My eyes are closed, my head tilted toward the ceiling, desperately trying to block out the sound of Emily nagging the ear off of me.

We're sat in a corner of the common room, it's early, and I'd rather be anywhere but here at this very moment.

"Cook!" She exclaims, nudging me roughly. "Are you even listening to me?"

I open my eyes and turn my head to look at her. She's sitting beside me, an irritated look plastered on her face.

"God, you're fucking hopeless," she sighs, shaking her head.

I grin at her. "That's me."

She smacks my arm. "This isn't fucking funny! You need to get your shit together, Cook. You can't just lead on a girl like that."

"I didn't ask her to like me, did I?" I mutter scornfully.

This is about Eve. She blabbed to Emily about how we kissed after that underground party where we sold the weed for Tommo. She told her all about how straight after we kissed, I told Eve I was waiting for Effy to come. That apparently upset Eve. I don't remember any of this, mind you.

"I was fucked off my head, Ems," I groan. "Can you just shut up about it now? Clearly I wasn't thinking."

Emily glares at me. "You really don't get it, do you, Cook?"

I shrug at her, helplessly. "Clearly not."

"It's not just over that, it's everything else. You know how much Eve likes you. You can't just fuck with her like that, just because you feel like it."

"Sorry, Emily," I say, standing up. "But this really isn't my problem. I'm with Effy. She knows that. Everyone knows that. Her fault if she chooses to get upset over it."

"Are you really with Effy, though?" Emily challenges, staring up at me.

I blink at her. "Yes, I'm fairly fucking sure I am."

She puts her head in her hands. "Just, think, for once, would you?"

I tap my temple with my finger. "Always thinking, babe. Besides, what goes on in my noggin is none of your concern. You have other things to be worrying about."

"Like?" She scoffs.

I nod my head toward Naomi, who's sitting with Pandora and Effy on the other side of the room.

They're comforting Panda as Thomas got sent back home after his mother came to Bristol to pay him a surprise visit. Shit timing, as his apartment was decorated with drying hash plants and teenagers drinking, smoking, and fucking.

Poor girl, she really liked Thomas.

Emily frowns at me, her cheeks going red to match her hair. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I raise my eyebrows at her, knowing Naomi is a touchy subject, before turning around.

"Ta-ra, love," I smile, waggling my fingers at her mockingly as I walk away. I can hear her muttering behind me as I leave.

I head over to where Effy and Naomi are sitting, their arms around Panda, who's snivelling quietly into Effy's shoulder.

"Alright, girls?" I smile at them.

They all stare at me blankly. I nudge my foot at Pandora.

"Bad time?" I mumble, and they all nod in sync at me.

I pat Pandora's knee awkwardly. "Don't worry, Pands," I comfort her, as she sniffles in response. "There's plenty of fish in the Congo."

"Fuck off, would you, Cook?" Naomi snaps at me.

I put my hands up in response. "Okay, okay, sorry for caring."

Effy gives me a look, a look vaguely meaning fuck off or I'll castrate you.

I shove my hands in my pockets and retreat, spotting Freddie and JJ entering the room. I can see Freddie grimace slightly at the sight of me. I simply grin in response, throwing my arms around the pair.

"How's my lads?" I greet them cheerfully, receiving inaudible mutters in response.

I pull away from them, looking between the two. "Christ, everyone has shitty knickers today."

"Leave it out, Cook," Freddie mumbles.

"Whatever," I shrug, scuffing my feet off the ground. "We doing anything tonight?"

"What's the occasion?" JJ asks me.

"Nothing, it's Friday. That's the occasion."

"Dunno," Freddie responds, looking over my shoulder at the girls. Emily has now joined them. "Is she alright?"

"Her boyfriend got deported, Freds," JJ responds. "I highly doubt she's alright at the moment."

Freddie raises his eyebrows. "Shit, yeah, I forgot."

He turns to me, his mood suddenly lifted. "This is shit," he pauses. "Bunk off?"

I grin at him. "Don't have to ask me twice."

-

I snap out of my daze at the sound of my phone ringing. It's Effy. I look at Freddie as I answer.

We decided to head back to Freddie's shed, after spending ten minutes trying to persuade JJ to bunk off with us. Naturally, he caved in, as he always does.

