Fic: Miniature Disasters and Minor Catastrophes (Part 1)
Title: Miniature Disasters and Minor Catastrophes (Part 1)
Characters: Katie, Emily, Naomi, JJ
Rating: M (for language)
Words: 3490
Summary: Naomi and Emily break up, Katie is generally unsympathetic but completely awesome.
Disclaimer: Not my characters
A/N: This is unbeta'd so any mistakes are all mine. Title from KT Tunstall 'Miniature Disasters'.
I've been worrying about this for ages; technically I feel like this chapter should really be two chapters, but for the sake of the story I feel like its better to go with one, but then I don't know again. I'm still not sure if it feels right, but I decided to just get on with it.
This chapter itself is also the longest non-academic thing that I've written, um, ever, and I have at least another four to write if the story is going the way I have it planned, so I really hope the pacing works as I'm stressing about it!
Naomi and Emily fall apart.
They almost make it through summer; don’t by a week.
Quelle fucking surprise. Katie had tried to tell her, Naomi’s a bitch, but Emily knew best didn’t she? And look where it’s got her. Curled up in bed with blotchy eyes and greasy hair, because apparently breaking up with the ‘love of your life’ means that you can’t even get out of bed, let alone shower on a regular basis.
They had sniped at each other for weeks. Katie only knew because she could hear them on the phone every night; once Emily thought Katie was asleep she’d call her and they’d talk in whispers for hours. The whispering was completely redundant as the house was so quiet that Katie could hear both sides of the conversation anyway.
The first few weeks it was incessant giggling and the odd muffled shriek; the next few weeks was Emily bitching out about their mum, Naomi trying to placate her; the last few weeks were arguments and demands: wanting more of each other, wanting less of each other.
Katie thinks it’s all ridiculous - Emily’s ridiculous. She’s a dreamer and Naomi’s a dream crusher. What did she think would happen? It makes Katie glad she doesn’t have any dreams to crush.
---
When Katie sees Naomi on the first day of college she tries to catch her eye, just to give her a ‘you fucked up my sister, so now I’m going to fuck you up’ glare, but Naomi keeps her head down, eyes firmly focused on the floor.
---
Katie corners her in the bathroom later. Blocking the door and crossing her arms, she pulls herself up to her full five foot three and a half (she’s wearing a mint new pair of heels).
“I told you to stay the fuck away.”
Naomi looks up, rolls her eyes and throws the paper towel in the bin. “Whatever, Katie. I’m not really in the mood.”
“Tough shit babe, cause I am.” She steps forward, right into Naomi’s space. “I warned you to leave her alone.”
Naomi sighs and shakes her head gently. “She didn’t tell you then? Figures.”
Naomi bends down, puts her lips right next to Katie’s ear, and Katie can feel Naomi’s breath, warm and tickling as she says in a low voice, “She broke up with me, Katie.” Naomi leans back again looking a bit smug for someone who just got dumped. “Whenever you want to apologise, yeah?” She says, before pushing past Katie who stays rooted to the spot for another minute.
---
“What the fuck Emily?!” Katie shouts, storming straight into their room once she’s home. Emily’s still in bed, she doesn’t look like she’s gotten up all day.
“Jesus, Katie, keep it down, I have a fucking migraine,” she groans.
“You broke up with her?” Katie hisses and feels something bordering on satisfaction when Emily’s head shoots off the pillow at that.
“How..?” Emily looks confused for all of a second before the penny drops. “You spoke to her?”
“Yes, I fucking spoke to her.” Katie stomps into the room and throws her bag on her bed. “What the hell is going on, Emily?”
Emily curls into a ball under her bedcovers. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she mumbles, pressing her face into the pillow.
Katie pulls the duvet off the bed and looks at her pointedly until Emily concedes.
“Sometimes things just aren’t what you thought they were going to be, I guess.”
She looks so pathetic lying in bed that Katie can’t even bring herself to point out what a fucking stupid reason that is to split up with someone when you’ve spent over a year trying to convince them to be with you in the first place.
---
Katie goes out to a club a few days later.
Emily is getting out of bed now (and has at least started putting some make up on to cover up her eyes) but she still hasn’t been to college yet, and won’t venture out of the house further than the shops at the end of the road.
Katie’s bored of it already, Emily acting like she’s the victim. Like, when Katie broke up with Danny (and that actually was his fault mind), she held her head high and pulled Freddie. None of this moping around the house for days on end. And when Freddie and her were over, that was different, cause Katie was an actual victim then, and she has a fucking scar on her head to prove it.
She’s going to meet Panda at the club, so it’s not like she’ll be a total loser on her own. Katie sees Pandora in the queue; flashes her tits at the bouncer with a wink (she’s got a new push up bra, and she knows they look completely fuckable) and gets in for free without being asked for ID.
It’s what Katie defines as success.
