Be Your Everything

Alice remembered only an hour before Danielle was due to pick her up that her security guard was supposed to come with her everywhere she went – including her friend’s home. Sighing, she dialled the number and waited for her to pick up.
“Hello?”
“There’s something I should probably tell you before you pick me up.” Alice got straight to the point.
“Uh-oh, that sounds like a serious tone. What’s wrong?”
“I kind of have a security guard that needs to follow me around.”
There was a short silence. “What for?”
“I’ll tell you when we get to your house, yeah?”
“That’s fair enough. I don’t need to tell you I’m used to security guards.” Dani laughed, though it sounded a little bitter.
“Thanks. I’ll see you soon then.”
“I’ll leave now if you’re ready.”
“See you in a few then.” Alice chuckled. After pressing end call she made her way into the hallway outside their door. “Michael?” she called, only to be startled by the man that was standing only a foot away from her.
“Sorry if I scared you,” he smiled kindly. “What can I do for you?”
“Er... well, I’m heading to a friend’s house for the night, so-“
“That’s fine. I’ll follow you in my car and let the next man know where to find you.”
She raised her eyebrows comically. “Well that was easy. Thank you!”
“Not a problem, miss.”
“Oh my god, please just call me Alice. That sounded way too formal for my taste.”
“As you wish, Alice.”
Feeling something like a princess, Alice went to her room to make sure she had everything in her bag that she needed.
“Looking forward to it?” Harry’s voice made her jump.
“Jesus! Um, yeah. Hopefully it’ll be fun.”
“My name isn’t Jesus, its Harry.”
“I bet you think you’re hilarious, huh.”
“I like to think I’m a little bit funny...”
“Well you aren’t, just so you know.”
He pouted and slumped a little. “Way to crush my dreams.”
“Are you gonna miss me?”
“I dunno. I mean, you’re pretty sh*t company.”
Alice rolled her eyes and tried not to smile. “I’m the best company you’ll ever have.”
“I don’t doubt that.”
There was a knock on the door and Harry left the room to answer it. Alice gathered her overnight bag and handbag and followed him.
“You ready to go?” Dani’s voice greeted her.
Alice nodded as Harry pulled her into his side. “Don’t miss me too much.” He advised her with a serious expression.
“I won’t.”
He rolled his eyes and turned her face toward him, pressing his lips to hers in a way of saying goodbye. Dani was watching with raised eyebrows, completely unaware that the two were romantically involved.
“Alright, maybe I’ll miss you a little bit.” Alice admitted, blush creeping over her cheeks.
“That’s what I like to hear!” Harry beamed and gave her one last hug before her and Dani were off. Michael followed behind at a safe distance, so the paparazzi outside wouldn’t connect him and the girls in any way. Questions were flying about Alice and Danielle’s relationship and why the girl who lived in the same building as Harry was hanging out with Liam’s girlfriend, but neither girl answered them. It was in everyone’s best interests to stay silent.
“Well that was a little bit hectic.” Dani blew out a sigh as she started the car. The paps were still snapping pictures from afar, and Alice watched them with distaste as the car turned onto the road. She watched as Michael’s large black car followed behind – it was rather stereotypical really, the black car with tinted windows, but Alice felt oddly comforted by it.
“It was. I could never do what they do.”
“Ugh, neither could I.”
They drove in silence for another minute before Dani finally spoke her mind. “So what’s going on with you and Harry?”
Alice was worried this might come up. She knew that they were officially a couple now, she wasn’t ashamed to be with him, but she had no experience whatsoever in talking about relationships. “We’re sort of together...” She said uncertainly.
“Seriously? I have to say I was not expecting it. How did that come about?”
“We first kissed not long after we met,” Alice admitted, staring resolutely out the window. “I guess it sort of started before that. I don’t know, I wasn’t exactly paying much attention.” She laughed quietly.
“Aw, you kissed that early? I think there’s a tear in my eye, this is adorable.”
“Don’t cry, I don’t want to crash!”
The conversation turned to lighter subjects from then on and by the time they arrived at Dani’s flat they were laughing so hard their faces were turning red. Michael was watching them with an amused smile as he leant on his car waiting for them to go inside. Alice assumed he would just stand guard in the hallway outside Dani’s flat until his relief turned up – and it looked like he was calling them now.
“Do you want something to drink?” Dani asked, dumping her stuff on a small brown table just inside the door and indicating for Alice to do the same. “I’ve got tea, apple juice, water, coffee...”
“Apple juice sounds like a good idea.”
Dani nodded and slipped her shoes off, before padding into the kitchen on bare feet to pour her friend a glass of apple juice. Alice glanced around the small home, smiling at all the framed pictures. Family was obviously very important and Alice felt a twinge of jealously – why didn’t she have a family to love and be proud of?
“Here you are,” Dani came back into the room with the filled glass and handed it to Alice. “I’m afraid I don’t have extravagant food or drink.”
“Do I seem like the type to care?” Alice laughed, gesturing to her hair that was thrown up in a messy ponytail and then to her clothes – ugg boots and track pants weren’t the most attractive look in the world.
“A girl that can sometimes not give an ass about the way she looks is the kinda girl I’d like to be friends with!” Dani held her hand up for a high-five, and Alice hit it hard. “God, I forgot how much high-fives hurt. My god...”