Hello Sheffield

“Are yeh dead?”

Light flickered over my closed eyelids and I groaned. I was definitely not in my bed, but on the floor. My back ached at the thought. Suddenly, I remembered the choice I made last night and the look on Matty’s face. My eyes snapped open.

Tom was standing over me, waving his cell phone over my face. He gasped when my eyes opened and dropped his phone on my face. Pain shot through my face and I shut my eyes, as they started watering.

“What the fuck Tom?” I exclaimed, cupping my nose with my hands. It hurt like a little bitch. He took his phone quickly and shoved it in his pocket.

“I’m sorry Liv!” he said, crouching down and moving my hands. He examined my nose and then patted my head gently. “I think yeh’ll live.”

I scoffed and rolled my eyes, sitting up and rubbing my face. Blankets were everywhere and the TV was on, some reality show on with no volume. I shook my head and looked around.

“What time is it?” I asked Tom, rubbing my eyes. He looked at his phone.

“A half after noon,” he told me, standing up and nudging me with his foot. “Let’s get lunch.”

I groaned and stretched, feeling my spine crack into place. I stood up and looked around, confused. I didn’t know why it was so quiet or why Tom was waking me up so early. 12:30 wasn’t my idea of sleeping in.

“Where’s Oli and Matty?” I asked, picking up the blanket and folding it. I stretched again and tried popping my shoulders. I’ve had the obsession with cracking my bones ever since one of my friends figured out how to pop his knees. Since then, I’ve become addicted with the relief.

“They had some meeting about their next tour. I decided to let you sleep but then I got bored so,” he trailed off and I rolled my eyes. I was awake because Tom was bored.

“Let me take a shower and then we can go out to eat,” I said, going into Matty’s bedroom. I poked around until I found a shirt and jacket that would fit me and put it on the bed with my jeans from yesterday.

Tom had been kind enough to leave a towel in the bathroom for me. I fiddled with the knobs for a bit and then stepped in. The hot water was soothing on my back and I groaned. It seemed like England was taking a lot out of me. I washed my body with his Axe body wash, breathing in the scent of it.

It reminded me of my ex, in a good way, and I shook my head. Truth was, Andrew was in California now and the way everything ended didn’t exactly leave us on good terms. I tried to shake myself from remembering that particular relationship.

Besides, I had new friends and new possible relationships here, and that was what I should be focusing on. Not the past, the present.

I stepped out of the shower and started drying off. Now that I was awake, I truly was hungry. I got dressed in my underwear quickly and started to dry my hair with the blow drier I found under the sink. I tried to help my natural waves look better but it didn’t really work out.

I shrugged and left, going into Matty’s room to get dressed. The t-shirt I picked was a little bit too big, so I tucked it into the front of my jeans. I shrugged the jacket on top. It smelled sweet with a hint of cigarette smoke. I whined as an intense want shot through my body.

I found Tom waiting in the living room for me. He turned off the TV and jingled his keys. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my bag off the floor from next to the couch where I left it. I rummaged through it for a ponytail holder and when I found one, threw my hair up.

“Alright, I’m ready. Where are we going?” I asked, searching my bag for my cigarettes. We locked the door behind us and headed down the stairs to the left of the flat.

“I dunno. What do yeh feel like havin’?” he asked. I shrugged. To be honest I just felt like eating food, no matter what kind. I wasn’t very picky when it came to food.

“Whatever you’re in the mood for, I really don’t care.”

“Alright, there’s this café down the street that sells excellent food,” he said excitedly. We crossed the parking lot and got in the car.

“So yeh and Oli looked cozy last night,” Tom said, grinning at me. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

“He’s comfortable to sleep on,” I explained, smiling at him. It wasn’t like I was lying. Despite the fact that the only two times I’d slept on him were in uncomfortable places, I’d had very good sleep both times. His grin turned into a sly smirk.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that!” I exclaimed, blushing. Truthfully, I didn’t usually sleep with friends I’d only known for a few days. Just thinking of the words ‘sleep with’ made me think I had sex with him, which made me think about having sex with which brought on a whole new wave of blushes.

