What The People Don't See

Girls

"Pete's doing the groceries and Ev went for a walk." I watched El's face fall ever so slightly out of the corner of my eye and I could feel myself growing even smugger.

"We actually have a surprise for you two...we were gonna wait until the lads were back but the connection here is really bad, so we'll make it quick!"

El grabbed on to my thigh, trying to contain her ever growing excitement. I had to admit that I was anxious to know what the big surprise was too. Josh leant over, leaving Ross on his own on the screen. He nervously began smoothing his fringe down to cover his eyes and I was desperate to say something. But for the first time in a while, I was lost on words.

"Da da da daaaa!" Josh sang, popping up once again with two tee shirts clutched in his fists. He threw one at Ross and they held them up so we could look at them properly. El's hand moved further up my thigh and she squeezed it so hard I could feel her nails digging into me.

"These babys are your every own, limited edition, extremely class shirts...that ye better fucking love cause we spent ages designing 'em!"

Eloise's hand flapped around violently, grabbing my own and squeeling with delight. Josh laughed and he and Ross exchanged a quick glance before nodding and turning the tee shirts around. Written on the back of one was Everton, on the other Barker.

"Oh my god, they put our names on them Stel, they put our names on them!"

I was about to open my mouth to tell her that I'm not fucking blind when she burst into tears, confirming her earlier mention that she was 'an emotional tidal wave'. It wasn't really a shock to me. Honestly, I'd been expecting her to cry since Josh told us he had a surprise. But the lads looked terrified and Josh even mouthed 'is she okay?' at me while she was hiding her face behind her hands.

"She's just excited, right Eloise?" I said, pulling her on to my lap. She tried to say something but ended up snorting instead. She buried her face into my shoulder and attempted to calm herself.

"This is mortifying" she groaned as the lads and I started to laugh.

"Jesus...I'm actually wondering if I should tell ye the real surprise...I don't want El to collapse or anything!"

"Wait, there's another surprise?" I asked and Ross nodded enthusiastically.

"We didn't just make ye these shirts because ye have been great company and helped us feel at home for the very first time here-"

"And we're great craic!" I butted in.

Ross grinned. "Yeah, and that. But we also made them cause we want ye to wear them at our Christmas Eve Eve gig in Liverpool."

Eloise began to cry again as my mouth dropped open in shock. They actually wanted to see us again? In person? I hardly noticed Ross slip out of his chair; I was too busy caught up in my own thoughts. I vaguely remembered saying thank you, on behalf of both of us seeing as El could hardly catch her breath, and then a phone rang.

"Eloise, love, it's for you!"

"Coming Dad!" El tried to shout, but it came out as a barely audible squeak. I helped her stand up and she ran for the door, shaking so much I could even see her knees hitting against eachother. I turned back to Josh, trying to conceal my growing excitement, but it was quickly turned into curiosity as Josh began to whisper at me.

"Stella, I don't have much time so will you promise to keep quiet for the next few minutes to let me explain the whole story? No butting in?"

I couldn't have said anything even if I'd thought of something to say. Josh's sudden change in tone was pretty much drastic and I noticed that he was knocking his knuckles anxiously against the wood of the kitchen table. I held up my pinky and he held up his: a virtual pinky swear.

"Pete's not doing the shopping; he's in his room and he's been moping around in there for the whole weekend. He's in a right state, Stella, and we haven't a clue what to do!" He ran is hand through his hair, sighing in frustration. I kept my mouth shut as promised but I was literally chewing on my tongue to stop from saying something I'd regret.

"Eloise has him ruined...Jesus, he actually believes he's in love with her! And to be honest, I kind of see where he's coming from..."

I broke my promise sooner than I thought I would.

"That's fucking crazy! He can't be in love with her; he only just met her the other day!"

Josh looked pissed at me for interrupting but he started talking in the same hushed manner almost straight away, as if he'd expected I'd respond this way.

"He said, and I quote, "as soon as I saw her dancing on that bar stool, and dribbling shots down her chin, I knew that I'd never see anything more beautiful again in me life"".

I fake retched and Josh chuckled quietly, adding that Pete also said that she had a "decent arse".

"I don't know Stella...he's never even properly liked a girl from home! He's shifted a good few at discos when we were younger and that but...I don't know...This feels different."

"Wait, what the fuck does shifted mean?"

"Oh sorry, it's irish slang for kiss."

I giggled. It had sounded dirtier than that in my mind. There was suddenly a loud wail from the hallway and I heard it coming from the laptop too. I looked from the door to Josh in confusion but he just shrugged.

"Ross is prank calling Eloise so to distract her for a few. He's pretending he's Scottish...and failing miserably" he said, glancing over at where Ross must've been in their apartment.

I listened intently now, letting my head drop to one side. I heard El sigh in exasperation and yell something along the lines of 'I don't want to enter your sheep shearing competition!' Josh closed his eyes and grinned, clutching his stomach and trying not to laugh.

"What?" he hissed, but not at me, at Ross. "Just, I don't know, tell her she's won something!"

Josh turned back to me, opening his mouth but was cut off again by more panicked whispers.

"Ok! Sorry, we have to go before Ross has a stroke or something. He's gonna kill me later!"

I heard El hang up the phone and her feet already pounding down the hall towards her room.

"Don't worry, we'll figure something out! Maybe she'll have changed her mind by the time the gig comes around" I said, but a completely different idea was formulating in my mind, one that I didn't feel comfortable sharing with Josh (or anyone for that matter).

"Yeah okay. Cheers for hearing me out Stel!"

The door was flung open just as the screen went blank and El threw herself on the bed, groaning.

"Who was that?" I asked, glad she couldn't see my face. It would've totally given me away.

"Some Italian guy wanting me to go shear sheep with him!"

Jesus, Ross's accent must've been worse than I thought.

"Cool beans! When you heading?"

I didn't get an answer; she threw her maths book at me instead.