Pop Tarts, Brand, and Her

Chapter 2: Mischief

Chapter 2: Mischief

Shannon jumped as her phone rang loudly, and scrambled to find it before it rang out. Cushions flew everywhere in her mad search. She located her phone under the lounge and managed to answer it on the last ring.

“Hello?” She gasped, breathless from her frantic search.

“Shannon!” a familiar posh voice exclaimed through the phone.

“Freddie!” Shannon was overjoyed to hear his voice. “Oh my gosh, we haven’t spoken in ages!”

“Yes, my petite angel, it has been an age.” Freddie’s calm voice had a hint of mischief to it, but she let it slide. “Tim told me that you’ve been studying at London University for a while now…why didn’t you call and tell me, darling? We could’ve caught up with each other over lunch.”

“Sorry ‘bout that Freddie, I’ve just been so snowed under with assessments, prac work, and my actual job, that I haven’t had time to-”

“It’s okay, sweet pea, I thought as much, but Tim also told me that you’re currently on your mid-year break. I thought that maybe we could have that get together now.”

“That sounds fantastic.” Shannon ran her fingers through her hair and glanced at the calendar on the wall. “When did you have in mind?”

“I thought today.” Freddie paused.

“Sounds great.” Shannon’s wide-eyed look said differently. “Where?”

“How about your apartment? Say… now-‘ish’.”

“Um, okay…give me a few minutes to-”

“We’re right outside your door, sweet thing.” Freddie cut her off.

Shannon jumped at the three sharp raps against the wooden door a few feet to her left. “Right…coming…wait, did you say ‘we’re’ outside?”

The line went dead, but Freddie called through the door, “I’ve brought along an old friend of yours…and he brought a ‘plus one’.”

“Open the door…sweet pea.” Shannon recognised the voice instantly.

“Julian?” She asked in disbelief, hurriedly tidying.

“The very same, little lady.” His cheeky voice continued.

Happy with the state of the place, she ran to the door and threw it open, “Hi!” she managed to say before Freddie enveloped her in one of his enormous hugs.

“Hello, darling!” Freddie held her at arms-length to look at her properly. “Well, what a fine figure you cut!”

Shannon blushed a delicate shade of pink at the comment. “Please…won’t you all come in?”

Shannon refused to look at the third member of the party as they filed in through the door and then proceeded to sit themselves on her comfy lounges. She sighed and closed the door. She smiled at Julian who was grinning madly at her…just like her great-uncle. They both seemed to be waiting for something. Unwillingly, she looked at the third person to have entered her flat. Her recognition of him was immediate.

With a strained smile, she turned to Julian. “Won’t you introduce me?” she asked, and nodded towards the man next to Julian.

Julian sighed. “Shannon Leonard, this is Noel Fielding. Noel, this is Shannon.”

“Hey, how you doin’?” Shannon asked, uncertain as to if she was trying to sound cool and unaffected by Noel’s presence.

“Yeah, alrigh’.” Noel replied wistfully, his eyes regarding her carefully as a pleased smirk plastered itself on his face.