Laura

The cold air of late December nipped at the crowds of people who warred with the elements, and their fellow shoppers, over baby dolls so realistic they cried all night and tiny consoles that turned your ceiling into the universe, but would only be lost on Christmas morning. As I surveyed the masses, armed with shopping bags and determination, I began to regret leaving my gift purchasing so late.

"This is the worst time of year to buy anything. You just know every one of those smug bastards have hiked their prices as high as they can. Well, they won't get away with it. I'm not buying a single thing." Courtney was glaring at the colourful array of shopfronts before us with such hatred I worried the glass might begin to crack. "Con artists, the lot of them!"

"Never mind that. Why didn't we go somewhere indoors?" I rubbed my frozen fingers together, wishing I'd brought gloves. Maybe if I put my hands in my pockets?

"I thought it would be fun!" Courtney bounced on the spot excitedly. "Courtney and Laura, ya know," she linked her arm with mine and steered me towards a rapidly filling shop, "like the old days. Before you became a boring, domestic shit-head!" She slapped the back of my head. "Seriously, where the hell have you been hiding?"

"I've just ... been busy." I said feebly.

Courtney rolled her eyes before propelling me into a brightly lit clothing store.

In a matter of seconds she was holding a dress against her body and saying, "this would look great on me! Wouldn't it look amazing?"

"Uh, sure." I agreed, uncomfortably looking around. "Courtney, this isn't really my thing. Is there somewhere else we can go?"

"Not yet," she tapped my nose with a cool finger. "Why don't you try and find something for your cute little girlfriend? Who I'd better meet, by the way."

"Oh, of course. You can meet her today." I said, feeling awful. I appeared to be a kind of shit best friend. "I'm sorry I haven't been around much. I got sort of caught up in everything and in Lilly. But that's not really an excuse. I promise I'll be a better friend. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course, dumb-ass." Courtney was searching for a shirt in her size. "No need for the whole speech thing; if I was annoyed I wouldn't have come out with you. I know what it's like to be in love." She found her size and spun round, gently tapping my nose again. "Especially for the first time." She sauntered by me as though she'd said nothing out of the ordinary.

I followed. While she tried on her hundred different clothes I waited outside.

"I'm not in love with her, you know."

"Sure you are, you just gotta accept it, sweetie." Courtney said.

I leaned against a wall, my head back, staring into space, seeing nothing.

"How can you know?"

There is laughter from inside the changing room, "Laura, I've known you since we were five, I think I can tell. Plus you would never have forgotten the wonderful me for so long, and left me to rot all alone in the dust and-"

"Alright, shut up." I whacked her door. "And hurry up."

"So mean!" Courtney cried, and I rolled my eyes.

"You know I love you, now come on! If you're good I'll let you pick a present for yourself."

"Really?" My best friend's head popped out the door. "No ugly green sweaters with itchy fluff balls."

"That was one time! And they were flowers!"

"If you say so," she disappeared back inside the door, and after a few minutes and a great deal of rustling she emerged again, her mountain of options, somehow, in hand. She passed me, "well, what're you waiting for?" I rolled my eyes, I remembered why I hadn't missed this asshole.

Jogging slightly to catch up with her I accidentally bumped into someone and when I turned to apologise I realised I knew the woman.

"Hi, uh, Sarah, right?" I said.

"That's right, you're Lauren? Lilly's girlfriend?"

"It's Laura actually," I corrected. "I'm sorry for barging into you."

"That's alright," a booming male voice said. "As long as you didn't hurt my baby." Two muscular arms wrapped around Sarah, resting gently on her stomach. It was Tom, Lilly's oldest brother. I hadn't seen him at the Daniel's house in a while. Noticing how his hands gently stroked Sarah's stomach, I understood why.

"You're pregnant?" I asked. The blonde woman nodded then looked up at Tom for assurance. "Oh, wow, congratulations!"

"We weren't trying or anything," Sarah said hurriedly, "it just, sort of, happened."

"I'm happy for you." I said and I was but, "what're you going to tell Anne?" The couple exchanged worried looks.

"I actually have no idea," Tom confessed, "but, please, can you keep it a secret? We would like to tell her ourselves."

"Of course." I said quickly. There had never been any question of me keeping their secret. "Would you mind if I say something?" I asked, not wanting to offended them. They urged me to tell them whatever was on my mind. "I understand where the difficulty lies in telling her but I think leaving it would bring a worse result."

The two furrowed their brows, clearly thinking over my words. A short period of silence passed before I spoke up again. "I don't mean to be rude but I have to go, my friend is waiting and-"

"No, no, no, certainly. We shouldn't have kept you, please get back to your friend. It was nice running into you. Literally." I gave a small smile.

"Goodbye." I walked away.

"You'd better be treating my sister well," Tom called after me. "Or you'll have me to answer to." I chuckled to myself, knowing I could take him down with a few choice moves. Although, if I really did hurt Lilly I don't think I would fight back. I would deserve everything I got.

