It's a lot like life
This play between the sheets
With you on top and me underneath
Forget all about equality
Freya felt the burning sensation of the hair stylist pressing the curling tongs against her ear while he looked at Echo with an expression of total devotion.
Typical that just being with Echo would cause everyman to melt. “Ouch”. She cried as the tongs seared her skin making her look up at him with a scornful expression on her face.
“Oh sorry”. He said not taking his eyes off Echo; she was lying back asleep on the couch, a magazine strewn on the floor inches away, and Freya’s phone on her lap.
The sight of Freya’s ancient nokia had reduced Echo to laughter earlier in the day, something that soon stopped when she found snake, after playing with it for three hours, at one stage crying in frustration whenever she died- she eventually fell asleep.
Flicking through her magazine while the perverted hairstylist cut her hair half heartedly, she came on an article about Tristan and his supermodel girlfriend Saskia, the pictures were taken at a fashion show earlier in the month, Tristan looked tetchy and withdrawn while Saskia gazed at him with total adoration. Freya felt her stomach flip as she looked at the gorgeous couple together; they looked like something mythical with their combined beauty.
Saskia was small and blonde, less robust than Freya and frail making her look like a beautiful butterfly, her hair at least five shades lighter than Freya’s own was cut into a bob, her face dainty and beautiful.
Freya sighed looking in the stylists mirror felt like groaning. No one would ever describe her as dainty, taking after Jamie in the height department meant that she was tall for a girl, her eyes too bright for her face.
Suddenly she was brought out of her little one person pity party by the shrill ringing of her phone waking Echo up with a jump in the process.
Freya motioned for her to answer it making Echo roll her eyes but dutifully answered. “Hello?” Echo answered in her husky voice making her sound like her mother. “No, it’s Echo”. Freya heard the scream on the opposite side of the room, pitying Echo’s poor eardrums.
She ran over then throwing the phone to Freya with an ‘it’s your problem not mine’ gesture before sitting back on the couch.
“Hello Luis?” she said down the phone hearing a panting breathless voice on the other end.
“She spoke to me”. He said sounding like he was either going to scream again, cry, laugh or all three at once.
“She does talk, a little too often if you ask me”. Freya said with a grin, finding Luis’s attitude to her new found family hilarious.
“I heard that bitch”. Echo said laughing, throwing a cushion at Freya.
“She’s laughing. Oh it sounds like angels frolicking”. Luis’s said devotedly making Freya laugh again, the noise coming out in a strangled way.
“First of all, you couldn’t get any creepier at this moment, and second of all- did you seriously just say frolicking?” Freya asked rolling her eyes.
The sound of a tannoy was heard over the phone. “Luis where are you? You sound like you’re in an airport”. She asked squinting as it got harder to hear him.
“Well that’s because I am in an airport, In an English airport to be precise”. He said a little guiltily. “I decided my best friend needed me”. He said sounding protective.
“So it’s nothing to do with the fact that you are obsessed with my family right now?” She asked trying not to smile.
“How dare you, as if I would even th-“. Freya cut him off.
“Sorry my bullshit detector is reading off the charts”. She said smiling.
“Fine, but it’s only a little bit to do with that, I promise you”. He said solemnly.
“Well I’ll have to ring Tess and ask her, it’s not like you’ll be staying in Meredith’s its going to be a royal palace”. She said responsibly making Luis scream again on the other end of the line.
“Stop screaming, you’re reminding me of time I stood on your favourite my little pony again”. She said wincing as her ear drum felt like it was bleeding slowly to death.
“Hey that was very emotional, bubbles the pony meant a lot to me back then”. He said sounding hurt.
“Luis, you were sixteen”. Freya said rolling her eyes at his dramatic gasp.
“Shut up bitch, what about the time you didn’t know what a tampon was and tried to wear it as an earring? Yeah I bet you forgot about that didn’t you”. He said sounding smug.
“Oh Luis I have so much more ammo on you. Remember the time I walked in the room on you while you were tucking ‘it’ in”. She said smiling as she knew she had the upper hand.
