the boarders

Valentina

Valentina's head was spinning, she couldn't find Octavia anywhere and Drew was about to do something that he'd regret deeply.

She just wished she could take it all back, Aurelia wouldn't be fucked up, Octavia wouldn't be so distant and Drew would still be with her.

The last time she'd spoke to him had been the night that Aurelia had gone missing. Their meeting had ended with Valentina in tears and Drew with his head in his hands. When Valentina stepped back, she could now see just how toxic they were together. Her, with all of her emotional baggage and tendency to rant about all of her problems, and Drew, with his fucked up thoughts and his lack of love. It was a straightforward disaster.

Valentina rummaged in her back for her phone, and was just about to call a cab, when a voice shouted her name behind her.

"Valentina!" Smiled Katie, waving a bangle-clad arm at her. Valentina put down her phone, Drew had to wait. Valentina smiled back and mumbled a weak 'hello'.

"You seem down, what's up?" Katie said, spotting a nearby bench and pulling Valentina over to it. "Drew still giving you trouble?"

Just the mention of his name made Valentina feel sick; he was so stupid sometimes, just like a little boy. Valentina hadn't realised she'd said this out loud and clamped a hand over her glossed mouth.

"I know what you mean," Sighed Katie, fishing through her bag and retrieving a packet of Marlboros. She lit two up and handed one to Valentina, who was surprised, Katie seemed too much of a wuss to smoke.

Valentina breathed in the smoke deeply. She didn't care that cigarettes increased your chance of death; the world was so fucked up anyway, that she didn't really want to live forever.

Valentina decided that she enjoyed Katie's company. They'd been meeting up for the last week, sipping skinny lattes in the cafe in the town centre and moaning about boys and sharing general gossip.

"Hey," Valentina started, the cigarette burning her fingers. "I think Drew is going to do something bad, can you come with me?" Katie nodded and grabbed her bag. "Absolutely." With that, Valentina whipped out her phone one again and dialled a taxi.

It took about five minutes for the taxi to arrive, and in that time, Valentina had told Katie everything, all about how Octavia had seen Aurelia and Drew together. Katie listened intently, and seemed completely shocked.

"So Aurelia's alive?" She said, lighting up another cigarette for both of them. They both stood there, freezing cold, cigarettes in hands, coming up with conspiracy theories as to whether Aurelia was still alive.

Katie believed that Aurelia had a twin, which Valentina agreed; Aurelia had sometimes had strange behaviour that could turn any second. Valentina confided in Katie that once, in a Maths lesson, Aurelia seemed perfectly normal and then when she came back from the bathroom, had seemed in a foul mood.

Back then, Valentina blamed her behaviour on an early period, but come to think of it, Valentina thought, she could've easily had time to swap around with some...twin.

"Well, let me just say I wouldn't be surprised." Katie sighed, inhaling the cigarette smoke. "Her mood swings were lethal to say the least." Valentina laughed as she chewed on her cigarette.

"What did you think of her, anyway?" Valentina asked, turning to look at Katie. Katie looked frightened, but then regained her confidence after taking a puff on her cigarette.

"Nothing really, she didn't really pay much attention to me." Katie replied, staring out into the street. Valentina sighed, and leaned back into the bench; the theories swarming her mind.