Average life, average job, average car, average looks. Life couldn't get more average. After leaving uni with a high loan, and only being able to work in a crappy office job, life just seems a bore. University seemed like such a waste of time, but the years just flied by, and the memories I'd never forget. Even though I have to pay about £30,000 off, I will never get over the time in university. That time was, well, pretty intense. Especially because I shared a room with an incredibly cute, brown eyed girl, named Marina. Marina, Marina Diamandis. The name still sparks something inside of me after all this time. I also had two other roommates, Josie and Sally, but whenever I think of university, I can't seem to remember them, only Marina.  ... The birds tweet rather annoyingly, prompting me to open my eyes and check my phone. It's only 7:30am, why am I waking up this early, it's my day off? Am I ill? I roll back over and go back to sleep, and put my earmuffs on. Just then, my phone bleeps irritatingly and I curse myself for unknowingly having it on full volume. I sigh and check my phone. Holy shit, could it be? No, it can't be! What the fuck, Marina?! I let it ring a couple of times, so it does not look like I am desperate, then I quickly answer the phone.  "Hello?" I say, noticing how awful my voice sounds.  "Faye!!! Did I wake you up?" Marina giggles down the phone. I now don't feel angry anymore.  "Err, no, just the birds outside, being twats."  Marina laughs, and then pauses.  "So, what are you doing today?" She asks, seeming interested.  "I don't know, I might stay in my pyjamas all day, watch Netflix and then cry into my tub of Ben and Jerry's whilst watching Titanic,"  "Hey, can I join you?" Marina asks. Wait, what.  "I was being sarcastic about-"  "I know, you silly tit, but can I not come around and we can just act like sloths all day?"  "Ok, but bring the goods, you little shit," I say, with a smile.  "I know you love me, nerd. See you in half an hour." Marina hangs up and ends the call. I don't know what I'm more bothered about, her knowing that I love her (like really love her) or being called a nerd (probably referring to my job.) I brush it off and go and change into some fresh pyjamas. It's not like I need to get dressed up for her, or do I?  ... The door bell rings violently. Oh shit, it's her. After almost falling over, I answer the door, only to see Marina in her pyjamas aswell, looking like a cow (her pyjamas, I mean.)  "Hello trouble," She says in a deep voice and then kisses me on both of my cheeks, and carries her bag through to the lounge. What the fuck Marina, aren't you supposed to be Greek, not French? I again, brush it off. I mean, we haven't seen each other in months. Marina gets loads of stuff out of her bag, DVDs, popcorn, sweets, and unsurprisingly, alcohol. Marina winks when she gets the large vodka bottle out. I look at the DVDs she's brought 'round.  "Seriously Marina, you've brought High School Musical?!"  Marina blushes.  "Shut up!" She says, and looks away. I'm putting this one on first. I open the box and a blank DVD is in there. That's odd? I look at Marina, who is stood pouring drinks, and I decide to put the dvd in.  "We're not on the vodka yet are we?" I ask, folding my arms.  "No, silly, we're on the Capri suns." Marina pulls a pack out of her bag.  "Jesus Christ Marina, what else have you got in there?" Marina smirks and sits down.  "So, what's the first film we're watching?" Marina asks.  "High school musical," I smirk. Suddenly, an option screen appears on the screen.  "Oh god, no," Marina says, rushing over to the DVD player and taking the disc out.  "What?" Marina doesn't reply, and instead puts another dvd in.  "That wasn't high school musical," Marina giggles awkwardly, and puts it away. Then what is it then, porn? I actually wouldn't be surprised, one time we sat and watched 'The Pad' for an hour not even saying anything, and just watching the woman on the screen wearing very revealing clothing, whilst laying on a couch, looking at her nails, with shifty 70's funk music in the background. But why would Marina be so secretive of porn, and why would it be in the high school musical case? I laugh to myself, and Marina plonks herself next to me, moving even closer. I begin to feel rather nervous, not knowing whether it was because of how close Marina is to me now, or because of the unrecognisable gaze (or death stare) Marina is giving me. "What were you laughing about?" She asks, breathing on my neck and pressing play. Well, I'm genuinely fucked.  "That dvd,"  "Shut up," Marina rolls her eyes.  "Make me," I tease. Marina then smirks and moves away from me to the other side of the couch, leaving me feeling cold because of the loss of body contact. She occasionally looks over, and smiles whilst we watch whatever crappy teen comedy we're watching. This girl really knows how to push my buttons. ... After we've watched 2 films, I get to pick the next. Marina's picked all of them so far (road trip, and american pie 2) and I pick Scott Pilgrim vs The World for the third. "Hey, we used to watch this all the time at uni!" Marina says. I nod and walk back to the couch. At least this one won't be as awkward (road trip and American pie has some sex scenes in it, which felt awkward to watch with Marina looking at me whilst I laughed.)  "You'd always compare your band to Sex-bomb-omb." Marina smiles and nudges me.  "Hey, don't mention The Silly Tits ever again, alright?" Marina can't stop laughing and I can't hear the film.  "Your band was so bad,"  "No shit Sherlock,"  "Seriously, you got paper cups thrown at you at the graduation party, and when I had sleepovers we'd always talk about how bad you guys were,"  "Hey, it's not my fault they made Sarah the singer who won't sing anything other than The Clash, and what you talked about me at sleepovers?" Marina blushes, and looks away.  "Uhh...no, we just talked about gossip, and stuff," I look at her suspiciously and continue to watch the film. Whenever I went to band practice, Marina would go to one of the other dorms to stay over because I'd usually be there all night (the drummer had a never-ending supply of alcohol and energy drinks,) and the next day i'd be too tired to do anything so I would stumble back into the dorm room and pass out on my bed. When the film finished, Marina got up and started stretching. I watched her as she moaned (which kind of made me feel very warm?) and looks back at me. I look away after being caught staring.  "It's 6 already?" She asks, looking at the clock. "Yeah, are you staying for dinner?"  "Yes, I'll eat everything." "Sure you will." Marina playfully pinches my arse as I walk into the kitchen and I run away. I look in the fridge and there's nothing in there other than a bottle of diet coke and a tiny piece of cheese. I sigh and walk back through to the lounge when I see Marina laying down on the floor, looking at the tv. "Resident evil?" I say.  "Yeah, it's your favourite game? Right?" Marina smiles, whilst looking deep into my eyes. I need a map for her eyes, I always seem to get lost in them.  "Yeah, um there's nothing in the fridge so I'm gonna order some pizzas,"  "Ok," She says whilst violently pressing the buttons. I worry about the state which my controller will be in after Marina's finished.  "Hello, is this dominos?" I say on the phone. Marina laughs and I throw a cushion at her.  "Yes, it is." A high-pitched teenage boy replied on the end of the line.  "Can I order a regular pepperoni pizza and a regular supreme please?"  "Yes, that will be £30." Wow, hella expensive. I tell him my address after he gets it wrong five times. Marina rolls her eyes and laughs before turning her attention back to the screen. "Ok, how long will it be?" But before I get my reply, Marina drags me down to the floor and picks the phone up.  "Hi, this is her girlfriend and you better hurry the fuck up or else she will kill you." Marina hangs up and starts laughing.  "Marina! You little shit!" I say.  "Don't be mean to your girlfriend," Marina says, looking at me. I turn back to look at the screen. Just another one of Marina's jokes. We then both choose our characters, Marina picks the girl.  "Marina, why choose to be her, she's shit,"  "Yeah, but she has a nice arse," I raise my eyebrows and ignore it. How could Marina like girls? She probably likes guys.  "But she's useless,"  "Yeah, like me,"  "You're not useless, you're-"  "I'm on about my skills at this game, Faye," Marina says like I'm stupid again.  "Oh." After about 15 minutes of playing, with Marina continuously dying (the guy with the chainsaw really has it in for her, so she says) I go to light the fire. Marina stays laying down, resuming the game and doing god knows what.  "Don't move then," I say stepping over her. While I light the fire I hear the music that plays when you die so I put two and two together.  "Damn!" Marina says. As I walk around Marina she puts her leg out and I fall on top of Marina and onto her back.  "Shit, I'm so sorry Marina, are you ok?!" I say, with my hands going straight to her waist. I curse myself silently for placing them there.  "Yes I'm fine, actually, this feels quite nice," It then kicks it that I'm either spooning (or bumming) the hottest girl I know, who I may have liked during (and after) university. Well, fuck. ... "This pizza is the shiz," Marina says, opening the boxes.  "Yeah," I say. We eat our pizza, and Marina steals one of my slices. I turn a blind eye and she smiles.  "I didn't bring any money," Marina says. "Don't worry, I'll get it,"  "But you got it last time,"  "It's no problem." There's a short silence before Marina speaks up again.  "So, tell me about your new job," Marina says, playing with her food.  "What about my job?"  "What do you do?"  "Sit in an office, type emails to people who get payed more than me, call people, boring stuff."  "Who do you work for?" "Just this publishing company. It's not great," I say, thinking about the day I have at work tomorrow.  "You've never really gone into detail about your jobs," Marina says. I always feel like she'd judge me if I tell her about all the crappy jobs I've had.  "I guess I've only had it for about a week or so, how's the music thing going?"  "Ok, I think, just recording I guess. My managers been quiet lately."  "Is that a good thing?" Marina shrugs, then takes a sip of her drink. "That tea was lovely. How's about we go and roast some marshmallows?" Marina asks. Despite being tiny she seems to have a never ending stomach. I nod and get some sticks and I sit next to Marina whilst she sits and looks at the fire. The warmth feels nice and I can see orange on Marina's face.  "Are you at work tomorrow?" Marina asks.  "Yeah," I sigh. "But I finish at 5," I say.  "Meet me at that ice cream parlour tomorrow when you finish," Marina says, with a smile. "My treat, considering you payed for the pizza,"  "Yeah well, a £3 ice cream isn't the same as two £30 pizzas,"  "Hey! Cheeky! You're seeing me, what more do you want!" Marina laughs and hits me on the shoulder, which kind of hurt.  "No but seriously, if you want me to pay then-"  "It's fine, I was only joking." I say. We go back to quietly roasting our marshmallows. I blow mine and then turn to see Marina, who's marshmallow has caught on fire.  "Shit!" She says. I blow it out for her and she scowls at the burnt marshmallow. "Hey, it's your own fault, if you were paying attention to your marshmallow then maybe it wouldn't be black."  "Maybe I was too busy looking at you." Marina says, then realising what she just said. Her face turned as red as the fire. "I mean...my attention was somewhere else. I was watching you with your marshmallow."  "Hah, ok then," I say, looking back at Marina who stares down at her very roasted marshmallow. She looks up at me with her puppy dog eyes. I sigh and we swap sticks. I get marshmallow on my nose and Marina smiles and wipes it off, licking it herself.  "Sometimes I feel like we're still there," Marina says, looking dreamily at me and reminiscing of uni. "Same, but now we have to work for a living," I say, getting flustered because of how close Marina is to me.  "Yeah, but we earn money, and we can do things with that money, things together," Marina presses her nose against mine.  "Yeah," I smile. Marina smiles back and her phone rings. Her ringtone is a very deep-voiced African man singing 'I'm in love with the coco, coco' I try hard not to laugh at her ringtone. "Ah shit, it's my manager," She says, and answers her phone. I laugh and Marina blushes, she heard me sing Coco jokingly with my friends all the way through uni and still now. She often laughed about how bad it was, but now it's grown on her. Marina nods and hangs up her phone.  "I've got to go and record some things, see you tomorrow." She says, and gets her stuff.  "Don't forget." She pokes.  "Ok," I say, slightly annoyed that she's leaving so soon (well I have spent the entire day with her, so I'm just being greedy)  "Bye," Marina smiles and waves, and leaves me standing watching her leave, dreading work the next day.

I bury my head on my desk, covered in paperwork. 15 minutes and 5 cups of coffee later, and I still can't find the energy to get any work done. Glancing down at my empty coffee cup, I walk out of my office and straight down the corridor to the coffee machine. I hear a lot of people talking, about some top dog who's gonna walk down here at any moment. I hope she doesn't see the lazy worker who just wants another cup of coffee. I approach the machine and decide I want a hot chocolate instead. On my way back to the office, I bump into a woman all dressed in black and spill my hot chocolate all over her. Her face looks like it's about to explode, and everyone around me stops and stares, and the person who was not that far away from her, wearing glasses and holding a clipboard to her chest, gasped in horror.  "Oh god, I'm so sorry!" I say.  "You should be! These cost a fortune!" She yelled, pointing to her clothes. Out of fear, I run away and back into my office and lock the door. Shit, now I've probably lost my job.  ...  It's gone past 5, and the manager requested I wait in my office as someone wants to talk to me. When I look up, the woman from before appeared, the scowl still on her face.  "I'm really sorry about what happened before,"  "Shut up!" She shouted, in an American accent. Her face was quite worn in and wrinkled. She looked similar to the blonde wearing glasses stood near her before.  "You are going to pay me back for this, and I will make your life a living hell." She scowled. "I'm only doing this because Cordelia wanted me to." What kind of name is Cordelia?  "What?"  "I want you to be my PA." The old woman stood, and folded her arms.  "Why?"  "Because I said so! Listen, Cordelia thought that she could see potential in you, and sadly, my days at Supreme magazine are coming to a close, and boy am I gonna make you work."  "What potential?" The old woman sighed.  "She read through a few of your articles from when you studied at university, and wondered why you were at the bottom. So, to make my daughter happy, I'm making you my PA." "But PA's don't write any articles."  "No, but they do scrub my feet, and after the treatment I've had this morning, I think you owe me big time."  "Do I get any more pay?" I say, trying not to sound rude.  "No, and now, you're missing a day's pay."  "What?"  "Shut up. You start at Supreme tomorrow." "And what if I choose not to?"  "You're going to. Your contract here is done. Your manager couldn't wait to see the back of you. You don't even need to pack your stuff! Now I would take the job, because if you don't then, well, you'll have no job, so, is it a deal?"  "Yes," I hesitate.  "Good, tomorrow, 8'o clock sharp." The woman walked out in her heels and slammed the door shut. Oh great, now I'm working for an old hag, not using any of my skills. I thought my old job was bad, but this is worse.  ... I walk down the street, and see the new ice cream shop 'Just Desserts' that Marina told me to meet her at. I walk in and I am immediately greeted by an old, bald man with a moustache who is stood behind the counter.  "Hello! Welcome to Just Desserts, you're Faye right?" The man says. Before I get chance to reply Marina comes over and smiles.  "Faye this is Andrew, Charli's grandad." Marina points to Andrew. I say hello and Marina drags me away to a booth nearby. Charli is one of Marina's friends from uni. Strangely, I have never met her before. "Don't worry, I've already ordered for you," Marina says, pointing to a very pink looking ice cream.  "Thanks," I say, and sit down opposite her.  "What's up?" She asks, noticing that I'm a bit pissed off.  "Just a very bad day at work," I sigh.  "Marina! Your song is coming on!" Andrew shouts and Marina smiles. The song is played over the speakers and I listen to Marina's heavenly voice. The other bit goes back to rapping done by someone else. It shortly returns back to the choruses which Marina sings (and slays.)  "This song is really awesome!" I say, and Marina smiles excitedly back at me.  "It's Just Desserts! Me and Charli wrote it!"  "Not like, throwing shade or anything, but you own that song, just saying," I whisper. Marina blushes.  "Oh stop it you. Charli has other songs too which I think you'll like, I know rap isn't generally your thing," Marina says and licks her ice cream. My heart was as cold as ice before I came in here, but now it has melted to the core. "You're more of an old, country girl,"  "No, not really," I say and Marina giggles. "I am partial to some bits of country, but I think I'm more of an 80's rock girl at heart,"  "Mixed in with the cheesy love songs and deadbeat pop and there you have it," Marina laughs and I do too. She smiles whilst looking at me and I feel like the butterflies in my stomach will come flooding out any minute.  "There, the smile has reached your eyes now," Marina says, leaning into touch my cheek, then putting her finger on my nose.  "What are you doing?" I laugh. Marina gets the bit of ice cream on my nose and puts it in her mouth, cutely. My insides feel like they are about to combust.  "Cleaning you up, messy pup," Marina smirks. "You're a messy eater,"  "You're one to talk," I say, pointing at a large dollop of ice cream on her t shirt.  "Oh shit," She mumbles, and wipes it off. I try not to look at Marina with her hand touching her boob and look around the parlour. It's pink and white decor give it a retro feel. Andrews eyes meet mine and he smiles awkwardly before going to serve a customer. I turn my head back to Marina and she has her hand on her cheek, staring. As soon as I look at her she looks down, brushing at her top again.  "I'm gonna have to invest in a bib for you, baby," I say, louder then I intended to. Marina looked up, her brown eyes boring into mine.  "Call me baby again," She says with a smirk. I look at her confusedly and she suddenly flings ice cream at me. We start an ice cream fight and by the end of it we are splattered with ice cream all over. Luckily Andrew turns a blind eye and doesn't ban us from the shop despite the ice cream splattered on the walls where we were sat.  "Looks like we both have to buy bibs now," I say, looking down at my cold, covered work shirt. "C'mon baby," Marina takes my hand and when we are about to walk out the mean old hag surprisingly walks in, in tow with the blonde woman with glasses.  "Wow, you really are childish," The woman says, looking me up and down and seeing the ice cream all over me. The woman behind her stands timidly, and gives Marina a shy, small smile. "I'll be seeing you tomorrow at 9'o clock sharp." The hag says and walks in whilst we walk out. I sigh and we walk down the street together in silence. Why does this old woman who I've only just met ruin my whole day and ruin my mood. I feel bad for Marina as well. Why does she even waste her time with someone like me. Whilst we're crossing the road, Marina slips her hand in mine. Despite feeling like absolute dirt, a million fireworks go off in my body and Marina cautiously looks at me with a look saying 'are you alright?' I smile at Marina and we carry on walking down the street, hand in hand. We soon approach my door, and Marina doesn't let go of my hand.  "Are you ok?" She asks, finally letting go.  "Yeah, of course, why?" I say. Marina places her hand on my shoulder. The amount of physical contact we have had over the last two days is overwhelming. Well, I guess we've always been tactile.  "Ignore that old bitch, she knows nothing about you. You're great and anyone who says otherwise gets their arse kicked by me."  "And if anyone tries anything with you I will kill them," I say. Marina smiles, patting my shoulder.  "I know you will. I don't really want to leave, but I want you to get a good sleep. Come to my house after you finish, ok?" Marina asks.  "There's no place else I'd rather be," I say. Marina smiles. She knows me far too well to know that I'm not being sarcastic even though I am a very sarcastic person.  "Goodnight," She says and kisses my cheek before leaving rather quickly. I watch her walk off, and touch my cheek, still stood at the door. I get my key out after a good five minutes of doing nothing but stand there, still baffled. I fumble to get my key in the door and once it opens, I immediately lean against the nearest wall and drop down. I touch my cheek again. Not only am I fucked in the job area, but also in the everything area. Especially in the Marina area.