When they get in and have put their coats in the cloakroom, Pandora’s eyes scan the dance floor. “Whizzer! Eff made it, she’s just over there, look!”
Katie follows Panda’s finger, pointing over to where Effy is dancing on her own with her eyes closed. Katie turns to Panda slowly.
“You invited her? Fuck’s sake Panda.”
Panda’s face falls as she revisits the events of last year. “Oh. Bummer.”
“Yeah,” Katie repeats bitterly, “bummer.”
Katie’s going to need a lot of alcohol if she’s going to get through this night, so she heads towards the bar with a sigh, abandoning Pandora.
She sees Naomi sitting at the bar alone, and it just figures that this night wasn’t only going to be bad cause Effy was here, it was going to be fucking awful cause both Effy and Naomi were here. Katie remembers that bad things come in threes and is busy wondering what else could possibly happen to fuck up her evening further when she sees that Naomi has lifted her head from the bar and caught Katie staring.
“Oh Christ. Come on then,” she whispers to herself, takes a deep breath and goes to sit down in the bar stool next to her.
Naomi doesn’t comment.
Katie orders a shot of tequila, drinks it in one without the salt or the lime, and winces a bit at the aftertaste. “She didn’t tell me.”
“Is this that apology we spoke about Katie? It’s not very good.”
Katie bristles. “Don’t fucking push me, right?”
Naomi raises her eyebrows, but takes the peace offering anyway. “It’s fine.” She says, after a bit of a pause.
Katie orders more tequila, downs it as soon as it’s placed in front of her. “Emily’s being a twat.”
“Well, I guess some of me was bound to rub off eventually.”
Katie lets herself smile at that.
“I came with Effy. Well, she dragged me out actually. Didn’t know you’d be here. I hope it’s not - well shit, this is going to be bloody awful, isn’t it?”
Katie nods. “Rounds?” She asks, as she signals to the barman.
“Yeah.”
---
They get wasted sitting at the bar, both of them drowning their very different sorrows. They end up bitching about Emily and all of her cunt-like qualities, which turn out to be quite a few for such a good girl.
“Right, your sister though. I mean, she ran right through my life. She changed everything, yeah? And I had just sorted it. I put it back together, and now? She’s done it again.” Naomi shakes her head. “Jeeeesus. What the hell are we drinking?”
Katie shrugs, “S’cheap,” she slurs.
“Right,” Naomi nods.
“Emily…she wants, like, rainbows, you know? And flowers and shit.”
Naomi knits her brow, “I should buy her some flowers then?”
“No, you fanny. Christ, I thought you used to be smart. She just wants everything to be happy all the time, right. But life’s not like that.”
“Speaking from experience, are we Katiekins?”
When Katie feels the tears prick at her eyes is when she also realises that she is really fucking drunk, and she’s sitting having a heart to heart with Naomi-fucking-Campbell. She pushes herself off the barstool, stumbles a bit in her heels. Naomi laughs as she reaches an arm out to her, catches Katie’s hand.
“Careful, babe” she says in a cheery, familiar tone, and Katie knows it’s not the first time she’s said that to a Fitch.
Katie freezes and looks Naomi in the eye; she’s stopped laughing and her face has fallen.
“Shit. I didn’t mean…” she trails off. Katie snatches her hand back.
“Bathroom.” She turns and leaves Naomi sitting alone, still looking crestfallen.
---
“Katie?” It’s Naomi’s voice. Katie stays quiet, hopes she’ll leave.
“Katie, you’ve been in here for twenty minutes.”
Katie wishes that stupid bitch would fucking take the hint in that case and leave well enough alone.
Naomi pounds on the door. “I know that you’re in there, all the other ones are empty.”
“Alright, fuck’s sake, give it a rest will you,” Katie says as she opens the door.
“You’ve been crying,” Naomi says dumbly, biting her lip.
Katie just rolls her eyes. “Why do people think you’re intelligent?”
“I am. Mostly. What’s wrong?” If Naomi’s expecting a response she doesn’t get one, so she carries on anyway.
“Effy’s gone. Panda was being sick or something, so they left.”
Katie doesn’t want to admit it, but the knot in her stomach feels like it’s just been undone.
---
When they’re walking home later, swaying against each other, Katie suddenly remembers that she doesn’t like Naomi.
“I hope you don’t think we’re friends now. I’m just drunk, yeah, and you’re better than nothing.”
“Gee, thanks Katie. I had been hoping we could make friendship bracelets tomorrow, but I guess not.”
“Yeah, I’ve got to, like, wash my hair tomorrow.”
Naomi laughs, even though it’s not funny. They are really drunk. “Can’t have you looking anything other than perfect, can we?”
They’re both still laughing and talking crap, only a few streets away from Katie’s house, when they see Emily. All of them stop in their tracks immediately.
