(Leve
DrØmet i Norge)
Monday
12:00 p.m., London
It took about half an hour for Chloe, Ben, Mark and Paul to check their bags in and they’d quickly moved on to the baggage check where they and their bags were passed through an x-ray machine and metal detector respectively to check for forbidden items.
“Personally, I like the frisking part best.” Paul said, grinning as he picked his rucksack out of the black plastic tray it had gone through the machine in.
“You’re still as predictable as ever.” Chloe said, picking up her own small travel bag and smiling at Paul.
“I’m not! I’m different!” he protested.
“You are not.”
“I am!”
“You’ll never change, Paul.” Chloe said, linking arms with him. “And I wouldn’t want you to.”
“Alright then.”
“When’s Rose getting here?” Mark asked, as they walked towards the crowded departure lounge.
“Don’t know. Don’t be too… full on with her, will you?” Chloe asked worriedly, having second thoughts about the situation.
Mark shook his head. “I won’t, I promise. It’ll just be so good to see her after all this time…”
Chloe smiled, understanding. “Are you okay about it?”
“Yeah! I mean, it’s a bit of a shock but… I still think about her, all the time.”
“That’s another thing that’s different.” Chloe said. “It’s a shame it ended how it did.”
“It was my fault.” Mark said. “But maybe… It’s been a long time.”
Chloe nodded. “You okay, Ben?” she asked, looking at him walking on the outskirts of the group, smiling inwardly at how different he looked from the rest of them.
He had pop star written all over him, even in the way he walked and held his head.
“Yeah, just thinking about… stuff.” He said.
“Stuff like what?” Chloe asked, leaving Paul and linking her arm with Ben’s.
“Just you.” Ben said.
“But you look grumpy.”
“I’m not grumpy.”
“Sure?”
“Sure.”
“Good.”
“I love you.” Ben said suddenly.
Chloe smiled, taking his hand in hers. “I love you too. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Fine.”
“This week’s gonna be good.” Chloe said in an almost promising tone, leaning towards Ben to give him a kiss.
“Oh God, we haven’t even left the country and they’re at it already!” Paul exclaimed. “I hope they’ve got a hotel room to themselves.”
Chloe looked at Paul, surprised that he’d joke about something like that after everything that had happened, but he just smiled at her and shook his head very slightly.
“First person to spot our Scandinavian friend and his slightly odd girlfriend gets £500 of Mark’s money!” He said.
“Hey!” Mark protested.
“Kate is not odd.” Chloe said. “She’s very nice.”
“And a bit odd.”
“She’s not! You just don’t spend much time with her, that’s all. You haven’t got to know her.”
“Since when were you her best friend?”
“I see her quite a lot, actually.” Chloe said.
“When?” Paul asked.
“You’re so nosey!”
“Just wondering!”
“Well she’s lovely once you get to know her, so don’t be horrible to her.”
“I’m never horrible! I love everyone!”
“Don’t we know it.” Ben muttered, and another look passed between Chloe and Paul.
“She’s not one of the original gang though, is she?” Mark said.
“Hmmm, I guess not really.” Chloe agreed. “She hasn’t been here right from the very beginning, but she’s still part of it.”
“Yeah.” Ben agreed. “And life was weird back then, anyway.”
“Why was it weird?” Chloe asked.
“You made it weird.”
“In a nice way?”
“In a nice weird way.” Ben said, smiling.
“There they are!” Mark exclaimed, pointing to two people sitting on the sofas in the departure lounge, looking up at one of the flight screens in front of them.
The group walked over to Kate and Christian, greeting them with a multitude of hugs and arranging themselves around them on uncomfortable plastic sofas and the even more uncomfortable floor.
“They let you through, then?” Christian asked Paul, moving up the sofa to let him sit down.
“Yes, thank you.”
“Did they body-search you?” Kate asked.
“Yes,” Paul started.
