Trisha Comes to Life

When they arrived back, they saw Bollo getting potion bottles out of Naboo’s room and taking them into the living room, where Naboo was.

“Hey Naboo, any luck yet?” Howard asked.

“I think I know what order Vince drunk them in, I’m just working on a cure now.”

“How long?” Trisha asked him.

“Pardon?”

“How long before you get the… cure?” She asked.

“I dunno. Could be a few hours, days, 5 days at the most though. I’ll get it done, cos I’m Naboo that’s who.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

3 weeks later and Naboo still hadn’t got a cure. But the group were getting along with Trisha a lot more. They learnt more about her ‘past’. She could remember some of her life, but not all of it, as if she had amnesia. But all in all, she was almost exactly like Vince.

Down to the obsession with their hair.

She squealed when she saw that Vince had a Jean Claude Jaquettie hairdryer. She thought all his clothes were amazing and she had grown used to the company of Howard, Naboo & Bollo, as they had with her. But they had not forgotten about Vince, they still missed him.

“How close to finding it are you Naboo?” Howard asked one afternoon.

“Pretty close. Should be a few days or less.” He replied.

“Well make sure it’s soon. I know that we’re all growing used to Trisha being around, and I don’t want any of us to grow more attached to her than we already have.” He said.

Unknown to them, Trisha was listening along the corridor. She heard Howard approach the corridor and she stood in the middle, folding her arms. He rounded the corner and saw her standing there.

“Hey Trish, how are you?”

“I’m fine. It’s you that seems to have the problem.” She said.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you rushing Naboo up to get the cure. Is that a hint that you’re sick of me already? You want me gone?”

“No, not at all…”

“Well, what did it mean then?”

“Trisha, we all love having you around, but we all miss Vince as well.”

“I understand. Well, find me when you’ve got the cure and I’ll be out of here forever then won’t I? I can’t believe that I was…” She looked away.

“What?”

She whispered the next sentence. “That I was starting to fall for you Howard Moon.” She barged past him and out of the door. He turned to watch her retreating back. Howard sighed and walked into his room. He sat on his bed and put his face in his hands.

“Why did it happen to me? Why did I have to start falling for her? She’s a part of my best mate, why does my life always have to be so complicated?” He said to himself. He stood up and got his jacket. He walked out of his room and over to Naboo. “Trisha’s gone, so I’m gonna find her ok?”

“Make sure you both stay safe, yeah?” Howard nodded and left the loft. He knew she would probably go somewhere to forget everything that happened, so he went straight down their local, the Moon’s Face. It was only a 5 minute walk down there but it started to rain halfway so he ran the rest of the way. He walked in the pub and saw Trisha in a rounded booth on her own, a bottle of WKD in front of her. He went to the bar to get a pint of lager then walked over to her.

“Fuck off Howard. Just leave me alone.” She said, noticing him walking over to her out of the corner of her eye. She didn't even bother to look him in the eyes.

“No, I’m not leaving until you hear me out.” Howard sat down on the other side of her table.

“I got it Howard, loud and clear, you’re sick of me, you want Vince back, so you’re making Naboo go faster.”

“That is so far from the truth. I miss Vince, yes, but I enjoy having you around. I got to know you and… I like you.” Howard took her hands. “If I wanted rid of you, I would have made Naboo get on with the cure 24/7. But I’ve got used to you around. And there’s something else too. It was something that I know I should never have done, but I’ve done it anyway.”

“And what is that then Howard?” Trisha asked him. Howard kept hold of her hands and looked her straight in the eyes.

“I’m starting to fall for you Trish. It’s wrong, I know, but I can’t help it. You’re technically Vince, but I looked past that. I dunno why, it might be something to do with that your a part of Vince, but you’re one of the few women I’ve felt comfortable around, that I can tell things too, that I…”

Howard was stopped mid sentence when Trisha leant over and kissed him softly. It surprised him at first, but when she didn’t show signs of stopping, he deepened it. After a few minutes, they both leant back. Howard was the first to speak.

“Well, I guess you felt the same way then?”

“Howard, I’ve only known you for a couple of weeks, but I feel a connection with you.” Trisha told him.

“And same with you.” He smiled at her.

She smiled and moved around the booth to be sitting next to him.