Just Friends (30 page)

December 24
th

T
oday is the day I make my appearance on Patrick Miller’s show. A moment I have dreamt of my whole life. Ethan is taking me to the demolition site of the hotel, romantic I know. However, I want a million reassurances that everything will be fine and Ethan will return unharmed. After my talk with Eleanor yesterday, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about what she said.
Was it true?
Ethan came home late, and we didn’t really speak this morning because he had arranged for us to head straight over to the site once we were ready. He insisted we went in his car, but I insisted we went in my car. I won of course.

The site was overflowing with men and women wearing yellow and orange high visibility jackets, and white safety helmets. Ethan forced me to wear the same outfit due to
safety
reasons.

“Aw, you look so adorable.” Ethan said.

“I hate you.” I replied with a frown.

He took a step back, pulling out his phone. “Say cheese.”

“No.” I said, folding my arms and increasing my frown.

He smiled down at his phone after taking the picture.

“That’s my new screen saver right there. I might even get it framed and put on the wall, you’re so cute in your helmet.”

I gazed upon him straight faced and uninterested. “I’m not five years old.”

He passed his phone to a workman and asked him to take a photo of us.

“Stop being so stubborn!” He said before kissing my cheek for the photo. He patted my helmet after. “Right, let’s go inside then, shall we?”

I rolled my eyes and rearranged my helmet, “Lets.” I felt so stupid having to walk around in that ridiculous outfit. My helmet didn’t even fit my head right, and the jacket was three times too big for me. I looked like the child of a builder who they had brought to work for the day. I don’t know what Ethan was excited to show me, all that remained inside was concrete and a few chairs for the workers to sit on. It’s so weird seeing the inside of the building, everything has been stripped from it. Lifeless. It’s completely lifeless. I expected all the carpets and the furnishings to remain, but no, nothing, nothing to represent that this was once a hotel. Just cold, miserable and dusty.

As we entered there were two young men sat on a ruined sofa on their laptops, shouting at one another. Their argument faded as we approached them.

“These are two of the computer chaps who helped edit my show.” Ethan slumped beside them on the sofa and put his arms around them. Strangely, they didn’t say a word. They were just staring at me. I smiled, unsure how to react to such odd behaviour.

“Guys!” Ethan said clipping the back of their heads with his hands.

They jump and stood up extending their hands. “Yeah, we’re his team who make everything happen. Hi, I’m Bryan.” One said, rubbing the back of his head with a huge smile on his face. I shook his hand while keeping weary eye contact with him. These guys only looked the same age as me, maybe older, but they looked so young, it was tempting to ask them why they weren’t in school.

The first was a tanned, chubby guy with glasses and long brown hair and wore a T-shirt with a picture of a slice of pizza on the front.

“Can I get your number?” The other snapped, extending his hand. He was the opposite of the first. Small, skinny and as pale as a ghost, and had short spikey hair. I raised my eyebrow at him, avoiding the handshake.

“Toby you’re not having her phone number, sorry.” Ethan said, standing and put his hand on Toby’s shoulder. “There are many reasons why, but I won’t hurt your feelings by telling you them all.”

“Sure.” Toby replied.

“But the main reason is that she’s too good for you, and she’s my girl chaps.” He added. What did he mean
she
’
s my girl?
Can you be more specific?

As I thought it over I started to sing,
I got sunshine on a cloudy day. When it
’
s cold outside I
’
ve got the month of May.

Ethan shouldn’t have said that, now I looked like a lunatic randomly singing
My Girl
infront of two guys who helped run his show.

Ethan turned and gave me a puzzled frown, but a smirk replaced his frown. Our eyes instinctively knew what we’d have to do next.

“
I guess you
’
d say, what can make me feel this way?
” We sang in unison.

I sang the first,
my girl
, while Ethan carried on the next two that repeated.

“
Talkin
’
bout my girl
.” We sang in unison again.

We both pointed to Bryan to sing the final,
my girl
, and he backed us up perfectly.

Ethan and I high fived and laughed at one another for a good minute before we eventually calmed down. I apologise if we now have
My Girl
stuck in your head and you’re singing it for the rest of the week.

