Around the world and back is nothing without you

“Jake! Hurry the fuck up in there!” Shouted Kim, pounding her fists on the bathroom door.

“Two seconds Kim! I’m trying to do my hair!” Jake shouted in reply, from the other side of the locked door.

Kim sighed and leant her back against the door, frustrated and wanted a shower, badly. All of a sudden, her phone vibrated in her pocket and Shed Light by Bring Me The Horizon played around the house. She squeaked at the sudden vibration and quickly dug her phone out of her pocket, pressing the answer button.

“Hello?” She said into the mouthpiece.

“Hey! It’s Alex, how are you Kimmi-bearrr?” A male voice, supposedly Alex, said happily over the phone.

“Oh! Alex! Hey m’love. I’m alright, waiting for Jake to get his big fat butt out of the bathroom! How are you?” She replied, raising her voice when talking about Jake, as to make sure he heard her through the door.

”I heard that!” Jake screamed jokingly, ”And my butt is not big! Or fat! You’re just jealous of it Kim!”

Kim laughed, still on the phone.

Alex laughed slightly and said, “I’m guessing that was Jake then?”

“Yep, you got it in one,” Kim laughed and pushed off from the door, leaving her back feeling slightly cold.

“Anyway, I phoned you to see if you and Jake would want to come on holiday with me and Lianne,” he stopped to talk to someone on his side, “sorry about that, but would you like to come with us? We’re going around the world, we’ve got two spare tickets. We couldn’t think of anyone else but you two! It’s perfect, it could be just like old times. What do you say? Interested?”

Kim stood there, mouth hanging open, unable to reply. Jake then unlocked the bathroom door and walked out warily, fully expecting to get trampled by Kim. He had his eyes squeezed tightly shut and he hugged his arms close to his chest. Eventually, he realised that he wasn’t about to get trampled and opened one eye.

“What the hell?” He whispered quietly to himself, opening both his eyes fully and letting his arms drop normally to his sides.

#

“Kim, Kim, Kim!” Alex shouted over the phone.

Kim snapped out of her little daze and shook her head stupidly, obviously still suprised by Alex’s proposal.

“Uh, yeah, that would be, uh,” she began, “that would be great Alex. I’ll talk to Jake bout it, yeah...”

“Okay, well, okay, yeah. Phone me back later?”

“Sure, okay. I’ll phone you later. Bye Alex!”

“Awesome stuff. Talk to you later Kimmi-bear!”

With this, Alex hung up and left Kim standing there, still shocked, with the phone at her ear. Jake walked over to her and waved his hand in front of her face.

“Hello, Kim, are you still in there?” He remarked, smiling cheekily.

“Oh ha-ha Jake. You’re so funny!” Kim replied sarcastically and removed the phone from her ear, locking it and placing it back into her dressing gown pocket.

Jake smiled at her and she felt herself go weak at the knees. That smile..., she thought to herself. That smile could melt the arctic.

“Kimmi? You keep spacing out on me. What’s up?” Jake said, placing a caring hand on her upper arm and rubbing it lightly.

She felt herself go weak at the knees all over again as she replied, “Oh, I’m just thinking about what Alex said,”

He looked contused, “What did Alex say?”

“Oh, I should probably tell you about that...” She said, going quieter towards the end.

Secretly, she was scared that her best friend would say no, and she couldn’t bear to spend more than a day without seeing him, let alone a whole holiday around the world...

“Kim! You’re spacing out again!” Jake said, his hand still on her upper arm.

She blushed furiously and smiled sheepishly, “ Sorry. It’s just that Alex asked me- I mean us- to go on holiday with him and Lianne.” His face lit up, as hers blushed an even deeper shade of red.

“Kimmi! That would be brilliant!”

“R-really?” She just about managed to stammer out, “You really think it would be great?”

He grinned widely at her, “I think it would be better than great Kimz! We haven’t hung out with Alex and Lianne for ages! And going on holiday with them is like, wow!”

