The Girl In The Suit

Anne

I drop my body back on the bed and close my eyes, letting the music fill my ears. Gemma is downstairs getting us hot chocolate and she told me to stay upstairs, which I find quite suspicious. I've promised myself, however, that if 10 minutes pass, I'll go downstairs.

Sure enough, 10 minutes pass. I turn off the boombox and pull myself off the bed. When I go downstairs, I see that Alison is curled up on the couch watching Netflix, a show I can't specify. I poke my head inside the kitchen and I don't see Gemma at all.

I walk into the dining room and she isn't there either. I walk into the sitting room.

"Alison, have you seen Gemma? She said she was making hot chocolate and she isn't in the kitchen.", I ask. Her eyes move from the screen.

"I think she went out for a cigarette. She asked me for one."

I furrow my eyebrows. "She doesn't smoke."

"You don't know your girlfriend as well as you may think."

I roll my eyes and leave the room. 

I step back into the kitchen and I see her on the porch outside the dining room patio. I sigh with relief and I head towards the door and slide it open.

"Hey.", I say. She looks up at me with a cigarette in her hand.

"Hey."

I sit beside her on the freezing porch. She quenches the cigarette on the ground and drops the butt there.

"What are you doing out here in the cold in the middle of February smoking a fag when you could be inside watching films with the one and only me." I grin at her, and she smiles back weakly.

"I don't know. Trying something new, I suppose. Hasn't been a good day."

I move closer to her, and I put my arm around her.

"I understand that. But you'll be seeing him again this Sunday. I'm sure he's getting on great. And then finding out about Gabrielle's brother......its been a rough day."

"I've apologized to Gabby."

I look up at her abruptly.

"Remember when I was gone for a few minutes today?" I nod my head. "Well, basically, Tasha had me up against the wall telling me to go over and apologize to her, so I did. She hasn't had it easy either, like. I also never want to fall out with them, Tasha's great and so's Gabrielle. Sorry I didn't tell you."

"Its OK.", I say softly. "You did the right thing."

She turns around to me and hugs me. It takes me by surprise, to be perfectly honest. I separate, put my hand on her shoulder and chuckle.

"What was that for, G?"

She half grins. "For being the only person in this miserable town keeping me together now. I honestly don't have a clue what I'm doing without Fredser around anymore, and its only been a couple of hours. I really do feel like I'm going mad more than I usually do. I just always feel as though I'm going completely mad, ever since we got here. Freddie says he wants to get a job to bring us back to England when he gets out of rehab. I really think I should."

I stare at her for a few moments.

"You're gonna move?"

"I think I need it. I have all my friends that I'm still in contact with there, my aunt has a lovely little house outside the city, I never feel crazy there. Ireland is just pure anxiety for me."

I look down at the ground as I feel my heart drop down right onto it.

"Its just gonna be me now then. I guess Gabrielle and Tasha can keep me company." I stand up and turn towards the door. 

I hear her stand up and I feel her hand on my shoulder. I turn around to face her.

"It won't be just you." She placed both her hands on my shoulders. "Because we want you to come with us."

I look at her in the eyes. "Seriously?"

"Yes, I'm very serious. You're too important to me to leave. Ali can come too. Gabby and Tash can. Anyone we want. We can do our exam, go to the ball and be off. Only if you want to, of course. If you don't though, I'll stay here. I'm not leaving you."

I bite my lip and think for a second. I then remove her hands from my shoulders and hold them in mine. 

"I think I'll have to think about it tomorrow. Let's get to sleep."

She smiles. "OK." She kisses my cheek before placing a soft one on my lips. We smile at each other before we walk back inside and up to my room.

Gemma falls asleep almost instantly, but I stay up all night thinking about the fact that I might be in England in 5 months time, which is more terrifying than it should be. I also think about Gemma, who's so open with me, and is probably telling me stuff she's never told Freddie.

I finally nod off at 4:30, when my head stops spinning.