Beginnings

Then I heard it.
The song.
The song.
Alison Moyet's pure and sensuous voice filtered through the gloom of Ash's room as 'Only You'
started.
Looking through the window above
It's like story of love
Can you hear me
Came back only yesterday …
And all I ever knew
Only you …
I felt my heart open and then … crack … a splintering splitting noise reverberated through me …
All I ever needed was the love you gave
All I needed for another day …
'Lou Lou Are you alright' I snapped myself into consciousness, now fully aware I was sitting
bolt upright, my hands balled into fists, the covers of her bed wrapped firmly within my grip. My
knuckles white and nails were jabbing into the sensitive flesh of my palms.
For a reason I had no clue about. 'Are you …'
'I'm fine, Ash … honestly … just felt a little bit of cramp coming … it's gone now.' Her face was
so full of concern, and I felt like a git lying … again … to her. What was wrong with me I had
developed a deep-rooted need to lie through my teeth.
The song had finished and the next one on the album had started. I couldn't concentrate on the
lyrics, as I felt slightly dazed by emotion. It was confusing, to say the least. How on earth … or
should I say, why on earth had I reacted in that way to a song I had heard it hundreds of times
before and … nothing.
Fifteen minutes later I was in Stephen's beat up Ford Escort, Tracy in the front … glaring at me
… her eyes screaming 'Fucker!' but her face oozed anxiety at my predicament of being without
either a car, or a boyfriend with a car. At least I understood why she was such a troll. A fucking
shallow one at that.
I left Ash with a promise of getting in contact in the week; maybe have lunch if our timetables
allowed it. She waved vigorously from her doorway, and was still there as her brother's car