“Fine, fine. I admit defeat, so just give me the green light when it’s all cool and you Robin should be with your Batman once again”. He said hanging up as Freya yelled ‘I was so batman’ down the phone.
She seethed at the phone, cursing Luis for his love of having the last word constantly. “Tess will be totally cool with your friend coming over by the way”. Echo said finally, without even looking up, Freya was about to say something when the hairstylist announced that he was done.
Looking in the mirror, Freya turned her head both ways, loving the way it bounced and shined not looking as overpowering at it once had, the thick golden curls came halfway down her back in ripples.
“I love it”. She gushed looking at the exhausted hairstylist, who mopped his brow trying not to look at the massive pile of hair on the floor in amazement.
“Thank fuck. Can we go and get you a pretty frock now; this waiting around bullshit is really boring”. Echo said from her position on the couch which was now upside down, her legs in the air while her hair was touching the floor.
“It was your idea remember”. Freya said with a laugh, Meredith’s mood swings had prepared her for anything Echo threw at her.
“Worst. Decision. of. My. Life.” She said skipping out of the salon, apparently Echo didn’t have to pay anyone, they would just send it on to someone else to deal with.
Some people just have it so easy.
Freya got in Echo’s car clutching the seat belt in fear before she had even turned the key in the ignition.
“Let’s rumble in the jungle bitch”. Echo screamed pulling her car out of the tight space recklessly making Freya pray harder than she had ever done in her life.
Freya soon found out that Echo despite her enthusiasm that morning was no more a girly than a pair of brown socks. After complaining constantly of boredom in the designer shop between thrusting dresses at Freya with increasing speed eventually a rich shopper brought her dog in. Echo spent two hours playing fetch with an incredibly expensive Louis Vitton shoe.
The house was strangely quiet when they got back, the large kitchen empty from its usual bustling energy that made the huge palace seem homely in a way.
“Aunt Tess and Uncle Jamie are probably having a ‘nap’”. Echo said with a mischievous grin making Freya gulp.
She had rang Tess earlier on in the day asking about Luis’s little surprise visit, and to no one’s surprise she was more than happy to let Luis stay as long as he wanted, with only one condition. He told no-one about who she was until the press release at the weekend.
Keeping a secret was difficult for Luis at the best of times; Freya only had the hope that he only had to wait three days before telling everyone to keep her sane.
Not a promising equation if you knew Luis as well as she did.
Echo was already ransacking the kitchen cupboards when Freya walked into the kitchen.
“Fucking A. Maggie made more apple puffs”. She said with her mouth full, spitting pieces of puff pastry all over the place.
“You’re a classy lady aren’t you Echo?” Freya asked sarcastically.
Echo laughed cueing more pastry showers, opening her mouth to say something she was cut off by Sebastian walking into the room, a face like thunder.
“Jesus, who pissed in your apple juice?” Echo asked once she had swallowed her very own version of kryptonite.
“Milan Forrester is going to regret the day she tried to take me on”. He said looking so angry Freya was worried he was going to break the glass in his hand.
Even Echo looked a little worried. “Did you ask her about it?” He asked gesturing his head towards Freya.
She narrowed my eyes at the guilty looking Echo who shuffled beside Sebastian who still looked like he would attack and kill a grizzly bear with his bare hands and his anger.
“Thank you brother, you just don’t know how to be subtle do you”. Echo seethed at Sebastian who covered her mouth with her hands.
“Ok Echo and I have a problem. The problem is Milan”. He said his face still stormy and miles away making Freya shiver involuntarily.
“The city in Italy?” Freya asked scrunching up her nose delicately; obviously Sebastian had been at the wacky tobacco again.
“Christ you didn’t explain at all”. Sebastian howled. He looked at Freya for the first time that day, letting out a low wolf whistle. “If we didn’t share direct ancestors, you would be in trouble”. He said looking at her properly. Freya felt her face burn.
“I know, she’s ravishing without all that hair isn’t she”. Echo said, turning her head and looking at Freya her expression like a proud mother.
“You know what they say Incest is best”. He said with a grin, waggling his eyebrows like mad.
