𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆

;friends

Emma Chamberlain

The heat radiates out from underneath my bed covers. With cheeks flustered and my skin burning up I irritatedly throw my quilt onto my carpet. My body rushing with an overwhelming gush of cold air.

"Em" moans my room mate Amanda and best friend from through the door.

I mumble something like 'yes' 'what?' And 'whats up?' all together in a mixed sentence.

"We're meeting Olivia's boyfriend in exactly seven minutes" Amanda says quite calmly.

I was glad that Amanda agreed to house share so many months ago since my older brother was the only person left living at home after my parents spontaneously chose to live amongst the wildlife in Tasmania.

Amanda's small with long brown hair that hangs loosly down her shoulders, she has petite features and a rounded face that makes her look younger and more childlike.

A few swear words escape my lips before I basically pounce out of my over-heated bed in just a shirt and hurriedly scan my monochrome biased wardrobe.

Black.

Black was the only colour on the hangers.

I sigh and relucantantly pull on my black mom jeans and then a plain black top with a tiny white logo. I grab a jacket too -which if you haven't guessed is also black- and trample down the stairs.

Luckily I had already brushed my teeth however I couldn't say the same about my hair. My naturally kinky brown locks were all over the place, in a messy way that I could just fortunately leave.

"Wow Emma-" Olivia says sarcastically after assessing my outfit choice "-you're like that Bulmers advert-"

Olivia looks over at Amanda and clicks in her face excited that her slow brain had understood the reference.

As soon as Amanda understands she begins to laugh hysterically, bending over double with her arms across her stomach. She even does a quick wheeze before quoting,

"Live colourful" between laughs.

"We're going to be late" whines Olivia pulling both me and Amanda down the street with our wrists.

I don't even remember her saying that this was happening, in fact I barely remember her saying that she HAD a boyfriend. So for her to be impatient after waking me from deep slumber on a weekend, I decided she didn't get the right to tell me to speed up.

"We better not be meeting him in a Alfred's or a Philz-" I say looking over to see if I can read Olivia's face expression "-because that is clichè as fu-"

Before I can even finish my sentence my gaze runs up towards the shop sign.

Philz.

Amanda laughs out loud at the predictability as Olivia peaks through the shop window to see if her boyfriend is here yet. Shes twiddling her thumbs -something she only did if she was nervous.

I wonder if she's nervous due to her own feelings or whether it's due to the fact that both me and Amanda are stood sniggering behind her like we're back in kindergarten.

"We have rules-" she whispers.

I can feel Amanda's eyes bore into the side of my head, knowing full well that these 'rules' were only going to be aimed at me and not the innocent smol bean to my right.

"Number one, No threatening" Olivia says mainly looking in my direction as expected "Number two, Please speak. Even if you have to manage out your name" Olivia looks at Amanda this time, a personal attack to her shy temperament "And number three, Em-"

She pauses for a second glancing back inside the shop and then back at me with flustered cheeks and a deep drawn out breath.

"-Hes not like the last" and then proceeds to enter the shop.

This particular Starbucks always feels dim and miserable due to the complete coverage of dark oak on not only the floor and the walls but also the roof.

"I feel like I'm in a coffin" I barely whisper to no one in particular as I follow the girls towards an empty table.

The table is more like a booth and like the rest of the shop it has faint lighting which makes my eyes strain to see the figure in front of me.

"Hi" says a tall boy with light brown hair and bright blue eyes.

He's awfully similar to the last guy but also dreadfully similar to Olivia herself.

"Im Samuel and you are?" He scans Amanda who's face stays completly still.

I cringe in embarrassment at the awkward silence and instead of being a sheep I push to be a shepherd and take his hand in a firm handshake.

My assertiveness surprises myself causing me to almost choke out my next words,

"Im Emma and this is Amanda" I butt in trying to make Olivia less angry at Amanda for not answering and not following the golden rules established literally minutes ago.

A whole 3 hours passes by and each second of it is boring.

Amanda never speaks a word.

Samuel keeps checking his hair.

Olivia constantly kisses or nuzzles too close to him.

And I feel so claustrophobic in the smallest booth ever in known to man.

"Im going to get some fresh air" I say towards Olivia as I slightly point to the walls. She gives a nod of approval.

It angers me a little that just because I'm the youngest out of the three, that I'm babied.

Amanda is always thought to be the youngest because of her size and her self confidence and Olivia can't even look after herself.

I take a long deep breath in to try and regain whatever sanity I had left.

Why was I suddenly over reacting about everything?

My quick breath of fresh air turns into a long walk through the streets. My thoughts spiraling round like a whirlwind.

All my mind is focusing on was me hitting him straight in the face. The sound of his nose breaking under my knuckles. It all brought back so many memories.

He's different, I tell myself, he's completly different.