"Jo...wait!" Rae calls after her as she weaves her way through the vast crowds.
Jo couldn't face her, she was jealous. It was easy for her to admit. For ten years she idolised that man, watched every movie and TV show, read every article. She could tell you everything you needed to know about Chris Evans, and then here comes Rae...swooping in with her unrelenting confidence. And he fell at her feet. Jo watched meticulously as he interacted with the countless other fans, he didn't spend a fraction of the time with them, that he spent with her.
Managing to catch up with Jo and her short legs Rae reached out and grabbed her wrist, "wait! Jo, what's wrong?!" She cried.
"Nothing! I'm ready for home, aren't you?" Her forced smile hung crooked.
Rae nodded, she had an inkling as to what was wrong. She might not have gone to the fancy university, but she wasn't stupid. And now she felt terrible.
They sat in silence across from one another on the
tube. Rae opened her mouth to speak an infinite amount of times, but couldn't quite form the words. Or pick them for that matter.
She stuffed her hand into her pocket her fingers brushing the piece of paper Chris had slipped into her hand. Her eyes stretched wide as she held it out on her lap. Was whatever is on this piece of paper more important than her friendship with Jo?
Jo's head flicked up, finally breaking her stare with the doll-in-a-box, "whats that?"
Rae's stomach turned, "just a piece of paper."
"He gave that to you, didn't he? I knew he gave you something when he held onto your hand." She moved across the carriage and sat next to Rae, "what does it say?"
Rae shook her head, "I don't know, I haven't opened it." Mumbling as she fiddled with folds.
"Open it then." Jo snapped.
Rae dipped her head shamefully, she inhaled a breath so deeply she thought her lungs might burst.
She began unfolding the paper, the little rattle in her hand a dead giveaway to her fear.
Thank you for being honest.
678-136-7092
Chris.
Rae finally let the breath go she had been holding, a sigh of relief. "It's just lottery numbers." Smiling half heartedly as she showed the note to Jo.
"Those are not lottery numbers, thats his phone number." She gawked.
Rae's eyes snapped down again to the note. His phone number. His phone number.
"Jo?" Her voice quivered, "what should I do?" Her big green eyes searched Jo's face for, something. Was it answers or permission...or a bit of both?
"I-I-I mean text it... you have to text it, right?"
Jo was just as curious as Rae, she had to text it. For all the screaming girls all over the world. Rae owed it to them, she owed it to Jo.
Pulling out her cell phone, Rae began typing...and deleting...and typing and deleting.
"What do I say?" She muttered.
"Christ, I don't know. It might be a fake number." Jo shrugged.
Jo was right, it very well could be. But why would he give her a fake number? Especially when she didn't ask for it.
To: 678-136-7092
You know, after
meeting you...I
think I prefer the
moustache.
Rae x
Almost as though he had been waiting impatiently on her message, Chris began replying in an instant. Three little dots appeared, indicating that he was typing a message back.
Jo's hand reached out and gripped Rae's, "holy fuck." She whispered. Her posh English accent ever so slightly slipping into Scots.
From: 678-136-7092
You do know that
you are spelling
MUSTACHE wrong?
🥸
Rae inhaled aggressively. What the actual fucking fuck. She looked at Jo, who looked like she might combust.
"Rae...I think it might be him."
"I think you might be right."
The three little typing dots appeared again, both girls gasped shrilly as they waited impatiently for the message.
The dots stopped.
Seconds passed.
Then a minute passed.
The dots started again.
Then stopped.
...
...
...
...
The girls looked at one another the tense silence between them filling the carriage.
...
...
...
From: 678-136-7092
I have to go back to
the movie. Forgive me
for being forward, but
if you are still outside
meet me for an honest
drink?
"Rae..."
"I know..."
"Rae Culloch..."
"I KNOW!" Rae thrusts the phone under her leg, "what do I do?" Her heart races. Not only because he was a celebrity, or that he is the most incredibly handsome man she had ever laid eyes on, but because he was a just a man interested in her. And she didn't let that happen often.
Inhaling sharply she began typing. Doing what she done best, masking her deep rooted insecurities with confidence and humour.
To:678-136-7092
Sorry, met a guy with
A fantasticallydecorated
top lip. On my wayhome.
Take care.
Jo nodded having read the reply over Rae's shoulder, "it's probably for the best." Assuming that the conversation will now be over, and he'll go back to forgetting all about her, and they'll always have this memory between them. Another one to giggle about in ten years.
...
Those ominous three dots appear again. The two girls glance at each other, holding their breath.
