HAPPIEST ( SIMON MINTER )

TEN

REAL LIFE

CLEO KNOCKED GENTLY ON THE DOOR OF WILL'S APARTMENT, AND WAITED PATIENTLY AS SHE ROLLED BACK AND FORTH ON THE BALLS OF HER FEET. Soon the door swung open and Will's face shone with a smile as he ushered her in, as if he hadn't been drinking alcohol just hours before. She stood awkwardly in the living room as Will breezed into the kitchen, where they had been giggling only hours prior.

"Would you like a drink?" He asked, opening a cupboard and fished out two clean glasses.

"Sure" She smiled, walking towards him and leaning on the counter with her two hands "Water please"

He nodded before turning to the tap, filling it with fresh water and passing it to Cleo; who smiled and thanked him. As she tentatively sipped the water, Will filled his own glass.

"I had fun last night, thanks for inviting me" Cleo beamed over the rim of her glass, and she moved to sit, aware Will was going to say more.

"I'm glad. I did too" He smiled widely, he was so happy and he thought maybe he had a chance with Cleo, that she was interested in him too; but he managed to hide his exaggerated feeling as he walked around the counter to sit beside her. Before he could say anything else to the girl his phone rang and he apologised to Cleo as he answered.

"It's in my bedroom, just down the corridor, the door is open" He whispered to her with his hand over the phone's microphone as he pointed to his room.

"Thanks" She murmured softly with a smile before following his direction.

Once she reached the ajar door she pushed it fully open, as she entered she tried not to look at the room or take any of it in as she felt it was too personal and intimidate. So she kept her eyes down as she quickly walked to the desk that held his computer and other recording equipment, the ring light turned off in front of the window. She let out a sigh when she saw her silver hoops rested carefully on the desk, the reason Will had texted her that morning. Last night at the party the earrings had began to pull at her ears so much they ached and she felt as if they were going to rip through the skin; so she took them out and must have left them in the kitchen where she spent the majority of the night. Once Will had found them he knew suddenly that they were Cleo's as he had complimented them, and when he realised what this meant he couldn't help the huge smile that took over his face.

Cleo swiftly left the room ignoring the beige walls and everything that was inside the four walls of Will's bedroom. Once she was outside she pulled the door quietly closed and clipped her earrings in, she was halfway through pushing the back on the second hoop when she felt an ache in the heel of her foot from wearing heels all night and she bended her leg backward so she could rub the pain with a grimace. She hobbled into the living room and when she glanced up she saw a blinking, speechless Simon stood in the door way. He wore an unreadable expression as he looked between Cleo and Will.

His heart broke as he stared at Cleo, her shoe half off as she hopped pulling it back on and her earring hanging loose in her right ear. His mind raced with thoughts and his body filled with feelings: sadness, desperation, jealousy and anger. He thought the worst situation even though it was the most innocent, and he was convinced that they had slept together just after the party; it wouldn't be crazy with how close they were together and she wasn't with Simon anymore. She didn't owe Simon anything and he knew that, he had no reason to be angry with them. But Simon's blood still boiled and his jaw clenched. Last night all he could think about was Cleo but now the pictures were plagued with Will; her in Will's arms in his bed and him kissing her scrunched nose and him listening to her passionate ramblings about books and her wearing his shirt like she used to do with Simon's in the morning.

He couldn't stand it anymore and he glared at Will, the jealously taking over him. How could they do this to him? Will knew of Cleo and Simon's past. He turned his sharp glare to Cleo. 

The pair cowered in his stare, feeling the intensity of it as if they really had done something wrong when really they were both perplexed by it.

Cleo was completely confused and stunned, she hadn't expected Simon to be here and neither had Will and now he felt uncomfortable as Simon's ex was stood there too. This was not an ideal situation. Cleo pressed on a smile as she inhaled deeply, she felt her skin crawl under Simon's harsh stare.

But Simon snarled as he turned his attention to Will, as if Cleo wasn't even there.

"Tell Talia to text me if you see her, I've got to talk to her about something important" He spat his voice full of venom (he knew the situation between Will and Talia, and hoped it would hurt Will the same as this was) and the pair could tell it had an underlined suggestive meaning as if he wanted them to catch on to something.

And Cleo did. It made her stumble slightly and she choked back all her feelings as she bit on her tongue to stop any tears. She hadn't heard Simon use a voice like that since they broke up. She was confused and hurt. But she was more confused about these feelings that weighed down her heart, if she was over him why did it hurt so much when he mentioned another girl?

She didn't want to hear that venom ever again, she missed the soft voice he used when he use to speak to her but she was scared she'd never hear it again. She was scared he'd not be the sweet, loving Simon again. It was as if he'd gone back to hating her.