Stay Close

It was a cold afternoon. The pavement sparkled with frost. The air was like ice, sharp daggers poking bare skin. Despite the cold weather, people were wrapped up warm, ready to brave the harsh British winter and spend all their Christmas money in the sales. The streets were packed up with happy shoppers, brandishing plastic bags full of half price clothes, shoes, books, CD's and chocolates.

Josh Franceschi was amongst the crowds. He was wrapped up in thick layers, gloves covered his hands and a beanie hat sat on top of his head. The latter wasn't just for warmth, it was to cover his mass of unruly hair, which had needed cutting for weeks. But right now, a hair cut was the last thing on his mind as he dodged a group of women with prams, all chattering in the middle of the street, each one armed with bags over spilling with cheap items.

It had been four months. Four months since Josh had met Alison Keats. Those four months had been some of the best of his entire existence. He knew the second she sat opposite him and they shook hands that she was the one he was going to be with. Of course, he didn't know if they'd last a long time, but that was a risk he was prepared to take. He was happy with Ali, she had brought the permanent smile back to his face, she was the reason he was no longer the lonely heart in the band. She was also the reason he was currently trying his best not to get run over as he ran across the street and around the corner.

He smiled as he rounded the corner, pushing himself along further, dodging around people crowded outside Topshop. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he approached their designated meeting point. He was the last one to arrive.

"Fashionably late as usual," Brianna observed.

Josh sent her a sarcastic smile, before Ali jumped at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled his hands out of his pockets, wrapping them around her. He buried his face in her soft scarf, inhaling the sweet scent of her new perfume.

"I missed you," she mumbled.

At those words, he held her tighter.

"Bloody hell, how long have they been apart?" Matt looked at his watch in an attempt to count up the few hours the couple had been away from one another.

Nina slapped him on the arm, causing Matt to whine pathetically. "Leave them alone, Matt. They're in love." She sighed dreamily as Dan wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him.

Ali leaned back in Josh's arms and pecked his chapped lips, removing herself from his grip. "I think we better stop before we get anymore crap," she said, softly. He frowned in response, but let go of her, gripping her gloved hand tightly.

"So, where shall we start then?" Max asked, looking around at the amount of people pushing around, trying to get to their desired shop as quickly as possible.

Brianna groaned, resting her head on Max's shoulder. "I'm not sure this is a good idea." She glanced around at the growing crowd all trying to push their way into Topshop to get themselves a bargain sale item. "Maybe we should come back when things have died down a little."

Dan's eyes widened. "But - but, all the good stuff will have gone by then!"

"I agree!" Nina nodded, as Dan kissed her cheek in thanks.

Josh wrapped his arms around Ali again, resting his chin on her shoulder. "What do you say we make a run for it while we can? Go to your nan's house and eat all that spare cake she's got left from yesterday?"

Ali chuckled. "Depends if Al's beaten us to it and eaten it all for himself." She watched their friends argue it out. Brianna wanted for them to go anywhere but the shops, Max was half heartedly agreeing with his girlfriend, whereas Dan and Nina were desperate to get into Topshop and claim their new outfits. She sighed contentedly, glancing around them.

It was then Ali spotted a familiar face. A familiar head of curly black hair. He was wearing his chav-like jacket that looked like it was made from a bin liner. His tanned skin still looked flawless, and he was wearing his thick black rimmed glasses, the square frames still looked the same as they always had done. She felt her heart stop in her chest. The sight of her ex boyfriend was a slight shock to her system. She hadn't seen Justin for months now. At least not while she and Josh had been together.

"Ali! Alison, are you listening to - " Nina was standing in front of her. She had been trying to persuade her decision, sway the vote so they'd go shopping. But now she followed Ali's gaze to where Justin was standing across the road. His hands shoved deep into that bloody black bin liner jacket he practically lived in. "Oh no, Ali." She chewed her bottom lip as she looked between the two exes. By now Justin had clocked them and he was staring straight at Ali.

"Who's the mop top?" Brianna asked, cutting through the thick silence.

Josh snapped his head around to face her. "My hair is fine as it is, Brianna."

Brianna rolled her eyes, reaching up to pull Josh's beanie from his head, revealing his hair. "Yeah, right. But anyway, I wasn't talking about you." She nodded towards Justin, who was looking at Ali still.

"Ali," Josh said, gently, looking down at her. She looked up at him, their eyes meeting. She turned around in his arms and wound her arms around his neck, pulling his face down to meet her own in the middle, before pressing her lips to his.

And when they parted, Justin had disappeared.

"Shopping it is!" Dan yelled, grabbing Nina's hand and dragging her towards Topshop.

Ali smiled at Josh, and Josh smiled at Ali. "Shopping it is," she announced, and he grinned, allowing her to pull him in the same direction Dan and Nina had gone in.

It took four months. Four months of pure bliss for Josh Franceschi and Alison Keats to realise that they could fall in love. And they had. With each other.