Lola Bradley - Sidemen FF

7.

I took a seat on the eerily empty train before pulling out my phone, '10 new messages' the screen read as began to scroll through

Hey Lolla, it's josh

I'm rly sry sis

after everything I mess up like this

im so sry

can't believe myself tbh

also sry bout simon

he thought u was a fan aha

Dont get annoyed but I aint told the rest of the guys you're staying ahh I'm sry again

oops yeah i doubt u kno

I live with roommates, das who simon is

I sigh loudly, deleting the thread of messages and checking the train app, four more stops and then a taxi and I'm going to be reunited with my brother, I don't think I'm ready for this.

The train finally pulled up to my station, quickly I grabbed my belongings and hurried off the train into the cold London breeze that I had grown to miss after all those years in America. I wandered around until I finally navigated my way to the exit where a tall man was standing, I squinted my eyes trying to figure out the stranger; his tall slim figure looking more and more familiar the closer I got, "Lola?" He asked, making me stop dead in my tracks, "Josh?" I replied, now close enough that the dim street lamp illuminated his features so I could observe the man thoroughly. Although his face looked the same he had now grown a thick brown beard that almost made him unrecognisable to someone who hadn't seen him since he was a clean shaved eighteen year old. "Are you listening?" He asked, snapping me out of my daydream, "yeah sure" I muttered, still unsure why he was waiting for me when I told him I was getting a taxi. "After all these years I still know when you're lying" He chuckled, I opened my mouth to respond some passive aggressive comment when he continued speaking, "Anyway I said that I thought it would be nice to surprise you at the station seeing as I never came to the airport" He said, large grin on his face, "I don't like surprises" I mumbled, loud enough for him to hear over the late night London traffic. We walked to his car in complete silence, I could tell he kept trying to start a conversation but changing this mind by the way he was opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish. "I regret the day I left you as much now as I did back then you know" He said softly as we began driving, I snorted loudly, causing him to sigh in defeat. "You have to forgive me one day you know" He added, lack of confidence in his shaky voice, "No. I'm pretty sure I don't" I snapped back, rolling down the window so I could feel the fresh breeze.

The silence in the car was almost deafening, the only noise to be heard was the soft hum from the radio. I rummaged around in my bag, eventually pulling out my cigarettes and lighter, I quickly popped one in my mouth before lighting the end of it, deeply breathing in the toxic smoke so it circulated around my lungs before blowing it out the window, "Put it out Lola. Firstly you cannot smoke in my brand new car, secondly you can not smoke at all while you're living with me, don't you know how dangerous it is?" He almost screamed at me whilst I sat remaining calm, still smoking, "And thirdly you cannot stop me" I replied smugly, purposely blowing smoke into the car instead of previously when I was being ever so slightly polite and making sure it went out the window. "You're not going to make this easy for me are you?" He groaned, giving up on telling me off, I simply shook my head in response.