“Shit.” Naomi and Katie say in unison, even though they haven’t even been doing anything wrong.
Emily looks like she’s going to be sick. “What are you two doing?” She asks with a hoarse voice.
Katie draws herself up, ready to start an attack, but Naomi puts her hand on her arm, holds her back.
“Don’t,” she says quietly. “I’m going to go home,” Naomi lets go of Katie, walks past Emily with a curt nod.
“Well? What is this, Katie? Now that we’re not together you like her? God forbid you should like someone when I’m actually seeing them.” She makes an exasperated noise. “Do you even know how difficult you made things for us?”
“Christ, Ems, don’t flip a shit or anything,” Katie shrugs. “She was at the club. We got drunk. She’s still a prick, yeah?” Katie looks Emily up and down. “What you doing out like that anyway?”
Emily deflates with a sigh. “Couldn’t sleep. Going a bit stir crazy in the house, you know?”
“Right. Well, come on then.” Katie links Emily’s arm in hers and leads them back home.
---
When Emily goes back to college the following week, Katie realises how much of a big deal her and Naomi were. Whispers and not-so-sly looks follow Emily everywhere, and since she’s back following Katie, Katie feels like her ears are burning all day.
When Naomi makes a twat like remark in English (about Romeo and Juliet, and how love doesn’t exist, it’s just hormones and a desire for personal gratification), Emily scrapes her chair back and walks out of class. Naomi rolls her eyes. Katie’s never wanted to hit her in her stupid fucking face more.
When Katie confronts Naomi later, she’s sulking.
“I don’t know what she’s upset for. It’s true. It’s been scientifically proven,” she says sullenly.
“Could you, for just once in your life Naomi, not act like a complete cunt to my sister?”
Naomi opens her mouth to say something else, but shuts it again when she sees Katie’s glare.
---
Katie’s taken up smoking during her lunches. It means putting up with Naomi, but Emily’s being incredibly dull, throwing herself into the books and there is no way in hell Katie is talking to Effy again, so really, it's the lesser of many evils.
Naomi lets Katie blabber on about fashion and boys and celebrity gossip, rolling her eyes wherever appropriate.
“Don’t you ever think about real stuff, Katie?” She asks on the third day.
“What?”
“You know, tuition fees? Immigration policy? Global warming? Animal rights?”
Katie makes a face. “That’s not real. That’s boring. No one cares about that stuff Naomi.”
Naomi shakes her head. “You should come to a protest sometime,” she says, and then laughs at the blank expression Katie gives her. “I’ll let you design the t-shirts if you want,” she says, nudging Katie’s knee with her own.
Katie has a drag of her cigarette. “Ok then.”
Naomi spends the rest of the day looking quite pleased with herself.
---
The next time they go out, Katie manages to convince Emily to come with them. It’s a Saturday night, and everyone is coming, except Naomi (because of Emily) and Effy (because she’s a slag and Katie didn’t invite her). Katie has a vague thought about trying to keep Freddie, who is still utterly pathetic, away from Emily, just in case they inspire each other to off themselves. Emily seems to be better though. She’s dancing with Thomas and Panda, and it’s not pretty, right, but at least she’s smiling properly for the first time in weeks.
The voice comes from over her shoulder. “She’s over it then?”
Spinning round, Katie sees Naomi, watching Emily intently. “What the fuck, Naomi?” Katie drags her by the arm out to the smoking area.
“What are you even doing here?”
Naomi shrugs, “I just fancied a drink.”
“God,” Katie shakes her head, then panics a bit. “Is Effy here?”
Naomi raises an eyebrow, “No.”
“So, what?” Katie scoffs. “You came here yourself then?”
“I don’t have that many options left, Katie.”
“Oh.”
Naomi lights a fag, offers the box to Katie. Their fingers brush when Katie slips one out. Naomi chews on her lip, watching Katie through the corner of her eye. “Effy’s alright, you know. She has her moments.”
Katie snorts; she knows all about Effy’s moments.
“She told me what happened. At Gobbler’s End.”
Katie’s looking at the lights off in the distance. ‘With the rock? Way to keep up Naomi.’
“No, Kay,” Naomi says softly. “Before the rock bit.”
The mood changes quickly, it makes Katie shiver.
“You believe that drugged up whore do you?” Katie tries to keep the anxiety out of her voice, but isn’t sure she’s managed it when Naomi responds with a very simple, “Yes.”
“Well you can just fuck right off then.” Katie says as she turns to go back inside.
Naomi grabs her by the wrist, tugs her back round. “It wasn’t your fault, yeah, but it wasn’t her fault either; so don’t blame her, ok?”
“Piss off, Naomi.” Interfering cow, she thinks, before wrestling her arm back and making it inside this time.
---
She can’t breathe properly in the club, it’s too hot, and she’s stifling.
