Running Circles

“Good morning.” Joshs familiar voice woke me up the other morning. “Hey.” I smiled. “Your clothes are in the dryer and breakfast’s set up.” He replied with a little smile. He tossed one of his hoodies before he left the room again. I slipped it on and walked down the squeaky stairs. The smell of fresh tea and pancakes came into my nose. I wandered into the kitchen, where I found Josh, his mother and father sitting on the kitchen table.
“Lee.” His dad said with a smile “I didn’t know that you and Josh were together again.”
“Oh we…” I started.
“I’m trying to convince her that I’m not such a bad guy as I had been.” Josh chimed in.
“You have all reasons to do so.” His father answered and gave him a strict look. I assumed that he still didn’t forgive him that his son had hit a girl in the face. His father had called me some days after the incident to tell me that he was really sorry for what happened and to ask if I was okay and if they could do something for me. I told them that it was alright. I met Joshs mother once in a while. Weybridge isn’t that big.
“Yea, I’m trying my best.” Josh sighed.
“He’s doing pretty good so far.” I smiled at his father and then at Josh, who was smiling back at me.
The breakfast went by pretty quick and I went to change back into my clothes. I had just finished changing when Josh knocked on the door
“Can I?” he asked.
“Come in.”
Josh opened the door and walked in. “Thanks for standing up for me earlier.” He said quietly.
“Was only telling the truth. Spending time with you was the most fun I had in the last year.” With which I had just admitted to him that I needed him to make my days better.
“Speaking of that…uhm…Audrey and co are playing tonight…do you…do you want to come with me…” he said and nervously scratched his neck “Kinda…as my date.” I needed to keep myself from making a stupid noise, because this was simply adorable.
“Sounds nice to me.” I smiled at him.
“They’re playing in a small club and we’re all going to a pub before and after to celebrate their album release.” Josh answered. “Does everyone have a new record out?” I sighed, realizing how less I had accomplished in life “How many do they have out?” “It’s their fourth.” He answered. “Wow…” I sighed “Kay…I think I should get going now…” “Fine.” Josh smiled and opened the door for me. I followed him down the stairs, towards the front door.
“I’ll see you at seven.” Josh smiled and hugged me.
“See you.” I said before I walked away from the familiar house. It was raining a little, but I didn’t exactly care. My mind was too happy to think of anything else.
I arrived home twenty minutes later. Avery was still sleeping since it was only around ten. Sighed heavily and plopped down on the sofa and switched on the telly. I zapped throught the programms. Nothing good was on. I eneded up watching Kerrang! TV. The video for ‘Loverboy’ came on. Josh really did look good. I turned up the volume a little and started to make some tea for me and Avery. While the tea was brewing I went to wake her up, I had to talk to someone. That what happened yesterday wasn’t supposed to happen, I hadn’t been so close to anyone ever since we broke up. I didn’t want to know what would have happened if his mother wouldn’t have walked in.
“Good morning.” I said with a bright smile.
Avery rubbed her tiered eyes and huffed “Where have you been?”
“Nice to see you too.” I grinned “Was at Joshs.”
“Over the night?” she was suddenly sitting in her bed.
“We didn’t sleep in the same bed.” I said, knowing that she would ask that next.
“Good.” She answered with a sigh.
She evenutally managed to get out of bed and joined me on the sofa where I was sitting.
“Know what I just realized?” I said not taking my stare away from the telly.
“What?” Avery asked.
“Kerrang! Is playing Cupid.” .
Avery looked at me like a little stoner.
“They’re only playing You Me At Six this moring. Every little thing they found in their basement. Interview, live footage, videos. They must hate me.” I said still fixed on the TV.
“Or they love you.”
“Don’t think so.”
“Anyway…what are you doing today?”
“Groceries and then maybe some home shopping I need some new curtains in my bedroom, the old ones start to fade.”
“How intresting.” Avery sighed.
“Oh and Joshs said that Hey Scientists are playing at some club tonight.”
“Already know, dear. You going?”
“Dunno…Josh asked me to go with him as a ‘date’ but I’m not sure if I want to.”
“Why not…I mean you’ve got nothing to loose.”
“I’ve got a whole lot to loose.”
“Ever heard of liquid confidence.”
“Sheesh…stop annoying me…I’m gonna go and get changed and then I’ll do groceries.” I said and got off the sofa.
I shuffled up the stairs and into my room to change into some other clothes.
The streets were already busy though it was only ten or something. I had finished the groceries and bought some new curtains.
I decided that I didn’t want to go to that show. I needed to get a little more distance towards Josh. We had come way too close in past few days. I liked him, yes, but it was going too fast. I needed a break from Mr. Franceschi and his charming attitude. As I was walking home I sent Josh a quick message to tell him that I didn’t have time, because of something.
I reached home and after I had unpacked all the groceries I went up to my room to call my sister Ella. We hadn’t talked in ages and it was a good time to talk to her.
I dialed the number and waited for my baby sis to pick up.
“Hello?”
“HEEEY!”
“LEE!” she screamed in reply.
“Ella.”
“Oh my god, I’m soo happy you called me.”
“What’s wrong, love?” I asked.
“Mom and I are fighting a lot lately.” She said quietly.
“You can’t tell me that this is everything.” I said knowing that there was more about her being so quiet.
“There isn’t anything else.” She lied.
“Why are you fighting, Ella? Tell me, otherwise I’m gonna visite you in Sheffield and ohh you don’t want me to.” I answered.
“Okay…itsbecauselucasandihadsexandnowimpregnantbutidontwantitandnowmomispissedoffbecauseshethinksthatwedidntuseprotectionbutwedidanditdidntworkandidontknowwhyiwastakingthepillandlucaswasusingacondomwedideverythingwecould.” She sobbed.
“What?! Oh love.” I sighed. I had thought of anything but that.
“I don’t know…Lee I don’t know what to do.” She cried.
“Do you want me to come over?” I asked.
“Oh please.”
“You know what I’m gonna pack my bag and come over.” I said quicky and put her on speaker “I’ve got to tell Josh that I won’t be there for some days.” I said randomly while packing clothes into a bag.
“Are you dating again?” Ella asked.
“Josh asked me out some days ago and we’re spending some time together again.”
“Why don’t you ask him to come with you? I mean then no one would come into your way and you could sort out things.” Ella replied.
“Oh my god you are such a retarted genius, baby sis.” I said before I went to get the home phone, so I wouldn’t have to end the call. On my way back up the stairs I dialed his number.
“Hey?” his voice filled my ears and instantly warmed my whole body.
“Hey…uhm…I was wondering since you aren’t touring at the moment and…we’re trying to figure ‘this’ out…”
“Get to the point.” I heard Ellas voice from the phones speaker.
“See…I’m visiting my mom and sister and I thought…maybe you want to come with me…I mean…”
“I’d love to.” He said and I knew he was smiling.
“I’m leaving today…”
“I can be at yours in twenty.” Josh said in reply.
“Oh great, I’m gonna finish packing and yea.”
“Okay, I’ll see you then.” He answered.
“Kay, bye.”
“Bye, love.”
I hung up the phone and held it to my chest for a second. Was I really doing this?
“LEE!” I heard a silent voice from the speaker of my mobile.
“I have to pack, Ella. I’ll see you in a bit.
I hung up on the call and continued to stuff clothes into a bag.