HAPPIEST ( SIMON MINTER )

TWELVE

REAL LIFE

CLEO SAT AWKWARDLY AT THE BREAKFAST COUNTER AND TWIRLED HERSELF AROUND WITH HER HANDS ON THE CLEAN MARBLE AS SHE WAITED, HER WORRIED EXPRESSION REFLECTED BACK AT HER. She was patient but she was also bopping her knee nervously, she was frightened Simon would walk in any moment.

Tobi had asked her to pop round to pick up something he had left with Josh, he had made sure Simon wouldn't be there first but she was still wary; it was his house. But when she arrived, softly knocking on the large doors, Josh answered and casually weaved in that he was the only one in the house which allowed Cleo to exhale and loosen up.

Now she sat silently in the kitchen of the huge house as Josh rummaged in his room searching for whatever Tobi had sent Cleo round for. Tobi wasn't able to come round himself because he had to pick up Manny. Which ruled out Manny collecting what it was that Tobi wanted.

The seconds seemed to tick by agonisingly and the air felt so thick in the silent kitchen that Cleo wondered if Tobi really needed whatever it was that he wanted.

Since the entirety of the large house was agonisingly silent she heard the footsteps quickly jogging down the stairs in ten times the volume than usual. She let out a sigh of relief and her face softened, it even showing a smile. The stomps were heavy footed and if she knew Simon wasn't home she would have been scared since he was heavy footed (she used to always tease him about it), but she knew Josh was the same. She'd know Josh for a very long time since he had gone to school with Tobi, and consequently Cleo. She had always liked him, she thought he was very sweet and genuine but she had never been as close with him as Tobi had. She also had to admit that when she was younger she had a small crush on him, but it soon died down as it was only a meaningless teenage thing; it wasn't even really a crush it was only due to how much she saw of him. She forgot about it most of the time if she was honest, and she hadn't told anyone about it either. She had never liked anyone as much and as passionately as she loved Simon, and she was worried she never would again. She didn't believe in soulmates but if she did that would be the only explanation for the pair.

The kitchen door pushed open and Cleo swiftly stood from the chair, a cheerful smile ready on her face for the bearded man and her mouth was ready to form the joking words 'about time, thought you'd got lost'. But instead the grumbling, stomping man was a little taller and blonde, with only a pale stubble on his chin from not shaving recently. When their eyes met, her smile disappeared and after a few seconds of recovering from his shock he snarled in her direction. She was until speechless, he stared at her like he hated her and it made everything in herself to stop herself from bursting out crying right there in his kitchen. Only a couple of days ago he'd looked at her with a tentative smile and soft eyes. What had happened so drastically since then? She knew they were exes but she could never imagine they would look at each or feel like this towards each other.

"I didn't think you were here" She mumbled shakily, she could hear the upset in her voice but Simon didn't. Why was she making excuses anyway? She was allowed to visit the house if she wanted, she didn't owe Simon anything.

"You would have loved that" He grumbled from where he still stood in the doorway of the kitchen. What did that mean?

Cleo was completely confused and the tension in the whole room was so thick she felt like she was choking, or was that the tears? But she wouldn't let Simon talk so horribly to her in that angry, sharp tone of his. Never. And she wasn't even in the wrong.

"What is your problem?" She spat, the anger in her voice took them both aback but Simon didn't sway. He'd moved further into the room, and Cleo wondered if he was going to do whatever he'd came into the kitchen to do; if he was going to just ignore her question and existence. She was sure he was going to as the silence stretched out after her question. He didn't have an answer. Well not one that made sense. She was his problem. Since she had came back and they'd spoke he been going crazy; he couldn't sleep and he found himself looking at pictures of them on his phone without even realising it. He was a mess of emotions and it wasn't healthy. Tobi was right this wasn't healthy. And then Will. Will was the problem too. He made Simon insanely jealous. Insanely. So really the problem was that Cleo wasn't his girlfriend anymore. Of course he wouldn't say any of this. Instead he just shot daggers at Cleo and he didn't notice her squirm under his unwavering stare. He hated himself for doing it but it was the only way he could think of to distance themselves from each other; before his heart broke anymore, when it hadn't fully healed from last time he saw the girl.

It was then when the kitchen door opened again and it was actually the bearded man this time. 'Little too late', Cleo thought. He chuckled as he entered the room, his eyes on the sealed packets of clothes in his hands. His new ZRK merchandise.

"Sorry for the wait, I misplaced them and they were in JJ's room?" His laugh was a question as if to say, did they grow legs? "I'm sure I'd left them on my bed when I knew you were coming to get them but oh well"

He raised his bright eyes, "I got some extra for you, I'm sure you'll look great in them" he still had on the kind smile when he noticed the awkward pair and even when the thick stale atmosphere weighed him down; however the shock was still evident in his eyes.

"Oh, hey Simon I thought you were out" Josh said in a breathy voice, he was frozen in the threshold and his eyes were hard as they stared at Simon. He knew that Simon had caused the anger that radiated from the pair and even though Josh wasn't close with Cleo, he would protect her in a heartbeat, plus Tobi would kill him if he didn't.

"I came back early to get ready" Simon said in a monotoned voice, his jaw clenched and his eyes focused on the clothes in Josh's hands as he tried to suss what they were.

Josh's hands gripped around the shirts subconsciously and he was about to attempt to extinguish the situation, when Simon spoke again his voice infected with venom.

"I've got to go" The sharpness of his voice was hard and he glared at Cleo as he said the last part "I said I'd go out on a date with Talia, maybe you should go on yours with Will"

Before another thing could be said he stormed out the room, barging past Josh and stomping loudly up the stairs again until his bedroom door slammed hard behind him. Josh looked at Cleo questioningly but Cleo just returned the look, she was just as confused as he was.

A date with Will? What did that even mean? They were just friends and everyone knew that. Also why Will of all people? 

Even though Cleo knew she had no right to, when he mentioned a date with another girl, it made her feel as if she was crumbling. As if the world was falling from beneath her feet and like the organs had been scooped from her body. Why did she feel like that? She knew he'd said it to get at her and he'd been successful, extremely successful.

Cleo still felt utterly speechless and confused, just like Josh, in the middle of the sidemen kitchen and she could feel the tears dampening her cheeks, it seemed everything she had wasn't enough to hold in the pain.