CHAPTER 13: BEARY REMEDIES

Thursday, 11 October 2001

You would have thought it would be close to impossible to ignore each other, being in the same room and all. But we managed it. Imagine going through a whole week or so with just a couple of 'mmms', 'yups' and 'whatevers'.

Okay, I admit it. I'm stubborn as a mule. But why should I be the one to apologise? She started it. If she hadn't been so immature and unreasonable in the first place, I wouldn't have lost my temper. If Jess was going to ignore me and pretend I didn't exist, I could jolly well do the same.

I was in a horribly foul mood again. I had been like that since the start of this whole week. Every slightest thing irritated the hell out of me. I snapped at everybody and anybody who crossed my path. I was just blowing my top at the smallest and insignificant things.

I didn't know why I was being like that. The anger was consuming me and I couldn't control myself. The problem was, I didn't know what it was I was angry about. I was just angry.

Lets go back to last Friday. The day when everything had gone wrong.

I had thought that drinks with Mag would be a nice reprieve from that horrendous day. Of course, again, I had thought wrong. I really did think all the bad luck was gone when I downed my first cold Gin & Tonic for the day. The feeling of the alcohol swimming through my system seemed to calm my tensed muscles a bit.

But the relief was to be short-lived.

Chris seemed to be extra attentive towards me that night. She would occasionally accidentally brush her fingers across my arm, put her arm around my shoulder or find a reason to rest her hand on my lap.

I had never felt more uncomfortable in my whole life. My skin cringed at her slightest touch. I knew then that I had to make it clear to her that I wasn't interested. I doubt I ever was. It was my curious fascination that made me think I was ever interested in her.

Mag had excused herself to go to the ladies, which left just Chris and me. It was then or never. Now that I thought about it, I doubt I would have had the courage to tell her if it wasn't for the alcohol...again.

I swallowed a gulp and tried to find the right words to begin.

"Um, Chris..."

"Yes, Flora?"

"Ummm..." I hesitated.

"What is it?" Chris asked as her lips curled upwards into a slight grin. She looked at me as if urging me to go on.

"Um..." I pulled at my nails nervously. "Umm...I'm straight."

Her brows went up in amusement. "Uh-huh."

"A-A-And I know you're interested in me but I'm not. So, you know, it's not going to work," I rambled on hurriedly, hoping that it made sense.

The grin on Chris' face seemed to have froze momentarily. My guess was she was probably still digesting my words.

"What makes you think I was ever interested?" she said slowly, her eyebrow raised in an arch.

What made me think she was interested? The phone calls. The asking me out. The touchy-touchy bits. All that. But somehow I couldn't say it. I just sat there dumbfounded and stared at her.

Then she laughed. And it wasn't a very nice laugh either.

"You know, I've never come across someone so full of themselves before," she said as she looked pointedly at me.

"Me? Interested in you?" she scoffed. "Take a look at yourself, darling. You think I would fall for your kind? You're not my type at all. Not ever in a million years."

"Grow up and smell the roses, darling. You're nothing but a pathetic and pampered little rich girl who thinks everybody likes you, aren't you? Huh! Well, I'm sorry to have to splash some reality into your fairytale world. Read my lips. I-don't-like-you. Never have, Never will."

I will forever remember that look of disdain on Chris' face as she said those words to me. I was already beginning to boil in rage. I clenched my fist and reminded myself to count to ten. I had to control my temper.

I hadn't expected such a reaction nor such a rebuttal from her. I mean, most people would just try and turn it into one huge joke. But that - what she said - was just plain nastiness. It was worst than a slap in the face.

I glared daggers at her and would probably have retorted with a biting remark had not Mag returned at that very moment.

That was to be the very last time I saw of Chris.

I eventually told Mag the next day about what had happened. While I had been relatively calm, she was the total opposite. The curses she had hurled at the absent Chris were truly astounding - I had never heard such amazingly flowery language. When she was done, she had given me such a huge bear hug, it nearly choked the living daylights out of me.

"You're beautiful in every imaginable way, Flo. Those who can't see that are blind and not worth fussing over. Remember it's their loss, not yours."

I returned Mag's hug with the same vigour. "Thanks," I mumbled in between my tears.

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As horrible as it had turned out, it was one less problem to worry about. All that was left now were Jess and Kevin.

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He was at his desk, a perfect picture of concentration. Seeing him so engrossed in his work, I couldn't help but feel a wave of uncertainty sweep over me. Maybe I shouldn't disturb him. Maybe I should do this another day.

No, I silently chided myself. No second thoughts. Just get it over and done with, Flora Lee.

I took a deep breath and knocked on his door.

Kev pulled his gaze away from his computer monitor reluctantly. The frown on his face told that he didn't appreciate being disturbed.

"If you're busy, I could come back later," I said.

"Flora?"

The frown was very quickly ironed out and replaced with a smile. But I noticed that it was a different kind of smile. It was not the normal happy Kev smile. This one was lacking in something. It seemed to be more of a smile of relief than anything else.

I walked in fearfully. After that little debacle with Chris, I didn't know what to expect now.

"Kev," I started. "About that night..."

