Heya! Thanks for all the reviews for this fic (on the board or via email! Hehe silly II board!) Thanks for the support and everything and Kate – just wanna say u give lovely reviews… there so sweet and what u said means a lot! Well ill stop rambling now (yes it’s a thing I’ve kinda got in the habit of doing! Lol) enjoy friends… Lou xxx

Chapter 2

Pulling on her long coat, she glanced in the mirror before fixing her hair. Checking her appearance once more, she pulled her coat tighter before walking to the door.

"Off out are we?" Hayley asked, a can of cola in her hand.

"As a matter of fact I am." Louise replied.

"Oh… would it be that special someone?" Hayley grinned.

"Unless a special someone is telaported down to earth and made to go out with me then no," Louise smiled. "To be honest, I’m going to go and win your little challenge. No moment like the present."

"No moment like the present or eager to see him. Christian?" Hayley smirked.

"Eager to see no one and anyway, how do you know it is Christian? You don’t know the inevitable." Louise frowned.

"Would be good wouldn’t it?" Hayley dazed.

"I’m going…" Louise informed, opening the door with the card slipped in her coat pocket.

"Oooo wait up!" Hayley called. "Let me come! I wanna see this!"

"Oh yeah… you can’t see Ben can you?" Louise pointed out.

"Shut up." She told, pushing her out of the door.

As the sky grew cloudy, the colour which was once there was now blurring into a battle field while Hayley and Louise made their way along the paved streets, their hands in their pockets trying to attain some warmth yet Hayley trailed behind somewhat slower.

"Do you have to take so long?" Louise asked, turning to face her for the fifth time already on their miniature adventure.

"When you look this good you’ll understand!" Hayley smiled as she trotted along in her denim boots and dark jeans.

"Well just hurry up. It’s cold and I want warmth." Louise revealed.

"In Christian’s arms?" Hayley intervened.

"No not in Christian’s arms. God give it a rest will you. It’s not Christian."

"Oh so you want it to be one of the others now do you? You slag…" Hayley joked, reaching the same speed as Louise now.

"You know I can easily push you off the curb, in that road and break your heal. Then of course leave you here and pretend I don’t even know you."

"You wouldn’t?" Hayley gasped, before laughing. "God, lighten up! I’m just joking…"

"Oh did I not see your ever so funny-ness ‘O funny one?" Louise said sardonically.

"Ooo you annoy me," Hayley muttered.

"Well go home. No one forced you to come."

"No, no I want to come. I want to see this! Where we off to exactly?" Hayley inquired.

"Paul’s." Louise notified. "Most of them hang out there."

"Knowing where they are now… see… I am right." Hayley thought.

"Shut up!" Louise chuckled.

Walking along the streets, twisting and turning the corners while their faces began turning a little red from the cold that pinched their heat, they finally made it to the small apartments, tall and lean with many, many stairs.

"God I haven’t gotta climb all those stairs have I?" Hayley asked worried, in fear of her feet dropping off.

"Just the first forty," Louise joked.

"You are kidding…"

"Yeah I am actually," Louise chortled. "It’s sixty."

Looking at her wide eyes, Hayley looked like her mouth was just about to sprawl out along the floor, shock and anxiety ready to fall with it.

"Don’t look so terrified!" Louise laughed. "I am seriously joking ok. It’s on the fourth."

A sigh of relief fell in the aura of Hayley as climbing so many stairs made her wonder if the journey was worth it. Now with four sets of stairs, it didn’t seem too bad.

Opening the apartment door, Hayley followed where they then began their trek up the stairs, Louise still leading. Reaching the blue door, Louise peered through the glass window before knocking it gently. She was actually quite nervous yet gathered that visiting Paul’s would be the best option as not only would the others most probably be there but also, it seemed more and more of Paul’s idea to send a prank valentines card. He would be the only one gutsy enough and the fact that the last two digits left on the card were seventy five, made Louise’s suspicion grow like a nurturing tree. After all he was born in the year of seventy five.

"You’re nervous…" Hayley whispered in her ear.

"I am not!" Louise protested when deep down she knew she was. She couldn’t let Hayley see through that however the best of friends they were, she wouldn’t.

Hearing the door click open, Mark stood there, his smile stretching a little more.

"Hey!" He beamed. "What you two doing here?"

