Part 2: -
Elianna’s POV
“You serious? Us two and love? Not a chance. Friends maybe but love? No way in hell” Is he serious right now? He wants me to fall in love with him in a month. He has got to be joking.
“I’m not saying it has to happen but definitely give me a month to make you like me. As a friend, maybe something else will happen but who knows?”
“Who does know indeed? We can’t exactly start all over again because well, we’re in too deep for the crap but why now?”
“Elianna, it’s a little hard to explain but I think it’s just always been right since the boys and I moved here. Although we didn’t get on, there was that tension in the air between us. Tension that needs to be sorted out”
“I get that we need to sort stuff out but you really want me to fall in love with you? I doubt that’ll happen. No way. Not in a month”
“Look, if we just start afresh, pretend that these last few months haven’t happened. Pretend that I don’t know you, well, I don’t really know you. All I know is your first and last name and that you have a little brother and sister”
“Greg, it’s impossible. I’m not saying I don’t want to try but us and love, just won’t work. We’re two separate people, you have your thing and I have mine. We’ll never be ‘whole’”
“Who said I wanted to be whole? Elianna, I just want to be friends. Listen just give me a month from tomorrow to try to make it up to you. Since tomorrow’s the first of May, that’ll give me until the first of June so can we?”
“You get one try only. No more and no less”
“That’s all I need but hey, tomorrow there’s a carnival in town. Come with me?”
“Sure, if it’ll get you off my back”
“Thanks sweet cheeks” He said with a smirk. Ugh, men!
“I can restart the hatred easily so you better not call me any pet names”
“Ok, no pet names. Got that. So tell me a bit about yourself?”
“We really are doing this right now?” I snapped.
“Elianna, we won’t get past this hatred if you keep being snarky”
“I’ll be snarky all I want thanks”
“No you won’t missy. Look, I’m fed up of all the damn hatred in this world, especially between us. I don’t want Ella or Lottie coming down and being faced with a fighting us, can we try to work it out?”
“Ella and Lottie don’t know me so us fighting, really has nothing to do with them. However, you do realise that Katie’s gonna try and break Dan and Lottie up just so she can have him to herself”
“We all know that. Lottie knows that, Katie’s ‘love’ for Dan is too obsessive and strange. I mean, we only moved in a few months ago”
“Yeah and you’ve been a bigger pain in my ass ever since”
“Eli…”
“Don’t Eli me. My proper name is Elianna Natalie Borthwick. I don’t like people calling me pet names. I’m 18; I’m originally from California, America. I’m a severe tool at times, I HATE you and that’s it” I spat.
“Wow, that’s nice baby girl,” He said sarcastically. I just rolled my eyes and shook my head.
“If that’s all, you can leave my room now”
“I still haven’t told you about me yet but Imma let you wait until tomorrow before I tell you but sweet dreams, sweet cheeks” I just rolled my eyes as he left. Trust him to rile me up even worse.
I wasn’t angry that Declan ended things nor was I upset but I’ve no idea as to why I was crying. It was just like a natural reaction. No idea why it was a natural reaction but it just came out. I knew the day was coming since we were in an open relationship but I never did get with other men. I couldn’t seem to get with other men. I just seemed to be able to stick to Declan even though I knew he was seeing other women.
Greg seems fair in his proposition but I know we wouldn’t work. We’re two different people. Opposites definitely don’t attract. It just causes tension and friction between people. It’s just not the same, although it gives you both new things to try and to see if you’re both compatible or not. Although, I wish I didn’t like Greg because we’re two separate people but we click in some ways too. We have a strange relationship.
“So what did you and Greg talk about?” Katie asked as she came in my room.
“Nothing, just our usual fighting. Why?” I responded nonchalantly.
“Just wondering because he came out with a smile on his face”
“Oh, I must’ve not have hurt him that bad this time then” I shrugged. I wasn’t in the mood for speaking to Katie, she twists my words. Bitch!
“Nah, you two must’ve had sex or something”
“Babe, my virginity is still intact. By the way, you do know that Dan’s girlfriend is coming down this weekend to live, along with Micky’s wife”
“Yeah, I don’t care though. I will get him”
“Sure you will because what I’ve heard about Lottie is, she’s a mean bitch when she wants to be so I wouldn’t dare get on the wrong side of her”
“Ooh, I’ll certainly be scared of this Lottie bitch” Katie sarcastically responded.
