Dedicated to kween_meeh! Early update today as I'm out for the day. Enjoy :)
The next day is spent pretending to be just friends with Emmy. Every time I see her smile my gut flips and every single time I hear her laugh my mood lifts, even when I lose three times on the trot to Ollie at the new football game for the games-station.
I know she likes me too. I'd been dying to kiss her again last night and I've got a feeling that I would have got my way if Vince hadn't come home. Emmy seems to be everywhere I am today. She's in the kitchen when I fetch a drink. In the bathroom when I need to clean my teeth and watching TV when I feel like laughing at some crap comedy. It's like I'm not allowed to forget that she's here but it's not as if she's not already on my mind. I can't stop thinking about her and I know I've got it bad. Yes, maybe it's all happening a bit fast. We've gone from enemies to friends in almost a day and now I want her as my girlfriend. The thought catches me off guard and I lean into the kitchen counter, realising I'm hovering my hands above the water without actually washing anything up. I shake my head, wondering how long I've been standing like this, before I force myself to think about something else.
I manage a whole ten seconds before I smell Emmy's perfume. I look to my left to see her staring into the fridge. The best thing to do would be to ignore her, but I know I can't. Her presence is infectious and talking to her is too much of a great thing.
"Hungry?"
She rests her head on her arm and smiles. "Yeah. Mum would say I'm grazing."
I smile back, shaking my wet hands over the sink before snatching up the tea-towel to dry them. "What do you fancy?"
She laughs and winks and I want to know if that's meant as 'you'. "Uh, chocolate."
I set the tea-towel down on the counter. "There should be some in the bottom drawer." I move behind her, reaching over her shoulder to pull open the drawer I'm referring to. She leans back into me slightly and I drop my chin so it's resting on her head.
"I want white chocolate," she says, her voice cracking a little.
I smile at the thought that I'm making her nervous even though my own pulse is anything but steady. "Oh."
She steps forwards and shuts the refrigerator. "Where's the nearest shop?"
"A five minute walk away."
"Show me," she says.
I feel a grin on my face but it slips away as soon as I spot Michelle in the doorway. Her narrowed eyes are on me. I'd been so wrapped up in Emmy's company that I hadn't even heard her come in. Emmy seems to share my enthusiasm for Michelle's arrival. She rolls her eyes and mutters to herself before heading to her room. Michelle takes Emmy's leave as her cue to come over.
Ollie, who I guess had let her in, is sending me an apologetic smile. It doesn't squash the dislike building in my gut as Michelle approaches. She looks up at me from under her long lashes but it doesn't make butterflies fill my stomach like it does when Emmy looks at me that way.
"Sammy," she says, sidling up to me and resting a hand on my arm.
I shake her off. "'Chelle."
She grins. "Got rid of that sket just in time."
I bite the inside of my cheek. "Michelle," I say, my voice set in a warning tone. She senses it, trailing a hand up to my shoulder. I shrug her off again. "'Chelle!"
"Ready."
I look over at Emmy, giving her a warm smile. Michelle digs her nails into my skin.
"Sorry, Love. Sam's taking me to the shops."
I look to Vince and Ollie, but they offer no help. They know better than to get involved where Michelle is concerned. I let out a sharp breath at Emmy's hurt expression.
I want to protest against Michelle and leave with Emmy instead but I know this could be a good time to say what's really on my mind for once and for all.
"We won't be long," I say, giving Michelle a pointed glare. "I'll take you another time," I say to Emmy over my shoulder as Michelle leads me to the door, her hand gripping mine like a vice.
Emmy shrugs, kicking off her shoes before heading to the sofas.
It's when we're outside on the pavement that I rip my hand out of Michelle's and stalk ahead. The sound of a disgruntled sigh and heels clicking furiously on the pavement follows my long strides until I reach the curb. Michelle links her arm through mine as we cross the road but I yank away as soon as we reach the other side.
"What's up with you?" she shouts as soon as I start storming away again.
My whole body is vibrating with a building anger. Michelle has no right to get in the way of whatever Emmy and I might have going. I turn to face her, the words on the tip of my tongue but I stop at the sight of her scowl. It's at full strength and I can see her chest rising and falling rapidly from beneath her leather jacket.
"You, are what's up with me," I retort after finally finding my voice again. "I haven't got time for your games."
She slams her dark eyes at me. "What happened to you?"
I don't know what she's referring to exactly, but I pull her out of the middle of the path so we're standing up against a bricked building a few strides from the shop. "I got over you," I say simply. "I did what you told me to do. You said you didn't love me anymore and that I had to get over it."
She flinches, remembering the cold words she'd told me a whole six months ago, the day she decided she'd be better off without me. Without Sketch.
There's a wavering in her eyes so quick I almost miss it. "I was joking."
"No you weren't," I reply quickly. "You meant every single word you said."
She goes to shake her head.
"And now that you're jealous, you're backtracking," I interject.
Michelle splutters indignantly. "What!?"
I smirk. "The truth hurts, 'Chelle."
Her face clouds over like there's a sudden thunder cloud hovering above her. "You're so full of it."
"And you aren't?" I ask, lowering my voice as an old couple pass us to enter the shop. "You think I'll still come back to you, even after the way you treated me. Even after the way you treated the whole band." She scowls but I don't let her speak. "It wasn't just my life you almost screwed up," I say. "It was Ollie and Vince's as well. They were relying on you, too."
"You're so dramatic."
"And you're a little actress."
We stare each other down for a long moment and I ignore the traffic driving past and the people making their way around London. Arguing with Michelle is exhilarating, like I'm finally getting to voice my opinions, and I can feel my pulse thumping in my head. The smell of pollution is thick in my nose as an old lorry splutters past us but I don't break eye contact with her.
"She'll only break your heart."
I blink at her words. "She's not like you."
"She's just a slut that's after you for one thing. She wants fame, Sam, not you."
I harden my jaw. "You don't even know her."
"And you do?" she questions, punctuating her words with a dismissive eye roll. "She's been living with you for two weeks. Big deal."
"It's been better than four months with you."
"I was in Sketch for a year," she quips.
"And the eight months before we got together were fine." I sigh. "Stop messing around, Michelle. You're twenty. It's about time you moved on. I don't like you anymore."
Her hard exterior cracks at something I've said and she lunges at me but I hold up a hand, grabbing her fist as it shoots for my face.
"Don't," I say through my teeth. It comes out as a hiss. "Now, I'm going to get Emmy's chocolate. It's up to you whether you wait or not, but don't follow me inside."
I let go of her hand and head to the shop. I grab the first bar of white chocolate I see before moving to the counter. I wait patiently as the cashier counts out my change and then I leave the shop expecting to be met with an empty pavement. Michelle's hard expression is back as I pass her without a single word. She doesn't know when to give up.