Familiar

Chapter 4

Brooklyn...

The loud, jarring noise of my alarm clock stole my attention from the last few seconds of my current task of bed making, leaving me no choice but to toddle off towards it with a sigh.

I don't even know why I was resilient in setting it every night when I barely reach six hours of sleep anyway.

Force of habit I guess.

After turning it off, I grabbed my essentials and went out of the room to start my day just like I always did – with toast and jam and a cuppa.

I'm seated on one of the island stools munching on my breakfast when Eleanor appears from her own room looking extremely disgruntled and out of place. She sunk down on the stool in front of me, eyelids shutting instantly as soon as her head dropped to her hands.

I snorted amusedly, bubbles breaking against the smooth surface of my coffee. She pins me down with a glare and it's in that moment that I find the truth in the phrase 'if looks could kill' for I'd certainly be six feet under.

"You're cruel, you know?"

This time, I'm unable to restrain my bark of laughter from the edge in her voice. "What did I do now?"

"Obviously you're taking the piss out of me."

"I'm not. I was just wondering how you could still be so sleepy considering you went to bed two hours earlier than usual."

Eleanor's cheeks tinge with pink as a dreamy expression crossed her face while her smile turns sheepish. And at this point I cringe, knowing her next words even before she says it.

"Louis arrived around midnight and spent the night. He's still in my room – "

Groaning, I crumple a piece of napkin and toss it at her "God please, spare me the details, I don't need to hear it."

"What? You were curious!"

"Not that curious"

"Oh shut it, you're only a grouch because you haven't had any for so long."

Both of us are caught off guard by her jest but we are able to recover from the shock quickly enough as we burst out laughing.

I love all of my friends dearly and am very grateful for them. If it wasn't for them – God knows how I would've survived. But out of them all it's El who knows me most – knows what I want and need even before I realize it myself.

She doesn't treat me with kid gloves like Niall and Ella does, nor does she hover over me like an overprotective brother the way Louis does and lastly she doesn't throw my mistakes at my face like Liam does when he gets every possible chance at it – though I most likely deserve it.

Instead, it's like nothing has ever changed. In her eyes, I'm still the same Brooklyn, the Brooklyn before...

"You know, I never really understood why you still bother with that clock of yours when you keep waking up before it even goes off."

My smile fell. It's been a couple of years now. But I still see their faces when I close my eyes. I don't have the heart to tell her that. Besides, I always thought they'd be aware of it somehow, I mean it should be bound to reflect on my face especially since I can't recall the last time I've used a decent amount of make-up.

"Brooke"

"Hmm?"

"Err, you kind of zoned out on me."

There was a look of ill-disguised concern on her face that knotted my insides. I knew it was perfectly natural, but it was a look I didn't want to get accustomed to no matter how frequent I've seen it.