Baggage & Buttons

by C. J. Fallowfield

  ‘Lexi, what’s got into you? Up early, wanting to study, flirting with nice men? You’ll be wearing pearls and a knee length skirt next.’

  ‘Yeah yeah, maybe I’m turning over a new leaf as well Page,’ she stuck her tongue out at me as she handed me my drink.

  After History we headed to the cafeteria for more coffee and a snack.

  ‘Mia there’s a party in the student bar on Friday, School Days fancy dress,’ said Lexi, waving a flyer in my face. ‘You up for it?’

  ‘A party? Are you kidding me? We haven’t been to a party in over two bloody weeks, yes I’m up for it. I’ve got a shirt I can wear and some over the knee socks, but I’ll need to get a grey mini skirt and tie from somewhere.’

  ‘Borrow a tie off Gabe.’

  ‘Hmmm, he’ll love to know that not only am I out drunk, but I’m in a sexy school girl outfit. That’ll go down really well.’

  ‘Thought he agreed you could?’

  ‘O yes, he agreed alright, as long as I’ve someone sensible watching me, keep him updated on my location at all times and he can track the GPS on my phone.’

  ‘No way?’ she said, looking astonished.

  ‘Told you. Over protective.’

  ‘Just a tad. Well I’ll be your sensible person as I still can’t bring myself to drink. I’ll dye my hair red I think, I fancy a change again.’

  ‘You could invite Doug.’

  ‘Mia give it up already. Until I sort this situation out nothing’s happening with the dude.’

  ‘The dude? You’ve said it again, you’re already starting to talk like him.’

  ‘Sod off. We better make a move to English.’

  Gabe was already in his seat when we walked in and he smiled as I came in. Even though I didn’t feel I’d done anything wrong, I’d sent him an apology text along with the doctors number this morning and at least it had gotten me a smile out of him. I saw him fiddle with his phone and my ringtone blasted out.

  ‘Shit. See this is why I leave the bloody thing on silent,’ I said as the room went quiet and everyone looked at me. I looked down to see his text.

  Booked in for 8.30 as an emergency, so will meet you at 8 at yours as assuming my ban is still on? How are you feeling now?

  It’s not a ban, it’s a rest and I’m feeling fine. Thanks for booking the doctors x

  I don’t need a rest from you Mia, it’s you with the problem. I have something for you so don’t rush off when we finish

  I looked over at him to fix him with a scowl, but he wasn’t looking at me.

  I don’t have a problem thank you very much. I just want to slow down a bit and just because you’re not sleeping over doesn’t mean I don’t want to see you, speak to you or kiss you when we see each other in the day x

  Then get those lips ready as I plan on making you regret this decision. I already do. Your curves look amazing in that dress by the way

  What the hell was he on? Grumpy, then smiling, telling me I’d got problems then saying I looked lovely? I sighed and decided to ignore it and act like normal.

  Are you hard again Gabe Austin? x

  Do you really need to ask that question?

  I noticed he hadn’t put a kiss on the end of any of his texts. I looked over at him again, but he had his head in his notes. I sighed again and decided to focus on the lecture and my note taking.

  As we finished he headed straight for the door and nodded for me to follow him. Lexi was fiddling with her phone, so I headed out and found him waiting, leaning against the opposite wall.

  ‘Come here,’ he ordered. I went to him and put my arms around his waist and tiptoed up to kiss him. He put one arm around my waist and one hand on the back of my head and kissed me like he was never going to see me again. He took my breath away with the passion of it and we only broke away when people starting coming out of the English hall whistling at us.

  ‘Gabe, it’s two nights. It’s not like we’re being separated for weeks at a time.’

  ‘It feels like it, it’s like bloody dog years or something. Each hour feels like a day when I’m not with you,’ he grumbled. I put my head on his chest and shook my head, he was seriously grumpy. He hugged me tightly before releasing me and leaning down to rummage in his bag. ‘Here,’ he said as he handed me a bag with a box in it.

  ‘What’s this?’

  ‘It’s an iPhone docking system. So you can charge your phone at night, so no excuses that your battery was flat. You can also play music through it and it’s an alarm clock too.’

  ‘Thanks Gabe,’ I smiled, touched he’d done that. ‘How much do I owe you?’

