by K E Osborn
Just Friends?
K E Osborn
Just Friends?
K E Osborn
Copyright 2014 K E Osborn
This book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. All songs, song titles and lyrics contained in this book are the property of the respective songwriters and copyright holders.
ISBN: 978-0-9923338-4-3
Cover design by Swish Design & Editing
Formatting by Swish Design & Editing
Editing by Swish Design & Editing
Cover image Copyright 2014 Swish Design & Editing
www.swishgrafix.com.au
Dedication
Dedicated to my mum who helped to make this book the best it could be, thank you for all your efforts and hard work in helping to shape this book and make it into a collaboration of great ideas.
Also to my fans, who have followed me from The Trust Me? Trilogy and continued supporting me with my new work. Thank you.
Acknowledgments
First of all I have to thank my mother for helping me with not only this book, but every book I have written thus far, whether it be helping put some money forward so I could get promotion, whether it be for her editorial skills or just for being a Mum and telling me when something isn’t right. Thank you for always being there and never doubting that I could pull this off.
Thank you to my beautiful pup Bella who cuddles into me when I’m writing and distracts me when I’m getting frustrated, I know it’s lame to thank your dog but I’m going to do it anyway!
To my dear friends Liz, Lucy, Kim and Marni – I love you all lots and lots like jelly tots and without your support in my choice of career I may not have even gotten to the point where I could have written Just Friends? So thank you for always believing and pushing me to strive for my dream. You all helped me get here.
To Angel Steel – Thank you so much for all your helpful advice and your dear friendship, I am beyond grateful to you and all your help.
To Auntie Wendy – Thank you for trusting that what I write is good enough to celebrate. I love that you support me no matter what and I can’t wait to go to the next author signing with you and Mum. We three amigos make a great team.
To my BETA’s in no particular order – Melinda, Laura, Stephannie, Maria, Debbie, Angie, Dawn, Tamera, Becky and Tasmin. Wow, a thank you doesn’t really suffice. But thank you anyway, without you guys this wouldn’t have been as rewarding as it is. Thank you for your tireless efforts and your amazing feedback, which helped shape the book into what it is now.
To all my amazing blogging friends, you know who you are (there’s too many to mention) but thank you to all of you who help me to promote my works without question or hesitation. Without the bloggers I wouldn’t have any books out there. So really the biggest thank you goes to you guys!
To Tasmin, the best Personal Assistant an author could ask for. Thank you so much for all your hard work and efforts in helping me. Without you I couldn’t get everything done that I need to each day. So thank you for making my life that little bit easier, plus you’re awesome and I love our chats. I love your guts, girls. Honorable mention to Dzintra, for all the hard work and effort that you put in, while you were my PA – thanks Dzintra, I love your guts, too!
And saving the best till last, thank you, yes you! The fans who read this book and any of my others as well, obviously without you enjoying my work I probably wouldn’t keep going. Because of you I’m living my dream - thank you. My fans mean everything, so this book is dedicated to all of you.
Thank you,
Happy reading and much love,
K E Osborn
Xoxo
Australian Euphemism Dictionary
Note:
Kat’s POV uses some Australian euphemisms and slang.
Arvo
Afternoon.
Barbie
Barbeque.
Bloke
Man or guy.
Bob’s Your Uncle
Another way of saying your success is guaranteed.
Built Like a Brick Shithouse
A very big person, normally male who carries very little fat, not the sort of person you would willingly upset.
Chuck a U-ey
Make a u turn in a car.
Crack a Tinny
Open a tin of beer.
Dinki Di
To speak the truth.
Doozy
Extraordinary or bizarre.
Drop Bear
Is a fictitious Australian animal that is commonly said to be unusually large, vicious, and a carnivorous marsupial related to the koala (although the koala is not a bear) that inhabits treetops and attack their prey by dropping onto their heads from above. They are an example of local folk lore intended to frighten and confuse outsiders and amuse the locals.
Fair Dinkum
To be fair or true – a statement of confirmation.
g’day
Hello or a greeting.
Hooligans
A thug or someone who shows unlawful behavior.
Mate
Friend.
Perve
To stare with sexual intent.
Plonk
To throw oneself down.
Righto
That you agree with, understand or accept something you have been told.
Spakfilla
Named after a tradesman’s filler product it is described as a concealer to help cover any irregularities on your face.
Suave
Posh or one who is stylish.
Tosser
An un-cool person, a jerk or asshole.
True Blue Aussie
A true Australian – the real thing.
Up The duff
To be pregnant.
Vegemite
Taste is salty, savory, yeasty, malty and very strongly flavored. It’s black in colour and some think it tastes a bit like strong beef bullion.