The night was long, my head was clouded with thoughts about work and Marina. I didn't want to sleep, because if I went to sleep, work would come sooner. But a part of me did want to sleep; so that I'd be able to see Marina even sooner. If I could, I'd give up this crappy job and travel everywhere with her. We'd go wherever she wants, from the outbacks of the Amazonian rainforest to the bitter cold of Antarctica. No matter where I am, I'd be with Marina; and that's fine by me.  ... I rub my eyes whilst standing on the other side of the road, plucking up the courage to walk over and face the mighty large building before me. Supreme Magazine is a big company. A VERY big one. From what I've seen, Supreme does a mix of all sorts of articles, whether it be celebrities, fashion or music. There are a range of articles to write, and because of it being one of the biggest magazines worldwide, the pressure is even bigger. I take a few deep breaths and think of Marina as I walk across the road and into the intimidating doors of Supreme Magazine. I head straight to the reception first to see where the hell I have to go. From the looks of the place; its just like a maze. There are so many doors, rooms, flights, floors. It's basically one giant skyscraper; and if I've never been afraid of heights before, I certainly am now. The receptionist must've known I was nervous as I asked where Ms Goode's office is. The receptionist smiled and seemed too nice a person to be in such a place like this.  "4th floor, 3rd room on the left." The receptionist said, adjusting his tie. Wow, even the receptionists wear ties. I say thanks and get in the elevator. I'm not really a fan of elevators, but it beats walking four flights of stairs; it doesn't help that I am also wearing heels today. The elevator pings and I find Ms Goode's office. I knock twice and step in, but surprisingly, it's not the old hag's office. Instead it's the woman from yesterday, who was also in the ice cream parlour with the old witch.  "I'm so sorry, I think I got the wrong room," I say. The woman's face looks surprised, and she gets up and stands in front of her desk. She pushes up her glasses and smiles. "Don't be. I'm assuming you asked for my mother," The woman says with a hint of disgrace, but doesn't express it.  "She's your mum?!" I say, a bit too loud. The woman begins to laugh and I keep repeating the words 'oh god' and 'sorry' like a mantra.  "Don't be. I was a Foxx but I've recently just gotten divorced so now I'm Goode,"  "Goode for you," I say and the woman laughs just before the door abruptly opens. Enter, the old cow.  "Cordelia?! What on earth is-?" The old woman yelled. She takes one look at me and sighs.  "Oh, it's you." She says with a grimace. "What are you doing here?"  "Faye was trying to find your office, but-"  "Ok Cordelia I get it, Jesus." The old woman says and Cordelia walks to her desk, sitting back down again, standing down to her mother.  "Would you mind if I steal Ms Baldwin off you? Since you've already become so accustomed already?" The old woman says condescendingly, and not even waiting for an answer, dragging me out of the room.  "You're already making her laugh? Haven't seen that in a while. But you're not working with her; in fact, you're not working with anyone. You're working for ME. You do whatever I say. If I tell you to get a tin of tartan paint you will get it yes, understand?"  "But you can't get tins of tartan paint," I say and the woman gives me a stern look back. "I mean, yes ma'am."  "Good, ok. So let's start with this. I need you to organise all these files and call these numbers, leaving these messages." The woman passes me a shit ton of files and they instantly weigh my whole body down. "I'm a very busy woman Faye; I have a lot of contacts. So if you ever, ever place a foot out of line," She points down at the contacts and points back at me. I nod and run the fuck away from her. Not knowing where I'm now going as I haven't been told, I walk down a random corridor and bump into someone. Such great first impressions you're giving out today, Faye. The files fall on the floor and I see a flurry of blonde hair picking them up. I'm thankful that I only bumped into Cordelia. She helps me pick them up, and then urges me to follow her back to her room.  "Here, you can do this in my room today," She says. "I've got two computers." Humbled by the gesture and the rescue, I thank Cordelia. She is probably the only decent person in here.  ... I stare down at the list of contacts. Vincenzo Leone. I guess she was saying before that if I try anything she will set the Mafia out on me. This just makes me even more prone to mess up. I do the work speedily, and Cordelia, when taking breaks from her computer, often walks over to look through the files. Just after I've left another message, she walks back over. She smiles when I look at her reading through the files.  "The way she is acting with you isn't fair," She says, flickering through the files. "You deserve so much better than this." I just nod and we sit in silence for a while. I don't really know what to say.  "I'll make something happen, don't worry." She reassures me. I'd hope that she could, but if I'm honest, her mother has the power to walk all over anybody.  "So, what do you do here?" I ask.  "I'm the editor in chief, I do a few articles and keep everything in check so that the magazine is finished. My mother oversees everything; she's the big boss, but she doesn't write any articles or any of the hard stuff."  "Has she ever written an article?" Cordelia laughs, it must've been the way I said it.  "She did when she was young. She wrote an article about the New York fashion show when she was 25. I've read it and in all honesty, it's shit." I laugh and Cordelia laughs too. I get the impression that her mother walks all over her too, which isn't very pleasant and I find myself thinking that Cordelia deserves so much better. She deserves a mother that praises her talents; not one that is ungrateful for the amount of effort put in.  "She only got to where she is now because of the boss of the was then New York Lights magazine. My mother seduced him, married him, and, when he died, amassed his fortune and the business. She changed the name to Supreme Magazine and yeah."  "Was he your father?" Maybe I'm prying, but this is a not so bad history lesson.  "No, I don't know who my father is. She had me when she was 27 and married when she was 31. I was usually just left dumped with the nanny whilst my mother and him would travel the world." Cordelia says with sadness in her eyes.  "I'd love to travel the world," I say, thinking of the places I could go. With Marina.  "Me too." Cordelia says.  "Why don't you?" I ask.  "I've got this to look after," Cordelia says. "The magazine needs a steady management and my mother keeps running away leaving me in charge. But she won't sign over the papers. She doesn't want me to have this, and I want to prove her wrong."  "Why?" I ask.  "Because she wants to be famous, and remembered, and known as the supreme of Supreme Magazine."  "She sounds like a greedy old cow," I say, sipping a cup of tea Cordelia made.  "Yes she is," Cordelia laughs. My phone starts ringing and Marina's name flashes on the screen.  "Do you mind if I take this?" I say apologetically.  "No, not at all,"  "Hi baby! How is it going?" Marina asks, sounding like her bubbly self.  "Yeah it's going good," I say and Cordelia turns around and smiles.  "Is that old witch giving you grief? Because if she is I will-"  "No Marina, everything is just fine. But thank you."  "Anything for you. You still coming around later?" "Of course I am."  "Great, because I wouldn't be happy if you get held up at work,"  "I can't make any promises, but I'll try not to okay. I'm looking forward to seeing you," I smile.  "Can't wait to see you too. See you later alligator."  "In a while crocodile," I say and hang up. Cordelia stands around and smiles. I think she probably heard the conversation and what Marina said about her mother.  "You two seem pretty good friends," "Yes," I blush. "We are." For the rest of the afternoon, after I finish sorting the files, me and Cordelia work together and she shows me the drafts of the articles for next fortnights issue. It's nearing 5 and I'm surprised that Ms Goode hasn't come looking for me yet.  "So, can I just call you Cordelia from now on? It'll make it easier with all these Goode's and stuff," I say, pulling my raincoat on before cringing whilst looking out of the window at the harsh winds and rain.  "Well, you've been calling me that all afternoon right?" Cordelia smiles.  "I, yes. Thank you for, uhm, keeping me under your wing this afternoon."  "You're welcome. And thank you too for listening to me. Do you want an umbrella?" Cordelia asks.  "Thank you but I'll be alright."  "Really? Because you haven't got a hood on your coat?" Cordelia smiles and laughs.  "Ok. Thank you."  "No problem. See you tomorrow, Faye."  "You too." I walk out of Supreme and try to walk to Marina's as fast as possible.  ... The rain is bitter and horrible; the wind even worse, I think as I jog to Marina's house. Today wasn't quite bad, I mean, it could've gone worse. That doesn't mean that tomorrow is going to be just as good. I open the gate and knock on the door. Marina's front garden is colourful and blessed with many flowers. Even though Marina often denies it, I do believe gardening is one of her favourite hobbies. The door opens and Marina is stood in a t shirt and jeans. She looks so good in basically anything.  Her hair also looks like it's been freshly washed and probably smells like coconuts. She stands there looking at me and laughs. She probably heard how sad and lonely my thoughts were.  "What the fuck happened to your umbrella?" She snorts. I look down at the umbrella which is now turned inside out, absolutely battered. "Let's get you in. Fuck, you're so wet." Marina finally lets me in and takes my coat and umbrella away from me. Well, thats Cordelia's umbrella fucked. Looks like I'll have to buy a new one.  "I'll go and fetch a towel and make a couple of brews, go and sit down," I walk through the hallway, the walls filled with pictures of Marina and Marina's family all together. I smile and walk into the living room. The heat from the fire warms me up and the crackling makes the place feel like home. The TV is on, and Marina has been watching countdown. This isn't surprising, as Marina loves her quiz shows, and it just so happens that she also has a very high IQ, and got straight A's throughout school. I stand closer to the fire, the warmth spreading to my bones. There's also some pictures on the fireplace as well, and one that I have never noticed; a picture of me and Marina. I hear the door open and Marina comes in with a towel.  "You're standing dangerously close to the fire," She whispers, sending chills down my spine. She places the towel over my shoulders and leaves her hands a second longer than what is considered normal. "Go sit on the couch," She says. "Make yourself comfortable."  I sit on the couch and Marina smiles and walks off. On the small cabinet at the end of sofa, where a lamp is, I see another photo of us two, wearing our graduation caps and smiling. I lean over and stare at it. How wonderful Marina's smile was that day, and how she bounced with joy when she received her honours. The door opens and I quickly place the picture back down and pretend I'm laying down. She walks over and stands directly in front of me. "Oi, shift," She says, holding two mugs. "Just kidding, please don't," I sit up and move over and she sits down. She places the mugs on the cabinet and I hope she hasn't noticed that the photo has moved a little. She looks at me and then pats her lap. I smile and I lay back down again, my head in Marina's lap. After a long, but comfortable silence, Marina begins to play with my hair, which feels like heaven.  "So, how was work today?" Marina asks, twirling my hair.  "It was ok," I say distractedly. I try to put my attention on the television, which is hard because this game show is hard and I'm struggling to make a word out of the letters that have been played. The countdown clock rings and it's time for the answers.  "Bordered," Marina says at the television.  "What have you got?" The presenter says to one of the contestants.  "8. Bordered." The contestant says. The woman with the dictionary and laptop nods her head.  "Yes, we also have bordered." The smart woman says.  "Well done," The presenter says and gives 7 points to the contestant with the best answer. The smart woman then goes into depth about the origins of the word. That's when I really get bored. I look up at Marina and she's looking down at me, smiling.  "Sorry," She says, looking up at the TV.  "What for?" I ask.  "Staring," She says.  "It's fine. I've stared at you way more," I say. Marina blushes and reaches for something, probably her drink.  "Did you scrub witch tit's feet today?" Marina asks.  "No actually, I basically just hid in her daughters room all day and did fuck all."  "Her daughter?" Marina says, her voice changing.  "The blonde woman who came in with her at the ice cream parlour, Cordelia. She's not that bad actually."  "What does she do?"  "Looks over everything. She basically does her mums job and edits everything whilst her mum just yells at everyone,"  "Sounds accurate." Marina says. Marina's cat, Oreo, jumps up and walks all over me, paddling and purring.  "Hey, she's mine, back off," Marina says to Oreo. I blush and even though I feel bad for Oreo, Marina's cuddly black and white cat, I love the attention Marina is giving me.  "I'm gonna get some biscuits," Marina says and I lift myself off her. The cat jumps off the sofa and follows Marina out of the room and into the kitchen, it's little bells on his pink collar ringing. I love the fact that Marina got Oreo a girls collar, she can be funny without even tending to be sometimes.  "You want food? You fat pig!" I hear Marina shout at Oreo. "I didn't mean it, I love you," I laugh and Marina shortly comes back in, a full pack of biscuits. She could eat ten packs of biscuits a day and still not gain weight. "Want one?" She asks, now sat at the other end of the sofa.  "I'm alright thanks," I say. "What have you been up to today?"  "Not a lot. Just went to record some bits then went to Asda to get some stuff," She says.  "Sounds interesting," I say.  "Not as interesting as your day though. Did Cordelia speak much?" I don't really know why Marina is bothered, she doesn't usually ask many questions.  "Yeah, just how her mum is a bitch and a money grabber. She also heard you on the phone by the way."  "Did you put it on loud speaker?"  "No..." I say awkwardly. Marina smiles.  "She needs to keep out of our conversations then, nosey cow," Marina says matter of factly. I laugh and Marina does too, shifting closer to me.  "I'm worried about tomorrow though, I have a feeling that it won't go as smoothly as today." I lay down and sigh.  "Don't worry babe, everything will be alright," Marina reassures me and squeezes my leg.  "I just wish I did something more beneficial at uni so maybe I'd be in a better job, like maybe nursing or something,"  "Don't say that," Marina responds quickly, with alarm in her eyes. "If you went to medical school, we would never have met,"  "But nurses don't go to medical school they go to nursing school,"  "Don't change the subject," Marina says. What. Marina stares and I look back up at her. This lasts for a long time. I'm not timing it or anything but it's longer than considered normal. To my surprise Marina leans down into me, placing both her hands on my shoulders and kisses me. I've been waiting so long for this that I don't even know how to transmit it properly. I close my eyes and try to make this feeling last forever. I can feel my heart hammering in my chest. Her lips taste like strawberries and feel warm. I kiss her back and she breaks the kiss and leans up, her cheeks scarlet, looking back at the television. Over that soon? Really?  "Marina?" I whisper.  "Shh," She says, now back in the same position as we were before, and she's back to playing with my hair.  ...  Marina's POV:

I continue to watch the TV as if nothing happened. It's not that I didn't regret the kiss, it's just that I don't know if Faye understands my feelings for her, and I am worried that she won't feel for me like I feel for her. I know the kiss surprised her. She was tense and didn't feel that deep into it. It's probably because I kissed her when she least expected me to. I pick up our graduation photograph again like I did before whilst she was awake watching the TV. I smile at how cute we were. Well, we still are cute. The thing she said to me before hit a nerve. I can't imagine to begin what my life would be like without her. Not only has she been my rock for the past few years, but she has also given me excellent advice on shitty boyfriends. I wonder if she secretly had feelings for me then like I did, well do have, for her? Or whether or not she has them at all?  "Marina...Marina..." I hear her voice mumble.  "Faye, are you ok?" I whisper. She doesn't reply and all I can hear is her breathing. She must be dreaming. I blush at the fact she might be dreaming about me, or that I am simply in her dreams. If she knew how many dreams she's been in in my dreams she'd probably get so freaked out. About an hour later, she stirs and slowly begins to wake up.  "Hey sleepyhead," I whisper, looking down at the tired girl on my lap.  "Hi," She whispers back, smiling.  "You tired?" I ask even though I already know the answer. Faye leans up and stretches.  "Yeah, a bit."  "Want me to drive you home?" I ask, hoping that she'll say yes.  "You don't have to, I'll be ok walking home," I sigh and reach out for her.  "In case you've forgotten...your umbrella is broken, your coat has no hood and is already absolutely soaked,"  "Good point. If you don't mind then," I say. I smile and we both get up. Faye gets her coat and her very battered umbrella, and we get in the car. I've always kept my black Range Rover in great condition, it had been a gift from my father, a wealthy businessman in Greece. I still miss my Dad sometimes. Me and Faye have spent many of nights in this car, whether it was her who was driving me home when she didn't even have a drivers license but still drove anyway because I was too drunk to stand up, or the time where Faye got in a bar fight with a guy who tried to put something in my drink and had a black eye and a bust lip. She's always been there. So has the car.  I put the radio on as we drive down the street. Faye is quiet, absentmindedly staring out of the window at the pitch black sky. It's only seven o clock, but it is winter I suppose.  "You ok?" I ask, worrying if I did something to upset her.  "Yeah, are you?" She asks back. I feel her eyes on me and I tell myself to concentrate on the road.  "Yes, fine," I say, slightly unsure of my words. I think she senses though as she sighs and continues to look out of the window. As we get to Faye's house, I frown. I didn't want her to leave, so why was I making her? I wasn't making her was I? It's her choice after all.  "Thanks for the ride," She says, looking at me with a small smile.  "Yeah? Yeah it's fine," I say absentmindedly.  "Listen if it's about before I-"  "I've got to go, can we talk about it another time?" I interrupt. I wasn't ready to explain why I did it. I felt like it was the right time to do it, I suppose.  "Uh, yeah sure. Well, goodbye," Faye says and gets out of the car too quickly. Something unnerves me about the way she said 'goodbye', as if I never were to see her again. Maybe she thought that I didn't want to see her again, because of the way I was acting. But I want to see her all the time; I want to be with her all the time. It hurts me whenever she goes, yet I can't keep her with me right now as I don't know what I'll end up doing. I don't want to ruin our friendship; I value it very much, but I can't live knowing that she'll be someone else's, and never mine. I sigh and start the car up. If only she knew only crazy her best friend is for her.