Haven't Seen You In Ages

Best Friends?

"So, I didn't fall off the couch," I said, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Yeah," Hugh said. "You can just sleep in the bed from now on."

"What, with you?" I asked, jokingly nudging his shoulder. He chuckled, watching me with his ocean-blue eyes.

"Only if you want," he replied, raising his eyebrows at me in question.

"Well we used to didn't we?"

"Wait. You're actually fine with sharing a bed with me?"

"Of course. You're my best friend." I shrugged my shoulders as if to say, obviously.

The truth was, I hated us acting like we barely knew each other. We were best friends, and it was time we got back into all our old traditions, regardless of how we felt about each other.

"Okay then," Hugh said with a wink.

"Okay," I said smiling.

***

Mum and dad had finally decided to let us go off on our own, and we were grateful that they did.

"Can I come with?" Casey asked, but in Hugh's direction instead of mine. Then came a flashback of Casey and Hugh at the dinner table, looking at each other for that little bit too long.

Stepping into Casey's line of sight - stepping in front of Hugh - I said, "of course you can't come!"

"Dawn! Let your sister go with you if she wants," my mum said, giving Casey a reason to say 'yeah' in that annoying, childish way.

We were standing outside the hotel, arguing over the idea of Casey tagging along with me and my best friend. Hugh and I were planning to have a good time, like we used to, but we couldn't do that if we had my irritating older sister with us.

But mum was basically glaring at me, and because dad agreed with everything she did, he was glaring at me too.

"Fine! But you walk, like, ten metres behind us!" I yelled, grabbing Hugh's arm and heading off in the direction of the markets.

"Whatever. Fine by me," Casey said, running to keep up with us.

"I said ten metres," I said as Casey caught up with us, me still dragging Hugh.

"No, as if." Casey stayed where she was, walking beside me.

"Bloody hell Casey! Just walk behind us!"

"Why does it matter?"

"Because I don't want you here!"

"So what?"

"Oh my-"

"Dawn!" Hugh suddenly yelled, making me jump at the sound.

"What!?" Both Casey and I yelled back at him in unison.

"You're gripping my arm really tight, that's all," Hugh said guiltily, his eyes on the ground.

"Oh, sorry," I said. Suddenly I felt really guilty too, so I let my hand drop.

"You don't have to completely let go, you know." To my surprise and liking, Hugh intertwined our fingers, giving me that half smile that makes all the girls drool.