I'm Normally Perfect (re-upload)

Chapter Twenty-Two

'That sounds nice.'

'Thanks again for the bookmark, it was lovely.'

'Don't mention it.' He didn't take my bait to change the subject, 'So you're going to Essex with her for Christmas?'

'What? No. Oh, no, yes we are, I'd forgotten.' Actually I'd only forgotten that I'd told him we were leaving tomorrow, rather than a week later. Lying was hard work.

'That should be nice. Do you like it there?' He was trying to be casual.

'Yeah, it's...big. There are acres of gardens and trees and that sort of thing.'

'Are you driving over or taking the train?'

His incessant questions were becoming annoying. I asked irritably, 'Why are you so interested in Alex?'

'It just seems like she's the only thing you truly enjoy discussing, and I want to talk about something you want to talk about. Girls always say guys aren't interested in what they say.'

'Oh.' I felt stupid for snapping at him.

'And I'm trying to understand it. I mean, you're not exactly the same age, or in the same station. It's interesting, that's all.'

'What is?' I didn't think it was all that interesting, or I didn't see why it would be interesting to anyone outside of Alex and myself.

'Your friendship. I'm trying to get a picture of how it works. The dynamic of it.'

'And how's that coming along for you?'

He chuckled, 'Still working on it.'

'What do you want to know?'

'Does she talk to you about grown up things?'

I thought about it, 'Yes.'

'Like what?'

'Her boyfriends and her life growing up. Her parents and their relationship and how that formed the way she views relationships, that sort of thing.'

'And what do you talk to her about?'

'Everything.'

'Give me an example.'

The only examples I could think of were bad things and those weren't any of his concern. 'I don't know...the stuff I usually keep from everyone else.'

'That must be just about everything, then.'

'That's what I said.'

After a pause he said, 'Good for you, then. I suppose.'

'Why do you say it that way?'

'It seems a bit queer. I suppose because I can't imagine being mates with someone that much older than me.'

'Well, you're not me.'

'No kidding.'

We fell into a comfortable silence and stared up at the sky for a while before there were crashing footsteps coming up the staircase and whispered voices, it sounded like two people trying to be quiet and doing a very bad job of it.

When I could make out actual words, an inebriated voice said, 'Juss up 'ere, shhh.' A giggle answered the command. Robert and I propped up on one elbow each and exchanged curious looks. A moment later a guy with a beer appeared on the landing with a girl in tow. The lights were off in the room Robert and I were in, but they were on downstairs, so our new guests were silhouettes as they attempted to manoeuvre their way into our room.