Polly looked disheveled and defeated. Her blonde hair lay flat against her head and her cheeks had become dull, no longer their rosey shade of pink. She stared at Sasha through listless eyes.
"Fuck him!" cried Cass, pausing shortly before continuing to pace the floor. She threw a glance at Sasha who was sitting next to Polly on the bed and rubbing her friend's shoulder.
The three girls were back in Polly's bedroom, although this time the mood was very different. A gloomy atmosphere surrounded them instead of the usual excitement.
"I really love him" Polly began, her voice faltered and a tear fell down her cheek. She'd got past the sobbing stage, which had drained her body of all energy, and now appeared completely deflated
"Fuck Andrew!" Cass repeated, spitting his name out as if she didn't want it in her mouth.
Sasha was taking a more gentle approach, stroking Polly's hair and had made her a cup of tea which her friend was now cradling. She'd cycled over to Polly's house after hearing that Andrew had dumped her. Again. A recurring aspect of their relationship which seemed to be becoming just as important as when they were actually together.
Cass was a very impulsive person however and she wasn't afraid to show her anger or how she felt about someone. Sasha had been intimidated by her when they first met but she knew that deep down she meant well.
"Why does he have to be such a dickhead?!" Polly sighed, throwing her hands in the air.
It was times like these that Sasha felt lucky to not be in a relationship. They sounded like hard work and she often could not understand the decisions people made. Blinded by love was right.
She had to remind herself that when she heard about her friends' relationships it was usually because something had gone wrong. And for some reason it was always easier to recall the bad bits than the good.
"It's going to be okay" said Sasha soothingly, "you have us. And we'll always be here for you, I promise".
----
When Sasha returned home it was late and she'd missed the all important family dinner.
In a way, she was glad. Yes, she'd apologised to Julien but even so she didn't feel like sitting through an entire meal with him across the table. And besides, Sasha had no idea about his feelings towards her. He could still be seething for all she knew.
She found Julien almost impossible to read. He never seemed to give anything away which was getting on her nerves.
'He's too myserious for his own good' Sasha thought.
As she entered the house she could hear racing noises coming from Ben's playstation in the living room. She smiled, shaking her head. That boy was addicted.
Walking into the room Sasha stopped in her tracks, shocked by the scene in front of her.
Ben sat cross legged on the floor so close to the TV screen his nose was almost touching it. He was furiously jabbing at buttons on his controller which made Sasha giggle.
Sitting further back on the sofa was Julien also holding a controller. He was biting his lip as he focused on the game making him suddenly appear sweet and not like a smug asshole.
Noticing someone had entered the room he looked up at Sasha who was blinking rapidly, unsure of what to do.
"Um hi guys", she greeted awkwardly.
Julien studied her carefully with his irresistable green eyes, "Were you not hungry?"
A shiver travelled down Sasha's spine involuntarily. She hadn't expected Julien to respond and his accent sounded more sexy than before, if that was even possible. She'd almost missed hearing his voice.
She returned his gaze with a confused look.
"No dinner?" he asked again. She relaxed her face, finally understanding what he meant.
"Oh no, um, I was at a friends" she explained.
So he'd decided not to ignore her then.
"Have fun?" Julien said before turning back to the TV screen.
Sasha caught her breath. Had Julien really just asked her a normal question? A question that did not seem to be mocking or rude? A question that showed he actually cared, even if it was just a miniscule amount?
She shrugged, "I wouldn't say fun".
Julien looked back at her with a slightly creased brow. Sasha held his gaze. Was she just imagining it or did he look a little concerned?
"I WIN!" Ben shouted, springing up from the floor, breaking Sasha's focus. He began to run around the sofa with his arms stretched up in the air.
"Loser! Loser!" He chanted gleefully at Julien, sticking his tongue out for extra effect.
Julien jumped from his seat, attempting to catch Ben and tackle him to the floor which was met with a squeal of delight.
Sasha rolled her eyes. So here was the brother that Ben had never had. Laughing under her breath she left the room, heading to find her mother.
YOU ARE READING
The Exchange
Chick-Lit-A coming-of-age story about self-discovery- Sasha has always been the girl without the boyfriend. The girl who always fades into the background, hiding behind her confident, sassy friends. But things are about to change- it's the summer before Uni...