---
Katie steps out front, takes a huge gulp of cool air.
Someone is pacing up and down on the other side of the road, and when Katie looks carefully, she sees it’s JJ. She can hear him muttering to himself when she goes over.
“Alright?”
“Oh. Hi Katie. No, I’m not, quite the opposite actually, it’s too loud in there, my ears are getting sore, and Cook and Freddie put blackcurrant in my lemonade, and I’m glad they’re not fighting anymore, it really is quite tiring to have to pick sides all the time, but they know I don’t like blackcurrant and they made me drink it anyway,” he says in a single breath.
Katie blinks back at him. Right.
JJ looks around. “Is something wrong? I mean, no one else is here and you’re normally with at least one other person. It used to be Emily, and then Effy and after that it was Freddie, but lately, it’s been Naomi quite a lot.”
“Have you been stalking me, Jay?”
“No! I haven’t! I just - I wasn’t, honestly!” He protests. “Oh fiddlesticks. I just noticed.”
Katie raises her eyebrows. “You noticed me?”
JJ looks at the ground, Katie’s chest, the taxi rank, anywhere he won’t catch Katie’s eye. “Well, you’re rather pretty, and sometimes, when I think about you then I…” He stops and turns scarlet. “Well, mum says I shouldn’t think about you at all in that case, but I can’t help it sometimes.”
“You fancy me then?”
“Well, yes. I suppose that’s the correct term for it.” He looks at her hopefully.
She opens her mouth to tell him to get a grip of himself, and then she realises that there’s no one else on the scene and that something’s always better than nothing.
“Right, come on then, you can walk me home.”
---
Katie lets him hold her hand while they walk, and it’s nice, quite firm actually, and not at all sweaty. He’s reasonably good company as well; he makes her laugh when he does his (remarkably accurate) impression of Freddie. When they arrive in front of Katie’s door they face each other awkwardly.
“Can I, um, do I get to kiss you now?” He asks, and really, it should annoy Katie that he’s so unsure, but it turns out she finds it fairly endearing.
“Yes, Jay,” she says, “you can kiss me now.”
And he does, leaning in carefully, he brushes his lips past hers. It’s fine, but its not very fulfilling, so Katie grabs his belt loop, pulls him forward the step that he needs to come so their hips are touching and forces his mouth open. He makes a funny little noise of surprise in the back of his throat, but doesn’t protest; in fact, he gives as good as he gets (well, almost). He tastes faintly of blackcurrant. It’s better, Katie thinks, it’s much better.
---
She leaves JJ on the front step - doesn’t invite him in, isn’t that sort of girl thank you very much (not that she thinks JJ was really expecting an invitation, he didn’t push to get one, which is a bit confusing actually).
Naomi’s sent her a text about an hour ago; “Sorry. Forget I said anything.” And as Katie throws her phone on the bed, she realises that with all the JJ stuff she had kind of forgotten. Except, now she’s remembered and Naomi knows everything and could tell anyone and it makes Katie feel sick.
“U better keep ur mouth shut. I dont want to have to shut it for u” she sends, hoping that Naomi will do as she’s told and not be a prick as she so often is.
“Yeah Katie I got it, you’re the violent type.” Comes Naomi’s reply five minutes later, and Katie isn’t sure if that means she’s staying quiet or not.
---
JJ’s in touch by the next morning.
He clearly doesn’t understand the concept of playing hard to get, but then again, JJ and smooth don’t exactly go together. It makes for a nice change actually. To feel wanted; like properly wanted for once, not just wanted for a quickie.
She needs to go shopping for a scarf anyway, judging by the way he attacked her neck last night, so she figures he may as well pay for it.
---
When she sees Naomi in college on Monday, they act like nothing happened. Naomi clocks the scarf straight off.
“It’s not that cold outside, is it?”
“I think I’m, like, sick or something,” she says, looking at her feet.
“Oh,” Naomi says, and then snorts with laughter. “I didn’t actually believe in the existence of the cooties.”
Katie’s head snaps up, just in time to see Naomi’s smirk. “You missed a bit Katie,” she explains, pressing her finger on the massive hickey that isn’t quite covered by the scarf.
“Christ, shut up already.”
“So? Who is he then? Spit it out.”
“It isn’t like a thing or anything serious, so don’t make a big deal of it.”
Naomi rolls her eyes impatiently.
Katie sighs, “It’s JJ.”
“JJ?” Naomi repeats incredulously.
“Yes, JJ. He’s nice.”
“I’m nice Kay, he’s…weird.”
“Are you still upset with him over what happened with Emily?”
“No.” She says, far too quickly, before looking at Katie a little strangely. “Maybe. Yeah, maybe that’s it.”
“You really have to get over that already, babe,’ she says, placing her hand on Naomi’s arm.
