Beyond Good and Evil

Chapter 16: Horse Riding

"Alexi Laiho," Alicia said, her mouth full with steak.

Elsa wore a neutral expression, striking the name off the paper. Andreas, Robert, Niklas, Jonas and Tomi sat in the living room close by, watching The Walking Dead. Alicia found it hard to keep her mind focused and think straight when she could hear the dying groans of zombies and firing of guns.

"Um," Elsa murmured, tapping her fingernail against the wooden table. "Michael Clifford, from 5sos."

Alicia looked down at her own list, shaking her head. "No. I listen to real music, not shitty boy bands."

"Amen!" Andreas called from the living room.

Elsa fought to keep the smile from her face, but failed epically. Alicia had noticed that ever since she had hooked up with Andreas, she was much happier. Elsa had never been that happy around Sean, and they had been dating for six months or more.

"Mathias Nygård!" Elsa beamed. "You know, the singer for Turisas? He's so hot!"

Alicia struck that name off her list, taking a brief glance over at the guys. Robert had his head back against the top of the couch, smiling as a zombie ran at one of the men and got half its head shot off. Almost everyone she knew watched The Walking Dead, yet she had not. It was on her bucket list, amongst other titles like Game of Thrones and Vampire Diaries.

"Petri Lindroos," Alicia fired back, smiling to herself in self-satisfaction. "He's always been a babe, but even more now so since he's grown a beard."

"Oh my god!" Elsa slapped the table as a thought came to mind. "Janne, from Crimfall, grew a beard too! But it doesn't suit him." She scrunched up her face, sticking her tongue out in disgust.

"Do you two always play this game?" Niklas' voice called from the living room. His accent was less prominent than Robert's, and even Andreas'. Out of all of them, Robert had the thickest accent, and then Jonas, and Andreas.

Elsa took a quick glance over her shoulder. "Only when we're bored."

"Come and sit with me," Robert butted in, patting the small space between himself and Tomi. "Plenty of room, if Huggy moves his butt over."

Tomi cast him a mocking glare, shifting aside onto the pillow beside Jonas. Alicia stifled a laugh, and padded over, throwing herself onto the cushion beside Robert.

"Hi," she grinned, lifting her chin towards him.

"Hello," he smirked, seeing right through her. "You have a dirty mind Ms Stellar. I may have to wash it out with bleach."

"What?" She asked innocently, batting her eyelashes at him. "I didn't do anything, Mr Stjärnström."

Robert laced his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a bear hug. She clutched him tight, as if he might disappear from the earth with the blink of an eye. In a way, it was an advantage that he was well-built, enabling her to actually hold him, to feel him.

One of her friends from university, whom she had known in mid January, had been as skinny as a rake. When Alicia had hugged him, it had been like she was hugging herself - he was that thin.

"Do you like horses?" He asked, gazing down at her.

Tomi got up then, holding one arm out in front of him and the other he twirled in the air, making a horse riding impersonation. "Yeah horsey! Faster!"

Robert raised an eyebrow, giving his friend a completely blank look. "You really are one of the strangest people I know."

"That's what makes me fun!" Tomi grinned. "You're not so normal yourself either. I hope you know that."