I looked at the mirror, a smile spreading on my face, aware that I'm likely to regret this decision later on.

"Do you like it?" the hairdresser asked.

She cut way more than I was expecting, but then again; I told her to do as she pleased. There it goes my short hair virginity.

"Yeah, I do," I answered shortly, too focused on my new visual.

I present to you now Avery Josephine di Laurentis, the last teenager on Earth to try short hair.

That still bothers me, though. Being a teen, I mean. Nineteen is still considered a teen and James is an adult, a grown man. Sometimes I wonder if he finds me childish.

I leave the small shop in the middle of the mall when my phone notifies me of a text.

Are you still up for dinner?

It's my father.

Lately, I don't mind attending his family gatherings as much. As long as he kept Grant away from me, this is. The guy keeps insisting on that family crap and I'm not tempted to be the 'sister' of a homophobic son of a bitch. His mother is not great either.

I sent him a simple Ok and shoved the phone down into my pocket.

Things have been good lately. I got a scholarship to an okay university (not really sure how). James and I have never been better. Mum is dating a delightful man from an insurance company (they met when she crashed the cab on a rainy night. But she's okay). Court went to the same uni I did. Louis is hanging close and life is good.

Besides, today I'm meeting James for a movie night so, as it is my turn to pick after he made me marathon Money Heist last weekend, I'm thinking about forcing him to watch It. He'll be pissed at me but I earned the right to choose.

Now, looking through the store to rent the film, I end up in the Mystery section. Wow, even when I want to watch horror, I go back to please him. Well, I don't dislike his taste.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" I exclaim when I hit someone as I backed away from that section.

"It's fine, I..." she shuts up when she sets eyes on me and my hands fly to my mouth "AJ! Oh my god"

I hug her tightly, my mind still not wrapped around the fact that Jade is here.

"What are you doing here?" I ask in disbelief.

She cracks a smile, and I notice for the first time the red-haired woman in her twenty-something behind Jade. She looks familiar, but I guess it is because she has the same dark eyes and thin lips as Jade.

"Jackie is getting married! You remember Jackie, right?"

Jackie, right! Jade's cousin from the cool side of the family.

I notice the huge rock on her finger that makes my eyes widen. That ring is so beautiful!

"Hi" she waves with a smile.

"Oh, congratulations," I say.

"It's not such a happy thought," Jade adds, and Jackie's smile drops. "The wedding is getting postponed. Because of the virus and all, you know"

"You don't believe that's actually getting here, right? They're making a big fuss about it but I doubt it's travelling all its way from China to here." I rolled my eyes.

Jackie doesn't share my opinion. "One infected guy travelling here is enough to infect all. If they close the country I don't want to be stuck in the UK"

"Close the country? Who's talking about closing the country?"

"Everyone," Jade tells me, "Haven't you seen the news? If it gets here, it's really likely that we'll be in lockdown. Like quarantine",

I've been too focused on exams to watch the news. But lockdown sounds a little extreme.

"I... haven't thought about that. Does that mean you're not staying?"

"We're leaving soon, but I'll probably be around in the next week," she explained. "We should meet to catch up. Just you, me and Court, for good old times' sake"

I agreed. There is so much I have to tell her about and I want to know everything about how is she doing.

"We're going to watch The Notebook tonight," she says as she waved the film in front of me.

"I thought your parents didn't let you watch TV"

"They do. The ones they approve. Documentaries," poor thing, missing the amazingness of Stranger Things "But Jackie says I have to watch this one"

"'Cause you do," her cousin presses.

"What are you looking for?"

"Oh, I don't know. James and I are having a movie date and it's my time to choose, but I don't know what to pick. He likes stuff with scams and smart people but it's my turn and I don't want to pick wrong"

"My nephew says there is this really cool film with magicians called Now You See Me. He really likes it and he knows this stuff," Jackie helps.

Jade rolls her eyes. "He's not your nephew yet, and he is probably an idiot"

"Kind of. But you haven't met him, he's a very interesting young man"

"Anyway," I interrupt, "Now You See Me sounds interesting. I'm taking that one. See you later?"

"Yeah, I'll call you"

We part ways. I wander through other corridors and found it near the action section. I think we'll both like it.

Not much long after, I am at James' door. I take the spare key from inside the electric board and open the door swiftly.

I hang the key next to his. Kyle's are nowhere to be seen. I kick my shoes off and get rid of my jacket, leaving the film on the table.

Jokingly, I shout, "Honey, I'm home" and scan through the loft to find him.

He is in the kitchen making popcorn and barely notices my presence until I wrap my arms around him from behind.

"Hi" I mumble against his green tee.

"Hey. I thought you'd take longer" he turns his head to me absentmindedly, and I put myself on my tiptoes to kiss him. "What did you get?"

"Now You See Me. Ever seen it?"

"Nope" he popped the P.

I let him finish and wait in the living room, trying to put the CD on the player.

I can feel the sweet scent of popcorn when he enters the room, placing the bowl on the table and sitting on the sofa.

I back away from the TV and join him, nudging closer.

"Cool haircut" he notices, entangling his hand in it "Looks more... mature"

I smile and lay my side against him. My fingers trace the black line across his arm that converges with so many others into a rose on the side of his elbow. I could do this all day, just tracing all his tattoos with the tip of my fingers.

Before I could press Play, he asks "When this whole quarantine thing starts..."

Him too?

"That's not getting to England. I'm pretty sure they're going to solve that before it's an actual issue"

He rolls his eyes at me. "If you think so. But in case it does..."

"It won't"

"But in case it does, Kyle already moved out. Come quarantine with me"

Is he asking me to move in? That's way too soon. We've barely been together for a year.

"Quarantine with you?"

"Yeah. I mean, if it happens, we don't know how long will it last so you could stay here, for the time being"

That doesn't sound like such a bad idea.

Still, I retort, "In case that happens, I should be with my mum. I can't leave her all alone during a lockdown"

He smirks, "What a great cockblocker you are. I think she has plenty of company with that new boyfriend of hers. But if you want to be around..."

That hadn't occurred to me, but the thought makes me gag.

"Fine. In case that happens, I'll pack a bag. You'll have to handle me and my mood swings/bitchy personality for a few months"

That seems to please him, and he kisses my forehead lightly.

"Good. Now let's watch the movie"

"Wait! I gotta go to the bathroom first" I stop him and jump to my feet, running to the bathroom.

The last thing I heard him say was, "Sure, I'll wait. I've waited so long already, I can wait a little more"

THE END

☕☕☕

Is that a shitty end? Perhaps, I'm not good at endings.

Anyway, that was Blueberry Milkshake for yall

Stay tuned for 1 small extra chapter