Lavender: We All Stare At Her

We all stare at her as if she's crazy. She says nothing all the time, then comes up with this. I don't blame her, though. I don’t know how she does it, but when we’re on the verge of an argument, Rita can pull a one-liner that makes us all silent. I don’t know why this shocks me so much. People choosing to be child-free is becoming common. At the same time, I wonder what her reasons for not wanting kids are, but does she really have to have a reason?

"I don't believe in it," Ivy explains, "what's the point in making kids when we can't look after the kids already in the world? I've got no maternal instinct. Rita's kids next door are beautiful, my god-children are great, my nieces and nephews are awesome. I just don’t want them myself."

"What if you change your mind when you're older?" Agnes asks.

Ivy shakes her head, bringing her coffee closer to her lips. "Believe me; I won't! By the way Lavender, I'm sorry to hear about Christian."

"I'm sure I'll get over it," I lie. My heart sinks, she’s the first person in this group to acknowledge my sorrow, even if she’s late to the sympathy party. Christian and I have broken up and gotten up together so many times. This time, I think we're over for good. Breaks my heart that he couldn’t look me in the eye and say he didn’t love me anymore.

"Does that mean I can have him?" Agnes asks. My eyes widen as I fantasise about a thousand ways of kicking her ass. I hope that for her own sake, she's joking. Surely friendship is more important than swooning over a hot guy, and MY HOT GUY!

Abdul approaches us with a smile. Agnes should consider myself lucky that my fists stay clenched. I’m sure Abdul doesn’t want a murder in his shop. "Okay?"

"We're good thanks," I say.

"Just to let you guys know, I'll be closing for a few weeks?"

"Really?" I look around to see how my friends react. Ivy is stunned and says nothing. Agnes looks as if she's going to spit some of her drink out.

Bethany widens her eyes. "Why?"

"I need to fly back home to see my family," Abdul replies with his phone in his hands. "Not seen them in four years."

"Where are you from again?" Bethany asks.

"Well, my father was born in Iran, and my mother is Filipino. I'm the only one from my family that doesn't live in Germany now."

"So you're going to Germany?" I don't know why he doesn't say Germany.

Abdul nods.

I don't know what we're going to do with Friday afternoons when this place closes. I'm not going to have the best tea of my life, and I think I'll miss this place and the atmosphere.

There's one thing that I miss more, though, and that's my Christian. Need to think of something. “Ladies…I need your help.”

“What with?” Ivy puts her phone away. Agnes nods, but is still texting.

“Help me get Christian back.”

“Oh! Why do you want him back for?” Bethany whines. “You cheat on each other, you fight and I can’t even keep track of your relationship anymore.”

“I need him.” I leaned closer to Bethany as I speak. My voice goes deeper with each syllable. They just don’t understand how serious this it. We belong together. “He needs me as much as I need him. He’ll be so lost without me.”

Bethany giggles. “He’s just a typical dude that can’t keep it in his pants.” She screeches all of a sudden and howls in laughter. “Oh my god, look at what this dude’s just sent me.” She turns her phone around.

Ivy is the only one that looks away. “Yeah whatever.”

Abdul holds his breath an sighs. “On that note, I’m going back to work.”

“It’s smaller than I expected,” Agnes admits, blushing. “Why on earth are his pubes platted?”

Even if Christian shaved it all off, I’d know it was him from the muscular legs.I’ve been down on it. The tattoo on his left thigh is also a giveaway: Venus RIP scribbled above a poodle. He adored Venus, he was never the same after she was put to sleep. “Why is Christian talking to you?”

All eyes were on Bethany who couldn’t find the words to speak.

Agnes breaks the silence. “This is awkward.”

“Because he’s my personal trainer,” Bethany says with a sudden drop in volume.

”Bethany, you’ve never touched a gym in your life!” I mutter. Did she really think that I would fall for that one. “By the way, tell him to get back with me.”

”Tell him yourself!”

Abdul strolls over again to collect our empty cups. “Any of you ladies like another drink?” We all ask for a chai latte. Abdul knows how I like it, and his place is 50 cents cheaper than Starbucks. I have no idea how I’m going to cope whilst this place is closed. I can spend five hours a day drinking here. “It’s going to be strange not seeing you ladies here every Friday afternoon.”

He wasn’t exaggerating either. This place has been open for ten years. He brews tea and coffee from nine o’clock in the morning till eleven at night. I’m too mean to him demanding my drink to have the every last detail, but that’s just how I am. Nobody is going to make my drinks as wonderful as Abdul. His shop is one of the few that I actually pay for. I’m an influencer so I’m entitled to freebies.

Taking another selfie of myself, I pout to make my lips look fuller. I press my chest together with my free hand to make my breasts look bigger. All the make-up hides the spots, little wrinkles and every ounce of imperfection. My round face can be fixed with a filter. I love how make-up helps me reveal the real me: the pure me. I want the world to see the sparkling princess I was born to be. This is my fairytale, and Christian is my Prince Charming. I want my happily ever after and anyone who gets in my way are wicked demons.