BACK TO YOU | george clarke

NINE

REAL LIFE

Gracie was for the first time in her life, the only sober one at a party, Arthur Hill was already tipsy when he reached her flat and then it didn't take too long for everyone else to follow in his footsteps.

Arthur Hill ran up to his best friend, throwing himself onto her back and making her giggle, "Gracie, am I actually seeing you sober right now?" he slurred very slowly causing the girl to have to bite back another laugh, "Mhm, didn't really feel like drinking tonight," Arthur looked at her, pulling the face of a child who hadn't been allowed McDonalds because there was food at home, "But we're celebrating our achievements, you have to drink with me," he begged, looking at the girl like a lost puppy, but without a single thought behind his eyes, "Not tonight babe, I promise you can get me as pissed as possible on my birthday that is coming very soon," Arthur rolled his eyes at her, nodding his head towards the kitchen, "Go find George then you boring twats."

Gracie laughed as her friend sauntered off to find someone else to bother and she made her way to the kitchen, giggling when she spotted George with a beer in his hand, seemingly completely sober, just like Arthur had said.

"I'm getting deja vu," she joked causing George's head to shoot up, an uncontrollable smile growing on his face as he spotted who the voice belonged to. He laughed, nodding, "Except you don't seem utterly off your head this time," he smiled at her and she laughed, walking towards him, slowly this time, with no alcohol infused confidence this time, "Yeah uh did not feel like drinking tonight after the state it left me in last time," the two laughed at what she'd said.

Gracie looked down at her shoes, unsure really what to say, she was always nervous when it came to George, not when she was insulting him of course, but when she really wanted to talk to him, she could never find anything to say. She always wondered how the man would react if she just stopped insulting him, or if he did the same, she wondered whether their "friendship", if you could call it that, would get better or worse.

"George," she said, trying her best to push down any anxious feelings that were pushing to the front of her mind. George nodded, gesturing for Gracie to continue, "We're friends right?" George frowned, he wasn't sure why she would be asking such a question, "I mean I don't know, you're pretty annoying," he joked making Gracie roll her eyes, shoving his arm lightly, "Seriously," she stated and George looked her straight in the eye, "Of course we're friends G, we just have an odd way of showing it I suppose," he replied, smiling at the girl.

The pair looked at each other for a moment before Gracie broke the silence, "Now don't think for a moment that this means I tolerate you Clarke," she pushed his chest away from her and he laughed, nodding along with a smile on his face, "I'd never dream of it Grace."

Gracie bit back the smile growing on her face, grabbing the boy's hand lightly and pulling him towards her living room area, where Dani had somehow managed to make some sort of makeshift dance floor, "Let's dance loser," she demanded, causing George to laugh at the repetition of the night, "Thought you didn't want to dance with me Gracie," he joked and she rolled her, pulling him onto the dance floor, just as One Direction's Temporary Fix began playing, "Oh my God!" she squealed jumping up and down and hitting George's chest repeatedly, "I love this song," she shouted and George smiled, leaning into her face, "I know!"

Saw your body language and I know how your feeling
You look like the kind of girl who's tired of speaking
Standing with somebody but he doesn't know what you like

Gracie twirled around, pulling George along with her, who was unable to control his laughter as she jumped around him, singing along with the lyrics, practically shouting them in his face.