Freya laughed picking up a dishtowel and throwing it at his face.
“Oh somebody doesn’t like compliments. In that case you probably shouldn’t come out to the lake with the rest of us”. He said with a meaningful smile that showed that he picked up on the admiring glances Freya had been throwing Tristan the night before.
“I can’t I just got my hair done”. Freya said searching for a way out. She didn’t even know how to act in a bikini around average guys, let alone these people.
“Stop being such a girl, I’ll let Sel know that you’re coming”. Sebastian said with one last grin he stormed out of the kitchen, his black mood back again.
“Who’s Sel?” Freya asked confused she had never heard him mentioned before.
“My dipshit cousin, his full name is Selwyn. His mother is my mum’s cousin; she’s a bit of a gold digger. Well when I say a bit, I really mean, if she keeps chipping away with her shovel she’s going to fall into the earth’s core”. Echo said running up the stairs leaving Freya with the only option but to follow her.
She was rummaging in Freya’s room as she turned the corner Echo was already in the freshly filled closet rummaging through the doors.
Eventually she appeared out of one of the huge drawers a tiny piece of string in either clenched fist.
“Aha...I knew Tess put some in here”. She said throwing one of the strings at Freya.
“What dental floss?” Freya asked horrified at the thing she was holding in her hand.
“Just put it on”. Echo said with a raised brow.
Freya shook her head. “I can’t it won’t even cover me up”. She said feeling horrified that a wardrobe malfunction may happen at any time, and she was sensitive enough about her chest was it was.
“I think that’s the point...unless”. Echo said pulling her long curls up into a ponytail.
“Unless?” Freya asked gulping at the black string in front of her.
“Unless you’re too chicken, if you are that’s totally fine”. She said shrugging.
“That’s not going to work Echo”.
“Fine whatever you say. Chicken”. Echo said again, circling her making bird motions.
Freya knew as she walked down the steps, a towel pressed as close to her body as it possibly could, leaving the indent of the material in her skin.
How echo managed to manipulate her into wearing the strings was genius, and completely evil. Freya was trying to remind herself never to fall for it again when the lake, gloriously blue was stretched out in front of them, making her forget her previous thoughts.
The sound of Jet skis filled the air as what appeared to be Tristan speeding along the surface of the lake while Sebastian and Selwyn kicked a football at each other.
“Will you stop being so uptight. God gave you boobies to jiggle and an ass to make boys forget their sentences”. Echo said smiling as she skipped along the pathway, her stringy outfit looking appealing on her bronzed toned body.
“You truly are a legend to woman kind” Freya said sarcastically.
“Finally the wallflower came”. Sebastian rejoiced kicking the ball away.
“Yeah after like an hour of making her”. Echo said rolling her eyes, turning up the stereo in the corner so music resounded around the lake.
Freya was about to reply when Sel detached himself from Sebastian and wandered over to her. He was a good looking guy she had to agree, with dark hair, deep olive skin and eyes like blue chips of ice.
“I’m Sel”. He said with an outstretched hand, smiling Freya politely placed her hand in his trying not to laugh when he kissed the back of her hand in a cheesy way.
“Freya”. She said fighting the urge to rub her hand off the back of the towel, figuring it would seem rude.
“So how do you know these guys Freya?” Sel asked moving in closer to her, making her instantly take a step back. Selwyn seemed to be as lady mad as Sebastian but missing the necessary charm to make girls even want to talk to him.
Basically he was just a sleaze.
“I um, our parents know each other”. Freya offered looking at the ground, focusing on her painted toenails that Selwyn’s face.
“Yeah, Freya’s mother went to school with Tess and Mum”. Echo said lying brilliantly making Sel nod his head and change tactics from questioning Freya to trying to get those plump lips to meet his.
“You have beautiful eyes”. He said looking at the strange silver mix.
“Thanks”. She muttered, trying to think of something to end the conversation when something cold and wet pressed up behind her, shaking droplets of water all over her.
It was only then she realized the sound of jet skis had stopped; things seemed to move in slow motion when she felt being picked up in strong arms and being ran down the dock. Her mind only seemed to kick in when she saw the stretch of blue water coming up to meet her face.
