think I'll put my a-n's up here for a while. anyways my first final exam is in 2 days and I'm shitting myself so pls wish me luck :) but yeah enjoy this long ass chapter (it's twice as long as usual, ur welcome haha) (also pls excuse any spelling mistakes I didn't proofread this soz)
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I pursed my lips together when I read Lachlan's text. Both my legs and my hands were still shaking from what I had just witnessed and–let's be honest–I really couldn't be bothered to walk down the hill to their hotel in the dark and then walk back up again on my own. Even though usually I'd do anything for pizza.
The text my dad had sent me send a pang to my chest, and I reread it over and over again. I very rarely talked to him because he knows I tend to get busy during the school year, and it's cool of him to give me some space. However, I hadn't seen him since last summer, and now it's April. I know it's cheesy to say, but time really did pass quickly. I have a group chat with him and my mum on WhatsApp where we check in with each other from time to time, but I haven't properly spoken to him in so long.
He couldn't have sent the text at a better time. It's like he knew what just happened and the situation I was in, and I couldn't think of anyone better I would want to talk to right now. My dad has always been 'The Cool Dad'. He knew when to give me some space, and when not to give me some space so I'd learn a lesson, and, apparently, he knew when I wanted to talk to him most. He's a traveler, and sends my mum and I crazy pictures of him pulling weird faces in places he's never been before.
He's a business man, and my mum works in retail. I was always convinced I got my creativity from my mum, but then my dad wrote a poem for her for Christmas that was 10 pages long, and that's one of my best memories ever. I took a polaroid picture of it and hung it up on my room.
Without giving me the chance to text back, my phone rang and his name and picture popped up on the screen. "Dad?" I answered.
"Hey! Did you see my text?" He asked. Ah, classic Dad. I have shown him countless times how to see if someone has read your message or not, but I guess it never sunk in.
"Yes, I did. I'm coming home by the end of this week." I answered, smiling to myself and pacing around the room. I always do that when I'm on a call: it's a subconscious instinct of mine.
"Oh, great! How is it, then?" He asked, and through the way his voice sounded I could tell he was smiling, too.
"It's hot and sunny everyday. Makes for some great photo opportunities, I think I've got my final exposition in control. But um, you know Freya, right?" I asked.
"Freya, the one with the blonde hair, right? The one that lives with you?" He asked just to make sure, and I could hear my mom say 'Of course, she's lovely that girl is,' in the background.
"Yes, well, I don't know if I told you but she fell pregnant a while ago." I revealed and heard gasps from the both of them. "And the went into labour just now. I'm on villa duty." I finished.
"Oh goodness, you tell her we say congratulations, alright?" My mum said, having snatched the phone from my dad. "Do you know if it's a girl or a boy?" She asked, getting overexcited in that way mums do when they hear about a baby.
"Well, I'm not sure he's been born yet, but it's a boy." I laughed at her enthusiasm.
"Oh, how beautiful. Send pictures for us, will you?" She asked. I nodded, and then realised she couldn't see that I nodded. My cheeks flushed.
"Yes, I will. If they'll let me." I answered.
"Julia, give me my phone back! I want to talk to our daughter," My dad said from the background, and with a lot of scratchy sounds, he got his phone back.
"Anyways, how's my son-in-law?" He asked and my breath hitched. I let our a nervous sigh and paused my pacing around the living room, thinking of what I could say.
"Dad, w-we took a break."
"Again? Oh, kids, everyone knows you're meant to be together. Get over yourselves and grow some, alright?" He chuckled.
"Dad!" I whined.
"Seriously, what happened this time though?" He questioned and he sounded genuinely interested in finding out the answer.
"It's just a bunch of misunderstandings and lack of communication." I admitted. "Things haven't been going great lately. And by that I mean between Simon and I, but also between me and some of my friends. It feels like everything is crumbling, and it's all my fault. Before you try telling me it's not, I know it is. I've done all of this and I just don't know how to fix it."
Dad lets out a sigh, too. "That sounds tough, Buttercup. People always say that you find out who your real friends are during high school and university. And at the same time, you're trying to figure yourself out and what career path you want to choose." He reasons.
"Dad, I'm graduating in two months. I should know by now what I want to do, and who my real friends are. But I just keep messing things up and nothing seems to be getting better." I complain.
"Lu, you've had these types of quarrels before, and you've always managed to pull yourself out of them. Things resolve themselves eventually. If they're really your friends, they'll let you know. Not by just telling you, but they'll show you they're there for you. Like Simon did that whole photography project in the dark room for you." He said. My heart fluttered at the memory.
