by Ruby Reade
'Oh yeah, you just had to date her.' Drew replies sarcastically and raises his eyebrows at him. Had to date her? What is he talking about? Given the current mood I'll file that question away for another time.
'You are an arsehole and I am going to take great pleasure in tearing you apart.' He promises with a smile that isn't really a smile.
'Whatever, you brought all this on yourself. You couldn't tear toilet paper from a roll let alone do anything to me.' Drew must be a lunatic to goad Kevin when he is like this.
'Well come on down here then. It looks like we have a winner folks, come on down and get your prize.' Kevin offers holding his arms out to Drew.
'Don't be a twat Kevin.'
'Oh, now I'm the twat, even though you, my best mate, just shagged my bird. I must be missing a part of the puzzle here.'
'I'm not your bird.' Pops out of my mouth and instantly I wish I could pull the words back where they came from.
'I told you to SHUT UP. I will deal with you in a minute.' He shouts at me. Not something I really want to hang around for surprisingly enough, but I still shut up. 'I know I have been banging on at you to find a bird, but I, did, not, mean, her.' He tells Drew this time his finger is millimetres from my face when he points at me.
'Well maybe if you hadn't fucked it up and let her go then I wouldn't have had the chance.'
'I'm sorry I didn't realise this is all MY FAULT. Thank you so much for enlightening me.
'Calm down mate, we really like each other.' Drew boldly states putting his hand on my shoulder.
'What?' Me and Kevin both ask at once. I spin around to face Drew and Kevin is looking at me.
'No I don't.' I say to them both trying to clear that fact up straight away.
'Lucy?' Drew asks looking at me wanting me to back him up, but I can't.
'You are dead. Fucking dead.' Kevin growls at Drew reaching past me to grab Drew's waistband. He drags him down the stairs nearly taking me along with them.
'Kev, seriously calm down.' Drew's voice has suddenly gone high pitched again.
'Calm down? Calm down. You are having a giggle. I come home to find out you have fucked her and then you tell it's my fault. Priceless.'
'I'm sorry I really am, but this isn't going to help anyone.'
'That is where you are mistaken. Believe me when I say it is definitely going to make me feel a million times better.' I watch them dancing around each other in the hallway. Kev has the look of a caged lion who has been fed live game.
'Think about this we have been best friends since as long as I can remember. You really don't want to do this.' Drew tries reasoning with him and is edging slowly closer. Kevin has stopped moving now and is just staring at him.
It seems like everything has been slowed down as Drew swings his arm in the worst girly punch I have ever seen. Kevin easily dodges it. Drew’s fist brushes his lip.
Drew looks down at his hand, to Kevin, and back down to his hand again in disbelief.
Kevin's smile is anything but friendly as he brushes away the faintest drop of blood.
'Well you just made this a whole lot easier.'
'I didn't mean it. I don't know what happened I thought you were going to hit me and then I started but sort of wish I hadn't halfway through. I'm sorry. Please Kevin.' Drew is all but on his hands and knees.
Instead of replying Kevin is on top of him in an instant, arms and legs are a blur of swinging and kicking.
I still can't move from my spot on the stairs. This is the closest I have ever been to a fight unless you count being in front of the television. This looks nothing like any film I have seen though, for a start there is blood. Real blood. One of them is screaming stop.
It takes a second for me to realise it is me screaming.
Like statues they both freeze looking up at me. Drew is laying on the floor in a ball trying to protect himself.
All I can hear is Kevin's heavy breathing trying to return to normal and a whining noise from Drew. Kevin still has a fistful of Drew's hair and one arm raised ready to strike. He must notice at the same time as I do because he let's go and stands up.
'You're not even worth it.' He says to Drew before spitting on him and walking over to the front door.
I collapse down onto the stairs, grateful I don't have to try and stand up anymore.
'Neither of you are worth it.' Kevin says walking out of the house without a glance backwards.
The door slams and I look down at Drew who hasn't moved. Spit is running down his arm.
Resting my head on my knees. I knew this morning that this was my worst mistake to date, with my track record of course I was going to get caught, of course it was going to all end in tears. If I hadn't acted like such a prat last night, then I would have known this and stopped it before it started. Not me though I love to walk merrily into disaster without a care in the world.
Chapter 24
Kevin
Leaning against Luke's kitchen side with a wet towel pressed onto my lip, I still can't believe it. Lucy and Drew. Drew and Lucy. I never would have guessed that one coming.
The cheeky bastard even managed to split my lip. That girl is going to get me hospitalised or banged up, neither a future to look forward to.
I run the cloth under the cold tap again watching my blood run down the drain. Sliding my tongue over my tooth again which feels a damn sight looser than it did when I woke up this morning. I stop aggravating it to press the cloth back to my mouth wincing in pain. Even my brain seems to fizz in agony.
'Keep that on there and I swear there won't be any swelling.' Luke promises walking into the kitchen with an arm full of pillows and covers to set me up with on the sofa.
'Humpf.' I grunt at him. How fair is it that it’s come to me sleeping on a sofa because my best mate went and shacked up with my girl. There is definitely something wrong with this situation that needs changing immediately.
