breather | s.m

9

| 9 | N I N E |

At the Sidemen house, I stand behind you, and Olive behind me. I'm rubbing my hands together. It's later now, the sun glimpsing the horizon in a sliver of yellow like runny egg slipping off onto the earth. You glance back at me as you unlock the door, giving me a small smile.

I fold it into me as the door opens.

Inside is mostly empty. The others are all in their rooms, probably - there is one at the breakfast bar on his phone, his head shaved clean.

'JJ,' you say, and he glances up. His eyes find me, and then Olive. He stands, giving us a smile, and holds out a hand for us each to shake.

'I'm JJ,' he says, and his hand is warm, big. It reminds me of yours. Olive gives his hand a tentative shake. 'Which one of you is Simon's girl?'

You roll your eyes, knocking him in the shoulder with your fist. I think you're almost embarrassed, like we're ten years old again and we hold hands on the playground. It's possibly the most adorable thing I've ever seen.

'I think that would be me,' I say, introducing myself. Olive gives him a blunt introduction and then looks down at the floor. She's never great with new people - she often comes across as stiff, unwelcoming. She's quite the maniac when you get to know her, but she always finds new people and new situations hard. I reach across and give her hand a tiny squeeze, and she glances up at me, almost-smiling - the kind of smile you can't really see, but is just there, glimpsing her cheeks.

'Oi, you lot, come on we're going,' you call out up the stairs, your voice catching in the stairwell. A boy with a dopey smile comes down first - he stops at the end of the staircase, looking between us all, giving us that big, dopey grin.

'Oh, hello,' he says, and he wipes his hands on his pants before holding one out to us. 'I'm Harry.'

'Hello,' I say, introducing myself. I feel as if I am going to be doing a lot of introducing. Olive shyly reaches out and gives his hand a shake, and a little mumbled lovely to meet you.

The others trundle down the stairs and we all exchange the appropriate hellos and introductions, shaking more hands and nodding and smiling. Simon offers to drive me and Olive, which I'm glad for. I wasn't sure Olive would be up for a stiff twenty minute car ride wedged in a car of strangers.

'I hope the others don't mind us coming,' I tell you, getting in the front. I offered to sit in the back with Olive, but she shook her head, obviously appreciating the gesture.

'Nah, they won't care,' you tell me, turning the engine on. You pull on your driving glasses and pull out onto the street, the car humming beneath us. 'Especially because it's a big group thing.'

We drive in silence for the moment, the car sliding along the road like the tyres are made of butter. I forgot how nice your car was. I don't have one, but when I've been in anything, it's always been clunky, jerky movements and rattling across roads clinging onto the shitty fabric seats for dear life. I glance over at you as we drive. You look cute with the glasses.

'So, Harry was pretty cute,' Olive says out of nowhere. You and I both laugh, and I swear she's blushing. I look back at her over the seat.

'That was fast.'

Olive shrugs. 'Hey, there's nothing wrong with being forward. He is cute.'

I turn back to the front, tipping my head from side to side. 'True, true. He's very cute.'

'Hey!' You say, lifting your eyes from the road for a moment. I laugh, letting my head fall back against the seat.

'Okay, we'll set you up with Harry,' I promise, nudging you with my arm. 'Won't we?'