"So..." I urged him on.
"So now it's your turn to show them you're a true friend. Even for Simon. Do something photography-related, or something football-related. Just do something that shows your relationship is supportive and true."
By now I've sat down on the couch in the living room where Simon and Josh were sitting mere moments ago. "Thanks, Dad." Is all I can say.
"No problem, that's what dads do."
"Oh, hey, just before you hang up, I've got some news to share. I nearly forgot but you just remind me," I said.
"Oh dear, don't tell me you're pregnant, too." I could practically hear him rolling his eyes.
"Dad! No!" I laughed. He actually made me laugh, despite my blue mood. "I got invited to another magazine interview. It's for the Cosmopolitan, this time."
"Wait, I think I've actually heard about that one this time!" He joked.
"I'm sure you have, it's a pretty big international magazine." My heart was beating a thousand times a minute. "Usually they only feature really famous celebrities, so I don't know why they've picked me, but..."
"It's because you're my talented little Buttercup," He cooed.
"Ew." I said and he burst out laughing.
"Well, you do you. Go fix your friends and do some work whilst I watch some football, alright?"
"Okay, will do," I said. He hung up on me before he even said goodbye, because that's just a thing we do. We've had this competition of who can end the call in the most rude fashion ever since I was in middle school. I guess he won this time.
I slowly lowered my phone from my ear and looked straight ahead of me. Where could I start first?
I went back to my messages on my phone, seeing as I hadn't actually opened Lachlan's text yet.
Lachlan: heard ur alone in the villa, wanna come over? We ordered pizza and we're having foosball competitions against each other :)
And that's when it clicked. I had to start somewhere, and this is the perfect opportunity.
Me: sounds good, I'm heading down now
Lachlan: yess she's hanging out with the squad fam! Haha
I laughed silently when I read his reply, having already put on a pair of shoes and grabbed my keys. Walking outside by myself in the dark was slightly scary yet refreshing. I hugged myself to keep warm as I walked down to their hotel, where the entrance doors were open and none of the receptionists were there. There was laughing and shouting from a common room to the right, and when I followed it I found everyone I knew who came on the trip.
"Hey, Lu's here!" Sarah was the first to notice me standing in the doorway. She pushed herself off the loveseat she was sitting in and bounded over to me, engulfing me in a hug. I smiled and wrapped my arms around her waist, smelling her coconut scented hair. Same old, same old. She led me over to where she and Callux were sitting, with a group of other friends. Perfect.
Their conversation consisted mainly of 'banger vid ideas' and what Freya and Josh were going to call their baby. I sat in silence, listening along to what they had to say. "Hey, why didn't you go to the hospital with them?" Sarah whispered to me.
I looked up at her. I was sitting in the love seat and she was sitting on the arm rest of it, and I could tell she picked up on how my facial expression faltered. "I'm not sure, but they were in such a hurry that I didn't want to argue about it." I told her. "Plus Simon was going with them, so maybe I wasn't invited for the better."
Sarah gave my arm a playful nudge when I said that. "Aw, come on. It's not that bad. I'm sure you two will work things out, you always do. I guess with Freya having a baby, things are just pretty stressful right now." She sympathised.
"You two! Come join the conversation, stop being so antisocial." Callux suddenly pointed at the two of us whispering to each other. He linked his arm with Sarah's pulling her to stand on her feet, and I followed suit, standing between Sarah and Will.
"Anyways, Lu, tell us what you've been up to. You tend to hide in your photography studio, don't you?" Callux offered.
"I don't have a photography studio, but don't go giving me ideas." I joked. I looked down at me feet, shifting my weight from one foot to the other awkwardly. It's either now or never, Lu. "Well, I recently got invited to do an interview for another magazine." I revealed and Sarah gasped loudly. I hadn't told this to anyone yet.
"Which magazine?" She asked enthusiastically.
"The Cosmopolitan." I stated.
"You're joking,"
"And um," I turned to Will, looking at him hopefully. "I was thinking that, since you went with me to my last interview, maybe you'd like to come with me to this one?"
"Me?" Will frowned, his thick eyebrows lowering to make his green eyes even smaller. At first he looked almost annoyed, but that gradually changed to surprise. "Why me?"
"Because you were there for me the last time."
At this, the corner of his lips turned up into a smile. "Sure, I'll come with you."
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LEAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR THE INTERVIEW IN THE COMMENTS!!
I'll update next when I've finished the majority of my exams,
Mel xx