No rants, huh?
Surprised?
Thank you for the support and you know what you have to do ;)
P.S. that giggle....
**
Sheila stared down at her miss-matched fuzzy socks, her lips pressed in a thin line and she didn't know why, but she was at the verge of tears. Shannon was laughing and to make it worse, she was laughing at her – not directly but more at the question Sheila asked just few seconds ago. Sheila stood next to the doorframe, dressed in her pyjamas and leaned on the wall for support and holding a cup of cranberry tea.
Shannon threw her head back, still laughing; the crackle sound escaping her throat.
Elvis walked in, his pyjama pants low on his hips while he scratched his stomach. He mumbled something that sounded a mix of words 'morning' and 'afternoon', turning the kettle on. By the way he looked, Sheila was sure that he got back home too early.
Elvis rubbed his eye and turned to Shannon, "What's funny?" Shannon clasped her hands on her stomach, trying to catch her breath.
"I am glad I amuse you," Sheila mumbled, tightening the grip at the cat-shaped cup.
Shannon exhaled out a shaky breath, finally calming down properly. "Sorry, Sheila. Here—" she pointed with her hands at her face, "—I am dead serious now." Still, a small snort left her nose.
Elvis was still looking between Sheila and Shannon, bringing the cup to his lips. "I still don't get it and I hate being left out."
"She thinks I slept with the guy she works for," Shannon stated, giggling at the end.
"Isn't he a bit old for you?" Elvis asked raising his eyebrow.
"No, not her boss. The other guy," Shannon clarified and Elvis shrugged. He didn't know much about Sheila and bands she worked with. "Anyway," Shannon looked at Sheila, getting up and walking towards the doors. "To answer your question, I didn't sleep with Matty," Shannon said walking out in the messy hallway.
Sheila followed and they both walked in the living room, Shannon picking up the fuzzy blanket from the couch and wrapping herself in it.
"But you guys left together." Sheila felt the weird sensation flow through her.
"Yeah," Shannon rolled with her eyes, sitting down on the couch and turning on the TV. "I needed a fag and I didn't want to smoke alone."
"Oh," was everything that Sheila uttered.
"And when we got back, you weren't there. The tall, skinny guy," Shannon cocked her head to the side, trying to remember the name, "not the drunk one—"
"—Adam?" Sheila asked.
"Yes, that one!" Shannon nodded once, "He told us you got sick and went home. I was too drunk to care, honestly," Shannon shrugged, switching the channels. "I didn't stay there long after you left. I went to that club in Soho and ended up having sex with the DJ." Sheila kept her eyes glued to the floor, feeling stupid for avoiding Shannon and being cold to Matty for what seemed no apparent reason. "—Are you even listening Sheila?"
Sheila looked up, embarrassed. "Sorry, what did you ask?"
Shannon grinned and waved her hand around. "I asked why do you care if I slept with sex-on-the-legs? I remember you said you are not interested in him?"
"No reason," Shannon replied quickly – too quickly. "And I am not."
"You sure?" Shannon asked in a singsong voice. "I get the feeling that you have the same diagnose like Colleen with Elvis—"
"—What about me?" Elvis asked, walking in the living room and plopping down next Shannon, grabbing the TV remote and changing the channel to Cartoon Network.
"Nothing," Shannon quickly replied, her eyes looking at Sheila with a smirk. She then turned around and whacked Elvis on his shoulder. "Sod off because you are about to ruin my Zen and you better switch back to Channel Four, Benjamin!"
"Stop calling me Benjamin when I am around!" Elvis bickered back. "And I want to watch Adventure Time!"
"Benjamin, I swear to God—"
Sheila just sighed and turned around, taking Shannon's little fight with Elvis as her chance to escape and as quickly as possible ran upstairs to her room.
**
With the first days of December, the first snowflakes feathered the streets of London. It still wasn't as cold as it should be but the harsh wind was making up for the messed up temperatures. It was also the first time that Sheila experienced the craziness of advent that seemed to start just after the clock struck midnight day before the December.
Tones of street lights, tones of decorations, little Santas dancing on the every shop entrance and huge crowds of people visiting Christmas market – it was cute and overwhelming at the same time.
Hutton-Le-Hole had just a big Christmas tree decorated with do-it-yourself Styrofoam decorations made by church enthusiasts, painted with love and hope in Christ. Sheila wasn't one of them.
Sheila stomped her feet just before she stepped inside the record label, brushing few snowflakes from her head and shoulders. She still had the smile at the memory from the last night when Elvis and Xavier carried in a rather sad looking Christmas tree and made the girls help them to set it up. Shannon commented that the rather sad looking tree was fugly and Elvis justified that in the times of recession and beneficial cuts, the worst thing that you can do is spend hundred pounds on a shiny tree.