Kim felt the butterflies go crazy in her stomach as her best friend reached over and hugged her. She used all her courage to lift her arms from her sides and hug him back. He sighed happily and squeezed her to him tightly.

“This is going to be so much fun Kimz! Me, you, Alex and Lianne on the road again! But I do have one thing to ask...”

She smiled at the use of her favourite nickname and looked up at him from their tight embrace, “And what would that be Jakey?”

He smiled back at her, also loving how she used his nickname, the ones that only they used for each other, “Where exactly are we all going?”

She laughed lightly, tipping her head back, exposing the flesh of her neck to Jake. He stared intently at it, wishing her could just lean down and kiss it. She brought her head back up, closing any access to her neck.

“We’re going on a trip,” she paused, just to keep him hanging a bit longer, “we’re going on a trip...”

“Just say it already Kimmi!” Jake whined. She giggled at his lack of patience.

“We’re going on a trip, around the world!”

He gasped, which seemed a minor reaction, compared to Kim’s earlier. He then broke into a massive grin and pulled Kim tighter into his body, hugging her more. He picked her up by the waist and spun her round, placing a small kiss on her cheek as he did so. She felt the heat rising to her cheeks as he did so, she wrapped her arms lightly around his neck as he continued to spin her in circles.

“Jake! Stop it,” she giggled, clinging onto him tightly, “I think I’m going to be sick, I’m so dizzy!”

He giggled at her and put her down. He watched her stagger as she tried to stand still in front of her. He laughed lightly to himself and grabbed her arms softly. He gulped and lent his face towards hers. He pressed his lips onto hers and his eyes fluttered shut just after hers.

#

He reluctantly pulled away from her, looking awkwardly around the room, trying his hardest to think of something to say. She slowly opened her eyes, wondering if she had just dreamt that or not.

“Jake, uh, thanks for, uhm... Helping me get my balance back,” She mumbled awkwardly, folding her arms tightly across her chest, as if this would get rid of the sudden air of awkwardness between and around them.

“It’s okay. You know that I’m always here to, err, help you,” He mumbled in reply, letting a small smile play on his lips. She mumbled a quiet thanks and shuffled into the bathroom, closing the door quickly behind her.

He sighed deeply and dragged himself to the living room of their shared two-bedroom flat, wondering why he kissed her, what possessed him to do that, to his best friend...

#

Kim stepped out of the shower, all the tears she shed washed away, her face clean and a fake smile plastered there. She dried herself off and opened the door, walking briskly into her bedroom, careful not to grab the attention of her best friend. She made it into her bedroom without being noticed by Jake and shut her door tightly. She pulled her clothes and got dressed, thinking the whole time about the kiss.

It can’t have been a dream, she thought,It can’t have been a dream. It can’t have because he knew it happened. That wouldn’t have happened if it was a dream, surely? She was disturbed from her thoughts by a knock on the door, and a voice, calling her.

“Kim? Kim, are you in there?” Jake’s voice come through the door, sounding almost worried.

“Y-y-yeah. I’m in here, Jake,” She stuttered.

She heard him sigh, supposedly in relief, “Okay, when you come out. We need to talk,” he stopped and she felt tears in her eyes, “We need to talk about this holiday.” This time it was her who sighed in relief, and Jake who heard it.

“Just come out when you’re re-“ She cut him off by opening the door.

She laughed at the small ‘o’ shape his mouth made as she stepped out of the bedroom and almost walked into him.

“Jesus Jakey! Are you standing close enough to my door or what?” She laughed at poked him playfully in the chest. He smiled goofily back at her and began to tickle her.

“Jake, no! -- Stop! -- Jake, please! -- No!” She said, between laughs.

“Never! You poked me!” He said, with mock sadness lacing his words.

She looked up at him and gave him an evil glare. He screamed girlishly and got off her, running stupidly into the living area. She stood there and laughed at her slightly retarded best friend.