“He’s just comfortable!” I squeaked. I stared out the window, done with the conversation. It was making me look like an idiot anyway. I couldn’t explain my feelings at the best of times, let alone in an awkward situation like this. Besides, Tom was Oli’s brother--he was obligated to tell him stuff.

The café we were sitting in, wasn’t really a café. It was more of a breakfast and lunch place that served anything. It was superbly small and smelled delicious. Tom and I both ordered Caesar salads, since Tom wouldn’t shut up about it.

We were quiet for a while, watching people eat and listening to the loud squeals of laughter from the people at the counter. I figured at that point that Tom and I would get along well considering the fact that our silence wasn’t awkward.

“So you said the guys were at a meeting about their next tour?” I prompted, tired of watching the people. He nodded and took a sip of his water.

“Yeah, they’re touring for about a month ‘round the UK I believe,” he said nonchalantly. He grinned when he noticed the waitress bringing our food. It seemed to me like he nearly wet his pants, shoving lettuce into his mouth at a pace that astonished not only me, but the waitress as well. She left without a word.

“Way to impress the ladies Tom,” I commented dryly, inspecting the way he ate with a critical eye. When he looked up from his plate with some lettuce hanging out of his mouth, I couldn’t help but shriek in laughter. He ate it and grinned sheepishly.

“It’s good,” he defended, “Eat it!” I rolled my eyes and picked up my fork. Admittedly, the salad was delicious. I wouldn’t have scared the waitress away just to eat it, but it was good. We ate quietly for a while.

“Are you going with them on tour?” I asked.

“Not yet. I’m goin’ with them when they’re off to the US,” he answered, “Why, nervous about not seein’ my face everyday?”

I snorted. “More like anxious that every friend I made is gonna be gone for a month. Now I have to hang out with you, God help me.”

He pouted adorably and I chuckled. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. It makes me feel bad.”

“Yeh should feel bad! Yeh’re mean!”

“Oh it was a joke Tom! I’m sorry for being such a mean, cold-hearted person,” I apologized, a little less than sincerely. He rolled his eyes but nodded.

“I think I can accept your apology. I mean, as far as I know, I’m gonna have to deal with yeh nearly everyday for the rest of my life,” he said dramatically, shaking his head and putting a hand over his heart.

“Everyday?” I asked.

“Well, I mean, you and Oli are obviously going to get together and then get married and then have children that are born with tattoos already soooo, yeah, everyday.” I snorted and rolled my eyes.

“Yes, the first will be a charming girl and her name will be Emery and then a mischievous boy named Jake,” I said in a sarcastic voice.

“Ooh! That’s good. Yeh can live in a nice apartment with your cat,” he suggested. I stared at him flatly.

“I was kidding actually.”

“Sure you were.”

I just sighed and continued to eat. Tom was being stubborn with his joke. We talked mostly about what touring was like for the remainder of lunch and a bit about his family, leaving Oli out of the equation mostly.

Tom dropped me off at home when we were done because I needed to take care of my cat and get ready to meet my future boss later on. I was nervous about that, to say the least.

I was less than happy when I found that my house smelled like cat urine. However, I was happy when I found that Zeus knew to take his dumps in the litter box. I dragged him to one of the piss puddles and put his face next to it.

“Bad, Zeus! Bad. When you have to pee pee you go in the poop box!” I scolded lightly. He mewed at me. I smiled gently and put him back down. I cleaned up the place and opened a window to air it out.

I only had an hour and a half before I had to meet my new boss so I decided to get dressed and leave early. I already had an outfit picked out; Dark wash jeans with a striped blouse and a navy blazer.

