‘So, what's he like?’
Kevin frowned, groaning slightly. ‘Well…’ he said, ‘he’s sort of intense, but he seems nice enough…I suppose…’
His friend Christina watched him with an unconvinced expression, frowning back at him.
‘You know if you're ever uncomfortable or anything you can stay at my place.’
‘Yeah, I know’ Kevin mumbled, ‘but I don’t want to be a burden or anything.’
‘Hardly. You know you could never be a burden on me.’
They were now in Kevin’s home, the one he was moving out of. His friend Christina had come over to help him move his possessions over to the new place.
‘That’s kind of you to offer though’ Kevin said to her, ‘but I want to make my own way in this world and crashing with friends for free isn’t the way to go. Plus, you rent, and you’re not allowed tenants.’
‘Its ok if its only short-term.’
‘Exactly.’
Christina tilted her head at him, here glossy blonde hair falling over her shoulders.
‘You need to learn that it’s ok to ask people for help sometimes’ she told him.
‘I know that’ Kevin sighed wearily, ‘I just…want to do things on my own if I can…’
‘Sure.’
It only took a short amount of time to gather Kevin’s things, mostly it was just clothes. They managed to fit all the stuff he wanted to take with him into two large boxes, carrying one each down the stairs. They left them by the door as Kevin went to say goodbye to his parents.
‘You know you can come home any time’ his mother said hugging him.
‘I know mum’ he smiled as he held her back, ‘but I'm not a kid anymore.’
‘Come visit us whenever you can’ his father said, extending a hand to Kevin for him to shake. ‘You know we’ll always be here for you.’
Kevin made his farewells, leaving the house with Christina close beside him.
She was facing away from him now, sniffing sadly.
‘Oh, Christina come one, don’t get sad. I’m still close to home.’
‘I know it’s just…’ she sniffed again, eyes teary. ‘Your family are so sweet…they're going to miss you so much I'm sure…my family hardly noticed I was gone.’
Kevin turned to her then.
Christiana had had an abusive family, and a difficult past. She had run away from home at the age of thirteen, staying with a friend. She had gotten a job, working hard when she wasn’t in school so she could afford a place of her own, a dream which eventually became a reality. She had her own small apartment now, though it was a little old and shabby, she had made it warm and welcoming.
‘I can’t wait to see this new place of yours’ she gleamed at him. ‘I love moving house and decorating and stuff…’
‘Well there’s not much to decorate I'm afraid’ Kevin told her as they walked along the street, each with a cardboard box in their hands, ‘the place is pretty nice. The guys rich and rent is cheap…he says he only wants a little to help him along. I was actually incredibly lucky to get this offer.’
‘I’ll say’ Christina gleamed at him, looking evermore beautiful. ‘Never allow a good opportunity to slip away…that’s what I've learned.’
Kevin paused then, turning to face her. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to take a bus? It’s a bit of a long walk, an hour at least by foot, and with these boxes…’
‘It’s a lovely day’ Christina beamed at him. ‘I want to walk.’
‘Fine’ Kevin said turning away. ‘Suit yourself.’
They stopped about half an hour or so later outside a corner shop, sitting on a low wall by the road outside. Kevin had been left the guard the boxes, while Christina ran inside to get them refreshments.
She arrived minutes later with a small bottle of water each and pack of sandwiches to share.
‘Chicken Orleans’ Kevin grinned excitedly as she sat beside him. ‘I love that sandwich.’
‘I know’ she spoke in a playful voice. ‘Of course I do.’
She tucked her skirt beneath her as she sat close beside him, taking out one of the sandwich pieces and feeding it to him. Kevin opened his mouth wide as she did, biting down into the bread.
‘You're so messy’ she giggled, using a napkin to dap as his mouth.
Kevin smirked at her, taking the napkin from her as she took her own sandwich piece.
‘Aaahh’ Kevin sighed then, leaning back and staring up at the gorgeous blue sky above them. He loved this town, even in the busy streets with the traffic and the noise and the people, he found a strange sort of peace to it, despite the bustle. It was at least pleasant to him anyway.
‘I love these moments’ Kevin said, ‘where there is nothing to do…nothing expected of me…no deadlines…no responsibility.’
‘Are you worrying about school again?’
‘I just feel so trapped by it all’ Kevin said to her. ‘I mean who wants to learn algebra….? I want to…get a job fulltime…spread my wings….and….’ he fell silent then, bringing his feet up and hugging his knees to his chest. ‘I just love these moments’ he sighed again closing his eyes. ‘It’s so…. peaceful…and I don’t have to think about anything.’
There came a sound of a siren a short distance off, the rumble of a motorbike, someone shouting in the streets.
Kevin opened his eyes, smiling widely to himself, his expression that of serenity.
‘Come on’ he said, straightening and rising to his feet as he took a quick swig from his water bottle. ‘Let’s get going.’
They walked the rest of the way at a leisurely pace, Christina and Kevin talking from time to time, their conversation flowed back and forth smoothly as it always did.
As they drew closer to the apartment block, Christina began to ‘oooh’ and ‘aaahhh’.
‘This is a really nice part of town’ she said gazing about her wide eyed, ‘oooohh look at that fountain! So pretty!’
Kevin ignored her as they walked through the front doors to the building.
‘Awww waw look at this place.’
They stopped before the lift.
‘The music they're playing is really nice hu?’ she gleamed.
The lift doors opened.
‘This is a tiny lift isn’t it?’
The lift went up.
‘Ooohhh this lift goes up fast…my tummy feels all funny.’
The lift pinged then, coming to a gentle stop.
‘Aaahhh’ Christina sighed, making a funny shape with her mouth. ‘Oooohhh’ she said as they stepped out into the corridor on the highest flood. ‘This place sure is pretty.’
‘Is there anything that doesn’t impress you?’ Kevin asked her flatly at that point.
‘Your hair looks really nice today’ she said to him out of the blue, grinning and looking beautiful.
‘Where did that come from…?’
They continued to walk.
‘Ok, it’s this one’ Kevin said stopping by one of the doors.
‘Ooohhh’ Christiana said as Kevin struggled with his key, holding the box he carried now with one arm.
Kevin unlocked the door, letting it swing open.
Christina let out a gasp, bolting forwards into the room uninvited and gazing wide-eyed all around.
‘Holy crap this place is huge! It’s like a mansion!’
She turned to Kevin then.
‘You live here?’
‘Well yeah I got a key…’
‘I didn’t say you could invite anyone over.’
Kevin and Christina glanced around then, looking up to the figure of Justin who had appeared on the balcony above them.
Upon sight of him, Christina’s eyes widened further, and she let out another gasp.
‘Is that Justin Miles?! Thee Justin Miles?’ she gasped yet again. ‘Holy shit dude. Kevin…. you never told me you were staying with a superstar!’
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