When An Accident Prone No One Runs Into A Celebrity There Will Be Chaos...

Chapter 11

Okay can I just clear this up? I do NOT have a crush on Ollie. I don't know where that came from, (actually it probably stemmed from the alcohol I consumed.) But I honestly do NOT have a crush on him. So just scratch that from your memory. Just forget I ever said it. I enjoyed his company yesterday but with all the wine my judgement got obscured and things were blown a little bit out of proportion. That's it, end of story. He's a friend. Just one last time: I do NOT have a crush on Ollie Daniels. Discussion over. And that's final.

“They believe every word she said. Is it really so easy to believe that I am as cruel as she says?” Ollie has his head in his hands as he reads the newspaper article explaining in detail everything that Natasha said yesterday.

“I don't know,” I say unconvincingly, quickly pushing a spoonful of cereal into my mouth to avoid being questioned further because really I know exactly why.

“Oh come on Izzie, I know you. You probably have hundreds of reasons why and you're probably dying to tell me them.”

“You really want to know,” I ask, munching down the last of my cereal. He nods. “You're inaccessible. You never go out for fear of being caught out by the media. You never stop and say hello to your fans. You're such a private person that as a celebrity it comes across as cold. If you just were yourself around people without putting up so many walls to protect yourself from embarrassment you'd be fine. As it stands people don’t know who you are. So they believe Natasha because that’s the only source they have on your character.”

“You said that the first time you met me,” he mumbles.

“Yeah and you didn't listen to me.”

“I'm listening now.”

“Oh really?” I ask. He nods. “Fine. Prove it. Come out with me and we'll do something completely normal. When we get stopped for autographs or pictures you will act the perfect gentleman and happily oblige.” I know he’s going to reject the idea straight away and I’m not being serious. I imagine being mobbed by fans is a terrifying experience and I don’t want to be a part of that.

“Okay.” He lifts his head and looks me in the eye. It’s almost as if we’re playing a game of chicken. Both of us know it’s a stupid idea. But for the sake of our pride neither one of us is prepared to back down.

“Okay then.” I wait to see if he’s going to back down but he doesn’t. Instead he gets to his feet. It looks like we’re really going to do this. The thing is I was expecting him to decline and now I have absolutely no idea what we are going to do.

“So what are we going to do?” he asks as we leave my flat and walk down the street.

“I don't have a clue.”

“So what now?”

“We keep walking until we find something to do,” I say while taking hold of his hand and dragging him along behind me. He catches up with me and obligingly walks by my side. We’re both watching each other waiting for the other to stop. But the more he watches me the more determined I am to keep going. We continue for a while until we reach a park. I remember it immediately, the green oasis surrounded by the mundane grey of the city. I had spent a lot of time sat under the shade of one of the huge trees revising for my university exams with Emmie next to me doing the same. It is a beautiful park, one I haven't been able to enjoy for ages; too busy I guess. I had meant to come back to it regularly but that soon disappeared when I got the intern-ship.

The sweet smell of summer flowers drifts across masking the air with a comforting, familiar scent which tumbles past as it is lightly pushed by the breeze. The squeals of delighted children fills the air and the quiet hush of leaves caught by the wind sweeps across the endless stretch of tumbling green hills beckoning me in. I walk underneath the stone archway to enter the park shortly followed by Ollie.