The water was colder than she remembered the first time making her gasp for air. “Fucking hell”. She said through chattering teeth, normally she didn’t use curse words, but this was potentially the coldest she had felt ever.
She could see a wide grin inches from her face, remembering that it was Tristan that had thrown her in the water in the first place and never bothered to let go. “You’re welcome Blondie”. He said grinning widely.
Freya fought the urge to smack him in the face when she realized through his messed up and pneumatic choices he had ended the conversation for her.
“Actually I owe you one for doing that”. She said laughing her head off to Tristan’s amusement.
“Well then you’re welcome double. I have to go to a shoot in an hour or so, but after that how about a driving lesson”.
“Sure that’s fine”. Freya said nodding her head, treading the water over to the ladder.
“Oh and by the way, your hair is beautiful”. Tristan said with a smile, before swimming away over to the abandoned Jet Ski so he could park it.
Freya felt her face flush. Stepping out of the lake on the ladder she dived into the nearest abandoned t-shirt in an effort to cover up what little she had on display.
The smell of cologne told her it was Tristan’s, unlike the musky scent of other men, Tristan smelled fresh, crisp and kind of citrusy. Feeling the lack of sleep she had the night before fall over her again she dived onto a deckchair, sleep finding her almost instantly.
“I can’t believe you didn’t explain to her. She would be perfect, especially when the press release comes out. Milan is going to be laughed out of town”. Sebastian said, torn between anger at Echo’s ignorance and the fact than Milan may be brought down one day.
“I know, but Seb don’t you think it’s a little too much for her right now. I mean in the space of a wee she’s found out everything about her was a lie”. Echo said quietly, her voice cold.
Sebastian looked at his sister, not seeing the kooky beauty that everyone else saw, but a vulnerable girl, never sure if people liked her for herself or because she was Princess Echo. He hugged her tightly, feeling the bond they shared still as strong as ever.
“You like her don’t you”. Sebastian asked knowing that she did, Echo was as Loyal as a terrier when it came to someone she liked.
“She just doesn’t care, she doesn’t care who we are or even Tristan, it’s like we’re normal. We’re like her”. Echo said looking over to the sleeping blonde; Sel was fluttering around close by his eyes never leaving her body, the long legs coming out from under the large red t-shirt.
“But that’s why she would be the perfect one to sort her out. She won’t bow down to her; maybe even give her a taste of her own medicine”. Sebastian said persuasively making Echo nod her head in agreement.
“Speaking of Tristy, do you think that there is something blossoming between our darlings?” Echo asked nodding at Tristan who was kicking the ball with Sel after placing a towel over sleeping Freya.
“Definitely, but I heard through a model I was with last weekend, Saskia’s around, and as obsessed as ever”.
Echo took in a harsh breath, wherever Saskia went with her scheming ways, trouble was sure to follow.
Her phone rang then, it was Rory from the front gates. “Your majesty, we have a man here, apparently he has an audience with you all. He says his name is Luis Anderson”. The name rang a bell making Echo search her mind until she realised it was Freya’s little friend.
“Fine let him in Rory”. She said hanging up the phone.
“Freya, Luis is here”. Freya heard Echo say in her fuzzy ears, still unfocused from falling asleep.
“Is he?” She asked with a massive smile, something that hadn’t gone unnoticed by Tristan who was kicking the ball with more force than necessary.
No sooner had she said that the sound of a car coming up the driveway sounded around the Lake. Freya jumped up, and ran around the front, excited to see her best friend.
The rest of the group followed curiously, Tristan’s face like thunder, making Echo smile slightly.
The group watched as a handsome young man, tall and lean with skin the colour of deep cocoa stepped out of the car. There was a squeal from both Freya and himself as she launched herself at him.
Laughing he picked her up and spun her around kissing her on the head. Echo watched as Tristan sighed feigning boredom and walking away back in the direction of the lake.
Echo fought laughter as she followed him, leaving her brother and cousin with Freya and Luis.
“What’s up?” Echo asked trying not to smile.
It was so obvious what was wrong with Tristan.
