress. "NEVER!" I squeal.

"Just once" Joe says as he stops tickling me but keep me pinned to the floor.

"No way." I shake my head.

"What about if I kiss you?" He says.

"That just gives me more of a reason not to do it." I say smiling at Joe.

Joe smiles back and the familiar butterflies go crazy in my stomach. It's funny how I still get them, even now. Gently Joe reaches and moves and strand of hair out of my face. "I think I'll do it anyway." He says as he leans in.

I stand in the doorway and smile sadly at my bare room. It's not completely empty, the furniture is still there but the pictures, fairy lights and posters have all been taken down, all the things that made the room my room. All my clothes have been boxed up and shipped away to LA, they will be there for me when I get there waiting in the boxes to be unpacked. In the corner of the room next to my wardrobe my bright pink suit case is lent against it. In there are enough clothes to last me my next two days in London, my last two days in London. I almost shiver at how empty the room feels, I know I haven't been here long but it feel like I've lived here for a eternity. I imagine Joe living in this apartment all by himself but I already know that is not going to happen, him and another YouTuber, Caspar Lee, have been talking about moving in. I've never met Caspar but I've watched a few of his videos and he seems nice enough. It's weird to think how one day this could be his room and there would not be any sign of me having lived here at all. I smile sadly before turning around and closing the door.