She hums in agreement, her eyes focused on Katie’s hand. “Yeah. I just have to get over it.”
Part 2
Characters: Katie, Emily, Naomi, JJ
Rating: M (for language)
Words: 3490
Summary: Naomi and Emily break up, Katie is generally unsympathetic but completely awesome.
Disclaimer: Not my characters
A/N: This is unbeta'd so any mistakes are all mine. Title from KT Tunstall 'Miniature Disasters'.
I've been worrying about this for ages; technically I feel like this chapter should really be two chapters, but for the sake of the story I feel like its better to go with one, but then I don't know again. I'm still not sure if it feels right, but I decided to just get on with it.
This chapter itself is also the longest non-academic thing that I've written, um, ever, and I have at least another four to write if the story is going the way I have it planned, so I really hope the pacing works as I'm stressing about it!
Naomi and Emily fall apart.
They almost make it through summer; don’t by a week.
Quelle fucking surprise. Katie had tried to tell her, Naomi’s a bitch, but Emily knew best didn’t she? And look where it’s got her. Curled up in bed with blotchy eyes and greasy hair, because apparently breaking up with the ‘love of your life’ means that you can’t even get out of bed, let alone shower on a regular basis.
They had sniped at each other for weeks. Katie only knew because she could hear them on the phone every night; once Emily thought Katie was asleep she’d call her and they’d talk in whispers for hours. The whispering was completely redundant as the house was so quiet that Katie could hear both sides of the conversation anyway.
The first few weeks it was incessant giggling and the odd muffled shriek; the next few weeks was Emily bitching out about their mum, Naomi trying to placate her; the last few weeks were arguments and demands: wanting more of each other, wanting less of each other.
Katie thinks it’s all ridiculous - Emily’s ridiculous. She’s a dreamer and Naomi’s a dream crusher. What did she think would happen? It makes Katie glad she doesn’t have any dreams to crush.
---
When Katie sees Naomi on the first day of college she tries to catch her eye, just to give her a ‘you fucked up my sister, so now I’m going to fuck you up’ glare, but Naomi keeps her head down, eyes firmly focused on the floor.
---
Katie corners her in the bathroom later. Blocking the door and crossing her arms, she pulls herself up to her full five foot three and a half (she’s wearing a mint new pair of heels).
“I told you to stay the fuck away.”
Naomi looks up, rolls her eyes and throws the paper towel in the bin. “Whatever, Katie. I’m not really in the mood.”
“Tough shit babe, cause I am.” She steps forward, right into Naomi’s space. “I warned you to leave her alone.”
Naomi sighs and shakes her head gently. “She didn’t tell you then? Figures.”
Naomi bends down, puts her lips right next to Katie’s ear, and Katie can feel Naomi’s breath, warm and tickling as she says in a low voice, “She broke up with me, Katie.” Naomi leans back again looking a bit smug for someone who just got dumped. “Whenever you want to apologise, yeah?” She says, before pushing past Katie who stays rooted to the spot for another minute.
---
“What the fuck Emily?!” Katie shouts, storming straight into their room once she’s home. Emily’s still in bed, she doesn’t look like she’s gotten up all day.
“Jesus, Katie, keep it down, I have a fucking migraine,” she groans.
“You broke up with her?” Katie hisses and feels something bordering on satisfaction when Emily’s head shoots off the pillow at that.
“How..?” Emily looks confused for all of a second before the penny drops. “You spoke to her?”
“Yes, I fucking spoke to her.” Katie stomps into the room and throws her bag on her bed. “What the hell is going on, Emily?”
Emily curls into a ball under her bedcovers. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she mumbles, pressing her face into the pillow.
Katie pulls the duvet off the bed and looks at her pointedly until Emily concedes.
“Sometimes things just aren’t what you thought they were going to be, I guess.”
She looks so pathetic lying in bed that Katie can’t even bring herself to point out what a fucking stupid reason that is to split up with someone when you’ve spent over a year trying to convince them to be with you in the first place.
---
Katie goes out to a club a few days later.
Emily is getting out of bed now (and has at least started putting some make up on to cover up her eyes) but she still hasn’t been to college yet, and won’t venture out of the house further than the shops at the end of the road.
Katie’s bored of it already, Emily acting like she’s the victim. Like, when Katie broke up with Danny (and that actually was his fault mind), she held her head high and pulled Freddie. None of this moping around the house for days on end. And when Freddie and her were over, that was different, cause Katie was an actual victim then, and she has a fucking scar on her head to prove it.
She’s going to meet Panda at the club, so it’s not like she’ll be a total loser on her own. Katie sees Pandora in the queue; flashes her tits at the bouncer with a wink (she’s got a new push up bra, and she knows they look completely fuckable) and gets in for free without being asked for ID.
It’s what Katie defines as success.