He was jealous.
He sighed heavily and began to speak when the voices came around the corner; Freya was standing beside Luis who had an arm flung over her shoulder, while he snuck glances at Sebastian who looked bored as a person can be.
Tristan said nothing trying to wipe the scowl off his face. “Luis this is Tristan”. Freya said with a smile, she hadn’t picked up on the negativity then, Echo thought.
“How’re you doing man?” Tristan asked in greeting, shaking hands trying hard not to look like an asshole.
“I’m Luis. Obviously”. Luis said laughing and batting his eyelashes.
Echo fought back the snort that was threatening to come, how Tristan didn’t see this guy’s sexual persuasion was proof that he was very unobservant.
“Well I have to go to a shoot, so I’ll see you all later”. Tristan said dropping a kiss on Echo and Freya’s cheeks and waving at the guys.
Echo didn’t miss the way that Freya’s eyes followed him as he walked away, so did Luis’s.
Sebastian realised then that in order to win Freya around, he needed to bring up the Milan situation right now.
“I don’t know why I have to have anything to do with this”. Freya said after Sebastian and Echo told her about their problems with Milan, about how she thinks she’s the queen of all she sees and stole Echo’s boyfriend.
“She’s just evil”. Echo said sitting up on the high chair next to Freya; Sebastian was smoking a cigarette that looked like it was close to being crushed between his fingers.
“Well what did you guys do to make her hate you?” Freya asked, she was ill at ease to do anything that would bring on the wrath of someone she didn’t know, for two people she barely knew.
“Nothing”. The twins chorused making Freya narrow her eyes and Luis chuckle.
“Ok fine, I may have slept with her and never called her back”. Sebastian said with a shrug.
“And I may have set fire to her dress. Twice”. Echo said looking devilish.
“What is wrong with you and fire?” Freya asked, she had heard already that Echo was a pyromaniac but never believed it. Now she did.
“It was by accident I swear, well the first time was”. Echo Said not sounding the least bit sorry.
“To be honest, I kind of agree with the twins”. Luis said sneaking glances at them both when he thought they weren’t looking.
“Of course you do”. Freya said under her breath, causing Luis to shoot her an innocent look.
“Well she sounds a little like Marie, and you know how much of an evil bitch she was”. He said reasonably, reminding Freya of all the homophobic slurs she made about Luis and all the evil rumours that she spread about Freya herself.
“Just try it, if you want to stop you can”. Sebastian said with a charming smile.
Freya sighed, pushing back her hair off her forehead. “I’ll think about it”. She said finally causing Sebastian to punch the air and pick her up whirling her around.
“I just said I would think about it”. Freya said trying not to laugh. She watched as Luis looked at Sebastian and licked his lips, his eyes yearning for Sebastian to do the same thing to him.
Sebastian was about to say something but the sound of Tristan walking up the stairs was heard throughout the house, it was unusual for Tristan to just come inside without saying anything to the rest of them.
“Don’t worry I got this”. Echo said sliding off the chair and dancing up the stairs quickly.
Freya looked at Sebastian questioningly but he just shrugged.
When Echo reached Tristan’s room he was doing angry sit ups. “Seriously”. She just said causing him to look at her.
“What?” He asked frowning in confusion, causing a small dimple to rise in his forehead.
“Seriously. You are jealous of a guy whose campiness rivals a Liza Minnelli impersonator”. Echo said laughing as she walked over to the window where Luis was doing the latest lady gaga dance, pushing his hips out more than necessary.
“He’s gay?” Tristan said sounding a little more upbeat about it.
Echo made an exasperated noise and threw her hands up in the air.
“Well if he’s straight then I’m a wild mongoose”. She said before storming out of the room shaking her head at his stupidity.
She took her phone out when she reached the stairs, “party at mine, and bring friends. Echo out”. Clicking the send to all button she fought back a smile.
“You put your foot on the clutch to change gears and slowly lift it off while pressing the accelerator”. Tristan said, feeling the low rumble in the body of the jeep before it stalled.
“Shit, how many times have I done that so far?” Freya asked wincing as her ability to drive proved to be non-existent.
