Love Lessons (Part Three)
Katie was almost glad she had the distraction of her meeting with JJ. He’d greeted her with a warm smile, and taken her to his room, a room that was so perfectly JJ, Katie thought with a smile.
“I’ve been talking to people, her name’s Jodi, she’s in your maths class, she’s also in English apparently though I've never bloody seen her before. She used to go out with that Tom guy, who was in the year above, but you’re hotter than him so this should work.” Katie explained, laid out on JJ’s bed.
JJ couldn’t help but be reminded of her twin sister in exactly the same position. It made his stomach flutter, he hated it, he hated feeling out of control.
“Right.” JJ blushed, because frankly that was the most he could verbalise at the moment, it was a little overwhelming, picking a girl to seduce or whatever Katie had planned.
“Well, I was thinking we get her to come to Freddie’s party, I'll invite her, she’ll love it, some cool girl like me befriending her. Then at the party you talk to her okay?” Katie smiled, quite enjoying planning this all out, it distracted her from things in her own life.
“You’re going to Freddie’s party? But what about...” JJ stuttered, not sure whether he could safely mention the ‘E’ word.
“J, I’m going to fucking destroy her, but she can’t see it coming. In fact if she thinks all is forgiven then I reckon this will be a lot more fun.” Katie laughed wickedly, noticing however that JJ wasn’t smiling, it made her feel slightly ashamed, she tried to ignore it, why the fuck should she care what JJ thinks of her?
“Don’t you think you’re letting yourself get too worked up about this? Do you even have a plan Katie?” JJ asked, a slight fear in his voice, as he noticed the glare that Katie was giving him.
“Shut up! I need this, and you need me, or are you going to spend your time drooling over my dyke sister?” Katie snapped, immediately regretting how harsh her words sounded, and for calling Emily a name she had vowed not to use, in her quest to be a supportive sister,
“Why do you always have to be so cruel to people Katie?” JJ asked, leaning back against his wall, which had changed a lot, tracking the multitude of changes to relationship in the gang.
“People screw you over J. You need to get in there first and hurt them instead.” Katie replied emotionlessly, her hand unconsciously rising to meet the raised scar that ran along her hairline.
“Not everyone wants to screw you over Katie.” JJ smiled, lifting Katie’s legs so he could sit down on the bed placing them back down so they rested on him. Katie was surprised by the action, but didn’t move, they were oddly comfortable in each others company, an odd friendship developing in the silence. “Tell me some more about Jodi...” JJ smiled at Katie.
**
“You even look beautiful when you’re cleaning your teeth, you know that right?” Naomi smiled, wrapping her arms round Emily from behind. Nuzzling into Emily’s neck, pulling away only when Emily had to spit.
“It’s because I’m minty fresh!” Emily winked, causing Naomi to giggle at just how cute her girlfriend could be, pulling her close, Naomi leaned in to kiss her.
“Hmm maybe I should try some of that.” Naomi muttered, as she kissed Emily, a deep and longing kiss, the perfect way to start the day. “Very minty fresh.”
Emily nodded, laughing at Naomi’s expression, before taking her hand and leading her back to the bedroom. Mornings with Naomi were definitely the best.
**
Katie was laid out on her bed lazily, having arrived home, she’d had a good time with JJ. He’d made her laugh, kept her mind off Effy. She’d spent most of the time instructing him on things to say or not to say in front of a girl. He’d tried out some cheesy chat up lines, the pair of them having a giggling fit at some of the worst ones. It had almost been sad to go home.
“Katie will you please get yourself ready, and Emily better be awake and getting ready as well! I want to leave this house promptly at ten! No arguments!” Jenna called up the stairs, interrupting Katie from her thoughts. She was insisting on visiting some relative, intent on bringing both her daughters with her, unaware that one of them was currently in the bed of another girl.
Katie panicked, trying to think on the spot of an excuse for where Emily was. She had meant to tell her mother the day before that Emily was at a study/sleepover session. But somehow neither of her parents had realised that Emily was missing, so Katie had just let it be. Now she needed to find a way to stall her mother, give Emily a chance to get home.
“She stayed at Panda’s last night mum, remember? They’re working on that English project together.” Katie called back, hoping her mother would let it drop, especially considering the emphasis Katie had put on the educational aspect of where Emily supposedly was.
“What! But you’re both supposed to be coming with me! I’ve promised Miriam!” Jenna snapped, stomping up the stairs, Katie prepared herself for the inevitable onslaught. Sighing, she tapped out a quick message to Emily, urging her to hurry up and get home.
“Sorry mum, she really wants to get a good mark on it though. I can go with you to Miriam’s.” Katie assured, even though she detested going to her great aunt’s house with a passion.
