Love & War | Brad Simpson ✔️

41. "Show me how much you've missed me"

"Spongebob can fuck off, he's stealing my time with my girl"

His girl...

Damn, I like that.

"You're gonna fight him for me?" I tease, "because I'd love to cross 'two guys fighting over me' off my bucket list"

Brad then tells me in detail how he would annihilate (his word, not mine) Spongebob Squarepants in a fight to the death for the prize of Ella Evans and her boobs, which takes us down a rabbit hole of fictional characters that Brad reckons he would beat in a fight. I mostly just challenge him and take the piss when I feel the need to. We get in lost in conversation and time is forgotten about until the sun is starting to peek through a gap in the curtains and we decide to allow each other to get some sleep. I manage an hour or two, which is more than I usually get after an episode of sleep paralysis. I'm not entirely sure whether it's down to Brad's comfy bed or Brad himself.

On second thoughts, I think I'm entirely sure.

* * * * * * *

After two peaceful days of having a girls-only flat, it's time for the boys to come home. The four of the lads go to Connor's flat straight from the airport so they can have a few drinks and I offer to pick them up later on so I can have one last drive in Tris's nice car. I have taken full advantage of the fact that I had legal use of a car and have been driving myself and Gemma to McDonalds, KFC and whatever other fast food we felt like having. I'll be sad when tomorrow comes and I have to give it back to it's owner again.

Whilst the boys are at Connor's, Gemma and I go to McDonald's for the second time since she's been here and get something to eat to pass the time. Due to it being later at night, it's really quiet so we stay in the restaurant until I get the text from Tris saying that he and Brad are ready to be picked up.

"Should we get them some food?" Gemma asks.

"No"

She throws me a look that says 'play nice'.

"Fine" I mutter, "I'll text Tris"

I send my brother a message and he quickly replies with yes followed by another message telling me his and Brad's orders. I buy their food before we take it out to the car and set off to Connor's flat.

When we arrive, I park the car in a free space outside and then send my brother another message to let him know that we were here.

"What's the most embarrassing song you can find on my iPod?" I ask Gemma, who has a hold of the device and is controlling the music, "I want it playing full blast when the two of them come out"

"High School Musical, Camp Rock, Hannah Montana..." she lists off, making me scoff.

"Gem, none of those are embarrassing, they're quality music" I tut, making her smile before she scrolls through my music again and selects another song. Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio starts playing through the speaker system.

"My mum plays this when she wants to embarrass me," Gemma tells me, "she knows all the words"

I turn the volume up and wind the windows down, just as I see Brad and my brother leaving the apartment building. I grab my brother's Ray-Bans from the glovebox and slip them on.

"As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" Gemma and I start to rap loudly along with the track as the two boys approach, "I take a look at my life and realize there's nothin' left, 'cause I've been blastin' and laughin' so long, that even my momma thinks that my mind is gone"

"Jesus Christ" I hear Tris say. I glance over in their direction.

"Oh, we didn't see you there" I lie, "we were just being cool and shit"