Luke walks back in to find me bent over his sink scowling out of his window. I am conjuring up plans left right and centre on how to get back at the little arse wipe.
'I've, erm, got plans with Kate...' He looks around me, 'I can always cancel though.' He still doesn't meet my eyes, instead resting his gaze on my forehead.
'Don't be so stupid, it's not like I am going to do anything rash.' He catches my eye and raises an eyebrow at me. 'Honestly I am a grown man and more than capable of sorting out my own social calendar. Go and have fun.' I shoo him with my hands, but he folds his arms trying to work out what I am really thinking. I have no idea what I am thinking so he has no hope of figuring it out.
'Look you know what Drew is like.' He attempts to tackle the subject.
'Ha. I thought I did, but perhaps not as well as I had imagined. This morning has made me wonder about a lot of things. I won't make the same mistake again.' I vow.
'Come on we all know he has about as much sense as a rocking horse.' He tries to make light of it.
'What, no brain and a vacant donkey look?' I counter straight back. I think the description pretty much sums him up in one sentence. Luke bursts out laughing, at least someone can laugh after today's events.
'Vacant donkey look? I like it.'
'I want to smash him to pieces every time I remember seeing his smug face when I walked back indoors. If he thinks I am the kind of guy he can test, then I'll have to show him otherwise.'
'Kevin it's not worth it. Really you need to take some time out and look at the whole thing objectively and figure out what to do, not rush in hot headed like you usually do.' Not worth it is all I hear.
'Not worth it? I can picture you acting calm as ice if the roles were reversed.' I say and watch his mouth open and close again, thinking better of what he was about to say. 'If he did it to me, then who is to say he won't do it to anyone else? How can anyone trust him? How can you?' I ask the important question that no one else seems to have thought of. 'He has been in Lucy's ear talking me down since day one.' I point out another fact.
'No I know that, we all did and laughed about how pathetic it was, I just never thought it would get this far.' He shrugs and puts his head down.
'It isn't something you usually worry about from one of your best mates is it?' I ask throwing the bloody cloth at the bin and score a perfect shot. It could have helped I imagined it was Drew's head.
'I really have to make a move.' He checks his watch and screws his face up. 'Are you sure you don't mind me going?' He asks again.
'Unless you want me to throw you out of your own home, then shut up, go out, and have some fun.' I order him firmly.
After I shut the door behind him, I drag my sorry self into the front room slash bedroom and dive face first onto the sofa.
Ringing Lucy is the most frequent thought I am getting other than pounding Drew into the ground. I want to know how she is going to attempt to explain this one, and if that is why she made up some bullshit story about Amy because she liked Drew.
'Sod it.' My voice sounds very loud in the silent house. If she can't be bothered to ring me at least to explain rather than make amends and apologise, then why should I be the one to chase her?
A nasty image of Lucy in the sexy nurse uniform I brought her last Christmas, tending to poor Drew makes me sick to my stomach.
I flick the television on and turn it up loudly to distract myself before I turn insane with jealousy.
Relationships. Too. Much. Bloody. Hassle.
***
Woken by the sound of a key jangling in the door I am still only halfway out of my dream. I sit up I expecting to see Drew and Lucy walking in, hand in hand and loved up. I slump back down again recognising only Luke and Kate's voices.
'Hey Tyson, how is the wounded soldier?' Kate calls out to me. She walks into the doorway smiling at me. I stop myself from smiling back when I feel my lip splitting open again.
'Don't harass the poor boy.' Luke orders her and wraps his arms around her. 'I see your social calendar has been as busy as I predicted.' He says grinning at me.
'Oh yes I wouldn't knock it, sleeping, bad nightmares, revenge plots and terrible TV. I've got it all going on here. Don't you just wish you were me?' I ask.
'As bad as you think your life is at the minute, I'm telling you that chick flicks and shopping are my own personal hell.' He leans in to whisper. 'And she knows it.'
'Hey.' Kate says grabbing his face with both hands. 'I saw you crying in the cinema mister.' To which he looks horrified, as you would do.
'Babe. My rep. Jesus. Can't a man get something in his eye without the world and his dog assuming ludicrous conclusions hmmm?' He asks her but his eyes dart over to me.
'Mhmmmm hmmmm hmmmm. Argh. God damn, don't make me laugh.' The agony in my lip is so much worse trying not to laugh at Luke's embarrassing little secrets.
'Who said I was being funny sweetness?' He grumbles at me.
'Now, now babes, let's not get touchy.' Kate taps him under the chin before turning back to me with her hands on her hips and I wait for the grilling to start. I take a deep breath, feeling myself starting to sweat already.
'Kate.' Luke uses her name as a warning not to start on me, not that it makes the slightest bit of difference. When Kate wants to know something then make no mistake, she will find out what she wants to know.
'So, what is the gossip then? Start at the beginning and do not miss anything out.' She makes her order and settles down into the armchair opposite me. She ignores Luke throwing his arms up in despair at her, staring only at me. I look back at him and he shrugs his shoulders at me. No help there then.
I take another deep breath and follow my orders down to every tiny detail without any interruptions from my audience.