“You’re sleeping with that?” Toby then asked inappropriately, unimpressed by our excellent, synchronised, harmonised vocals.

It hurt a little because I thought Ethan would be lucky to be sleeping with someone as funny and hilarious as me. Not to mention a great spontaneous singer, too. Ethan’s brightened mood dampened as quickly as it had been created. “Toby I’m this close to firing you, you’re in the presence of the most beautiful woman on the planet and you refer to her as
that?
Sit back down, please, before I get mad.” He held his fingers no further than an inch apart in front of his face.

Toby turned red and slouched onto the sofa, sulking and tapping away at the keyboard.

“Sorry about that. He’s a constant pain in the ass.” Ethan said. “I need to check on a few things, are you ok to wait here for two minutes?”

I smiled, “Sure, I’m not going anywhere.”

He stepped forward, stopping toe to toe with me, tucked my hair behind my ears and then pulled a small section forward. “Elfie, think of a card and I bet you five bucks it’s in your shoe.”

“Ok,” I said as he jogged away.

It was tempting to turn and ask Bryan,
You heard him call me the most beautiful woman on the planet, right? And you saw the spark between us there?

Instead, I sighed, ruffled my hair and sat down on the sofa, as far away from Toby as possible. I untied my white
Converse
shoelaces. My card was the King of Clubs. Nothing. Bryan held the first shoe as I untied the second. It didn’t surprise me to find a card facing down in the sole of my shoe. He’d become too good at it for me to doubt his ability. I reached in, and there it was. The king of clubs
.
I grinned.

“Is that the card you were thinking of?” Bryan asked.

“It is.” I replied, placing my shoes back onto my feet.

“So, where’s this tunnel?” I asked.

“Oh it’s underneath there.” He said, turning and pointing to a big white
X
painted in the centre of the floor of the dusty lobby.

I rose from the ruined sofa and observed the marking on the floor from what I thought was a safe distance. I couldn’t see a door, but I guess that’s the idea, otherwise people would know it’s there.

“What tunnel?” Toby asked.

I swiveled around and scowled at him.

“The one we were supposed to tell her about in which he escapes in, that one, remember?” Bryan replied.

“Oh shit, right, yeah, it’s under the big white thing over there, yeah.” Toby said, waving his hand at it.

I flicked my eyes between them, Bryan’s expression dropped.

“There isn’t a tunnel is there?” I asked, lowering my head.

“Duh.” Toby snapped.

I dropped my head further and stared at the floor.

“Ok Toby, you’re done. Pick up your stuff and go. You’re lucky other people are around you.” Ethan snarled from over my shoulder.

My eyes filled up and my bottom lip trembled. How could I have been this naïve? Toby smacked down his computer screen and took off towards the exit. Bryan remained silent.

“August.” Ethan said.

I took off my helmet and examined it before furiously throwing it to the ground as well as my stupid jacket and walked away.

“August, please wait.” I wiped my eyes as I paced to my car.

“August!” Ethan shouted again. He jogged behind me. “Where are you going?” He stopped in front of me, putting his hands on my shoulders.

“I’m not standing around and watching you kill yourself, Ethan!” I yelled, pushing his arms away and walking past him.

“August, please don’t go.” He groaned and walked beside me.

“You lied, Ethan! How do you expect me to react to this? I want no involvement in this, I’m going home.”

The car was still another couple minutes walk away, but I persevered at my fast pace.

“Why don’t you trust me?” He asked, putting his arm around my shoulder.

I flung it off. “No! None of your stupid cuddling or kissing, it’s either me or your stupid fucking trick. I’m sure Natasha will approve of it. See what she thinks about it!”

“What are you talking about? Is that what this is about? Natasha?”

I remained quiet and kept walking. I suddenly noticed he was no longer walking beside me. I glanced over my shoulder. He’d stopped and had his hands held in front of him. They were shaking. I stopped and watched him for a moment. He looked up at me and then walked back towards the hotel. Instead of making things worse, I returned to my car.