“When she hurts you, don’t come crawling to me,” I said while pushing myself past Katie. Katie just has to understand that Dan doesn’t want her, not when he has a girlfriend, whom he’s madly in love with. I honestly don’t get why Katie just won’t find someone else to pursue. Dan will never leave Lottie and his stepdaughter. He loves them both. Same as Micky will never leave his wife, Ella. Ella’s already had a tough year of it, with her cancer and things. Although, I don’t like Micky or Dan, either, but I still make conversation with them. Make them feel welcomed in the city of London. No one likes to feel alone in some place they don’t know, I wouldn’t. Although, I was alone when I moved here, I made friends…Kinda.
Greg’s POV
It felt weird talking to Elianna normal but it felt nice too. I think we can be friends but it’s gonna take some work. Having hated each other ever since that first meeting, it’s definitely going to take more than a month to figure it out. However, hopefully we can get there, together.
“Damn, Katie really freaks me the hell out” Dan exclaimed as we left their flat.
“Dude, she’s in love with you so what can you expect?” I say, shocking him.
“She’s what?!”
“In love with you. It’s obsessive, I know but Elianna’s trying to make her see sense with it all. She’s trying to make Katie see that you won’t leave Lottie or Shannon, even though Shannon isn’t yours”
“Damn right I’m not leaving Lottie. She’s everything to me and I know Shannon ain’t mine but she deserves to have a steady home and two loving parents, even though I’m not technically, you know”
“Dan we know. It’s like someone trying to get me to leave my wife and unborn child. It’ll never happen. I love Ella way too much to leave her”
“But Micky, you have a ring to prove your love. I’m still unsure about putting a ring on Lottie. I don’t -“
“Dan, having a ring proves nothing. Yeah, Ella and I are married but a ring really proves nothing because it’s inside that matters, it’s the love you share for that person that matters. It doesn’t matter whether Shannon isn’t yours, all that matters is that you love her, love her like she is yours,” Micky said truthfully. He is right, is so many ways. It doesn’t matter whether a child is your or not, as long as you love them like they are yours, that’s all that matters.
Dan, Micky and I were sat in our living room, doing absolutely nothing. Well, Micky was texting Ella, asking about everything and anything. Part of me misses Maria but part of me doesn’t. Like she was an amazing laugh and great to be around but she was annoying at times, she got over excited and things and that’s what annoyed me.
“Ella’s coming here early. Their lease on the house is nearly up and they have to be moved out soon,” Micky said randomly.
“Ok, where is she gonna put all her stuff? Like furniture and stuff, our little flats full to capacity,” I say shrugging.
“Storage, I think. The only stuff she’s bringing are the baby stuff and her own clothes. Which, will be in my room. You know, we’re gonna be full to capacity when Lottie moves down with Shannon”
“I think we should’ve gotten a house instead of a flat. I get that its 3 bedroomed but gosh, two babies and five adults, we’re gonna be tight” Dan said solemnly.
“We can move when and if we need to. Yeah it’ll have to be a big house to correspond to us all but we’ll get there. Look, we’re gonna be able to afford it and Ella’s got a job already, helping us on the road so we’ll be fine”
“Greg, it’s the upheaval, Ella’s eight and a half months pregnant and Lottie’s got Shannon to care for and we have our album to record so it’s gonna be difficult. In addition, you have Elianna to be nice to. It’s a lot of work”
“I know that Micky but we can make it happen. Look, it might take a few months to be moved in but with the help of friends and family, we’d get there. I know everyone stays miles away but we can make it happen”
“Greg, you’re asking for a lot right now. It’s gonna be hard, we’ll be working long hours in the studio and the girls have children to take care of and Elianna has college to attend to. God knows what Katie does so she’s out the picture too”
“Katie’s a stripper. Since she doesn’t have an education, it’s the only job she could get,” I admitted sheepishly. The only reason I knew Katie was a stripper was because she’s gave me a lap dance before. I know that sounds wrong and horrid but I was drunk and we ended up in a strip club. Katie was mortified to notice it was me but she couldn’t refuse since she’d lose her job.
“Ok, what?” Dan asked flabbergasted.
“Katie’s a stripper. You know how that night I went out with Sam and a few others. Well, we ended up in a strip club and Katie gave me a lap dance. Her boss was watching so she couldn’t refuse. Let’s just say it was embarrassing seeing her in a skimpy underwear set,” I said while looking at the floor.
“Oh my god, does Elianna know that you know?” Micky asked shocked.
“I don’t think Elianna knows. I think she only knows that Katie works. I certainly ain’t saying anything,” I said.
The questions about Katie’s work kept coming back and forth and it was annoying. I didn’t wanna see Katie in skimpy underwear but it happened and there’s no turning back. I didn’t want a lap dance but it happened. Nothing is inevitable in this world, anything is possible and there’s no way to change that.