  ‘It was a gift, as is this.’ He handed me a flat medium sized item wrapped up in tissue paper. I looked up at him questioningly. ‘Open it when you get home. I need to go to swimming practice and I want to relax in the sauna first. I’m still feeling on edge.’

  ‘Do you go in naked?’ I suddenly felt all hot at the thought of him undressed in the heat with his toned muscles glistening with sweat.

  ‘No it’s unisex so I wear a towel. You’ve gone all pink.’

  ‘Liking the thought of you hot and steamy,’ I smiled, though I wasn’t particularly happy about the other female swimmers seeing him in just a towel.

  ‘I could be all hot and steamy with you tonight if you’d let me stay,’ he asked, looking hopeful.

  ‘Gabe please,’ I sighed.

  ‘Fine,’ he sighed in response. ‘I’m going then. Buzz you at eight. Make sure you’re ready.’ He ran his thumb over my lips before kissing me again quickly, grabbing his bag and walking off.

  I watched him as he headed down the corridor and had to stop myself from running after him and begging him to come over later. The thought of not having him lying next to me tonight was harder than I thought it would be and I didn’t like him being all up and down like this, it made me uneasy. I turned around to see Lexi and Milo exit the lecture hall.

  ‘Hey Milo, long time no see. How are you?’ I kissed him on the cheek and he responded.

  ‘Keeping busy. We need to catch up, but given your new boyfriend’s Thor, I’m thinking inviting you back to my room again isn’t in my best interests.’

  ‘Thor?!’ I laughed.

  ‘Well he’s pretty muscular and looking at that bruise on his face he obviously likes fighting. I’m definitely not a fighter, so I’m not planning on pissing off the guy.’

  ‘Well I’m doing a Pilates class in the sports building on Thursday at six and was going to hit the gym after for a work out. I need to shape up and get a bit fitter. Do you want to meet me in the gym and be my motivational partner?’

  ‘Trust me you don’t need shaping up. Won’t Lexi train with you?’

  ‘Jog on. I’m not interested in keep bloody fit Milo, no matter how hard she begs me to do it with her.’

  ‘Ok then Mia, I’ll see you there at seven. Maybe we could get a drink after?’

  ‘Great, see you in English before, but it’s a date for Thursday night.’

  ‘See you girls,’ he smiled as he headed off and I turned to see Lexi giving me a look.

  ‘What?’

  ‘You’re stepping back from Gabe while making dates with the only other guy you’re attracted to in Westhampton? You’re asking for trouble that’s all.’

  ‘I’m not stepping back, just not being as full on. Milo’s attractive Lexi, but I’m in love with Gabe. You know me, I get on much better with guys, present company excepting,’ I said, as we started walking to catch the bus.

  ‘Well you’d better tell Gabe what you’re doing as I don’t think he’ll like finding out after the event.’

  ‘God you’re starting to sound just like him now. I can have my own life you know, besides we’ll be in the bloody gym Lexi, not having a romantic meal for two.’

  ‘Whatever, at least I can’t get the blame for this potential disaster. What’s the plan for tonight?’

  ‘I need to get back and have a nice hot bath, ring mum and have a blissfully early
night.’

  ‘I may do the same, though I’ve no intentions of ringing my mother.’

  ‘You’ve still not heard from her since we moved up?’

  ‘Have I hell. I’d like to talk to Mrs P though if you don’t mind? I miss her.’

  ‘Of course you can Lex, you don’t need my permission to ring her. You’re like her adopted daughter, she loves you.’

  ‘I so struck lucky when I picked you as a best friend.’

  ‘Hey,’ I objected. ‘It was me who made the first move, I get the credit for this friendship.’

  ‘No way you made the first move.’

  ‘Uh huh,’ I nodded, remembering my first day at Rowleys. I’d seen her sitting alone, hunched up on one of the play area swings, her feet scuffing the ground as her legs were way too long. She’d looked so sad and lost, just like I’d been feeling. ‘You’re lucky I didn’t walk away, you told me to sod off when I went over to you on the swings to say hi.’

  ‘Really?’ she exclaimed.

  ‘Yep, with one of your famous scowls.’

  ‘Why didn’t you walk off?’