“No. I promised her you’d both be coming, it’s fine we can drive to Pandora’s house and pick Emily up on the way.” Jenna decided, sauntering off to get herself ready, leaving a horrified looking Katie to desperately sort out the disaster that was waiting to happen.
“Emily you complete and utter twat, if you can remove yourself from Naomi’s minge for all of five minutes, then I'd really appreciate it if you could answer your fucking phone! Mum is going to Panda’s to pick you up, but you won’t be there! You need to be there Ems, get there now!!” Katie hissed down the phone
**
“Do you think we’ll ever get bored of this?” Emily sighed, wrapping Naomi’s arms around her, the pair of them laid together, heartbeats gradually returning to a normal rate.
“Emily, you have the sex drive of a 15 year old boy. Do you ever envision yourself getting bored of sex?” Naomi laughed, kissing Emily’s forehead affectionately. “You’re not getting bored of... I mean...” Naomi suddenly stuttered, panicking that maybe this was Emily’s subtle way of suggesting that everything was far from alright in the bedroom department.
“Oh god... No shit, I didn’t mean that. Fuck Naomi you’re incredible, you’ve got to know that right?” Emily quickly added, turning and kissing Naomi fully, confirming that she was more than satisfied.
“Well, you make enough noise to suggest so.” Naomi laughed, feeling reassured as Emily went in for a second kiss, this time bringing her tongue to meet Naomi’s, the kiss turning more passionate, before they calmed themselves in some kind of attempt to show self restraint.
“I just meant this. This feeling, this perfectness... I don’t want you to get bored of me Naomi.” Emily explained, putting particular emphasis on the ‘me’ part of the sentence. Emily looked scared for a second, looking at Naomi with such a want, such a need.
“Emily what is up at the moment? I thought we’d got past all this doubt shit?” Naomi questioned, placing tiny, fluttering kisses all over Emily. Pulling herself even closer to Emily, there wasn’t even the slightest space between them, they’d merged as one, their hearts beating perfectly in sync.
“Sometimes I think I love you too much.” Emily whispered, a slight fear in her voice as she clutched Naomi’s hand, as if to steady herself.
“Not as much as I love you.” Naomi insisted, silencing Emily with a firm kiss. Her mind in overdrive as she tried to decipher Emily’s strange behaviour.
**
“Fucking fuck. Just fuck, you stupid... Answer your fucking phone!” Katie yelled into her phone, leaving Emily her tenth message. It was getting a little too late now, soon Katie was going to have to get in the car with her mother, and then what? They go to Panda’s and Emily won’t be there, this was far too impossible.
“Katie come on! Hurry up will you, we need to get Emily.” Jenna yelled, Katie trudged down the stairs. Still searching her brain for a plan, but finding nothing at all. It was weird, this overwhelming desire to protect her sister, but she was desperate to do so.
“Mum, Emily’s not actually at Panda’s anymore... See she stayed there last night but now she’s gone to another friends house.” Katie rushed, realising just how crap the excuse sounded, but desperate times were calling for desperate measures.
“Which friend? I can go and pick her up from wherever she is.” Jenna insisted, hurrying her things together, pausing slightly as a chilling thought ran over her. She looked at Katie, watching her daughter carefully.
“I don’t know where this friend lives.” Katie insisted, squirming under her mothers glare.
“She’s with that girl.” Jenna stated simply, clenching a fist. Knowing that Katie couldn’t lie under pressure, her face gave it away almost immediately.
“Mum please leave it, Ems is happy, please leave it.” Katie insisted, tugging on her mothers arm. “Come on mum, you and me can go to Miriam’s, then we can talk about this with Emily later. Please mum.”
“We’re going to pick Emily up.” Jenna spat through gritted teeth.
**
Naomi and Emily were in decent attire for once, normally they’d lay unclothed for hours, but almost as if they’d had some kind of premonition about what was about to happen, they’d put t-shirts on.
The booming knock on the door sent a chill down Emily’s spine, jumping up and out of Naomi’s arms, she moved over to the window, peering out to see Katie looking up at her regretfully. She motioned for Emily to check her phone, Emily grabbed it from the corner of the floor it had been flung to last night. Jaw dropping at the missed calls and numerous messages. Naomi got up, looking out the window to see what was going on, cursing when she spotted Jenna and Katie at the front door, her own mother stood talking to them.
“Mum will deal with her Ems, it’ll be fine I promise. Why don’t you pop a few more clothes on, we don’t want to give her anything else to kick off about.” Naomi soothed, trying to bring some kind of control to the situation, gently rubbing Emily’s back as the door to Naomi’s bedroom flew open.
“Get your hands off my daughter now! I thought I warned you to stay away from her!” Jenna spat, viciously pulling Emily towards her. Katie shot an apologetic look to Emily, but Emily knew it wasn’t her sisters fault. Naomi stood awkwardly, wishing her t-shirt was longer, she pulled it down self-consciously.
