A/N: Get ready to say hello to Tessa! (@PGthequeen)
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My plane journey was exhausting, but I'd not slept a wink. Not for the past week. My mind was still in self-destruct mode ever since Ross had led me outside of the hotel room and sat with me on the pavement until it grew dark. Eventually Adam, and even George joined, and for once in my life I was glad to see Matty hadn't tagged along too. We sat in a huddle for a while, George gave me his jacket and draped it over my bare shoulders whilst I cuddled into Ross in silence. Nobody said a word, just the odd sniffle and the scraping of shoes against the loose pieces of tarmac.
They tried to convince me to wait out the rest of my trip, even offered to book me another hotel away from Matty, but I just wanted to go home. I wanted my friends, my mum, my normal life back. So I booked an earlier plane ticket, and I left.
The first time I cried was when my mum came to pick me up from the airport. She was there waiting for me, this time with both my brother and sister. Their look of pity and uncertainty wasn't what set me off, it was when I was finally pulled into my mother's arms for the first time in months. I just stood and cried. And I didn't stop. I didn't stop in the car, I didn't stop when I got home, I didn't stop for the next week. When I was finally out of tears, I decided it was time to go back to uni.
Turning my key in the door, my eyes still puffy and my heart smashed to pieces, I pulled my luggage through the corridor and towards my room. Letting it all fall on a heap on the floor, I jumped onto my bed and lay motionless, staring up at the ceiling. Brad and Callum still had their Geography class and Emily would be studying in the library, so I was thankful for the time to myself before I was bombarded with questions and pity. Obviously I'd told Emily about the whole ordeal, which meant she had obviously told the boys. Just as long as she passed on the message that I never wanted to hear the name 'Matty Healy' again for as long as I live, I didn't care.
Sighing, I propped up my pillow and leant against it - just in time to see my bedroom door opening.
A girl in a pink towel, with a blue one wrapped around her hair and propped up on her head, walked into my room with her headphones blasting. Completely shocked, I was unable to gather my words until she looked directly at me... and started screaming.
"Who the hell are you?!"
"Me? More like who the fuck are you?! Get out of MY room!" I shouted back, completely flabbergasted I was being questioned. The girls eyes softened slightly, and looked over towards the picture resting on my desk of me and Emily on our prom night.
"Oh...You must be, um... Avery?" She asked, taking out her headphones and resting her iPod on the table next to my bed. I eyed her cautiously, raising an eyebrow. Her american accent was thick. "My name's Tessa. I'm an exchange student-"
"Ave?" Emily asked, walking through my bedroom door. She looked at me and I could tell how happy she was to see me - her eyes lit up and she bounced onto my bed and swept me up in a hug. I smiled weakly, still eyeing up the American girl stood in the middle of my room in nothing but a towel.
"Want to explain what's going on?" I asked, nodding my head towards the girl. In all honesty I felt a bit bad for her, she was clutching on to her wash bag tightly, and kept shifting from one leg to the other. I think she felt as awkward as I did.
"Oh! Yeah Avery, this is Tessa. She's an exchange student. She's supposed to be in the empty room but Student Services managed to 'misplace' the key. I didn't think you'd mind her sleeping in your room whilst you were gone, they weren't supposed to take this long getting another key cut..." I stepped up from my bed and offered Tessa a smile.
"Yeah that's fine, was just a surprise that's all. How about we both leave you to get changed, and I'll put the kettle on?" I asked, offering a truce. Tessa smiled politely with a nod, and I took that as my cue to lead Emily out of my room and let Tessa get changed in peace.
"She seems nice." I said, walking down the small corridor and into the kitchen. As soon as I filled the kettle with water and flicked the on switch, Callum and Brad came bounding through the door.
"Avery!" They both shouted, running towards me and pulling me into a hug.
"Jeez guys I've only been gone two weeks." I laughed, pulling the mugs out of the cupboards and placing them on the side.
"Yes but it's not the same without you. Emily shouts at us." Brad whimpered, and Emily shot him a glare.
"Do not!"
"You so do!"
"Alright, alright. Quiet down kids." I groaned, massaging my temples. Maybe I wasn't ready to come back to uni quite yet. "So. Tessa?"
"Ah, you've met her then. Yeah she's awesome, she helps me with my essays." Brad grinned, taking his mug of tea before perching on the counter top next to me.
"So how long has she been here?"
"Not long, maybe a week. But there is something you should know. I haven't said anything to her bu-"
"Hey guys." Tessa smiled, walking into the kitchen. Her long brown hair was still damp and hung limp across her shoulders, hiding the front of her shirt. She was slim, but still had the curves and booty I could only dream for. With full lips, mocha coloured eyes and how she managed to make thick rimmed glasses look cute, I wanted to hate her. I really, really did. But there was just something about the way she held herself that made me think that there was a lot more to her than her appearance.
