CHAPTER 20: MAKE UP YOUR BLOODY MIND, WOMAN!

All three guys sat there not talking to each other. Each had their own thoughts running through their minds, recalling the events of the past night. Louis gazed dreamily into nothing. Bowie obliviously stirred his drink while Nick absent-mindedly doodled with his finger on the table. If one could read minds, this is what one would have found:

Louis: 'Jess...Jess...Jess...sighhh...Jess...Jess...sighed...Jess...Jess...Jess...'

Nick: 'sighhh...Jess...and Louis....sighhh...Louis...and Jess...sighhh...'

Bowie: 'Flora...Flora...Flora...Flora...sighhh...Flora...Flora...hmm...I wonder if I’ve put sugar into my coffee yet...'

Flora sprawled out on the sofa with a chuckle. “What’s the deal with Louis and you?” she asked Jessica.

“Hmm...” Jessica pondered with a smile on her face.

“Hmm...?” Flora cocked her eyebrow at her friend.

“Hmm...” Jessica sighed again.

Flora faked an exaggerated gape. “Oh my god, Jessica Lee. Tell me it isn’t true. Tell me you’re not falling in love?!” Flora exclaimed, adding a little shudder when she said the word ‘love’.

“In love? Me?” Jessica scoffed feigning incredulity.

Flora shrugged. “YOU tell me,” she grinned.

Jessica threw a cushion at her. “I am NOT in love,” she lied. “Louis is merely a...a...distraction. Yes, a distraction.”

“Uh huh...” Flora nodded, not believing her friend at all. “Whatever you say, whatever you say...”

Jessica scowled. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

“La di da di da...” Flora mumbled with her eyes up at the ceiling. “What do YOU think?”

“I think you’re beginning to fall for Bowie too,” Jessica retorted.

Flora tensed a little. “Hey, since when did the conversation switch to me?”

“Ah ha! I AM right, aren’t I?” Jessica chuckled. “Poor, poor Karen,” Jess shook her head.

“Well, then. Poor, poor Nick too,” Flora snorted.

Jessica burst out in laughter. “Yeah...poor, poor Nick,” she uttered knowingly.

“How was Karen? I saw you talking to her,” Flora asked her friend out of curiousity.

Jessica curled her eyebrow up at Flora. “I thought you weren’t interested?”

Flora shrugged. “I was just wondering...”

“Shit! You like her too, don’t you?” Jessica exclaimed as she jumped closer towards Flora on the sofa.

Flora playfully pushed her away. “No, I don’t. I’m just...curious...” her voice had a tinge of hesitation in it.

Jessica couldn’t believe what Flora was saying either. She stared at her friend and that familiar evil grin appeared once again on her face. “Hey,” she nudged Flora. “Remember that dare I gave you? It’s still open...” she grinned mischieviously.

“F off,” Flora scolded.

“No, no. F Karen,” Jessica giggled.

Flora shoved a cushion into her friend’s face and pretended to suffocate her. But even with a cushion over her face, one could still hear the muffled laughter coming from Jess. Just then, the doorbell to their apartment rang. Flora gave up and ran to open the door. She gasped as she peered into the peep hole.

“What?” Jess asked curiously.

Flora took a gulp and braced herself against the door, recomposing herself. Jess bounded up to her as the doorbell rang again. “Who is is?” she asked again, taking a look through the peep hole herself. “Ohhhh...” she whispered.

Before Flora could stop her, Jess threw the door opened. “Hello Karen! What brings you here?”

“Uh...Hi Jess. Is Flora home?”

“Yea, come on in,” Jess stepped aside for Karen.

Karen smiled apprehensively and entered their apartment. Flora nervously stepped out from behind the door.

“H...hi Karen,” she stammered her greeting.

Jessica flitted her gaze back and forth between Flora and Karen and grinned to herself. Then she exclaimed. “My, would you look at the time! I forgot I was supposed to meet somebody!” She ran towards her bedroom and came back out again in a flash. Flora and Karen were still standing at the exact spots she had left them. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, Jessica waved at her friend who was openly sending her sharp glares and headed towards the door. “Have fun, you two,” she chuckled as she closed it behind her.

“Umm...err...” Flora stuttered. “H...H...Have a seat. W...would you like a drink?” she offered.

Karen looked at Flora. “Err...actually...” she hesitated. Actually, she didn’t know what she was doing at Flora’s apartment. She had been driving around aimlessly and had somehow ended up there.

Flora waited for Karen to finish her sentence. “Actually?”

Karen shrugged. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know why the hell I’m here, “ she grinned sheepishly. “Shall we go out for coffee and talk about it? My treat,” she suggested, having recovered slightly.

Flora grinned nervously. What was there to talk about anyway? Then again, she decided, it was safer going out where there were more people than staying at home where there was only the two of them. “Erm...okay,” she replied.

Karen smiled and held the door open for Flora. “Shall we?”