"Flora, look, forget that it ever happened okay?" he suddenly interrupted. He stood up and circled around his desk before coming to a stop in front of me.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I could blame it on the alcohol but I won't. I won't deny my feelings for you. You probably already know - heck, I think the whole office knows - that I like you, Flora. I like you a lot."

"Kev..."

He lifted his hand to stop me.

"I know the feeling's not mutual," he sighed. Then he looked at me again and his face broke into that trademark Kevin grin once more. "But it's all right. It really is. I know you've been avoiding me all of this week and it really pained me to see you do that. It was then that I realised nothing is more important than our friendship. I could accept you not being a girlfriend but I couldn't accept you not being a friend."

He paused as though waiting for the words to sink in. Then he continued.

"So, what do you say eh, friend?"

I grinned and gave him a hug. "You're such an idiot, you know."

"A lovable and extremely huggable idiot. That's me," he chuckled.

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Two down. One to go.

After I returned to my room, I received a call from Louis asking if he could drop by my place tonight. Somehow or other I knew, sooner or later, one of them would call. And I knew what it was going to be about too.

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They sat on the sofa and just looked at me, sitting across from them, cross-legged on the floor, my arms wrapped snugly around a bright red throw cushion. We were like that for awhile. Uncomfortable silence filled the air.

I was the first to speak.

"Where's Jules?"

Louis chuckled. "Don't know. Probably busy bonking some girl somewhere."

I laughed and nodded. Typical Julian behaviour, I thought.

"So..."

Then a long and pregnant pause.

"So...what's going on between you and Jess?" Louis finally managed to ask.

That was what they were here for. I had been right. This cold feud with Jess had gone on for too long now and it was beginning to affect our friends as well. It was only logical that they wanted to get to the bottom of it.

I just shrugged, not offering any explanation.

"Come on, Flo. If I'm not wrong, the two of you haven't spoken to each other for almost a week now. Don't you think it's about time this war of no words ended?" Bowie gently chastised.

I sighed. Of course I wanted it to end. I missed the goofing around with Jess. I missed the laughter that used to fill our room. Most of all, I missed her company. I mean, sure, she was still physically in the same room but she might as well have not been there.

"All it takes is one simple word," Bowie continued.

All it takes is one simple word. Only, that word wasn't so simple to say.

Louis sighed and slid down next to me.

"Look at me, Flo," he said, grabbing my hands in his. "Let me put it this way. If you and Jess don't settle out your differences, I'd hold you personally responsible for destroying my love life."

"Huh?" I stared dumbfounded at him. Whatever was he talking about?

Louis carried on. "Think of it like this: if you and Jess never ever talk to each other again, I would never be able to pursue a relationship with her. That would make me so depressed that I would lose faith in love completely and end up a lonely old man till the day I die. You wouldn't want that to happen to me, would you? So, be a good girl and do it for Louis gor-gor. Patch things up with her, will you?"

I swear I had to pick my jaw up from the ground after that. Louis and Jess? What did I miss? I looked towards Bowie, hoping that he would shed some light on this, but he was too busy laughing away on the sofa instead.

I opened my mouth about to question Louis when the doorbell suddenly rang.

Louis was up and at the door before I could even move.

"Come in, come in," he said as he held it open.

Jules walked in dragging what looked like a very reluctant Jess with him. "Hello!" he waved at me.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were bonking some girl?" I asked, surprise at seeing him in my apartment.

"Huh?" Jules looked at me in puzzlement while Jess scowled at me. Bowie burst out laughing even louder.

The next thing I knew, Jess and I were bundled up and herded into my bedroom.

"Both of you aren't coming out till you've settled what it is you've got to settle," Louis said reproachingly before closing the door.

Jess sat back onto my bed with a huff. I stole a glance at her and realised that she was purposefully avoiding mine. I remembered what Louis had told me earlier and a little chortle escaped from my lips. Jess raised her head up and glared at me.

"What are you laughing at?" she snapped.

I quickly stifled my chuckle. "I wasn't laughing at you, if that's what you thought."

She looked away, ignoring my explanation.

I sighed. Jess was another stubborn one. This was going to go on forever if one of us didn't give in.

"Sorry." I lowered my head. The word was barely a whisper.

There was no reaction though.

I lifted my head to look at her and found her staring absent-mindedly out the window.

"Sorry," I said again - this time much louder.

I watched as Jess slowly turned to face me. She looked at me searchingly, not saying anything, as if trying to figure me out. After a long while, I finally heard her sigh.

"I'm sorry too," she said.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard those words. It was so much easier after that. The walls had finally been broken down.

Since our problem all started with Chris, I proceeded to tell Jess all that had happened that Friday.

"Well, all I can say is, good riddance to bad rubbish," Jess remarked when I had finished. "Never liked her at all anyway."

I chuckled. "Yea, I know. You made that clear enough."

"Flo, I'm really sorry. I know I was pretty unreasonable then," Jess apologised once more.

"It wasn't only you. I was an awful bitch too," I said. "And for that, I apologise."

"Apology accepted."

"Apology accepted as well."

And yes, you guessed right. We gave each other the biggest hugs thereafter.

It wasn't such a bad day after all.