"Hey. I wasn't sure if you liked tea, so I made you a hot chocolate. I hope that's okay?" I smiled, handing her the mug. She took it carefully and nodded, pulling it to her lips and taking a sip.
"You're gonna have to go to the Student Center now Avery's back. Hopefully they've got your key cut." Callum pointed out, dunking a chocolate covered McVitie into his tea. I looked over at Tessa quickly enough to see her eyes widen in what looked like terror.
"I can come with you if you want? I need to take my clothes to the laundry room anyway." I offered. Frankly I just wanted an excuse to get out of the flat, although it was great to see all my friends again, the attention was getting a bit too much. I still felt like I was in mourning.
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"What the hell is a neurosurgeon?" I asked, pulling open the glass door to the Student Center.
"A doctor of the nervous system basically, it's hard to explain. But that's what I want to be."
"So like, a brain surgeon?"
"I guess so." Tessa giggled, pushing her glasses up her nose with her index finger. The more I talked to her, the more I liked her. It was refreshing to talk to somebody that didn't know what was going on in my life, or that I was essentially recovering from a broken heart. She didn't know me before, so she didn't expect me to be the person I was before my trip to Idaho...and I liked it. No drama, no questions, and no expectations or pity. It seemed like the perfect budding friendship. We stepped into the office, and there were a couple of people seated at desks typing away on their computers. I looked to Tessa and urged her to go forward, but her face reddened and she shifted uncomfortably. It was like she was still stood in her towel. Being in the situation before, I took control of the situation and stepped forward to one of the desks and was greeted by a smiling woman in a suit. Her name tag read "Susan, Student Center Manager".
"Can I help?"
"Yeah, my friend Tessa was supposed to be in room 103 in flat 4, Lonsdale Court but she doesn't have a key. I was just wondering whether it had been cut yet?" After a few clicks on her computer and the woman squinting, she turned back to us with a frown.
"Unfortunately we never got the payment from you, Tessa, to get the key cut." She said, shrugging her shoulders. "I can't give you the key until you pay the fee." Tessa instantly began searching through her bag for her purse.
"Is this a joke?" I asked, making the woman frown.
"Pardon?"
"You're going to make her pay for a key she was supposed to have on arrival?"
"Well, Te-"
"Well, nothing." I snapped, making both Tessa and the woman jump slightly. I don't know what had come over me, but I felt as if all of the anger and resentment I'd been pushing down through my tears was finally bubbling to the surface, and it wasn't going to be pretty. "Is this what exchange students are to expect now? To spend their money coming to this shitty university, to spend even more money for a key they've already paid for. She's paid to have a room, and instead she's had to bunk with complete strangers. It's a fucking joke."
"Now, there's no need for-"
"There's every need. Give her the key. Now."
"I can't just gi-"
"Susan."
"Avery, honestly it's okay. I'll just pay the fee." Tessa insisted, pulling out her purse. I took it out of her hand and dropped it back into her bag.
"Susan. Give. Her. The. Key." I demanded, looking the woman straight in the eye. The woman began rifling through her desk, and quickly pulled out a key and slapped it on the desk.
"Take it already." She huffed, clearly defeated. I smiled sarcastically and took the key, before handing it over to Tessa and walking out of the glass doors.
"...Are you always that bossy?" Tessa laughed nervously, skipping slightly to catch up with my walking pace.
"Only when I need to be." I said.
We walked in silence for a little while, only to be interrupted by Tessa giggling to herself.
"What are you laughing at?"
"You calling her Susan. Susan!" Tessa lowered her voice and looked stern, trying to imitate me. I looked at her, and instantly burst out laughing, only to be joined by Tessa. Once our giggling had reached a halt, I swung back by the laundry room and grabbed my clothes, ready to hang on the radiator in my own room. We walked back to the flat and I dumped my wet clothes on my bed before joining the rest of my flatmates in the kitchen. A familiar tune was playing from the radio, but what caught my attention most was the uncertain faces of Emily, Callum and Brad.
"What's up?" I asked, before instantly being sushed by Tessa.
"This is my all time favourite song!" She clapped giddily, before turning up the volume. She pulled her hair up into a pony tail, and it was then that my mouth almost hit the floor.
Tessa was wearing a The 1975 tour date shirt, and was blasting Matty's voice through the speakers in our kitchen.
"You have to be fucking kidding me."
YOU ARE READING
You (Matty Healy)
Fanfiction"You're a good girl, do you know that?" He exhaled deeply with a disbelieving smile, pulling me to lie next to him. "Which is probably why I find you so hot. Those innocent eyes, fuck. I was done for. I always have been." "You don't mean that." I l...