I also put on makeup, since I looked a little hungover and very tired. My hair stayed in its messy ponytail though. I was sure I’d get lost at least once so I wanted to leave a little early. I patted Zeus goodbye and left.

I’d asked Tom about how to get to the address they’d texted me. He had crinkled his nose in disgust. “Oi, yeh’re workin’ with some right snobs then.” He’d told me how to get to the house in any case.

After a half hour I found Whiteley Wood Road. The house was gorgeous and made of stone. I parked next to a huge black truck. I was right on time, seeing as I’d made a few wrong turns. I took a deep breath and walked up to the door.

When the door opened, a woman my age was revealed, holding a girl that was probably three. All other details were blurred when I looked at the woman. She was tall, thin as all hell, and her long golden hair floated down her back. She was dressed in a track suit, her phone held to her ear by her well-manicured hand.

“Yes, I have to go. Alright, I’ll talk to you later Mom,” she said. “Sorry about that. I’m Christie.”

I was surprised to hear an American accent. I smiled warmly though, the little girl twisting in her mother’s arms to look at me. It shocked me a little to see how young her mother was, considering she was a model and all.

“I’m Liv, it’s nice to meet you,” I said politely. She shook my hand and then stepped aside for me to enter. The house was huge, now that I looked at it, and beautifully decorated. There was a staircase to the left.

“Mia,” Christie cooed, “This is Liv. She’s gonna take care of you this summer.” She put her daughter down and let her waddle toward me. Mia reached for my hand and I let her take it. Christie laughed.

“She’s an easygoing kid. Let me show you the house a little bit,” she said. I followed her around the ground floor, holding onto Mia. She was adorable. Her bright blonde hair was short and curly, pulled up into a small ponytail on top of her head. She had vibrant blue eyes.

“She’ll eat mostly anything as long as it’s healthy, I don’t care. She eats fruit salad with yogurt for breakfast and snacks. Strawberries are her favorite though. She’ll tell you what she wants. I’ll write it down for you too.”

“Sounds good to me. I’ll lose some weight,” I chuckled, patting my stomach. She laughed.

“Alright, I’ll show you upstairs.”

I followed her up, carrying Mia instead of waiting for her to climb. I marveled at the size of the house. I didn’t know how they didn’t have a live in maid or something. Mia’s bedroom was beyond large and had huge, wall-size windows that looked out over the garden and two other buildings in the back. We went there next.

Christie explained that the second stone building had her office and guest bedrooms in it. The other building, made from long logs of wood, housed the pool, sauna, and exercise room.

“Mia can swim a bit, she uses her floaties. You’re welcome to use it when Mia’s tutor comes on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. You can use it in August when I’m away as well, if you’d like,” she said, showing me where the lights were.

“That’s nice of you, thanks.”

After showing me where Mia kept her pool toys and then her favorite spots to play in the garden, we went back inside. She offered me some water, which I took. The kitchen had a beautiful view of the backyard.

“She’ll most likely leave you alone all day, she’s very quiet. The cleaning lady comes in on Thursdays around the same time as her French tutor, so that shouldn’t be too bad. You can probably leave around four, that’s when her dad gets home.”

She smiled fondly after her daughter, who was playing with a wooden spoon in the corner. I couldn’t help but notice how much she adored her and it wasn’t long before I pointed it out. She blushed, and thanked me.

“So you’re American too? It’s nice to know I’m not alone,” I said.

“Yeah, my boyfriend talked me into moving out here after I had Mia. I was lucky enough to re-launch my modeling career, which is how I met Josh anyway,” she replied. Her phone buzzed.

“Oh, I’m sorry but I have to run. I’m sorry to rush you out like this,” she said.

“It’s fine. I have a lot more to unpack anyway.”

I said my goodbyes to her and Mia and left. The car ride back was quiet and slow. I got lost a few times going back. I made a quick stop to get cigarettes but Kate wasn’t there.

When I got home, I went upstairs to finish unpacking. It was slow work though, just hanging and folding clothes. I put a movie on the small TV I had set up and changed into shorts and a sweatshirt.

