You Know I'm No Good

The shrill ringing of my phone was slightly disorienting and I could barely open my eyes as I pawed around my comforter for the source of the noise. I did my best to clear my throat and slid my thumb across the screen.

“’Lo,” I mumbled, my voice even raspier than usual.

“Camden?” the voice lilted. “It’s Abigail. Did I wake you?”

My face twisted up in confusion as I pulled the phone from my face. It was seven o’clock in the bloody morning. On a Saturday, no less.

“Um,” I mumbled, sinking back into my pillow and rubbing my face, “no, you didn’t wake me. Is everything all right?”

There was a pause on the other end of the line and for a short moment I thought- or rather hoped- that I had dropped the call.

“I was actually calling to see if perhaps,” she paused again, “you’d like to join a few of the girls for tea this morning?”

I cocked my head to the side even though she couldn’t see me. This was certainly not the wake-up call I was expecting.

“You there?”

“Wha- um, sorry,” I stuttered, running a hand through my messy brown hair, “of course, that sounds lovely.”

It sounded dull just thinking about it, but she had caught me so off guard with the invitation that I hadn’t even had time to think up an excuse. She squealed in reply and gave me the details, telling me to be at the Ritz Carlton on Picadilly at two. I tried to imitate her enthusiasm but I think I just came off rather tired. I probably stared at the phone in disbelief for several minutes after she hung up. I suppose if ever there was a person that followed up on halfhearted plans made in Tesco is would be Abigail James. I guess I just never pinned myself as the type of person who would agree to them.

I laid in bed for a while longer and tried not to spend too much time thinking about tea. Unfortunately, once I showered, dried my hair and applied my makeup, I realized I had absolutely no idea what I was supposed to wear. I generally tried to avoid places that required a dress code.

I groaned and rummaged through the piles of clothing on the floor. Anything that suited the occasion didn’t match, and whatever did match would certainly draw stares from elderly women at the Ritz. I finally settled on a black lace skirt and tucked a white vest into it before pulling on a black blazer. It wasn’t my best showing, but it’d have to do at this point. I made somewhat of an effort with jewelry before slipping on a pair of black ankle boots and making my way down the stairs.

I hadn’t even noticed Nick perched on the couch as I grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water.

“Where’s the funeral?” he laughed.

“The Ritz at two,” I said with a roll of my eyes, taking a small sip of water.

He cocked an eyebrow at me.

“Tea with besties,” I said with a dramatic flip of my hair, turning away from him to place my phone and keys in my purse.

“You haven’t got any besties,” he frowned.

My neck snapped back to glare at him. “Thanks for that, yeah?”

He shrugged.

“Abigail called me this morning and invited me,” I sighed. “I was so flustered I couldn’t even come up with an excuse.”

He gave me an awkward smile and I laughed. With a glance at the clock on the stove I let out an audible groan.

“You need my car?” he asked, nodding toward the keys that sat on the counter beside me.

My eyes widened in a silent thank you as I clutched them and tossed them in my purse. “If I’m not back by seven send in back-up,” I told him, bending down to pet Sloth as I made my way to the front door.

Traffic in London was nothing but a headache and I usually preferred taking the tube, but when I arrived at the hotel and noticed the complimentary valet, I thanked Nick once more. I handed the attendant my keys and made my way inside, feeling just as awkward as I knew I would as I searched the seating area for Abigail. She spotted me first and enthusiastically waved me over.

It was a group of five women, none of whom I recognized, which I didn’t find the least bit surprising. Abby wasn’t exactly the type of person to make life-long friends. I was introduced quickly as they each said their curt hellos and explained how they knew Abby. Most of them were wives or girlfriends of David’s coworkers, save for Abby’s sister who looked absolutely nothing like I remembered her.

“Sorry I’m late,” a familiar voice, accompanied by the loud clacking of heels, came from behind my chair. “The tube was an absolute nightmare.”

I turned around so fast I must have gotten whiplash.

“Ems?” I practically shouted.

She stopped where she was standing and her eyes lit up when they landed on mine.

“Grimmers, you devil,” she grinned throwing her arms around my neck as I stood from my chair.

Every single person in the room was gawking at us, but I couldn’t have cared any less. We stood for a while, perhaps a little too long, hands on each other’s cheeks, grinning from ear to ear.

The thing about Emma was that she was the loveliest person I’d ever met in my life. She was absolutely, one hundred percent, bat-shit crazy but no matter what, she was there for me. Even though she was furious with me for leaving England, she knew if I wanted to do something, I was going to do it. And I think the thing about us is that even though I’d been gone for more than two years and we’d fallen out slightly more than I would like to admit, we still sat here as if nothing had changed. She couldn’t keep her language remotely appropriate and Abby couldn’t wipe the look of utter resentment off her perfectly made-up face.

“You two haven’t seen each other yet?” Abigail asked through a forced smile.

“No!” Emma exclaimed. “I thought this slag was still in the states!”

I opened my mouth to respond, but Abby cut me off.

“Doesn’t everyone? It was only chance that I ran into you at the grocery,” she said.

I looked around the table, laughing slightly that Emma and I had turned this lovely afternoon tea in the Emma and Camden show, like we did most things.

“I haven’t been back to Manchester, and I don’t particularly know anyone in London, so I don’t really know who I would’ve told,” I replied with a shrug.

“You know me,” Emma grinned, slapping my shoulder.

“You live in London?” I gaped at her.

“I transferred to UAL last term,” she smiled.

I bit my lip slightly as I smiled at her, my cheeks aching. The two of us fidgeted in our seats through tea, doing our best to seem interested in the conversation. We finished our biscuits and, what felt like four hours later, the seven us stood from the table and made our way to the lobby.

“You said you took the tube?” I asked Emma as we all stood there exchanging polite goodbyes with the rest of the girls.

“Yeah,” she rolled her eyes. “Talk about a pain in the ass.”

“Well, lucky for you, Lady Emma,” I gave her a goofy curtsy as I pulled Nick’s keys out of my purse, “I’ve got the Benz today.”

She laughed at me and turned to give Abby a peck on the cheek.

“D’you need a ride?” Abby asked.

“Ah, no,” Emma smiled, “Cam’s gonna give me one.”

Abby’s smile faltered slightly as she nodded at the two of us. We took off through the revolving door of the hotel and Emma glanced back at the group, each of them looking as uncomfortable as the next with their arms aggressively crossing their chest and scowls on their faces.

“We’re getting proper fucked tonight, yeah?” she asked as soon as we were out of earshot.

I glanced sideways at her, laughing slightly as we stumbled trying to push the door.

“Duh.”