Bridge Street

Liam

Luke has drawn me into a debate between him and Becky about whether we should skip West Street Subway Station as well as Shields Road.

"The pub closest to West Street is literally along the road from here," Becky is arguing. "And I'm wearing heels!" She ends on a wail. "I don't want to get on the subway to go to a further away subway to pretty much double back on myself."

Luke seems confused but, having reluctantly completed a few subcrawls in my time, I know what she means. 

"Isn't that the point of a subcrawl though?" he asks blankly.

"It is," I say firmly, deciding to step in. We don't need a couple fight on our hands. "But Becky is wearing heels so I say we skip West Street as well as Shields Road and go straight to Kinning Park."

"Yes!" Becky consults her list. "We can have three drinks in The Bellrock to make up for it." She turns on her heel. "I'd better let Lola know or she'll think I'm taking over."

"Thanks for stepping in there," Luke sighs. "No pun intended."

"You know never to argue with Becky when heels are involved," I remind him.

"I don't know why she even wore them, she knew there was going to be walking, and standing, involved," he says in exasperation.  "All the other girls wore flat shoes." He indicates the table where they're all sitting. My eyes drift towards one long bare tanned leg poking out from under the table, ending in a sparkly black Doc Marten boot.

Luke follows my gaze, smirking. "You two looked like you were getting on as well as always, before," he observes. There's no missing the sarcasm. It's no secret that Chloe and I are only capable of talking in insult.

I run my hands through my hair, stifling a sigh. I'm aware I got off on the wrong foot with Chloe, from our very first meeting. I've been told I even ruined her enjoyment of one of her favourite films . . . Forever. This is a fairly heinous crime. I know that even on the occasions I've tried simply to be friendly, it somehow descends into some sort of argument between the two of us.

I've tried to analyse why this is over the years, why I get on fine with the other girls in this group, but not with her. And the only feasible conclusion I've ever managed to be able to reach is that . . . I fancy her.

And I really don't want that to be true because she really doesn't seem to like me.

"You know she's single now?" Luke says in a low voice.

I didn't. Her boyfriend - now ex, I guess - had been on the stags with us but it hadn't been mentioned, and it's not like I'd clocked him trying to pull anyone so I'd had no reason to think they were no longer together.

In retrospect though, the boyfriend's presence had flummoxed me that first time. I remembered thinking Chloe was really attractive, with her long wavy brown hair, hazel eyes and shy smile. Feeling awkward that her boyfriend was sitting right there but somehow still wanting to impress her.

But instead I'd apparently made her hate me, which definitely had never been my intention. She's always on the defensive whenever I open my mouth now. Sometimes even before I think about opening my mouth.

"You know what's weird?" Luke continues softly, and I snap my attention back to him. "Chloe is completely different with you than she is with anyone else."

"What do you mean?" I'm confused.

"Chloe is pretty shy and extremely socially awkward. If anyone else spoke to her the way you do, she'd probably react in a completely different way. She gets fired up around you for some reason. It's . . . Interesting."

"Is it?" I try to sound bored but my own interest has been piqued. My eyes come to rest on Chloe again. She's fiddling about with her phone but suddenly she looks up and catches me watching her. She frowns and quickly averts her gaze.

I didn't really want to come to this subcrawl today. I have enough on my plate at the moment, but Luke is my best friend, I knew I probably needed a distraction from real life and, I guess deep down as well, I did want to see Chloe.

Maybe I can use this opportunity to get her to see me as more than just a foe? I'm not saying she'll ever be interested in me the way I probably am in her, but perhaps we can be friends?

Putting my empty glass down on the bar, I decide today's goal: to make Chloe West like me.

That may be easier said than done.

The boy likes a challenge evidently.

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