Zeus found his way up the stairs and tried to leap onto my bed. He was either too small, or the bed too high so he failed. I laughed at him and placed him on the bed. He curled into my pillows as I talked to him.

When I had my fill of hanging clothes in my closet, I collapsed on my bed. I stroked Zeus and tried to teach him his name a little bit. I didn’t really know how so I pulled my laptop into my lap and went to check.

Instead, I ended up checking my Facebook. After going through my notifications and news feed, I decided to make a new status.

How do you teach a kitten its name? Maybe I should ask BMTH since they live right around the corner from me.

I decided to leave the rest of my friendship unknown. Some of my friends liked it and others commented on it, either jealous or sneering at how ‘gay’ the band was. I rolled my eyes. I had two friend requests, one from Christie and the other from Lee. I added both.

Within seconds Lee had commented on my status, underneath my friend Rob’s which stated how gay and bad they were.

I know man, they suck. You have shitty music taste Liv, why does everyone love you again? (;

I snorted and wrote back a cheeky response. Instead of checking on how to train my cat, I was dragged into an awkward conversation with Rob and a hilarious one with Lee.

Rob, you’re a wanker. I’m in the band, yeah? How did you go from such dull friends to such awesome ones? Lee wrote back eventually, when Rob decided he was being disrespected.

Lee, you’re my new favorite, I wrote, before logging off and pushing my computer aside. I settled into the bed, watching the movie absently.

My thoughts were more on how the boys were going to be leaving. Then they’d be gone in the summer. I would be stuck here, alone, with only Kate as my friend. Not like she was horrible or anything.

Life would honestly suck. I didn’t know what I would do all day. When I lived at home I didn’t go out all the time but I did spend the majority of my time fighting with my parents and wasting life on the computer.

Oli would inevitably be gone too. It made me feel pathetic to realize how much my life revolved around him. I rolled my eyes and stared out my bedroom window. My phone beeped and I struggled to reach it without moving.

Emery’s cool but Jake is stupid, I read. I rolled my eyes when I realized it was from Oli.

Tom is an idiot if you didn’t know, I sent back.

Even if I was annoyed, I was discussing baby names with Oliver Sykes. Sure, I wasn’t preg or anything but this qualified as intense flirting, right? If so, I was in the big leagues now.

“Why? Would it be that bad to have babies with me?” I heard from the doorway.

“Fuck me twice!” I screamed in surprise, flinching intensely. He smirked.

“Any day love, any day.”

I launched myself off the bed and hit him in the shoulder. He pouted and held where I hit. My heart was racing.

“How the hell did you get in my house?” I asked.

“The front door was open,” he said, sauntering over to my bed and petting my kitten. I scoffed and crossed my arms over my chest. He ignored me until I started tapping my foot.

“Oh, stop it, I know yeh’re happy to see me. Tom told me how sad yeh looked at idea of me leaving for a month,” he said cockily.

I couldn’t stop the blush from creeping onto my face. There was no thought in my mind at that point, let alone a snippy comeback. I was literally at a loss for words. I wanted to shrink into the wall and then kill Tom for reading my body language.

“Yeh look like yeh’ve seen a ghost,” he said, his smirk softened into a smile, “C’mere, I’m going to miss you as well.”

I shook my head and sat on my bed awkwardly. Everything was always awkward around me, I’d come to believe. Oli watched me sympathetically, his hair falling in his eyes. He had the most gorgeous eyes I’d ever seen.

“I am only going to miss your eyes,” I announced, “The rest of you is far too obnoxious.”

“Obnoxious? Me?” he said in a high pitched voice, his eyebrows raised. I shook my head and laughed, pulling Zeus out of his lap and into mine. He rolled his eyes and laid back on my bed, turning his attention to the movie.

I was still trying to calm my heart from hearing the words, I’ll miss you too.