Here at last then, the two hour train ride has been hellish. Why is it you always get stuck next to someone who looks like they’ve just walked out of an asylum, then there’s always that kid, about five years old who finds everything amazing and wants to share his excitement, and his little brother who’s having a tantrum in the middle of the carriage, everyone stood there is silence trying to ignore each other or trying to look purposeful, like they’ve got somewhere important to go.
She stepped out of the taxi, into a puddle on the grey pavement of another English town on a usual showery grey April afternoon. She stood 5”7, shoulder length black hair with blond tips; bright blue eyes outlined with black eyeliner, a soft pale completion graced her face. She was wearing a tightly fitted grey t-shirt with a bands slogan written across the front, skinny black jeans, finished off with slightly tattered pink and black converse.
Off she trudged, up the several flights of stairs; backpack in hand and a guitar case suspended from her shoulders, to the place that she would call home for the next few months. She knocked loudly several times on the door to the student flat. She’d been given a key but it seemed rude just to walk in, even if it was her new home. Kris opened the door, eyeing up the girl that stood before him Kris: hello Girl: hi (a blank expression on her face) Kris: (slightly puzzled, and laughing) and what can I do for you? Girl: I think your expecting a new flat mate Kris: yep Girl: ta dar Kris: come in She walked past Kris into the kitchen, where Elliot stud eating his breakfast She looked at him and smiled Girl: hi Elliot: hi Girl: I’m the new flat mate, Chloe (she held out her hand to Elliot) Elliot: (shaking her hand) I’m Elliot Kris: and I’m Kris Chloe turned and looked at him Chloe: nice skirt Kris: (expecting another comment to follow) erm thanks C: so is it just the tow of you living here? K: no there’s Zac and John Paul is staying for a few days C: all lads then K: yep C: (laughing) lucky me K: I’ll show you to our room C: thanks He led her down the short hall to the room at the end, here it is, he swung open the door, revelling a white small room, with one single bed and a wardrobe. C: a, really original K: well look at this way, you can put your own stamp on it C: I think I like you already (in a slightly sarcastic tone laughing) K: (smiled, he obviously liked her too) listen, me and Elliot are heading down the student uni, fancy joining us. C: I’ll pass, it’ll give me a chance to settle in, plus I’d rather not get drunk and embarrass myself the first day here. K: suit yourself (he smiled again and left)
Elliot: well there’s a turn up for the books, a girl K: a hot girl E: well, yeh, in our flat (his face was glowing) Kris laughed at him “come on you get your coat, your buying me a drink” and he pushed him towards the door
Well it wasn’t much; then again beggars can’t be choosers she thought. It wasn’t exactly the kind of room she was used to, but she’d adjust. Already she was longing to be back where she’d come from, if only she could turn the clocks back a year, everything would be different. Well at least the guys seemed nice. She sat on the bed and began to think, planning her new life here, ‘I wonder if he wears a skirt all the time?’ She put her headphones on and started to unpack, whilst dancing around the room to ‘our time now’ by the plain white t’s. She was so engrossed that she didn’t hear the front door open and two men walk inside.
John Paul: Kris, hello, anyone home? (he yelled) No answer came JP: empty, our lucky day (he looked at Kieran) They both went and sat on the sofa, Kieran leaded towards John Paul and started to kiss him.
In the room at the end of the corridor Chloe thought she’d heard a noise, and went to investigate, to see if anyone else had come in. as soon as she opened the door she could see two men sitting on the sofa kissing, completely absorbed in each others company. Damn, what would she do now, it wasn’t like she could just walk up to them, and say ‘oh by the way, I’m your new flat mate’ it seemed rude to interrupt. Instead she went back into her new room. She’d finished ‘unpacking’ which was just throwing things into the bottom of the wardrobe. So she got her guitar out of it’s case and began to play and sing.
JP: do you hear that? K: no, what? JP: music K: you sure you’re not paranoid JP: no, Kieran, shh, listen K: oh yeh, sounds like it’s coming form the end of the corridor JP: go look then K: why me (laughing, at John Paul’s slight fear) I don’t live here, you go JP: go on Kieran, you’re a priest K: (laughing more) so (looked at JP) ok fine (he stood up and walked to the end of the narrow hall John Paul close behind him, and knocked lightly on the door, there was no answer so he push the door open, seeing a slim dark hair girl sat on the bed playing the guitar)
Chloe: oh hi, sorry I didn’t hear anyone else come in Kieran: hello JP: hi C: (seeing their blank expressions) I’m Chloe, just moved in, your father Kieran aren’t you? K: erm yeh, how .. (but he didn’t get to the end of his sentence) C: and you must be John Paul (looking at him and giving him a sweet smile) JP: that’s me, how did you know? C: I’m psychic (she laughed at their completely puzzled expressions) JP: really? C: (laughing more, at his gullibility) no, although good to know I can pass as a mad person. (they looked at her for further explanation) I came up here last weekend, and I visited the church (see looked at Kieran) and Kris said that Zac and John Paul were staying here so I had a fifty fifty chance, I just couldn’t see you as a Zac K: (smiled at her, she seemed sweet, all be a bit odd) so will I be seeing you again on Sunday? C: yeh, I think so K: good, so you had a chance to settle in yet? C: yeh K: how you finding it so far? C: it’s good, then again I have only been here for a couple of hours JP: we’re off down the pub, do you want to join us? C: (she looked at the both, they seemed friendly and inviting) yeh sure C: (she stood up and followed them out of the room) JP: nice guitar C: thanks They all left the flat together and headed in the direct of the student uni
Well maybe life here wasn’t going to be a dull as she thought, she’d only been here a few hours and already she’d stumbled upon a priest and student kissing on the sofa, she just imagined the scandals she would have unearthed after a week. The next few months looked more and more optimistic, Hollyoaks already seemed more like home.
