The Games We Play

01 | I Got These Pills You Can Take

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c h a p t e r⠀0 1

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"WHERE THE BLOODY hell are you, you prick?"

Muffled grunts and ruffling followed the seething voice, the sounds alone making me chuckle where I sat cuddled up on the sofa. "Talia! Do you need help?" I shouted, placing my phone down.

"No, no, I'm good. Just trying to find the golden dress, you know the one I bought last week," she called back and I could picture her face all scrunched up and flushed with frustration.

I stood and stretched, limbs sore from being in the same position for too long, and entered Talia's mess of a bedroom "I probably should head home and start packing too."

Her dark, pretty eyes snapped up to mine from where she sat on the floor in a heap of clothes. "Remember to pack the black lingerie set," she smirked.

I rolled my eyes and let a puff of air pass my lips. "Yeah, 'cause that's the most important thing for me to bring."

"Of course! You never know who you might bump into." Talia wiggled her eyebrows while doing a little shimmy with her shoulders.

"I have a boyfriend," I stated and crossed my arms. "Who happens to be coming with us."

She frowned, her plump lips pressed together as she stared at me with obvious annoyance. "I don't get why you're with him. He's a tosser."

"You're unbelievable." I sighed, bending down to pull out her golden dress that peeked out from under a black hoodie. Her eyes lit up and she rose to snatch the fabric from my fingers but I held it away. "I'll let you have it when you apologise for calling my boyfriend a tosser."

Talia got to her feet and marched over to me. "I won't ever apologise for being honest. I don't like him, you can't force me to."

"I'm not saying you should like him but please, promise to behave just this once. I made the decision to invite both of you and would hate for things to be tense," I begged, trying to ignore how her words made me feel.

I found it a shame my best friend and boyfriend didn't get along, but they never had. From the first time I introduced the two, I quickly learned some people simply weren't meant to be put in the same room. Axel complained about Talia being unrestrained and too straightforward, pushing me in directions he didn't like, while Talia whined about him being a square, not giving me enough of a challenge.

Before I met Axel my life had pretty much consisted of school, boys and partying. Talia and I spent close to each night of the weekend out and about in the clubs of London, shamelessly flirting and dancing. I didn't regret my earlier behaviour one bit, but the only remaining thing of the three now was school.

Axel with his sea glass eyes and cropped sandy blonde hair had me intrigued from the moment we ran into each other in the hallway six months ago. One date led to another and before I had time to register what happened, we were officially boyfriend-girlfriend.

Talia crossed her arms now, raising her chin. "Honestly, I can't believe you let him bring his sister. That little racist bitch. I will do my best to behave around him but I swear, as much as one wrong look from her and she will be on the floor."

I sighed, knowing full well what she was talking about. Axel's sister Clara had somehow nestled her way through his conscience and had him talk me into inviting her. It wasn't that I hated her, but I had grave issues with her opinions and attitude.

"I'm with you when it comes to Clara. Don't worry, I'll make sure she won't cause trouble."

"Good. Now go on home and pack your shit. Call me when you're almost done and I'll come over. Do you want to order takeout tonight?" Talia questioned, neatly folding the golden dress to put it in her suitcase.