As it burst into life I punched the steering wheel, setting off the horn, startling myself. I needed to be at Patrick’s studio in a few hours, and now I felt so bad I didn’t want to go. This isn’t an evening I can just avoid or postpone. The dust from the site made me feel unhygienic and clammy. So I told myself to take it a step at a time and just return home to freshen up. I ran my hands through my hair and fastened my seat belt, jolting it twice before it clicked into the buckle.

I drove home, upset and angry. I slammed my car door shut as I pulled up outside our apartment block and rudely threw the key at the man who parks the cars for us.

Ethan was already leaning against the sofa, waiting for me as I stepped inside. I rubbed my face, slamming the door behind me in frustration to him being home before me. Nevertheless, I walked straight past him.

“Are we going to talk about this?” He asked, following me.

“I have nothing to say.” I replied, maintaining my course.

“August, don’t make me leave like this.” He said, still following me.

“I’m taking a shower and then heading over to the studio. You do what you need to do.” I closed my bedroom door behind me, and sat on my bed with my head in my hands.

The moment the shower water struck me I started to cry. The bathroom door creaked open not long after.

“August, there’s something I need to say.”

I sighed and wiped my eyes. “Ethan what is it? Can’t I have two minutes in the shower, please?”

Silence. The falling shower water echoed.

“I’ve been waiting twelve years to tell you. I think I’ve waited long enough.” He then said, his voice sounded clearer than before. He must have stepped further into the bathroom.

“I’m naked, this isn’t the best time, Ethan. Just go.”

The flow of the shower water suddenly slowed to a stop. The soft touch of his finger rose from the bottom of my spine, gently moving my hair off my back and placing it over my shoulder. A kiss pressed against my neck and another behind my ear. I closed my eyes as he rested his head on my shoulder. We deeply exhaled in unison.

“I love you… I’ve loved you from the moment I first laid eyes on you, and I will do until my dying day. I will always, always, always… love you. So badly, it hurts.” He whispered into my ear, kissing it afterwards.

A smile developed into a grin as I opened my eyes. Ethan kissed my neck once more before the flow of water restarted. I glanced over my shoulder, but he was already gone.

The nerves inside me amplified as each second passed as I stood behind the set of Patrick Miller’s show. Max and Eleanor were already sat on the sofa waiting for me, after having a gossip with Patrick about their newfound love for one another. Despite Ethan telling me he loved me, I’m still furious with him for lying about the tunnel. I just don’t want anything to happen to him. Especially with the whole world watching. I’m wearing a black shift dress with a collar according to my stylist lady. It’s a very pretty dress, but it doesn’t come close to my premiere dress. That’s like the Queen of dresses.

Time is edging closer to the moment I’ve always wished would happen. The churning butterflies in my stomach are making me feel like throwing up.

You
’
ll be fine once you
’
re out there.
I told myself.
Focus on yourself for a moment, Ethan can take care of himself.

“He’ll announce you on any second.” The assistant said beside me.

The moment has arrived. I’m sweating furiously. I looked up at the screen showing the live broadcast. Patrick rose from behind his desk.

“Ladies and Gentlemen. It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for, the moment I’ve been waiting for. She’s ruling the world right now guys. AUGUST BISHOP!”

The lady with the headset on behind me placed her hand on my back and gave me a slight nudge forwards, breaking me from my trance. I forced myself forward, down the small tunnel towards the applauding audience. The studio lights blinded me as I took my first steps on to the stage I had heavily dreamt of stepping on.
Remember to smile… good. Now curtsy and wave to audience, perfect. Now walk over to Patrick and then sit down and relax. My
conscience helpfully instructed.

Patrick stood, opened armed. I walked over and embraced him. He smelt terrific, although the smell of hairspray was quite prominent.

“I can’t believe I’m finally here!” I said into his ear.

“Please, please take a seat, August.” He said, guiding his hand to the sofa occupied by my friends. Max and Eleanor smiled at me as I sat alongside them. They look so cute. Max is wearing a smart suit and Eleanor is wearing a beautiful cream dress. I wish I could tell Max about my encounter with Ethan earlier, although it’s not the time or place. No matter how quiet I whisper it to him. The microphone clipped to my dress would surely pick up what I was saying.