The Suburbs

twelve

Anyone who ever gave you confidence, you owe them a lot.

[Truman Capote]

• • •

The train station was small and grotty - it was nothing like the big stations in London or the overcrowded tube stops. There was simply a vending machine and a ticket booth where an elderly man was taking a nap. No loud speakers or rushing commuters or busy coffee shops.

Kody was waiting on a bench, legs pulled up to his chest, texting Arlo. They weren't talking about anything interesting, but that didn't bother Kody - as long as they were talking.

The train pulled up and he slipped his phone back into his pocket and hopped off the bench. Only a couple of people got off, and one of them was Acadia, wearing a bright smile and her signature leather jacket. She practically squealed when she saw Kody, running straight into his arms, almost knocking him over. "Fucking hell." He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her back just as tightly.

She pulled away, still smiling like a maniac, her sparkling white teeth on full display, "I fucking missed you!" She exclaimed, looking around her curiously, "This is where you live now?"

He laughed, throwing an arm over her shoulders and steering her out of the station. "It is indeed." He replied.

"Wow, it's so...different."

"It's fine, you can say it. It's a shitty place to live. I miss the city."

"Well, the city misses you too."

He'd known Acadia for years. They were inseparable, joined at the hip, and practically sharing the same brain. A chunk of their souls had been ripped out when Kody left, but they were finally getting into the swing of their new routines. They called most days, FaceTimed when there was time, and had a continuous string of messages coming in from one another. Acadia was tall with thick black hair and big brown eyes to match her cocoa complexion. She wore dark colours and too many accessories, chains hanging from her neck and big gold hoops from her ears.

"Where are the best places to drink around here?"

He shrugged, "Uh...actually, I don't know."

Her jaw fell to the floor, "Kody! You've been here for months now! Do not tell me you haven't found your favourite pub yet."

"I haven't." He rose his hands in defeat. "People don't go out drinking here."

She scoffed, "What do they do? Go to Bible study instead-?"

"No, they drink at parties. No one even has a fake ID."

"Are you telling me that the gorgeous ID I made you has been hiding in your wallet for months?"

"Sorry." He laughed, "But hey, I used to use it all the time in London, so your amazing skills haven't been completed wasted."

She sighed dramatically, "Okay, so who's party are we going to then?"

"Huh?"

"You said you only drink at parties." She said, "So, who's having a party tonight?"

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and phoned Alex. She answered after the first ring, "Hiya, Kody. What's up?" He could hear her smiling through the phone.

"Hey, I know I said I couldn't come tonight because my friend was visiting from London." He started, "But there's been a change in plans, so can I have a plus one?"

She laughed, "Kody, the last time you came to one of my parties you didn't even know who I was and you arrived uninvited." She reminded him. "So, obviously, I don't care. Bring whoever you want."