Smiling Politely

It was mid afternoon by the time Lexi had mustered the energy to shower and dress, her brain running overtime was really starting to tire her out. She flopped down on the sofa and flicked on the TV just in time for the boys to come barreling through the door, destroying her peace and quiet.

"Lexiface!" Mike cried, throwing himself down next to her, "What happened to you last night?"

"I was tired after working, you know that thing normal people do to make money?" something about him brought out her cheeky side she usually only showed when she was drunk.

"I resent that you think my unemployed status is through choice and not circumstance Miss Edwards," he raised an eyebrow at her.

"How was practice?" she asked Ben who sat in the armchair next to her, deciding that she wasn't going to get any straight answers out of Mike.

He nodded, "Good."

That was obviously the extent of his chat this evening.

"Where's everyone else?" Lexi asked.

Mike shrugged and continued to flick through the TV channels obnoxiously and Joe didn't bother to look up from the magazine he was studying intently as he answered, "Josh and Dean are down at the van, Luke's on the phone to his bird and Kaylah's just back from work."

As he closed his mouth the afore mentioned pink haired girl appeared, laden with shopping bags, "Hi," she called as she breezed past on her way to the kitchen.

"Let me help you with that," Lexi bounced up from her position on the couch and followed the footsteps of her best friend.

"You really don't have to," Kaylah turned around to find Lexi directly behind her.

"What are you playing at?" she hissed.

"Wha-?"

"Don't play dumb Kaylah," Lexi cut in, "You know exactly what I'm talking about, you and Tom. He came over to day."

Her friend frowned, "Tom?"

"No, Matt."

Kaylah's eyes widened, "Oh. So how did it go."

"Good actually," Lexi thought wistfully then shook her head, she was still annoyed at Kaylah, "But that's not the point. You shouldn't have interfered!"

"I wasn't! Blame Tom. He made me do it, you know how the littlest Sykes can just wrap you round his finger. He really is starting to abuse that power."

"Kay, you're really not helping," Lexi rolled her eyes.

"Well, actually, I am."

Lexi placed a hand on her hip, "How did you figure that one out?"

"He came round didn't he? And I'm guessing you talked?"

Lexi nodded reluctantly.

"And... did anything else happen?"

Lexi looked up at the ceiling and folded her arms across her chest before mumbling, "I might be meeting him tomorrow and I kind of sort of, "she whispered the next bit, "Kissed him."

"Oh my God!" Kaylah shouted.

Mike appeared in the doorway, "What?"

"Nothing, thought she saw a spider. Go back to the telly," Lexi waved him away.

He eyed the two girls warily before returning to the sofa.

Lexi moved Kaylah to the far side of the kitchen, furthest away from the living room, "I didn't mean to it just kind of... happened."

"But you don't mind that it happened?"

"Not really, no," Lexi bit her lip, "But what about Josh? I can't just go around kissing ex-boyfriends."

"Luckily there's not that many to kiss," Kaylah thought out loud, "Sorry, not helping again."

"No, you're not."

"You're meeting him again?"

Lexi nodded, "They're playing work again tomorrow so we're going to grab some dinner before."

Kaylah nodded and Lexi could practically hear the cogs turning in her head.

"No more plans, however well meaning they are Kay," she warned as she walked back into the living room.

"Plans?" Josh asked.

"Nothing," she shook her head and hugged him, "Hi."

***

After dinner it was left to Josh and Lexi to clean up, although he seemed more interested in getting into her pants.

"Can you please just help me get the dishes done?" she asked as his hands slid down to her hips again.

She attempted to shrug him off for the fourth time when his lips were on her neck, "Come on Lex, you can't keep pushing me away."

"I'm not pushing you away Josh. I'm trying to wash the dishes," she sighed.

"They can be done later."

She dropped her scrubbing brush into the sink with a splash, "No. They can't."

He took her pause in activity as an opportunity into turning her around, "Yes, they can."

"Get off me Josh, for God's sake not everything's about sex," she spoke quietly, not wanting to be overheard by everyone in the living room.

"I wouldn't be with you if it was."

She narrowed her eyes at the ambiguous statement, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means I'm fed up with you being a tease."

She almost laughed, "Just because I don't want to fuck you every two seconds does not mean that I'm a tease."

"There's plenty of other girls that do," he crossed his skinny arms over his chest.

"Go and sleep in their bed tonight then, cause if you think you're sleeping in mine then you've got another thing coming," she spat before storming out of the kitchen and into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.