My Sunflower

eighteen

Jade is pacing.

I trail her movements with my eyes as though it's a tennis tournament. It makes me feel slightly dizzy.

The cream walls of the hotel contrast with Jade's outfit from the show we've just watched. It's dark outside now, so the low lights coming from the strip of L.E.D. against the headboard of the queen size bed, glows golden pools into the room, shadowing the corners.

I'm perched atop the bed, playing with the fray on the edge of the throw blanket the hotel has provided- the ones that are more decoration than they are practical on keeping you warm, with a floral design, which, doesn't need to be used what with the barmy weather outside. I get tired of watching her pace and roll my eyes.

"Will you stop that? I'm getting a headache," I sass, grabbing the cup of water at the side of the bedside table. I take a sip, the coolness soothing my scratchy throat from all the shouting and screaming at Harry.

"I just... how on earth are we this amazing to have landed in a position like this? Harry got us a fucking hotel room, for Christ sake!" Jade exasperates with a huff.

"It's all because he wants to be my boyfriend," I say half heartedly.

Jade snorts. "Yeah, right, of course. Whatever you think, dear. Should we order ice cream? I fancy strawberry. Or maybe mint. Huh... room service?"

She only ever craves ice cream when she's excited or worried. And I have a feeling that, right now, she's both.

"We can't possibly do room service when Harry is paying for this," I interject with a shake of my head.

She gives me a pointed look, head tilted slightly to the left. "Lou, come on, majority of his paycheck came from our pocket anyway. Remember the merch we spent? It's basically our money anyway. Cycle, innit, full circle of life." With that, she picks up the phone on her side of the bed and dials for room service.

By the time the ice cream comes, I'm in my pyjamas after a hot shower that resulted in me daydreaming for half of it, wishing Harry was here with me. We now sit on the bed, propped up with as many pillows as possibly manageable that they provide. The free view TV plays a random telly shopping show that we use mostly for background noise. The low hum of the person talking is quite soothing until it turns into someone shouting through the TV that they have the best cleaning product known to man. It makes me jump, and Jade's breath to hitch in her throat.

"I mean, come on, it's one in the morning," she bites, shaking her head and spooning the remainder of ice cream into her gob. "Why is there no Sofia The First, or Barbie on?"

I shake my head and proceed to lick the remnants of ice cream from my spoon, the minty flavours contrasting with the bitter dark chocolate. "Uh, because kids would be asleep by now? What kid is up at one in the morning?"

Jade scoffs and gestures to herself. "Um, me? Hello? I am a child that needs Barbie. More specifically the Swan Lake movie."

"I preferred the mermaid one meself." I shrug when Jade smiles at me.

"God, you're so gay."

I roll my eyes. "Just because I've watched the whole franchise of Barbie and My Little Pony, doesn't automatically make me gay, Jade. You're forgetting I have younger siblings."

Jade tilts her head. "Tell me, Lou, when was the last time you watched one of these shows?"

I pause for a moment to think. "Probably... Tuesday? I think. My Little Pony was on, the equestria girls."

"Mhm, and what is the show that Doris and Ernie can't seem to stop watching?"

"Bluey." I'm trying to figure out where she's going with this. It slowly starts ticking into gear in my brain and I frown.