"Oh just a visit," Louise said casually as he let them in.

"Yeah you know. It’s a Wednesday and we’re so not busy so we thought why not visit Paul and everyone," Hayley giggled.

"Right…" Mark replied, closing the door.

Strolling through the hall, the card still wedged in Louise’s pocket, she entered the lounge where the two others sat, Christian and Paul on two of the dark leather sofa’s. This room always made Louise feel at ease, as the nonchalance of the place seemed to always calm her down inside: pretty weird seeing as Paul was indubitably mad!

"Hey Chris! Paul!" Hayley beamed, sitting down next to Paul.

"Haaaaayley!" Paul grinned wrapping her in a friendly hug before shaking her a little.

Laughing, the pair soon separated, where Louise stood in the doorway, Mark behind her.

"Come in then," Christian smiled, shuffling up so a place was made for her next to him.

Beaming warmly at him like the hot sun in the Mediterranean, Louise sat down, where Mark followed and perched himself in the chair.

"Thanks," Louise smiled at him.

Looking towards Hayley, she winked knowingly before Louise scowled, hating the attention she was already acquiring.

"So what brings you to my humble flat?" Paul asked as he leant back into the chair, his arms stretching right along the back.

"Hmmm…" Hayley thought looking at Louise until she darted back a stare that was so dangerous, running across a road playing chicken would be safer. "Er… boredom." Hayley finally answered.

"Ohhh so using me now…" Paul chuckled. "That’s good."

"Well Ben’s busy," Hayley pouted. "He’s been ever so busy lately. He really must have a heavy load on at work."

"Yeah, yeah," Paul assured. "I’m sure you’ll see him soon."

"She hopes so," Louise laughed.

"I will!" Hayley proclaimed. "Ben’s just busy… bless him!"

"So what you been up to?" Christian asked, glancing at Louise, making her a little embarrassed.

Mark watched on the conversation, a little quietly.

"Oh nothing much. Work really which hasn’t been the best time I can tell you," Louise chuckled.

"Is it ever?" Paul questioned rhetorically. "Work is there to fill meaningless hours when down the pub would be a whole lot better."

"Yes Paul, but you need to work, in order to get money to buy your beer." Christian spoke wisely.

"Well thanks for destroying my theory Chris." Paul noted. "Thinking of drinks, want some?" He asked, jumping up.

"Sure," Hayley smiled, getting comfy in the chair.

"Let me help," Louise offered, also getting up and walking through to the kitchen.

"Well that’s pretty decent of you, thanks." Paul grinned.

Walking to the door, he watched her intently, the way she added the swift breeze, the way her composure was enough to send him in a state of mind and the way her hair flicked gracefully down her back. If only she knew…

Unbarring the cupboard door, Paul pulled down a few glasses before skipping to the fridge, whistling cheerfully. Lunging into her pocket, she pulled out the card before placing it on the side near the glasses. Waltzing back over, Paul placed the bottle on the side, ready to pour until the card caught his attention.

"Oh, you shouldn’t have!" He beamed, picking up the card.

"I was thinking the same thing to you," Louise enlightened. "Look Paul, if you wanted to play a joke, this wasn’t a funny way in doing it and was well… kinda pants really." She rambled as he scanned the card.

"6275?" Paul read aloud. "Look whoever sent you this needs to go to school. I don’t think they can spell…"

"So you didn’t send this?" Louise inquired her forehead ruffling like a newspaper, the pages blank.

"No. If I wanted to do something like that I woulda been more forceful, you know what I’m like," Paul laughed. "What’s with the numbers though?"

"I don’t know! It’s some kind of stupid code and its doing my head in! It came this morning and its been bugging me ever since!" Louise exasperated.

"Hmm… seems complicated so it’s definitely not me! Looks more like… like Christian," he suggested.

"What is it with Christian? Everyone is saying its Christian! Hayley said its Christian! Christian! Christian! Christian!" She exclaimed. "If he likes me, why doesn’t he just tell me?"

"Christian’s soppy. You know that. I know that. This is him and he wants you to click that’s all. Maybe you need a date?"

"I don’t need a date," she snorted, taking back the card and slipping it in her pocket.

"I think you do…" Paul grinned wickedly, the cogs in his mind already building and plotting a plan.