When they get in and have put their coats in the cloakroom, Pandora’s eyes scan the dance floor. “Whizzer! Eff made it, she’s just over there, look!”
Katie follows Panda’s finger, pointing over to where Effy is dancing on her own with her eyes closed. Katie turns to Panda slowly.
“You invited her? Fuck’s sake Panda.”
Panda’s face falls as she revisits the events of last year. “Oh. Bummer.”
“Yeah,” Katie repeats bitterly, “bummer.”
Katie’s going to need a lot of alcohol if she’s going to get through this night, so she heads towards the bar with a sigh, abandoning Pandora.
She sees Naomi sitting at the bar alone, and it just figures that this night wasn’t only going to be bad cause Effy was here, it was going to be fucking awful cause both Effy and Naomi were here. Katie remembers that bad things come in threes and is busy wondering what else could possibly happen to fuck up her evening further when she sees that Naomi has lifted her head from the bar and caught Katie staring.
“Oh Christ. Come on then,” she whispers to herself, takes a deep breath and goes to sit down in the bar stool next to her.
Naomi doesn’t comment.
Katie orders a shot of tequila, drinks it in one without the salt or the lime, and winces a bit at the aftertaste. “She didn’t tell me.”
“Is this that apology we spoke about Katie? It’s not very good.”
Katie bristles. “Don’t fucking push me, right?”
Naomi raises her eyebrows, but takes the peace offering anyway. “It’s fine.” She says, after a bit of a pause.
Katie orders more tequila, downs it as soon as it’s placed in front of her. “Emily’s being a twat.”
“Well, I guess some of me was bound to rub off eventually.”
Katie lets herself smile at that.
“I came with Effy. Well, she dragged me out actually. Didn’t know you’d be here. I hope it’s not - well shit, this is going to be bloody awful, isn’t it?”
Katie nods. “Rounds?” She asks, as she signals to the barman.
“Yeah.”
---
They get wasted sitting at the bar, both of them drowning their very different sorrows. They end up bitching about Emily and all of her cunt-like qualities, which turn out to be quite a few for such a good girl.
“Right, your sister though. I mean, she ran right through my life. She changed everything, yeah? And I had just sorted it. I put it back together, and now? She’s done it again.” Naomi shakes her head. “Jeeeesus. What the hell are we drinking?”
Katie shrugs, “S’cheap,” she slurs.
“Right,” Naomi nods.
“Emily…she wants, like, rainbows, you know? And flowers and shit.”
Naomi knits her brow, “I should buy her some flowers then?”
“No, you fanny. Christ, I thought you used to be smart. She just wants everything to be happy all the time, right. But life’s not like that.”
“Speaking from experience, are we Katiekins?”
When Katie feels the tears prick at her eyes is when she also realises that she is really fucking drunk, and she’s sitting having a heart to heart with Naomi-fucking-Campbell. She pushes herself off the barstool, stumbles a bit in her heels. Naomi laughs as she reaches an arm out to her, catches Katie’s hand.
“Careful, babe” she says in a cheery, familiar tone, and Katie knows it’s not the first time she’s said that to a Fitch.
Katie freezes and looks Naomi in the eye; she’s stopped laughing and her face has fallen.
“Shit. I didn’t mean…” she trails off. Katie snatches her hand back.
“Bathroom.” She turns and leaves Naomi sitting alone, still looking crestfallen.
---
“Katie?” It’s Naomi’s voice. Katie stays quiet, hopes she’ll leave.
“Katie, you’ve been in here for twenty minutes.”
Katie wishes that stupid bitch would fucking take the hint in that case and leave well enough alone.
Naomi pounds on the door. “I know that you’re in there, all the other ones are empty.”
“Alright, fuck’s sake, give it a rest will you,” Katie says as she opens the door.
“You’ve been crying,” Naomi says dumbly, biting her lip.
Katie just rolls her eyes. “Why do people think you’re intelligent?”
“I am. Mostly. What’s wrong?” If Naomi’s expecting a response she doesn’t get one, so she carries on anyway.
“Effy’s gone. Panda was being sick or something, so they left.”
Katie doesn’t want to admit it, but the knot in her stomach feels like it’s just been undone.
---
When they’re walking home later, swaying against each other, Katie suddenly remembers that she doesn’t like Naomi.
“I hope you don’t think we’re friends now. I’m just drunk, yeah, and you’re better than nothing.”
“Gee, thanks Katie. I had been hoping we could make friendship bracelets tomorrow, but I guess not.”
“Yeah, I’ve got to, like, wash my hair tomorrow.”
Naomi laughs, even though it’s not funny. They are really drunk. “Can’t have you looking anything other than perfect, can we?”
They’re both still laughing and talking crap, only a few streets away from Katie’s house, when they see Emily. All of them stop in their tracks immediately.
“Shit.” Naomi and Katie say in unison, even though they haven’t even been doing anything wrong.