  ‘Don’t know,’ I shrugged. ‘Guess I saw a bit of me in you and figured you were just putting on a front trying to be brave.’

  ‘We were destined Page, like Romeo and Juliet,’ she grinned as she linked arms with me.

  ‘Well I hope things work out for us a bit better than that. You couldn’t think of a better example? Especially ones that weren’t lovers that killed themselves?’

  ‘Well I was thinking Thelma and Louise, with Gabe being your toned Brad Pitt character, but they drove off a cliff.’

  ‘Isn’t it funny how everyone remembers the characters names for the girls, but it’s always “Brad Pitt” when they talk about him?’

  ‘Hey, no one cares when he’s flashing his abs about like that do they? That’s all they’re interested in. Even Mrs P kept pausing the movie at that point,’ she grinned. I giggled remembering how annoyed Gerry got with the three of us drooling over Brad when we’d watched it together.

  ‘Well we could be Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock in The Heat. You the foul mouthed rebel and me the straight laced FBI agent.’

  ‘Hey, my mouth’s not that foul.’

  ‘Please, you swear like a trooper and you know it. Your nickname at Rowleys was Potty Clarke.’

  ‘They could have added in the “mouthed” bit so it was “Potty mouthed Clarke,” people thought I was seriously deranged and there was even a rumour that I wore incontinence pants as I couldn’t control myself,’ she scowled. ‘Anyway it was still so much better than yours.’

  ‘I had a nickname?’ I asked, looking up at her surprised.

  ‘You didn’t know?

  ‘No. Tell me, what was it?’

  ‘O no way,’ she laughed with a big grin. ‘I’m saving that for the ten year reunion. I want a picture of your face when you find out.’

  We argued all the back to the bus and I had a sulk and ignored her all the way home when she refused to let me know.

  We flipped a coin and I got first dibs on the bath. As it was running I set up my new iPhone docking station and put my phone on to charge up ready for a long overdue chat with mum. I remembered the other gift and took it out of my bag. I carefully unwrapped the tissue paper to find a beautiful white square wooden frame, with a heart shaped aperture, in which he’d put in the picture I’d asked for of us holding hands. I hugged it to my chest and rearranged my bedside table to put both items on. I went and soaked in the bath for a while. The heat of the water felt so good and relaxed my cramping muscles somewhat.

  ‘Lexi. I’ve finished in the bath and cleaned it and it’s already running for you,’ I yelled.

  ‘Great thanks, I’ll head in now.’

  I threw on my black pyjamas and took the washing to do, then figured I needed to get the call with mum out of the way. I made myself a hot water bottle and hot chocolate and climbed into bed. She answered within two rings.

  ‘Hey mum.’

  ‘Mia, thank god. I was so worried when you didn’t pick up my calls yesterday. It was so nice to hear your voice on the answer machine when I got home. How are you sweetheart?’

  ‘I’m good mum. I miss you.’

  ‘We miss you too, even Mr Biggles keeps going in your room looking for you.’

  ‘Mum, you know he goes in there to wee on my floor, or even on my bed, he hates me. Please check and clean it up and keep him out, or stick some of those pet pants on him.’

  ‘He doesn’t hate you, he just picks up on your hostility to him and I’m not putting him in dog diapers Mia, so I’ll check your room and keep the door shut then, but he won’t be happy. So how are things?’

  ‘Good. We’ve settled in really well. Lexi’s in the bath at the moment, but she wants to speak to you when we’re finished. Classes are going well, but I need to sort myself out to do more studying. It’s way more intense than college.’

  ‘You’ll do fine Mia, you’re a clever girl, just like your sister. Please tell me you’re being careful with that awful murder up there? Did you know her?’

  ‘No I didn’t know her mum, but yes Lexi and I are being careful, as always.’

  ‘Good, I do worry about you both. So are you going to tell me about this new boyfriend? Or do I have to come up there and torture it out of you?’

  ‘O god,’ I groaned. ‘Who told you about him? Kai?’

  ‘No one told me anything, I was just testing you.’

  ‘Mum that was so sneaky,’ I exclaimed and she laughed.

  ‘Well how else do I get you to tell me what’s really going on?’

  I filled her in on how we’d met and our flirtations and dates, without going into the sex and possessiveness, I didn’t want to scare her.

