My best friend's brother and my brother's best friend (2016)

Hangovers and sudden bursts of confidence

*Picture of Dani*

"Rise and shine! How's your head?"

I'm woken to the violent sound of curtains being drawn and a sudden stream of uninvited light, swarming into the bedroom and clawing my peaceful eyes open.

"What time is it?" I groan wrapping the duvet tightly around me and coming to terms with the dry, sandpaper quality to my mouth.

"Oh no you don't! It's nowhere near early enough to use that as an excuse." My best friend laughs sitting down next to me and placing a tray carefully down on my makeshift bed.

"What's this?" I ask glancing at the clock that currently reads five past ten.

"Summer fruit smoothies," she replies taking hers and making a start on the delicious looking, thick liquid.

"Mm, just what I need," I say thankfully, taking my cup and taking a big swig "I was in such a deep sleep last night."

"You don't have to tell me," Cara laughs crossing her legs "you were mumbling all night. Don't worry though, I couldn't understand a word you were saying."

"So why are you not doing your usual shaming and skipping your run?" I inquire tucking into my smoothie, it's freezing cold but the only thing keeping me awake right now.

"You know Sunday's my day off, my excuse used to be that I had church," she laughs reminiscing fondly.

"Yeah I'm sure that was so true," I tease her "I'm pretty sure the only thing less Christian than you is the devil itself."

"Hey!" Cara gasps, mocking offence and pushing my shoulder. That's what I love about our friendship the most, it's probably 90% insult based humour. An unknowing onlooker would probably think we were bitter enemies but it couldn't be any more of the opposite.

"So," Cara starts, obviously changing the subject "are you going to see Alex again?"

"I think so," I nod grinning "I really like him and we get on really well, there's definitely a spark there."

"Well," she replies "I'll always root for you and my brother but I understand what you said yesterday and I think he's a really great guy."

"Thank you." I say smiling at her, "he really is isn't he?"

***

My Taylor Swift playlist fills my head with music about love and revenge as me and Cara sunbathe in the back garden, relishing in another day of glorious sunshine.

My head has been buried in my beloved Wuthering Heights for the past hour while Cara flips through magazine after magazine next to me. She's not a big fan of old classics like me.

"What are you girlies up to?"

I hear Al's familiar voice appear from behind me and I stretch out before taking out my headphones.

"Not a lot, Dani's reading her bible yet again." Cara replies grinning up at her mum.

"We're just heading out to get stuff for dinner tonight," my mum continues to us placing a tray of ice cold lemonade down on the table between us "do you want anything?"

"Don't think so," I say looking at Cara who shakes her head in agreement with me "what we having for dinner?"

"My famous paella!" Al laughs, rubbing her hands together "with squid, octopus and prawns."