Elianna’s POV
I was laid in bed, thinking about tomorrow. I was scared for this so called day with Greg, I already fancy him but we aren’t friends so it’s like ‘how can I like him?’ but it’s simple, you can like but hate someone.
Katie’s off to work. She still hasn’t told me where she works, I do wanna follow her but London’s unsafe at night, and I don’t want brutally murdered on the pavement or in a back alleyway. Painful death just isn’t a good way to go. I’d rather it be peaceful and happy. I could get Greg to come with me but that’d mean I have to speak to him and we’re gonna be doing a helluva lot of it tomorrow, just not gonna be good. I don’t want to speak to him because if we do speak then it turns into a sass fight and an ever so personal one. We’re like two peas in a pod, different but the same. I think.
The whole Katie drama keeps swirling around in my head. I don’t know why her job’s bothering me but it is. Like I don’t know if she’s a crack whore or a checkout operator or what and it’s annoying.
I got myself out of bed and dragged myself to Greg’s flat. It was just right across the hall so that was easy. I rapped on his door endless amounts of times before someone would answer.
“Oh looky, the ice queen has arisen and came to me. Oooh what is it this time?” Greg sarcastically said.
“I was gonna ask you to come somewhere with me but since you’re being a sarcastic idiot, I’ll leave you alone” I sarcastically said while turning on my heels and walking away.
I walked out my block of flats and on to the street. It scared me as to what lurked around the corner but I shouldn’t be scared, I grew up for a few years in California, it’s probably worse than London.
“Wait, Elianna. Where are you going?” Greg shouted from behind me.
“Why do you care?” I shouted back.
“Elianna, you’re on the streets of London, alone. What do you think will happen?”
“Ooh, I know. I’ll be raped and then brutally murdered. Might get me away from you,” I said while rolling my eyes.
“I thought we were trying to get along?” He asked.
“It starts from tomorrow, Greg. I have one more day of being a sarcastic bitch” I spat in his direction.
“Ooh goody, does that mean I get to be one too?” He asked giddily.
“If you wish. But don’t expect me to be nice”
“So where are you going?”
“Trying to find out where Katie works. Like she goes out every night and doesn’t return until early morning”
“Elianna, I know where she works. It wasn’t by choice I found out, it was an accident,” He said softly. Wait what?
“What? How the hell do you know?” I asked angrily.
“One night I was out with my friend Sam from theatre school and we ended up in a strip club and Katie was there. She gave me a lap dance,” He admitted sheepishly. Oh great, my so-called best friend is a stripper. Oh lord, have mercy. I felt sick at this piece of information.
“How long have you known?” I said while sitting down on a wall. My legs felt like jelly and my stomach felt as if it was gonna lurch itself out my mouth.
“Few months. I didn’t wanna believe it was Katie at first but the next day she cornered me and begged me not to tell anyone,” He admitted as he sat down next to me.
“Oi darling you fancy a good time tonight!” Some old guy shouted towards me.
“No thanks, my girlfriends quite alright thanks” Greg shouted back. London people made me sick, especially at this time of night.
“Thanks for that there but why couldn’t she have gotten a normal job?” I ask confused.
“You’re welcome and she doesn’t have an education for most jobs. I know she sat her GCSE’s but she failed them all and she didn’t bother going to college to learn some more. Katie can’t read or write so that’s why she failed,” He said softly.
“She doesn’t look like your girlfriend mate. You sure she isn’t available for a nice screw behind the bins?” The same old guy came up and said to Greg and I. Ugh; I wish I never came out now.
“Well she is so can you please back away. Or I will phone the cops for harassment” Greg said sternly. I was scared; honestly, this scared me like crazy. The old guy went to grab me but I dodged out his way and begun running. I don’t know where I was running too but I was running.
“Elianna, wait for me” Greg said running behind me. I’m not a fast runner but here Greg was, running behind me ever so slowly. I came to a halt as soon as I felt we were away from the guy.
“What the hell was that all about back there?” Greg asked as he tried to regain his breath.
“He tried it on with me so my first instinct was to run. You didn’t need to follow,” I said sarcastically.
“Oh really, I nearly saved your ass back there. You wouldn’t have survived if I wasn’t there”
“Oh really? You trying to say I’m a weakling?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying, Elianna”
“Greg, you aren’t exactly strong yourself so yeah, think about that one” This is what it’s like between us. Fighting like cat and dog, constantly. There’s no in between, it’s either sassiness or just plain anger. Sometimes I wish it was normal but normal is boring.