"There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere, why did you disappear?" Courtney jumped into my arms before I could consume become consumed by my thoughts.

"I was gone a few minutes," I let go of her and she stumbled, then hit me for dropping her. "You give me so much abuse, no wonder I prefer Lilly."

Courtney smirked, "oh, I'm sure you do." We left the store, Courtney had bought all she wanted while I was speaking with Tom and Sarah, and I breathed a sigh of relief; glad to be free. But within seconds I was being, what I would describe as, brutally forced into another.

"I need a break," I complained while stubbornly digging my heels in. The floor was polished tile and offered no purchase to aid my resistance. Stupid floor. "Can't we go somewhere else first?"

"Like where? We're in a street full of shops, Laura. Suck it up."

I groaned and crossed my arms moodily then stopped being so stubborn and realised where I was.

Victoria freaking secret.

"Holy crap," I gazed around, smiling slightly to myself. "I haven't been here since-"

"Since I last made you come, I'll bet." Courtney wrapped an arm around my waist and grinned. I nodded, still wide-eyed at the array of lingerie that lay before me. Some of this stuff I would kill to see Lilly in! She would look great in red, and in black, and even better in blue! If only she were here so I could dress her up, although that probably wouldn't be a good idea since I'd end up ruining whatever she put on. "Stop it," Courtney punched me hard enough to bring me back to reality. "I think we should go before you turn into a puddle right here." She began to march me towards the exit.

"No! Wait, just let me buy one thing, maybe two. That's nice too, and this...."

***

"This girl of yours isn't going to know what hit her," Courtney said, laughing once more at the excessive amount bags I'd been hauling around all day.

"So I got a little carried away-" I began flippantly, only to be cut off by my friends snort of laughter. "Whatever," I pretended to be mad but it didn't last. I couldn't stay mad at her. "I've really missed you, Courtney. I don't think I realised how much until now."

"I've missed you too." She hugged me carefully because I was driving. "Don't go MIA on me again, or I'll hunt you down and kidnap you! I'm glad your pumpkin had the sense to send you out with me, or that would have soon happened; I was just about going crazy. And no one needs that in their lives."

"Except me," I said and she made the noise most females make upon the sight of a cute baby. "Anyways," I pulled up outside my house and quickly got out the car. My house was now habitable and I had moved back in a few days prior to going out with Courtney. Personal items were slightly lacking (understandably) but I was enjoying feeling like my home was a hotel for however long it would last.

"She's coming over, right?" Courtney asked as we lifted our bags from the backseat. Before I could reply, she added, "she'd better be! You promised she would!"

"Yes, she is, she is," I quickly stopped her pre-rant. "I'll call her when we get inside."

"You haven't asked her? How do you know she won't be out, or busy, or not be allowed, or anything?If she still lives with her parents they might not let her out after dar-"

"Courtney, breathe. It'll be fine; I'll call her and she'll come over. Don't get worked up about it." I said soothingly.

"I'm not worked up," she said sulkily, scuffing her foot across the ground as I tried to fish my keys from my pocket without dropping any bags. I chuckled discretely and unlocked the door.

"Sure you're not."

"I'm getting food, you want some?" My crazy friend made herself at home in my house, as always.

"I'm good, thanks. I'll order pizza or something when Lilly gets here. I'm going to call her, alright?" I picked up my phone and directed my speech towards the kitchen.

"Sure," Courtney said, slightly muffled by whatever she was eating.

"Hey, gorgeous," Lilly said when she picked up.

"Hiya," I said. "I was wondering if you'd like to come over. Courtney is here."

"Aw, babe, I have a stack of stuff I need to do."

"I'll help you with it tomorrow, just please come over. I told Courtney you would and she'll complain 'til my ears fall off if you don't."

Lilly laughed. "I guess I have to save you then."

"You wouldn't love me without ears?" I asked, joking.

"Of course I would."

"You had better!" I chuckled. "But I'd rather keep them, so hurry over." I ended the call and smiled stupidly at nothing. I don't think my girlfriend had even realised what she'd admitted to.

A loud "awww" startled me from my thoughts. Courtney was leaning against the door frame that lead from this room to the kitchen with a packet of crisps (or chips) in hand. Her head was tilted to the side, watching me. Her glowing green eyes seemed to stare straight through me. "You do love her." My best friend uttered the words seriously, not in the teasing way she had earlier. It was a rare occasion that Courtney gave up her jokes so I knew she was serious.

I shrugged and didn't look directly at her. When she got this way it was as though she knew my every thought. "I like her ... a lot."

"I think it's past like, Laura." An eyebrow rose, I could practically feel her eyes burning into mine. I squeezd my hand into a fist and nervously dug my nails into the skin of my palm. "So, when are you gonna tell her?"

"I'm not," I said simply.