“Hah! I knew it!” Kate exclaimed, poking Christian and grinning at him in a textbook we-are-the-only-two-people-on-earth coupley moment.
“They searched Ben as well!”
Christian laughed. “They probably thought you were importing him as your slave. He only looks about 12 now!”
“I don’t!” Ben protested. “I look the same as before, just not fat.”
“You were never fat.” Chloe said. “Just cuddly.”
“I don’t look 12 though, do I?” Ben asked worriedly.
“Younger, not 12.” Chloe said.
“Closer to your age, then.” Mark said.
“Yeah, now Chloe’s the cradle-snatcher!” Paul laughed.
“You look more like a pop star now.” Chloe reassured Ben.
“Yeah, you do in those!” Paul said of Ben’s sunglasses. “What are you wearing them for? Give them here!”
Ben tried to move away, but Paul was too quick for him and snatched the sunglasses off his face.
“Much better. You don’t look half as idiotic now.” Paul said with a grin.
“It’s only so I don’t get recognised!”
“No-one’s gonna recognise you! You haven’t worked for a year!”
“Thanks Paul, you always did know how to boost my ego.” Ben said, slightly hurt.
“No, you’ve got it all wrong, mate. I’m here to deflate your ego, not inflate it. You need someone to bring you back down to earth! I don’t know how you managed without me!”
“He is right – I doubt anyone remembers who we are now!” Mark said. “Apart from Christian, but he won’t get recognised until we get over to Norway.”
“I’m an internationally famous star, thank you very much!” Christian said. “I’ve had two number ones!”
Ben laughed. “And don’t we know it!”
“Have they called the flight yet?” Chloe asked Christian, looking at her watch.
“No, but the last boarding time is 20 past 12, so it shouldn’t be very long now. They call them about an hour before in Oslo, but they don’t give you as much time here.”
“Hmm, well Rose better hurry up and get here then.”
“Rose?”
“Rose is coming.” Mark said with a grin.
“Your Rose?” Christian asked.
Mark nodded.
“To be with you?”
“Not exactly!” Paul said.
“I haven’t seen Rose for ages.” Kate said.
“No, me neither.” Chloe said. “How’s the writing going? Did you hear back from that publishers?”
Kate grinned. “Fourth book on its way!”
“Oh wow! That’s so fantastic! Ohhh, I’m so jealous!” Chloe said. “So what’s it called? Can I know things about it?”
“I’m still doing the ADG series.” Kate said. “This is the third one now, and there’s two more to go, which I’m sorta counting on being published as well, because it can’t just stay at three – it doesn’t end right.”
“Is it the same publishers as last time?”
“Yeah. I think they’re quite keen for me to do the whole series, but it’s a bit up and down at the moment. This third book is sorta the decider.”
“Ahh, it’ll do fine! You’ll have had more number ones than Christian!”
“Already have!”
Christian smiled at her. “They’re not proper number ones, though.”
“You’re just jealous! They are proper number ones to me. I mean, to me, your number ones seem rather insignificant.” Kate teased.
“She’s the next J. K. Rowling.” Christian said proudly, putting his arm around her.
“Nah, I don’t think so.”
“And still too modest.” He said, giving her a kiss.
“I don’t want to go on holiday with two couples.” Paul moaned.
Mark laughed. “Well, if you’re not doing anything, and I’m not doing anything…”
“Nooooo thank you.”
“It’s always been couples.” Chloe said.
“You’ve always been alone, Paul.” Mark teased.
“I have no-” Paul started to retort, but then stopped himself. “Yeah,” he said quietly, looking down at his hands.
“Anyway, I think-” Mark stopped talking suddenly and everyone looked at him.
“What?” Chloe asked.