Table of Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Australian Euphemism Dictionary
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Epilogue
Play List
Connect with Me Online
K E Osborn
Chapter One
~ KAT ~
I finally decided I was doing it, moving from Australia to the United States of America to attend the AMDA, College and Conservatory for the Performing Arts. It’s a huge step from my parent’s perspective, but I’m creative, a typical artsy type and this is something I feel the need to do.
“Mum, I’ll be fine. I promise,” I say, while hugging her goodbye at the airport. My father also comes in for a hug and th
en wraps his arms around my sobbing mother while I walk off through the gates to board the plane.
Moving from Adelaide, South Australia all the way to Los Angeles is a massive risk, especially at the young age of twenty-one. Not knowing anyone is scary enough when you know your surroundings. Being in a foreign city with no friends, I’m feeling a little tentative about the whole move, but I walk away with a smile as I wave a final goodbye to my parents.
I board the American Airlines flight and take my seat. There’s a stopover in Brisbane, then the flight will continue to Los Angeles. My family is wealthy and I have the luxury of traveling first class while sipping on champagne to ease my nerves.
After sixteen hours and fifty-five minutes, the flight lands at LAX Airport in Los Angeles. With my excitement equaling out my trepidation, I exit the plane and walk with my hand luggage through the airport. I make my way to the baggage claim and wait patiently while I watch loved ones reuniting around me.
Once I’ve picked up my bags, I move to the cab rank to hail my first yellow cab. The driver is a middle-aged man with a rotund stomach and he’s wearing one of those French berets.
“Miss, where can I take ya?” he asks in his American accent.
I smile while it sinks in that I’m actually here!
“Hi, um, to the AMDA College bungalows on Ivar Street, thanks,” I reply quietly.
“So you’re from Australia, huh? What’s it like down under?” he questions with an atrocious impersonation of an Australian accent, while he places my luggage in the trunk.
“Well, you know, it’s all g’day mate and shrimps on the barbie most days,” I say a little too sarcastically as I feel the jet lag settling over me.
“I knew it! I bet there’s hundreds of those kangaroos jumping around the place too?”
“Only in the outback,” I answer while I slide into the back seat of the cab.
The driver shuts my door, gets in and drives me to my new accommodation. We arrive at the Ivar Street bungalows. He exits to retrieve my luggage from the trunk and places it on the footpath. I slide out of the cab excitedly and look upon the bungalows, situated around a landscaped courtyard for the first time. They’re yellow and green and seem quite small, but I’m looking forward to getting inside to sleep. I pay the driver and walk awkwardly with my luggage to bungalow seventeen. My new home. I quietly knock on the door and as it swings open, a young woman wearing very short shorts and a tank top is standing there, her blonde hair pulled up in pigtails.
“Hey, which one are you?” she asks cheerily.
“Hi, I’m Kat.” I put out my hand to shake.
“You’re the Australian? I’m Charlie, well Charlotte, but everyone calls me Charlie. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. I have lots of questions about your country. I really want to go there one day. We could go together? Yeah, let’s go there together on spring break? You can show me around, what do you say?” Charlie asks, bombarding me with questions that completely overwhelm me.
“Um, let’s just see how college goes first and we can decide on that later,” I answer with a smile.
Charlie rolls her eyes and giggles. “Oh yeah, of course. Duh, I’m so blonde sometimes.” She steps out of the bungalow to help me with my luggage.
“Thanks mate,” I say, making her laugh.
“You’re more than welcome mate,” she says back, mimicking my Australian accent.
Charlie shows me to my room, which I’m sharing with her. She tries to lift my large bag up onto the bed, but struggles with its weight. She pulls a funny face while she tries to lift it unsuccessfully. I laugh, take the bag and place it on the bed for her.
“I’ll let you get settled in and then I’ll show you around the campus if you like?” Charlie asks enthusiastically.
“Actually, I’m pretty tired from the flight. Is it alright if we do that tomorrow? I really need to sleep.”
Charlie smiles and shakes her head. “Of course. Silly me. Sorry. I’ll shut the door so when the other two girls arrive, we don’t wake you. Have a good sleep mate,” she says, laughing while she walks out of the bedroom and closes the door.
I sigh, start to unpack and put my things away in their appropriate places. I curl up on my single bed and as soon as my head hits the pillow I am out like a light.
I wake the next day to Charlie singing and dancing around the room in her pink tank top and underwear listening to her iPod. I slowly open my eyes and Charlie smiles, taking out her earphones.
“Morning, sleepyhead.”
I pull the pillow from under my head and smother myself with it blocking out her singing. She laughs and jumps on my bed.