Now it's the three of us, sat in our usual spot, Freddie and I passing a spliff back and forth, while JJ rambles on about something I wasn't really listening to.

"Hello?" I answer my phone.

"Cook?" Effy's voice sounds from the phone. "Where are you?"

"At Freddie's, why?" I ask her, leaning forward in my seat, passing the j back to Freddie.

"I need you," she sounds upset.

I sit up, worried. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she starts. "No - just please come. I'm at the harbour."

"Okay, I'll be there in a bit," I reassure her, killing the call and getting out of my seat, grabbing my jacket.

"Where you going?" Freddie asks me, a confused expression on his face.

"Effy wants me. There's something wrong," I reposted, heading toward the entrance to the shed. "I'll come back later, yeah?"

Freddie nods at me, not saying anything, while JJ says a 'goodbye'.

I hurriedly make my way out of Freddie's garden and onto his street, slight panic rising in my chest. It's not often Effy rings me in distress.

-

I finally make it to the harbour, and spot a hunched over figure sitting by the water.

"Effy!" I call, out of breath from running, and she looks up at me. Her face is blank yet her eyes are red from crying.

I'm dreading her response when I sit down beside her and ask her what's wrong.

"You're not pregnant, or anything?"

"No, you twat," she snaps, quickly wiping away a tear that escapes from her eye.

I stare at her. It's not often you'd see Effy cry. I don't think I've even seen her cry before.

I put my arm around her comfortingly. "What happened, so?"

She sniffs roughly, taking a drag of her cigarette. "My parents are splitting up."

"Your dad found out then?"

She nods. "I went home early with Pandora 'cos  she was too upset to be in school, when Steve calls over," she starts.

"My dad answered the door and was all confused 'cos Steve was saying all this shit about love and shit. He was saying it to mum but dad didn't realise it at first, then he goes and kisses my mum in front of everyone and now my dads gone mental, and it's just all so, so, so fucked," she sobs, laying her head on my shoulder.

I rub her hair soothingly. "Steve's a twat," I mutter, taking her finished cigarette and flicking it into the water.

I look up to the sound of heavy footsteps approaching quickly. It's Pandora.

"Bugger it, Eff! There you are! You can't half leg it," she pants, out of breath. "Hi, Cook."

I simply nod at her in greeting, as she sits down on the other side of Effy.

"You think, your mum and funny beard have been, you know, making monkey?" Pandora asks, still out of breath.

I stare at her in disbelief.

"Yes Pandora," Effy responds blankly. "They've been making monkey."

"Wow!" Pandora breathes. "Surfed and turfed."

"Yep," Effy mumbles, sniffing.

"Eff, Eff don't cry," Pandora pleads, as I hold Effy tighter in my arms.

"Does this mean you're not coming to my pyjama party?" Pandora asks her.

I look between the two of them. "Pyjama party?"

"Sure, why not?" Effy mumbles, pulling out of my embrace and turning to Pandora. "Let's get totally, totally fucked."

Pandora hesitates. "Um, yeah, that's the thing," she starts. "My mum's gonna be there and we're gonna put on pyjamas and play Twister. It's brilliant fun, more fun than getting fucked... probably.

And then you're all going to tell me how to do it with Tommo because, basically I haven't got a clue." She finishes, smiling at Effy.

I chuckle. "So, where's my invite?"

"Sorry, it's strictly no boys allowed, mum says," Pandora replies sheepishly. "She doesn't like boys. Says they only want one thing and that's to get into my pants."

"Right, so," I laugh in response. "Just one big lesbian shag fest then, right?"

Effy stares at me for a moment. "Can you go?" She asks me. "We need girl time."

I look at her for a moment, before standing up. "You'll be okay, yeah?"

She gives me a small, unreadable smile. "I'm always okay," she mutters in response.

I just nod and start to walk away, the cogs working in my brain.

I pull out my phone, pulling up JJ's number and pressing the call button, a smile on my face.

"JJ, lad," I start, as soon as he answers.

"I have us a plan for tonight, pal, meet me at my dorm. It involves women, lots of them, J," I pause. "Oh, and Freddie's not invited."

"May I ask why?" JJ asks me, his voice muffled due to bad connection.

I sigh. "Cos he's a fun sponge, got it? Now, meet me ASAP, we're in for a night, my friend."