Mark just continued to stare, and as Chloe followed his gaze, she saw a girl with short brown hair tied up in a deliberately messy ponytail walking casually towards the departure lounge, stopping to look up at the departures screen. She was wearing loose cream-coloured cropped trousers and a sleeveless top with abstract pink, orange and gold shapes covering the front of it, and carried a flower-print bag slung over her shoulder. On her feet she had a pair of immaculate cream strappy sandals and a pair of sunglasses were perched on top of her head, allowing loose strands of hair to fall over her eyes. She was wearing very little make-up - just a touch of mascara and some lip-gloss – and her smile lit up her whole face as she spotted Chloe.
“Is that… Rose?!” Paul asked incredulously.
“Yay! Hello!” Chloe exclaimed as Rose got closer.
It was all smiles until a second later, Rose spotted Mark. She stopped in her tracks, her expression turning stony as he continued to stare in amazement at her.
“I’m, er, really glad you could make it!” Chloe said, trying to break the incredibly uncomfortable silence and giving Rose a hug.
“What is he doing here?” Rose hissed into her ear as they hugged.
“Um, coming to Norway.” Chloe said.
“He’s what?!” Rose exclaimed, keeping her voice low as she glared at Chloe.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t think you’d mind!”
“What? Chloe! You know what happened between us! I’m going home.”
“No, no don’t, please? Come on, come with me, we’ll um, talk about it.” Chloe said, guiding Rose away from the group towards one of the coffee bars.
“Wow, that was uncomfortable.” Ben observed.
“When did Rose get that hot?!” Paul asked no-one in particular. “She’s just… stunning! Shame you let her get away, eh Mark?”
“Really sensitive, Paul.” Christian said. “You okay?” he asked Mark.
“I need to… go and… think.” Mark mumbled, walking away from the group.
“And then there were four.” Ben said. “So how many of us do you think’ll actually be getting on the plane today?”
“Us four?” Paul hazarded.
“Who’s idea was it to invite Mark and Rose?” Christian asked.
“Well Chloe invited Rose. Obviously Mark was gonna come anyway.” Ben said.
“Nah, man, it’s not Chloe’s fault. Rose is her friend like Mark is yours. She probably thought it was a given that Rose would be coming.” Paul said.
“I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault. Just maybe not a very good idea?” Kate said.
“Do you think someone should go and see if Mark’s okay?” Christian asked.
“He’ll be alright.” Ben said.
“It’s not just my imagination that Rose looks very different, is it?” Paul asked. “Is it just me?”
“She’s always been that pretty!” Kate said.
“Yeah, but there’s pretty and there’s… that!”
Ben nodded. “She’s more striking than she used to be. But I can only say that because Chloe’s not here – don’t tell her!”
Paul laughed. “Secret’s safe with me.” He said. “Can’t believe how amazing Rose looks, though. It’s not been that long since I’ve seen her, has it?”
“It’s been a while.” Ben said. “All that stuff with her and Mark happened ages ago.”
“It’s been over a year since I’ve seen her.” Christian said.
“There you go, then.” Ben said.
“God. What a difference a year makes!”
Kate smiled. “Now Paul, you’re not going to follow her around the whole holiday like a dog on heat, are you?”
“I don’t do things like that!”
“Course not, I don’t know what made me think of that!”
“Oh get back to being coupley and stupid.”
“Rose is coming back.” Ben said.
“Look casual.” Paul said.
Immediately the four of them started to look randomly around them, deliberately not looking at Chloe and Rose.
“Hi Rose!” Paul said, smiling at her.
“Hi.” Rose said, still looking very pissed off.
“Where’s Mark?” Chloe mouthed to Ben.
He pointed behind them, looking at Chloe questioningly.
Chloe just shook her head.
“Gate 54.” Christian said suddenly.
“Huh?”
“They’ve just called our flight. We need to go to Gate 54.”
“Oh, alright. Um… let’s go, then!” Chloe said, trying to drum up some excitement about the impending holiday. “Ben…”
“We’ll meet you there.” Ben said, heading off to round-up Mark while everyone else gathered up their things and started towards the boarding lounge for their gate.
This holiday was certainly going to be an interesting one.