Oh my God, this is going to be torture!
I slowly lift the pillow from my face. I can’t help but laugh as I wake completely.
“Morning,” I say, sitting up, “What time is it?”
“It’s nearly nine o’clock. You’d better get up. Orientation is in an hour,” she says, flopping down onto my bed.
I nod and slowly move making my way to the kitchen. Charlie follows closely behind.
“Hi! You must be the Aussie that Charlie has told us so much about,” a girl calls out. I turn to face the two women sitting on the sofa. The first girl, a brunette, has glasses and is dressed in flannel pajamas and the other girl has pitch-black hair, and is dressed in black pajamas.
“Yep, I’m the Aussie, or better known as Kat.”
The brunette laughs and the black haired girl shows no expression while she looks down to the floor.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Brooke,” she states, getting up to shake my hand.
I look back at the black haired girl pausing for her to introduce herself, but she doesn’t. Charlie, Brooke and I stare at her waiting for her to say something.
“That’s Violet. She’s an Emo,” Charlie says.
“My name is V,” she calls out.
The girls look at each other and smile.
“Nice to meet you V,” I say.
“Whatever,” she replies, while she walks off to her bedroom.
I raise my eyebrows toward Charlie and smirk.
“Yeah, she’s delightful.”
“Charlie!” Brooke berates.
“Well, it’s true. She could at least try to be sociable.”
Brooke seems to be the sensible one and she knows what she wants from life. She’s a violinist and is studying at the AMDA College to be the best soloist she can be. Charlie enrolled in singing and dancing. She seems to be the type that would be good at everything, one of those popular girls, probably the captain of the cheerleading squad back in high school. V seems to be overly dramatic. She’s enrolled at the college to pursue acting and theatre. I’m a mixture of them all, mainly focusing on singing, but I’m also here to learn acting, percussion and to dabble in a bit dance.
Charlie, Brooke and I have our breakfast together while V sits in her room listening to her iPod. Eventually, we get dressed and head to the campus for our Orientation day. Charlie and I line up to obtain our books and notes for singing classes. Charlie rants on about how she was the captain of the glee club at her high school and how she’s so excited that we’ll be in the same classes. I tune out and my eyes wander, taking in everything around me.
Then, I see him.
Mr. Tall, Muscular and Ruggedly Handsome. I blush instantly when he smiles in my direction. I return the smile and he winks making me giggle slightly, while butterflies start to flutter in my stomach.
“Have you heard nothing I’ve just said?” Charlie asks distracting me from my little moment. I look toward Charlie and she’s staring at me.
“Well?”
“Oh, sorry Charlie, I was… distracted,” I say honestly.
“What could be more important than our schedules?” Charlie questions while my eyes wander over to the guy who’s standing with his friends throwing a football between them.
“Oh, he’s hot!” Charlie smirks. “Hope he’s in our classes.”
We both laug
h and look back toward the guy, but he’s gone.
“Oh well, at least we got a little perve in,” I say, making Charlie laugh as we move forward in the queue.
Charlie, Brooke and I have signed up for our classes and we’ve received our books and everything else that we need. We decide to check out the, Campus Café. We order coffee and then take a seat in a booth to chat. Charlie looks up at a poster on the wall, which reads ‘Open Mic Night, this Friday’. Charlie jumps up and down in her seat.
“Oh girls, we have to go! It’ll be epic and there might be some hot guys there that we can check out.”
Brooke and I both giggle at Charlie’s enthusiasm and nod our heads.
“I’m in.”
“Me too,” I affirm.
We continue chatting and getting to know each other in our new favorite spot, the Campus Café. It’s funny because Charlie was kind of annoying when I first met her, and I know it’s only been a couple of days, but through talking with her, I realize we have so much in common. Yes, she may be a little hyperactive most of the time, but she’s actually quite funny and I can see myself being really good friends with her.
~*~
I wake to Charlie dancing along to the music playing in her earphones while she’s getting dressed. Slowly sitting up, I throw a pillow at her. She turns around and laughs, picking up the pillow and throwing it back toward me.
“Someone’s a bit brighter this morning?” she speculates.
“Yeah, I think my jet lag is finally leaving my body,” I say rising out of bed.
We have breakfast and make our way to our first class together - Vocals 101. Charlie and I walk to the main eight story building which has a gorgeous Art Deco façade. When we enter the classroom, the woman standing at the front has bright red curly hair. It looks like she’s been electrocuted because her curls are shooting out all over the place. I stifle a giggle. Charlie and I are the first to arrive and we take a seat at the back of the room on the sofa. The redheaded woman turns around and nods.