  ‘Do you love him Mia? This is the first time you’ve ever spoken to me about a boy while being all excited like this.’

  ‘I do mum,’ I smiled down the phone. ‘He’s so kind and considerate and very protective of me.’

  ‘Are you having sex?’

  ‘MUM,’ I gasped, horrified she’d just asked that.

  ‘O please, I’ve had children, I know all about sex. I still have a very active sex life you know. Gerry is a very skil…’

  ‘For the love of god mum,’ I interrupted quickly. ‘Please don’t say another word about your sex life, it’ll scar me for life.’

  ‘Was he your first?’

  ‘Yes mum,’ I rolled my eyes.

  ‘Is it good? You don’t want to be in a relationship if there’s no passion.’

  ‘I can’t believe we’re having this conversation mum, but yes it’s amazing, he’s amazing.’

  ‘Are you being careful?’

  ‘Yes we are, he insisted on condoms from the start. In fact I’ve just started the pill and we’re going together to get him tested tomorrow to be absolutely sure.’

  ‘He’s had previous experience then?’

  ‘Yes he has. I can’t explain it mum but I just trust him, you know all the times I’ve gone out with other guys and felt nothing? With him it was instant. I’m just a bit worried it’s too much too soon.’

  ‘You can’t help how you feel and sometimes you’ve just go with it. Passion’s wonderful Mia, just make sure that’s not all it is. You need some substance underneath in case that fades away.’

  ‘I know that mum,’ I sighed, surprised to hear her echoing my own fears back to me.

  ‘That’s what went wrong with your dad and I, it was all about the sex, lust at first sight.’

  ‘Mum please,’ I groaned. That was too much information, plus I didn’t need a reminder that their lust for each other wore off. Not when I was worried about the very same thing with Gabe.

  ‘He’s the good looking, tall well-spoken blond that came to the house the other week isn’t he? The one looking for Kai?’

  ‘Yes. Sorry about that, there was this huge misunderstanding and he just wanted to talk to Kai to make sure everything was good.�
��

  ‘Kai will be heartbroken sweetheart.’

  ‘Please don’t discuss me if you see him mum. He didn’t take it very well.’

  ‘I’ll bet he didn’t, but you were always a heart breaker Mia. Well I can see why you’ve fallen for this Gabe, he’s a total babe.’

  I burst out laughing. ‘A babe?’

  ‘Ok a fox, a hottie, he’s smokin’ whatever the phrase is that you kids use now. If I was twenty years younger I’d be at the front of the queue. Just make sure he treats you with respect and kindness too. You deserve to be treated well Mia.’

  I smiled at Lexi as she came into the bedroom wrapped in a towel. ‘Thank you mum, I love you. Listen, I’d better go Lexi’s just come in.’

  ‘I love you too sweetheart, please be careful up there.’

  ‘I will, right I’m going to hand you over and go and sort some dinner. We’ll come back for a few days at half term ok?’

  ‘I’ll look forward to it. Bye.’

  ‘Bye mum. Here you go Lex,’ I handed over the phone and left her sitting on my bed. I felt so much better knowing that mum knew about Gabe, even though I didn’t like the comparison of our relationship to the one she’d had with my dad. I got two pots of beef stew out of the freezer and managed to work the defrost button on the microwave, then nuked them. I tipped the steaming contents into two large pasta bowls and grabbed two spoons.

  ‘Lex are you still on the phone? Dinner’s ready.’

  ‘Ok, give me a second,’ she shouted.

  I took the stew on a tray to the lounge along with two cans of coke and put Lexi’s in front of the sofa. I turned on the fire and the TV and curled up with mine on the recliner. Lexi strolled in and handed me my phone.

  ‘Hmmm what smells so good?’

  ‘This is the beef and red wine stew Gabe made last week. That time you said “O god what’s that smell” and threw up.’

  ‘Well today it smells good.’

  ‘It is good, really good. It feels like winter staying in all cosy with a bowl of stew. It’s very comforting.’

  ‘Wow it’s amazing, it there anything he isn’t good at?’ she said as she tucked in.

  ‘Spending a night away from me it seems. He’s been very grumpy today, but got me two lovely presents.’