'Did you come around here just to start a fight? Drop dead.'
Sam's difficulty with relationships stems all the way back to his adolescence. He hasn't had it easy growing up in the Northeast of England but he managed to escape his teens unscathed. Mo...
TRIGGER WARNING: BRIEF MENTION OF AN EATING DISORDER
Aurora
I don't know why but I hadn't shared the fact that it was Natalie that had found my journal with anyone. My dad and Sam were both under the impression that I found it exactly where I left it the morning after. As far as they knew, the missing journal and my incident with Natalie were totally unrelated. Hell, Sam didn't even know it was Natalie I punched to my knowledge. He didn't ask, so I didn't bring it up.
I was glad when the school year came to an end as it meant that I no longer had to worry about Natalie. If I never saw her again, it would be too soon. And, although she was out of my life, her words still managed to linger, leaving their trace behind like a bitter ex. I knew keeping secrets was bad but I hadn't wanted to admit out loud that I took the easy option of losing weight, cheated at a diet. Not to Harriet, not to my dad and certainly not to Sam. He beat himself up enough about my eating disorder, I didn't want him to blame himself again.
With Harlow's birthday coming thick and fast, I had been corroborating with Dean to plan everything out. I had even roped Sam into helping. He was more enthusiastic than he would have been a couple of months ago but that didn't mean he didn't have a moan every so often. Especially as Jess and I ordered him, Drew, Joe and Tom around whilst decorating Dean's house. Dean had taken Harlow out for dinner to distract her whilst we made sure everything was done back here.
"It's not straight!" I huffed.
"My arms are gan fall off now!" Sam whined as he held one side of the happy birthday banner with Tom holding the other side. In the corner of the room, Jess, Drew and Joe were blowing up balloons.
"Well if yer hung it straight, you could get down," I grumbled. "Sam, it's you! Lift it up a bit!"
"Sam, man. Fuckin' come on!" Tom groaned.
"Quit whining, babe," Jess snorted as she tied another balloon and tossed it aside.
"Ya know, yer could be doing this, Scarl," Sam muttered.
"I can't reach," I laughed. "Just lift it up a little bit more. There!"
"Can I sellotape it now?" Tom asked. I nodded, watching as the two boys tried to stick the banner up, only for it to slip from Sam's hand.
"For fucks sake!" Sam grunted.
"Sam, are yer fuckin' for real?!" Tom exclaimed.
"I didn't mean to!" he whined, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
"Idiots," I mumbled under my breath, shaking my head at the two. I pivoted on my heel and joined the three blowing up balloons. "How's it coming over here with yous?"
"Better than that shit show," Joe chuckled as he tied off another balloon.
"I think we've got more than enough now, don't yer think?" Jess inquired.
I looked around at the balloons that covered practically every inch of the floor, my face cracking into a smile. "Yeah, I think so," I laughed. "Let's start getting 'em up with the banners."
"Don't the banners need to be up for us to do that?" Drew snorted as he gestured towards the pickle Sam and Tom had found themselves in.
"Fuck off, Michael!" Sam scowled as he and Tom got tangled in the banner.
"Will yous help 'em please?" I asked Joe and Drew, holding in a laugh. They stood, concealing a fit of laughter and joined Tom and Sam in trying to hang it.
"How many idiots does it take to hang a banner?" Jess joked, eliciting a loud snort from my mouth.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Surprise!" we all yelled as Harlow passed through the door, Dean trailing behind her with a knowing smirk on his face.
"Oh my God, look at all this!" she gasped as she took in the copious balloons, banners and streamers all meticulously hung around the room.
"Happy birthday, love," Dean whispered in her ear from behind, curling an arm around her waist and pressing a kiss to her temple.
"Thank you," she smiled, burying herself in her boyfriend's arms before turning to the rest of us. "I can't believe yous did all this." She began engulfing everyone in tight hugs to show her gratitude and yes, even Sam got one.
"It was mostly Dean and Rory, we just helped decorate," Tom shrugged.
"Thank you," she mumbled, her eyes watery and she pulled me into her arms.
"Happy birthday, Harls," I murmured in her ear as I squeezed her tightly. "Thanks for being the best friend ever."
"You're gan make us cry now," she sniffed as we separated.
"Told yer she'd cry," Tom said to Jess with a snort.
"Shut up, Thomas," Harlow scowled playfully.
"C'mon now, Harls. We all know you're a softie!" Joe grinned, pulling the younger girl under his arm.
"You're lucky I like ya, Joey," she muttered, rolling her eyes and batting him away from her, Joe skilfully avoiding her swats.
"A compliment?" he gasped teasingly, earning a middle finger from the birthday girl. "Aww, I love yer too, Harls."
"Reet, I'm gasping for a can. We done here?" Sam interjected.
"Sam," I scolded, staring at him in disbelief.
"Nah, it's alreet, Rora," Harlow shrugged with a smile. "I'm fancying one myself."
"And what would the birthday girl like?" he asked as he began his journey to the kitchen where we had stockpiled the alcohol.
I frowned as my eyes flickered between the two, my confusion only deepening when Harlow spoke. "I'll have a fosters, thanks."
"Have I entered some sort of parallel universe or sommat?" I inquired.
"What yer on about now?" Harlow snorted as she threw herself down on the sofa, the rest of us following her actions.
"You and my boyfriend," I stated as though it was the obvious answer.
"What?" she frowned.
"Yous getting along," I pointed out.
"We do get along sometimes... for your sake like," she laughed.
"Aye, maybe, but you're never nice to each other," I deadpanned.
"You're reet, I'm being too nice," she muttered. "I'll give him a slap when he comes back, just for safe measure."
I turned my attention to Dean, who was observing with a grin on his face and shook my head in disbelief. "I've given up trying to understand the pair of 'em," he told me, patting me on the back before following in Sam's footsteps to find a drink.
"I hope ya've got me one," I spoke warningly as Sam reappeared.
"Who d'ya take me for, Scarl?" he grinned as he passed Harlow her drink. "Ow! What was that for?!"
"Blame Rory," Harlow shrugged nonchalantly, cracking open her can.
Sam's head whipped in my direction, his gaze of betrayal falling on me as he clutched his arm in pain. "What the fuck, babe?"
"Yous are unbelievable," I mumbled, shaking my head at the pair of them.
"Did yer tell her to hit me?" he pouted.
"Now, why on earth would I tell her to hit yer?" I asked him.
He shrugged, "I dunna."
"Come here, yer big baby," I told him, opening my arms for him. He only exaggerated his pout as he trudged over to me, passing me the extra can in his hand and positioning himself under my arm.