“About your fifth, but don’t worry driving stick is really difficult”. He said in his deep rumbling American voice that Freya felt like she could listen to all day.
“Shall we take a break?” Freya asked, the heat of the day getting to her, her slick hands found it hard to hold onto the steering wheel.
He nodded opening the door with toned arms that made Freya drool just a little.
“How often do you need to go to the gym to get a body like that?” she asked in a curious voice, instantly regretting it, cringing about how weird it must seem to ask.
“Five times a week, I jog every morning too. Sometimes I just really want a big Mac”. He said sounding wistful making Freya laugh. A model who wished for carbs wasn’t the norm by any means.
“Poor you”. She said laughing; the silence fell over them both again.
“So Luis is gay right?” Tristan asked, soon regretting it, cringing about how direct it must have seemed.
Freya nodded. “absolutely. Everyone has known Luis was gay since he was fifteen. He told his father a crazy Aston villa supporter that maroon and baby blue did nothing for his figure and that he should become a Manchester united supporter instead because red was his ‘colour’. I thought he would be strangled to death when he said that”. She said laughing as she remembered his father’s face when Luis gave him fashion tips.
Tristan laughed, feeling relief course his veins. “So you guys have never...” he said waggling his eyebrows so she understood what he meant.
Freya made a face that only made her look attractive instead of beautiful. “Sorry, I think I just got sick a little in my mouth right there. Definitely not, besides I doubt our ‘bits’ would even work together; it’s like sticking a European plug in an American socket. Actually when we were sixteen, Luis came up with this farfetched idea that being ‘forced’ to be in the closet would help his dancing when he was older, so he pretended that I was his girlfriend. He told his older brothers and parents one evening. I was afraid I was going to have to give CPR to his brother he was laughing that hard”.
“Sounds like you’ve known him a long time”. Tristan said with an easy grin.
“Long time is an understatement, in the type of town we come from; you stick out if you’re a little different, so I suppose it was to no surprise that Luis and I became suck good friends so quickly”. Freya said with a shrug, trying to block out the bullying, or the egg in her hair after Marie and her clique followed her home one evening.
Without saying a word, Tristan leaned across the small space between them, feeling the sadness in her voice, he took one of her small hands in his holding it lightly.
“Freya, Listen I was wondering- “. He started to say only cut off by the sound of his phone ringing. Freya looked up frowning slightly.
“Are you going to get that?” she asked her big bruised silver eyes boring into his.
Tristan sighed, drooping slightly, pulling the phone out of his pocket, Echo’s flashing face in front of him.
“Yup?” He said trying not to yell at her for ruining what he was going to ask.
“What’s up bitch? Party at my house at eight, bring beer and leave your morals at the door”. Echo said simply not allowing him to get a word in edgeways before hanging up.
By the time the phone call was finished Freya was standing up, the moment well and truly over. the phone buzzed in his hand, without even looking at it he could tell it was going to be Saskia, when he saw Freya was walking towards the jeep he accepted the call.
“You have to stop calling me Sask, you know it’s over”. He hissed down the receiver trying not to draw too much attention to himself.
“I know Trist, but I have to talk to you”. She said sounding whiny, like the old Saskia. The Saskia he fell for before realising the problems running around in her pretty blonde head.
“I’ll ring you tomorrow, ok. Until then stop calling me”. He said firmly, trying hard to not fall into her emotional manipulation.
“Ok baby. I love yo-“. He hung up on her mid sentence, over her craziness.
He knew then that it was going to be a long night.
hey guys, I thought my laptop was weird, but nay it was just my effing drama queen of a mouse :O
so anyways, this chapters night and long, it was 12 pages on word so I have no idea what that translates to and I'm too tired to work it out :D
the next update should be at the weekend, and It will be a party scene :D finally Milan shall be shown in proper Roiskate style :D
check out the song in the sidebar its brilliant :D
I'm off to sleep now, I have to be up to bake a birthday cake to go with the serial killer card for my friend, the guy who Andrew is based on.....it sounds like something he would like :)
ciao for now my little nerds :D