From: 678-136-7092
If he lets you down
or shaves it off, I'm
staying at The Corinthia.
Under the name Scott
Capuano.
Rae didn't reply. There wasn't anything she could say. Unable to imagine herself climbing the stairs to some fancy hotel to have a one night stand.
She was here to spend time with Jo, their friendship had been so lost over the years what with life getting in the way.
•
Jo puts the keys to her apartment in the lock, she turns to Rae... "before we go inside, I have something I need to talk you about."
Rae's heart plummets into the deepest depths of her stomach.
Jo opens her mouth to speak, but before she can the door swings open.
A mans face peers around it.
At first Rae thought they had the wrong apartment, but Jo's chalk white sheepish grimace told her she was wrong.
"I thought I heard people out here, you're home early, love." The man was slim, handsome with sandy brown hair, he wore a red t-shirt and light blue jeans.
"Love."
Oh...this was Jo's boyfriend.
"Hi, Rae. Its so great to meet you." He extends his hand, but Rae can't move.
"Give us a minute, will you Dale?" Jo flicks her head towards the open door.
He heads straight for the kitchen, while Jo drags Rae into the spare room.
"I didn't know you had a boyfriend!" Rae whispered as Jo paced the floor nervously. "How long have you two...have you..." she makes a hole shape with her thumb and index finger, vulgarly poking it with the other as she wiggles her eyebrows.
Cheeks burning a deep red, Jo smacks Rae's hands away.
"Two years." She mumbles.
Rae quirks her eyebrow, tilting her head.
"I'm sorry...it sounded like you said two years." Answering back.
Jo nods as guilty tears brim in her eyes.
"Why is this the first I'm hearing about him, Dale?" Rae exhales sharply, disgruntled. Hurt.
Why would she keep it from her... two years.
"I just...I guess I didn't want you to be hurt that I was getting on in..." Jo stops.
"Finish your sentence..."
Jo shakes her head, beginning to pick the skin around her nails.
"Say it, Jo. Say whats on your mind." Rae tries her best not to come across angry, but sometimes those tones can't be controlled.
Jo inhales slowly, "I didn't want you to be jealous that I was getting on in life, and that you were stuck."
Rae's face twists, "you said hurt the first time, and jealous the second...which one is it?" She asks.
"Fuck sake, Rae! Same thing!" Jo snaps defensively, earning a scoff from Rae.
"No they aren't. What makes you think I'm not 'getting on in life'? Just because I didn't fuck off to London with you ten years ago doesn't mean I'm not getting on. I have a great life."
It was Jo's turn to scoff, "Rae you have no ambition whatsoever, you wasted every opportunity you were-"
"NO I DIDN'T, JO! Not having any ambition isn't a bad thing. Why can't you be happy knowing that I'm happy. I don't need all of this, shit." Rae throws her hands out gesturing to the fancy fixtures and fittings around Jo's flat.
"You feel left behind, you must, Rae."
"Don't ever assume to know what I'm feeling."
"It's the reason we haven't set a date—" Jo winces, she couldn't stop the words. They were out faster than she had time to think.
"A date, for what?" Rae stares at Jo, watching her brows furrow, "you're engaged?"
Jo moves her tongue around her mouth trying to stave away tears.
"I'm your best friend." Rae sobs out gently.
Jo shakes her head, "really? Because before March, we hadn't talked in 6 months Rae. We haven't seen each other in person in four years." Tears cascade down her cheeks. "I don't really even feel like I know you any more. Or at least that we've grown, apart."
Rae shrugs, "no...you think you've out grown me."
Staring at Rae, Jo doesn't answer, her silence saying it all.
"I'm gonna go."
"Come off it, Rae. Go where? You're in London. I'm the only person you know here." Jo shouts as Rae grabs her overnight bag from the foot of the bed.
Rae reaches into her pocket and pulls out the piece of paper, "not the only person..." she storms out into the hallway crashing in to Dale, "congratulations, mate." She sneers. As Rae reaches for the door handle, Jo throws herself in front of it.
"Don't come back here, Rae. When you leave you leave. Consider this toxic one sided friendship over. I can't do this with you any more."
"You do you Jo," she shoves her out of the way, "and me... I'm gonna do Chris Pine." She slams the door behind her smugly.
"ITS EVANS!!!" Jo screams from the other side.
"THEN I'LL DO HIM TOO!!!!" Rae screams back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N:
OFF WE GO!
How was that? Is it toxic of me for enjoying writing this chapter?
Do you think she'll go...
I know what I would do.
Please vote and leave a little comment.
Love you all!!