None Existent Life

3. Partners

Things have moved on somewhat in the ten years since James' father passed, and although it took a long time for James to get over what happened that day, Darren was always on hand to help him through it.

James and Darren have never been closer, Darren still has his playboy attitude. Yet, the pair have never fallen out about a girl since they were 14, in fact, even then they didn't fall out, things were quickly forgotten once Darren learned what had happened to Jame's father.

In some respects it happened to him too, Darren looked up to Mr Springstein as a second Dad and was equally hurt to hear of his death.

Three years ago, after Mrs Sprinstein died of a heart attack, James was surprised to learn that both she and his father were insured. They were leaving James in an excellent position to finish university quite comfortably and buy himself a beautiful apartment in the city centre.

Darren now lives with James and the pair still has a special relationship despite being complete opposites in so many ways.

James can be shy, awkward, reserved and focused, whereas Darren he is more the happy, confident fly by night kind of guy, he has never had a job, did not finish college and spends most of his time in the gym or picking up women from bars or clubs.

One thing they do both have in common though is relationships, not one of them have had what you call a long term relationship, Darren will tell you he doesn't get too serious when it comes to women, but for James its more bad luck than anything else.

James has had girlfriends, his last one, Chalene lasted nine months, James was sat in a coffee shop alone, reading a novel about some guy who committed suicide, but regretted it straight away. When Charlene approached and asked if she could sit down, James looked up and noticed her clutching the same novel in her hands; they hit it off instantly.

It wasn't lone before James invited her to move in with Darren and himself, for a while things were great, the sex was amazing, she was intellectual, pretty and she appeared to get on with Darren too.

But slowly they started to argue more, their sex life was virtually none existent, but her friendship with Darren remained strong throughout all of it.

James noticed her flirting with Darren quite openly in front of him, Darren appeared to be ignoring it, but James was finding it hard to.

After a few more weeks of the continued flirting in Darren's direction, James decided to approach Charlene on the subject.

"What's going on with you and Darren?" James had waited for Darren to leave for the gym before asking his girlfriend about her real feeling towards Darren.

"What do you mean?" She was curled up on the sofa painting her toenails, her attention not moving away from her feet.

"I mean you and I are constantly arguing, we don't have sex any more and your always flirting with Darren."

Charlene's voice began to raise "So because we don't fuck, I must be fucking your friend, is that it?" she was not happy and what sounded to her, as an accusation.

"No, I didn't say that you were sleeping with him, I know he wouldn't do that, but..."

"You want to know why I flirt with Darren? Do you really want to know?" she interrupted him again, still shouting yet James remained calm.

"I flirt with him because you have become boring, you're always sat there in that chair writing something, I talk you don't answer because you're not listening, but Darren does he answers" she was in full throttle by now, and showing no signs of slowing down.