“Can we just talk about this please. There’s no need for all this anger and aggression, clearly Emily was wrong for not letting you now where she was staying, but really the girls aren’t doing anything wrong.” Gina piped up, trying to provide some kind of voice of reason.
Jenna let her eyes roam around Naomi’s bedroom, the sight of her daughters clothes and underwear strewn across the floor, served to enrage her even further. The framed picture of Naomi and Emily together, Naomi placing a kiss of Emily’s cheek, that sat on Naomi’s bedside table, drove Jenna so completely insane. She turned and walked towards the door.
“This isn’t right, this will never be right. Emily you have five minutes to get dressed and get in the car.” Jenna grunted, making her way out of the house.
“Well hang on a minute, Mrs. Fitch maybe we can speak about this, our daughters are in a relationship...” Gina called after her, before Jenna stopped in her tracks, cutting Gina dead.
“My daughter will be having nothing to do with your daughter. You might think it’s okay, your child taking advantage of another, but I certainly do not. Emily isn’t gay, she’s simply been brainwashed by this.... Hippie commune!” Jenna snapped, marching out the front door, sitting in the car waiting for her daughters to join her.
“Shit Emily, I’m sorry.” Katie apologised, even though there was nothing she could have done, she couldn’t help but feel guilty. Naomi and Emily looked devastated, Emily looked completely deflated, like there wasn’t even the tiniest bit of fight in her.
“What the fuck Katie? Why didn’t you stop her?” Naomi yelled, trying to take Emily’s hand, a chill shooting down her spine as Emily moved her hand away.
“I tried to call you! I tried to call Emily and she didn’t fucking answer, this isn’t my fault Naomi!” Katie shouted back, moving towards Naomi, the two started squaring up, all the tension of the situation getting too much for them.
“Will you two stop it, I can’t deal with this right now. I’m going to get dressed.” Emily suddenly croaked, her voice emotionlessly cold. Her body rigidly collecting her clothes from Naomi’s floor, moving off towards the bathroom.
“Emily, you’re not seriously going with her?” Naomi asked, shocked that Emily would even consider giving in, she couldn’t leave, that would mean that Jenna had won.
“Emily don’t, I'll get mum to leave, stay here with Nai.” Katie insisted, backing Naomi up, the two shared a grateful smile, despite almost ripping each others heads off minutes previous.
“I’m going to get dressed.” Emily repeated, in the same cold tone from before. Katie suspected Emily was simply shutting down to stop herself from breaking down, she wanted to hug her sister, but Emily walked away leaving Naomi and Katie alone.
“What the fuck are we going to do?” Naomi asked Katie, Katie wrapping her arm awkwardly round Naomi.
“I’ll fix this, I promise.” Katie insisted, the photo from earlier, catching Katie’s eye. Her sister looked so happy, so carefree, and Naomi looked so completely in love with her. Katie wasn’t exactly a romantic, but there was no way she was going to let this fall apart.
It wasn’t long before Emily was ready, grabbing her bag and heading for the door. Naomi following like a lost puppy, Katie trailing behind, as the three girls made their way down the stairs. Gina stood in the kitchen, watching the scene playing out in front of her, knowing that Naomi would need a hug the second Emily left the house.
“Remember I love you, whatever happens.” Emily suddenly turned and insisted, letting her bag drop, she placed her hands on Naomi’s shoulders, her previously emotionless voice cracking to reveal just how upset she really was.
“Why does it feel like you’re saying goodbye?” Naomi asked, trying to control her own tears, grabbing Emily, bringing their foreheads together.
“Tell me you love me.” Emily begged in a quiet voice, her grip on Naomi tightening. Katie standing back, almost feeling like she would start crying herself at what was happening.
“If I do you’ll leave.” Naomi muttered, shaking her head. Positioning herself in front of the front door, to block Emily from leaving.
“I’m leaving anyway.” Emily managed a weak smile, her eyes begging Naomi just to give her what she was asking for.
“Don’t give up, not without a fucking fight Emily, you’re better than this. We’re better than this.” Naomi snapped, feeling rage building up inside her, directing at Emily but wishing she could go outside and point it all at Jenna.
“Tell me you love me.” Emily repeated, her voice more than begging now. She needed this so much.
“You know I do.” Naomi sniffed, a tear falling down her cheek, Naomi tried to pretend she wasn’t crying but it was pointless hiding anything from Emily, she simply knew her far too well.
“So say it.” Emily demanded, her hands stroking Naomi’s cheeks, her touch driving Naomi insane.
“You’re my everything. I love you.” Naomi promised, kissing Emily hungrily, a kiss that was so utterly desperate, there was an intensity that had never been present before. Emily’s tongue tracing the inside of Naomi’s mouth, as if making a mental record of every single detail. A memory.