Sheila waved at the receptionist who just scrunched his nose at her and walked into empty elevator. Just when she pressed the button four, her phone started ringing somewhere in her pocket. She frowned seeing her mother number on the screen but nevertheless she answered.
"Hey" she answered, running a hand through her hair. She needed to get it trimmed. "I have no time, so be quick." Ever since Sheila left, two of them had quite strained relationship. "I am at the office." Sheila answered, stopping at the office doors and hearing laughter coming from the inside.
"I hope you are good?" Sheila murmured in response. "I am just calling to tell you in advance that we have to cancel all the plans for Christmas this year."
Sheila pushed the doors open, stepping inside the office, giving a small wave to Jamie and the boys who were sitting on a leather couch, talking. Her mother was still rambling unimportant things on the other side of the line. The boys looked back at her, confused and she pointed at the phone that was in her other hand and proceeded to take of her satchel.
"Mum, I really have to go," Sheila urged, feeling uncomfortable with everyone staring at her. "Can we just discuss this later?"
"Okay, okay... Well there is nothing to discuss, Sheila. I will be in Austria with Aunt Diana and we will come back after New Year's Eve. She tells me the Christmas shopping is the best thing in Vienna."
"Oh, wait – so that means I have no reason to visit home?" Sheila asked, slightly disappointed.
"No," her mother replied with a sigh. "But I will send your present with post, don't worry."
Sheila closed her eyes for a moment. "Okay, fine," she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I guess I'll see you some other time, maybe Easter," she added in a mock voice and bid her mother goodbye, setting her phone on the table.
She undressed her coat and scarf, smiling at everyone in the room.
"Problems?" Jamie asked suddenly.
"No, no, all fine," she mumbled. "I just found out that my plans for the Christmas can be crossed and that I will be spending it alone in London," she said, a fake giggle escaping her mouth.
"Awwww," George cooed, throwing a tennis ball in Ross' direction. "Well we'd invite you to ours but sadly we will be on tour."
Sheila nodded. The guys were due to play the last five shows for the year and the last one was supposed to be the day before Christmas Eve.
"It's okay," Sheila grinned, "not a big deal."
Matty was looking at his phone the entire time but then he looked up. "Being alone at Christmas is not lit."
Sheila shrugged, not sure what to answer so she went and sat behind her desk and opened her calendar for the start, erasing the plans for the last week of the month.
"I'll survive," she heaved out finally and then looked up at Jamie. "So, am I going full on the December or keeping it moderate like usual?" The stuff she posted for the band was usually moderate – few pictures daily, updates on the merch and photographs that Adam, their photographer, sent her.
Jamie stood up and walked over to her desk. "No, keep it cool," he replied, looking at the screen as she stood next to her. "But make sure to remind that boys won't have any events after the 23rd." Sheila nodded, typing down something. "Oh, and no further press enquires. What's planned for this week, that's it."
"Really?" Ross asked curiously from where he was sitting, throwing the tennis ball back to George – hitting the giant guy in the chest.
Jamie nodded. "Yes. George and Matthew still have—"
"—Matty." The curly boy interrupted.
"Matty," Jamie responded with a sigh, "they still have an interview for MTV UK by the end of the week and that's it."
"Does that mean we can have a party after that?" George asked, his brows wiggling. "You know, getting wasted, loads of drugs, strippers and girls prone to immoral behaviour?"
Jamie smirked, his phone ringing in his hand. He looked at the screen and held up a finger, signalling to George to wait a moment.
"Hello, yes?" he murmured, walking towards the doors, "just a second," he muttered, excusing himself as he moved the phone away from his ear and covered the speaker with his hand. "Do whatever but no troubles because I am not gonna be the one getting you out of the jail." He smirked at the guys before walking out.
Sheila was smiling at George and the mischievous grin was forming on his lips. "That's cleared."
Adam smiled, crossing his legs at his knee. The silent guy was busy with browsing through some leaflet that was on the table. "So, that means we are having a party on Saturday?"
George nodded, getting up and stretching his arms. "Yes," he said turning to Sheila, "and I am not accepting any excuses from you. We are going to party and you will party hard with us!"
"Fun!" Sheila replied sarcastically, winking at George.
The rest of the guys got up to, dressing their jackets. George turned around to face them as he walked backwards to the doors. "Do you think Drake will respond if I invite him via Facebook?"
"You need to take a chill-pill, mate. Let's just settle for a night out somewhere." Ross laughed through his words as they piled out next to the doors, waving at Sheila.
"I can be your Drake," Adam joked as they stepped out, laughing but Matty was still in the room.
"Yes?" she asked looking up at him as he stopped in front of her desk.
"Nothing." He smiled at her and confusion settled on her face. "I'll see you at the weekend," he added and then with a small wink, left the office too.