love & hate | wroetoshaw

o n e

the sound of alex tuners melodic voice fills my ears as i shove the last few items of clothing into my suitcase, finally packed for the big move. my mind wanders to different places, mostly focusing on what life is going to be like in london and whether all of this effort to move will be worth it.

i decided to move to london a few months ago, in hopes of being able to pursue my dream career. i've wanted to become a model since i was a little girl, my nana would dress me up in princess costumes and do my hair, making a homemade runway out of old boxes and pillows in the back garden. i smile at the thought, remembering how carefree life was back then.

a quiet knock at the door breaks me from my thoughts, causing my head to turn in the direction. my nana stands there with a bright smile on her face, her brown hair falling onto her face.

"bella, there's someone at the door for you." she chirps.

i pull a confused face, but slowly get up after zipping my suitcase, struggling due to how full it is. i walk out of the spare room and down the stairs, stopping in front of the front door and peeping through the peep hole. when i don't see anyone, i open the door and take a quick look around, but there seems to be no one there. i quickly walk back inside and close the door behind me, shivering slightly as the crisp autumn air tickles my cheeks as it wafts through the small hallway of the house.

as i turn back around, i knock straight into the front of someone, startling myself. i stumble back and apologise, thinking it was nana. as i look up at the person my eyes practically bulge out of my head.

"surprise." they say, a cheeky smile lingering across their face.

"what the hell?" i exclaim, waving my hands around with excitement, "what are you doing here, talia? i thought you were picking me up from the station when i got to london?"

"well, i lied," she laughs, "you really think i would let you get a train to london all by yourself? especially with how much you overpack."

i pull her into a long-awaited hug, catching the scent of her expensive perfume, "oh, i've missed you."

"i've missed you, too," she says, pulling out of the hug and turning to look at nana, "and you nana, how have you been?"

me and talia have been friends since we were young teenagers, becoming friends online through playing games together. we finally met when i was 19, her being 21, when we went to a taylor swift concert together. since then, we've been best friends. talia introduced me to some of her friends down in london when i went to visit once, causing me to also become close with simon, her boyfriend, and cal, who i considered both like big brothers. i had met the most of the group, but there were a few i was yet to be introduced to.

"i've been alright, darling. other than trying to look after the bloody dog, he's a nightmare." she laughs, referring to the german cocker spaniel puppy her and my grandad got a few months ago. he's very destructive, usually ripping apart any pillow or shoe in sight. "cup of tea, anyone?"

"i'll make them," talia says, walking towards the kitchen door.

"talia, i've told you this a thousand times, and i'll tell you again, i'll make the teas." nana says, sternly, "you're the guest."

"just because i'm the guest doesn't mean i can't make my two favourite people a cuppa," she laughs.

the door opens behind me, causing me to look at the tall figure clambering through the door. "hey, i thought i was your favourite person."

"simon!" i beam, instantly running towards him and engulfing him in a big hug.

he hugs me back, laughing at the excitement i have, "alright, button?"

"you know i hate it when you call me by my last name," i sigh.

when we pull away from the hug, he ruffles his hand through my hair, causing me to give him an unamused face.

"don't worry, simon," my nana says, placing a hand on his arm, "you can be my favourite."

me and talia let out a string of annoyed mumbles, the two laughing at us as they greet each other. we walk into the living room while talia goes to make the teas, simon instantly sitting on the grey loveseat, smirking at me. i storm over and try to pull him off the chair, failing miserably.

"that's my chair." i growl, staring at him in disbelief.

"mine now."

"i forgot how annoying you are," i roll my eyes, playfully.

"nah, fuck you," he laughs, knowing that i was joking, "you don't have to be so mean."

i watch as he gets up of the chair, pouting as he did so and plopping himself down onto the couch, next to nana.

"i wish you two would stop arguing in my house," she says sternly, looking between us, "what did i tell you both?"

me and simon look at each other in fear, thinking back to the last time we were here. we were playfully arguing all day, which ended up in a play fight between me, talia and simon. obviously, me and talia ganging up on him, which caused simon to knock into a vintage vase that nana had gotten from her trip to greece for her honeymoon. she threatened to lock us all in the cupboard and never make us any cookies again. of course, we all obliged. nothing beats nanas cookies.

"yes, nana, sorry." i say with a sheepish smile.

"anyway, how has everything been? anything exciting?" simon says, looking between us both as talia walks in, a tray full of teas in her hands.

"same old, same old," nana says, taking her cup of tea from talias hands, "grandad has been driving me crazy, going on about how the birds keep ruining his flowers."

we all laugh at the thought, imagining grandad shooing away the birds from his freshly planted flower beds. we sit for a few hours, catching up with each other and stuffing our faces with sandwiches and sausage rolls that nana had made us, with it getting closer to the time for me, talia and simon to head to london.

a/n: first chapter, ayy
let me know what you think so far :)