What Dreams Are Made Of (Camren)

Chapter 9. Too close

The whole ride home what happened at the party plagued my thoughts. I felt like we should have talked about it, but something was stopping us. Usually best friends would probably start laughing about the douche and how great of an act they put up, but this was different. There was an eerie silence, one where I imagine Lo was probably being consumed by her thoughts too, neither of us attempting to bring up the topic and by the looks of it we weren't going to.

No doubt our friendship was not the same as it was in September, or before I even came back to America. Being able to see each other now in person added something to us, we were much closer now but in what way, I didn't know. Before I knew it the roar of the engine had died and we were parked in front of the apartment. I embraced the frost in the air as it hit my cheeks and made my way to the door alongside Lauren expecting the apartment to restore the order of my body temperature once inside. I was mistaken, the cold inside was just as harsh.

"It's freezing here," I breathed out. "Is the central heating on?"

"It should be. It was on automatic," she replied confused since the system was supposed to keep the apartment temperature maintained at 20°C. I followed her to the thermostat watching her fiddle with the buttons from behind. She turned around to face me, "I've turned the temperature up so it should get warmer now," I was informed.

We made our separate ways; Lo to the bedroom whilst I went to the bathroom to remove my makeup. I came out donning my floral pajamas and made my way to the kitchen after all that intense dancing. Still met with cold I continued through the hallway to find Lo changed into casual joggers stood over the thermostat, with shoulders slumped looking defeated.

"What's wrong," I asked resting my head against the wall right next to the device.

"Well, I don't know. You can probably tell the heating isn't working since it's fucking freezing in here," I nodded understanding as she cursed. "I have no clue how to fix it. I already checked the boiler and it's not being cooperative," she complained. I giggled at her personification of the boiler before I gave my input.

"I guess we'll just have to call the boiler people tomorrow. What is the company called anyway?"

"Duke energy," Lo replied.

"What kind of name is that? Sounds like they couldn't come up with a decent one. It genuinely has nothing to do with anything."

"It's not that bad," she defended as I continually whispered it is repeatedly. "What are the names of UK energy companies then?" She challenged smirking.

"Well, the main one is called British gas. It's better than Duke. But then again we have a nick name for gas and electricity."

"Oh my God!" she laughed. "What is it?"

"Gaz and Leccy. We even have adverts with them in, which start with, Gaz and Leccy are out of control. They run around our houses wasting energy blah blah blah," I imitated.

"That is actual genius," she exclaimed over excited. "I have to see this."

"Yeah, there's probably videos on YouTube. Come on, I'll show you," I said pulling her into our room."

My phone was perched on the nightstand where I failed to remember it before we left to go to the party. We collapsed on the bed before we were struck with the ice seeping into our skin. Lauren jumped picking herself up.

"What the hell. Why is your bed so cold?"

"The heating doesn't work. Usually it's not too bad," I yawned, my body sleepier than willing to admit.

"Yes it is. Mine is no where near that cold, even now. Go check it."

"I can't be bothered," I mumbled incoherently. I felt myself being dragged up and across the room to eventually be thrown on another bed; one filled with the scent of familiarity and warmth. Lauren's footsteps traveled back across the room and with one eye squinting I saw her looking under my bed.