Emily looks like she’s going to be sick. “What are you two doing?” She asks with a hoarse voice.
Katie draws herself up, ready to start an attack, but Naomi puts her hand on her arm, holds her back.
“Don’t,” she says quietly. “I’m going to go home,” Naomi lets go of Katie, walks past Emily with a curt nod.
“Well? What is this, Katie? Now that we’re not together you like her? God forbid you should like someone when I’m actually seeing them.” She makes an exasperated noise. “Do you even know how difficult you made things for us?”
“Christ, Ems, don’t flip a shit or anything,” Katie shrugs. “She was at the club. We got drunk. She’s still a prick, yeah?” Katie looks Emily up and down. “What you doing out like that anyway?”
Emily deflates with a sigh. “Couldn’t sleep. Going a bit stir crazy in the house, you know?”
“Right. Well, come on then.” Katie links Emily’s arm in hers and leads them back home.
---
When Emily goes back to college the following week, Katie realises how much of a big deal her and Naomi were. Whispers and not-so-sly looks follow Emily everywhere, and since she’s back following Katie, Katie feels like her ears are burning all day.
When Naomi makes a twat like remark in English (about Romeo and Juliet, and how love doesn’t exist, it’s just hormones and a desire for personal gratification), Emily scrapes her chair back and walks out of class. Naomi rolls her eyes. Katie’s never wanted to hit her in her stupid fucking face more.
When Katie confronts Naomi later, she’s sulking.
“I don’t know what she’s upset for. It’s true. It’s been scientifically proven,” she says sullenly.
“Could you, for just once in your life Naomi, not act like a complete cunt to my sister?”
Naomi opens her mouth to say something else, but shuts it again when she sees Katie’s glare.
---
Katie’s taken up smoking during her lunches. It means putting up with Naomi, but Emily’s being incredibly dull, throwing herself into the books and there is no way in hell Katie is talking to Effy again, so really, it's the lesser of many evils.
Naomi lets Katie blabber on about fashion and boys and celebrity gossip, rolling her eyes wherever appropriate.
“Don’t you ever think about real stuff, Katie?” She asks on the third day.
“What?”
“You know, tuition fees? Immigration policy? Global warming? Animal rights?”
Katie makes a face. “That’s not real. That’s boring. No one cares about that stuff Naomi.”
Naomi shakes her head. “You should come to a protest sometime,” she says, and then laughs at the blank expression Katie gives her. “I’ll let you design the t-shirts if you want,” she says, nudging Katie’s knee with her own.
Katie has a drag of her cigarette. “Ok then.”
Naomi spends the rest of the day looking quite pleased with herself.
---
The next time they go out, Katie manages to convince Emily to come with them. It’s a Saturday night, and everyone is coming, except Naomi (because of Emily) and Effy (because she’s a slag and Katie didn’t invite her). Katie has a vague thought about trying to keep Freddie, who is still utterly pathetic, away from Emily, just in case they inspire each other to off themselves. Emily seems to be better though. She’s dancing with Thomas and Panda, and it’s not pretty, right, but at least she’s smiling properly for the first time in weeks.
The voice comes from over her shoulder. “She’s over it then?”
Spinning round, Katie sees Naomi, watching Emily intently. “What the fuck, Naomi?” Katie drags her by the arm out to the smoking area.
“What are you even doing here?”
Naomi shrugs, “I just fancied a drink.”
“God,” Katie shakes her head, then panics a bit. “Is Effy here?”
Naomi raises an eyebrow, “No.”
“So, what?” Katie scoffs. “You came here yourself then?”
“I don’t have that many options left, Katie.”
“Oh.”
Naomi lights a fag, offers the box to Katie. Their fingers brush when Katie slips one out. Naomi chews on her lip, watching Katie through the corner of her eye. “Effy’s alright, you know. She has her moments.”
Katie snorts; she knows all about Effy’s moments.
“She told me what happened. At Gobbler’s End.”
Katie’s looking at the lights off in the distance. ‘With the rock? Way to keep up Naomi.’
“No, Kay,” Naomi says softly. “Before the rock bit.”
The mood changes quickly, it makes Katie shiver.
“You believe that drugged up whore do you?” Katie tries to keep the anxiety out of her voice, but isn’t sure she’s managed it when Naomi responds with a very simple, “Yes.”
“Well you can just fuck right off then.” Katie says as she turns to go back inside.
Naomi grabs her by the wrist, tugs her back round. “It wasn’t your fault, yeah, but it wasn’t her fault either; so don’t blame her, ok?”
“Piss off, Naomi.” Interfering cow, she thinks, before wrestling her arm back and making it inside this time.
---
She can’t breathe properly in the club, it’s too hot, and she’s stifling.
---
Katie steps out front, takes a huge gulp of cool air.