When I finish my last sentence, I put my head down and wait for Kate to instantly take Lucy's side and tell me I got everything I deserved this morning.
'That is a mess alright.' The classic understatement of the year. 'I think that you two have just coasted along in a relationship for the past couple of years without talking about anything, and letting it cruise along until you crashed.' Luke is looking puzzled, and I have to say I'm with him.
'They weren't the Titanic Kate.' Luke says shaking his head.
'She knew how I felt about her, yet she still sleeps with her boss and then one of my best mates. Do I have mug stamped on my forehead? Did I say let's have an open relationship where you can shag half of the town, while I on the other hand am not even allowed to so much look at another girl? If I did then my memory is screwed.'
'Ah Kevin.' She pouts and leans over to give me a hug. Luke is rolling his eyes again and I almost laugh but redeem it by coughing instead, which is still painful on the lip.
'Get a grip woman, he needs to get slaughtered and laid by someone else to build is confidence back up and wipe her out of his mind.' Luke unwisely corrects her. As much as I see the logic in what he is saying there is no way I would ever voice that opinion in front of Kate. Instantly she turns on him.
'Right. Obviously, that is the perfect solution in your eyes. I can't believe you would even suggest that. You clearly haven't changed as much as you want me to believe.' She growls through her teeth and stomps out of the room.
I look at Luke who is holding his head in his hands, a pose I am very familiar with now, and don't know how to break the silence.
'I had better leave. I don't want me staying here to cause a row between you two.' I say getting up.
'Nah mate, don't be daft. It's the last thing I want you to do, besides you haven't got anywhere else to go. She is just being hormonal.' He whispers the last part and helps me to pick up the empty beer cans and crisp packets that have accumulated around me since this morning.
'I heard that.' Kate's voice travels down the stairs making us freeze only our eyes move to look at each other. I gag myself with my hand to stop a laughing fit bursting out, Luke similarly is holding his nose and his shoulders are shaking.
'Sorry.' I manage to choke out. He nervously waves his hands at me to make me shut up.
'If you laugh, you can share the sofa with him.' She threatens him.
'I best go upstairs and with a cup of tea otherwise we are going to end up top and tailing like we did when we were kids.'
'What a lovely offer!' I raise an eyebrow at him.
'Best offer you'll be getting in a while sweetheart.' He warns before walking out on me.
I jump backwards into my pit, and my last thought is if I have to sleep here for any length of time, I am going to end up crippled. I try to roll onto my side, curling my legs up, before falling into a restless sleep.
Chapter 25
Lucy
My room is slowly getting light around me yet the shadows around my eyes are getting darker. My eyes sting with burning tears I can't force out. Heaving a sigh, I roll over and hug my duvet tightly into my chest. My body aches with the burden of guilt and regret I can't quite get out of my head.
The quiet night has been regularly punctuated by texts and calls from Drew, all left unanswered. I don't know what he wants me to say to him. I never meant to hurt him or Kevin for that matter, and I certainly didn't want to hurt this much.
The door creaks open, and I watch my Mum from under the duvet poke her head in before deciding it’s safe to creep in with a cup of tea before darting back out again.
As soon as she has left, I drag myself up and take the tea from the bedside table, just as I take my first mouthful, Jenny bursts in, an advert for what a difference eight hours solid sleep does for a person.
'Come on you little hussy let's go for lunch and get out of the house before you and the bed become one.' She starts grabbing at my cover, but I have it wrapped around me like a second skin.
'No, no, no. it's too early for lunch anyway.' I tell her before taking a second mouthful of tea. There certainly is something to be said about this stuff in trying times.
Frowning she looks at her watch and then slowly back at me again. 'But it has gone twelve and I know how long it takes you to be
autify yourself. So up you get.' She has stopped tugging at my cover, but she is now giving me her best please do what I say immediately pout. I sigh at her letting her know I am not happy, but I still swing my legs out of bed to show willing.
The doorbell goes downstairs, followed by several female voices being greeted my Mum.
'Ooooh that will be the girls. I invited Kate and Laura, is that alright?' She asks now, not that I mind them coming, I could have been asked before asking them though. I nod and she gives me a beaming smile, turns and bounces out of my room. Hopefully they help as a distraction and won't rehash it all day.
Having a dodgy confidence day, I grab a pair of old jeans and a plain white t-shirt. I want to draw as little attention to myself as possible today.
I make my way into the bathroom and climb into the shower. The water feels soothing on my skin today unlike the one I had yesterday when I got home. I practically burnt the top layer of skin off trying to eradicate every scrap of evidence of what I had done with Drew. I can't stop picturing Kevin's face when he caught us. He looked me up and down in disgust. I put my face back under the pounding water so my tears are washed away as quickly as they materialise.
Finally ready, I head towards the kitchen where all the noise is coming from. When I enter a stunned silence follows, not usually something that happens when I walk into a room, this is not because I have made any kind of effort, but more the opposite.
I don't suppose I am a pretty sight with no make-up to hide the massive round circles which have taken over my eyes or my wet hair plastered to my head or just the general grief that has washed over me pulling me down. Grief for losing Drew as a friend and the final screw coming loose from the bridge that has completely collapsed between me and Kevin.