Drowning

Sixty;

"I don't want any fuss," I chuckle, shaking my hands in front of my face.

"Oh, come on, Harry!" Ellie giggles. "We have to make a little fuss."

"But I don't wanna." I pout.

Ellie and I were sat on my bed. I was supposed to be packing up my things to leave and fill in paperwork, but we'd become sidetracked somehow.

"Aren't you happy to be leaving?" she smiles.

"Mixed feelings. You?"

"I'm very happy." she beams.

"Even though you'll never see me again?" I say.

"Don't say that," she says.

"Are your parents meeting you here?"

"At 12pm." Ellie smiles happily. "Who's meeting you here?"

"Gemma," I tell her.

"Who would've thought that twelve weeks ago, we were sat in our own bedrooms convulsing and throwing up. I didn't even know your name. And now we're allowed in the same bedroom to pack up our things and leave. How mad is that?"

"It is pretty mad," I admit with a sigh. "Gonna miss you, roomie." I say, giving Ellie a small smile.

"You'll be so busy with your celebrity life that you'll forget all about this place in no time," she winks. I roll my eyes.

"Promise me you won't relapse," I say. "Call me, whenever you feel the urge-"

"Harry," Ellie says. "I'm going to law school. I'll have no time to relapse."

"I hope so." I say.

The past few weeks had gone by fast. Everyday felt easier than the one before and I truly felt recovered enough to go home by now. I felt ready. The future was always going to be uncertain, but for now, I had hope for myself. I had hope for my future. Scared and anxious to go home and face everything and everyone again, yes. But ready and excited to take on the challenges, also yes. 

"Thank you for being my friend," Ellie says softly. "There's no way I could've done these past few months without you,"

"Hey," I smile. "Likewise."

My room was almost all packed up by now. It was a small box room with zero personality but a part of me would miss it. It felt like it held a huge part of me that no one from my old life would ever truly know about or understand.

"Harry?" Ellie says quietly.

"Yeah?" I respond, matching her tone.

We were sat side by side on the small bed, her legs were crossed, mine extended out. We had been sorting through endless pieces of paperwork. We had some music playing quietly in the background, and outside of the small window in the box room, rain was pouring immensely.

Ellie turned her head to look at me. I knew how this moment was unfolding but I didn't want to stop it, because I'd been curious, too.

With the sound of rain pattering against glass, our lips met. So brief, so gentle. Our eyes fluttered closed.

Into the kiss, we both began to laugh loudly, before pulling away and laughing harder.

"That was so fucking weird," I laugh, leaning my head against the wall.

"I feel like I just kissed my cousin," Ellie giggles.

We had fallen into fits of laughter somehow, and I knew I'd miss her. The past twelve weeks truly had been better with a friend by my side. I thought this would be the loneliest experience of my life, but it turned out to be the least lonely I had ever felt.