Someone is pacing up and down on the other side of the road, and when Katie looks carefully, she sees it’s JJ. She can hear him muttering to himself when she goes over.
“Alright?”
“Oh. Hi Katie. No, I’m not, quite the opposite actually, it’s too loud in there, my ears are getting sore, and Cook and Freddie put blackcurrant in my lemonade, and I’m glad they’re not fighting anymore, it really is quite tiring to have to pick sides all the time, but they know I don’t like blackcurrant and they made me drink it anyway,” he says in a single breath.
Katie blinks back at him. Right.
JJ looks around. “Is something wrong? I mean, no one else is here and you’re normally with at least one other person. It used to be Emily, and then Effy and after that it was Freddie, but lately, it’s been Naomi quite a lot.”
“Have you been stalking me, Jay?”
“No! I haven’t! I just - I wasn’t, honestly!” He protests. “Oh fiddlesticks. I just noticed.”
Katie raises her eyebrows. “You noticed me?”
JJ looks at the ground, Katie’s chest, the taxi rank, anywhere he won’t catch Katie’s eye. “Well, you’re rather pretty, and sometimes, when I think about you then I…” He stops and turns scarlet. “Well, mum says I shouldn’t think about you at all in that case, but I can’t help it sometimes.”
“You fancy me then?”
“Well, yes. I suppose that’s the correct term for it.” He looks at her hopefully.
She opens her mouth to tell him to get a grip of himself, and then she realises that there’s no one else on the scene and that something’s always better than nothing.
“Right, come on then, you can walk me home.”
---
Katie lets him hold her hand while they walk, and it’s nice, quite firm actually, and not at all sweaty. He’s reasonably good company as well; he makes her laugh when he does his (remarkably accurate) impression of Freddie. When they arrive in front of Katie’s door they face each other awkwardly.
“Can I, um, do I get to kiss you now?” He asks, and really, it should annoy Katie that he’s so unsure, but it turns out she finds it fairly endearing.
“Yes, Jay,” she says, “you can kiss me now.”
And he does, leaning in carefully, he brushes his lips past hers. It’s fine, but its not very fulfilling, so Katie grabs his belt loop, pulls him forward the step that he needs to come so their hips are touching and forces his mouth open. He makes a funny little noise of surprise in the back of his throat, but doesn’t protest; in fact, he gives as good as he gets (well, almost). He tastes faintly of blackcurrant. It’s better, Katie thinks, it’s much better.
---
She leaves JJ on the front step - doesn’t invite him in, isn’t that sort of girl thank you very much (not that she thinks JJ was really expecting an invitation, he didn’t push to get one, which is a bit confusing actually).
Naomi’s sent her a text about an hour ago; “Sorry. Forget I said anything.” And as Katie throws her phone on the bed, she realises that with all the JJ stuff she had kind of forgotten. Except, now she’s remembered and Naomi knows everything and could tell anyone and it makes Katie feel sick.
“U better keep ur mouth shut. I dont want to have to shut it for u” she sends, hoping that Naomi will do as she’s told and not be a prick as she so often is.
“Yeah Katie I got it, you’re the violent type.” Comes Naomi’s reply five minutes later, and Katie isn’t sure if that means she’s staying quiet or not.
---
JJ’s in touch by the next morning.
He clearly doesn’t understand the concept of playing hard to get, but then again, JJ and smooth don’t exactly go together. It makes for a nice change actually. To feel wanted; like properly wanted for once, not just wanted for a quickie.
She needs to go shopping for a scarf anyway, judging by the way he attacked her neck last night, so she figures he may as well pay for it.
---
When she sees Naomi in college on Monday, they act like nothing happened. Naomi clocks the scarf straight off.
“It’s not that cold outside, is it?”
“I think I’m, like, sick or something,” she says, looking at her feet.
“Oh,” Naomi says, and then snorts with laughter. “I didn’t actually believe in the existence of the cooties.”
Katie’s head snaps up, just in time to see Naomi’s smirk. “You missed a bit Katie,” she explains, pressing her finger on the massive hickey that isn’t quite covered by the scarf.
“Christ, shut up already.”
“So? Who is he then? Spit it out.”
“It isn’t like a thing or anything serious, so don’t make a big deal of it.”
Naomi rolls her eyes impatiently.
Katie sighs, “It’s JJ.”
“JJ?” Naomi repeats incredulously.
“Yes, JJ. He’s nice.”
“I’m nice Kay, he’s…weird.”
“Are you still upset with him over what happened with Emily?”
“No.” She says, far too quickly, before looking at Katie a little strangely. “Maybe. Yeah, maybe that’s it.”
“You really have to get over that already, babe,’ she says, placing her hand on Naomi’s arm.
She hums in agreement, her eyes focused on Katie’s hand. “Yeah. I just have to get over it.”
Part 2