Fic: A Passing Feeling - Katie/Naomi (Chapter One, Part One)
Title: A Passing Feeling
Chapter: Autumn Term (1/3)
Pairing: Katie/Naomi
Rating: R for swearing and whatnot
Word count: 1400
Summary: AU. Katie and Effy are just starting Uni in Bristol. Katie's trying to figure out her own identity and become more independent... but in order to do that she'll need a part-time job...
A/N: So this was supposed to be all done in one go but, me being me, that didn't work. It's for everyone who felt Katie was a little (or a lot) hard done by in ATBB. And because I love Katie. So maybe she'll fare better this time :) And I've basically ignored all sorts of geography and locations in terms of Bristol because I've been lazy ;) Hope you don't mind. Betaed by the lovely immortality and thecon12 THANK YOU!! ♥
Title from a song by Elliott Smith, who is probably the greatest songwriter ever.
The building looks bigger than Katie had remembered it, all faded peach and creeping ivy, and she has to look back down at the ground so as not to get vertigo.
Her mum's clapping her hands to get her dad to hurry up with the bags that he's had to drag halfway across campus by himself and, by the time he's caught up with them, he's sweating a little despite the cool late-September breeze that's blowing across the grounds of the University of West England.
They're all a little bit older than they used to be, or at least Katie feels like she's older. And maybe a little wiser. But it still doesn't quite feel right being here away from everything. Ready to start being an actual fucking grown-up just as she's realising she's more of a child than she'd ever known.
"Here you are then, love," her dad says, pretending he's not out of breath as he stops to lean on one of them, eyes crinkled at the edges where he's been letting the world get to him (or at least where they've all worn him down, Katie's mother and the rest of them).
She almost doesn't have the heart to tell him that he's got another floor to go yet, but she's just done her nails so it's either them or him.
Just because it's a new start, Katie thinks, it doesn't mean that everything should change. Doesn't mean she needs to grow up right this second.
****
It's pretty cool, actually, that her best friend Effy had managed to bag a room on the same floor of the same halls at the same University, and Katie can't deny that it's made the thought of leaving her parents and brother at home a little bit easier to bear. Not that she's being a wimp about it or anything but it's just... It's like taking a bit of home with her, even though home isn't really all that far away.
And although Effy's not really a substitute for Katie's twin sister, Emily (who selfishly fucked off to Manchester to be horribly gay in private at the first chance she got), she's still a constant in Katie's life. Something to make this whole experience far less jarring.
Effy's sat outside, smoking on a bench, when Katie's seeing off her parents and waving at them until they're out of sight.
The pack of fags is already being extended to her and she's reaching for one as she plonks herself down next to Effy with a weary sigh, training her eyes on the corner just in case either of them poke their heads back around it. When it's been a good thirty seconds Katie reckons she's safe and lets her shoulders lose some of the tension they had been carrying.
"Fuck me, I thought they'd never leave," she says, lighting up. "Can't believe Mum nearly fucking cried. Honestly, they're only half an hour away."
"Ah, a mother's love," Effy laments, shaking some curls back behind her head. "What I wouldn't give to find out what that's like."
Katie snorts and flicks ash onto the floor. "I've told you before, babes - you're more than welcome to share mine."
"No thanks," Effy says, squinting into the sun. "Your mum hates chips."
"This is true," Katie grins. "But she does not hate wine. Actually, she sort of likes to share it if she can..."
Effy raises her eyebrows. "Why the fuck didn't you say? Come on then."
Before Katie's even had the chance to smoke half her fag Effy's lithely getting to her feet and opening the door with her swipe card, looking around impatiently at Katie who rolls her eyes and scrapes her fag off on the floor, wondering where to stash it when she realises there's no where and chucks it in the bin instead.
Income is about to become far less disposable, Katie knows, so she's going to have to start rationing her fags (or their fags, rather) unless she finds a job, and soon.
But that's a problem for another night - right now her only issue is where she's packed her plastic wine glasses and whether or not their communal kitchen's got a corkscrew somewhere.
She reckons it has, though. They are students now, after all.
****
It's a surprise for Katie to discover that she now hates giggly girls, which is a whole lot of bad timing and what the fuck do we do now? because their halls are full of them.
They test it out for a little while and by the time Effy's told the third girl in a row who uttered a variation on, "Effy? That ain't a real name, is it, Pixie?" she's shooting Katie a look that says either they get thrown out the window or I'm jumping, and Katie realises they've got to get out of there.
After not-so-subtly faking having something in her eye, Effy bundles Katie out of the kitchen and back into Katie's room where they both flop down on the bed before releasing relieved chuckles.
"Christ. I cannot do this every day, not with them."
"Agreed." Effy cocks her head as Katie leans back on her hands. "Ditch them?"
"You fucking know it, babes," Katie grins and hauls herself up again, holding out her hands to pull Effy up to her feet too. "Let's get totally, totally fucked, yeah?"
She doesn't need a response and lets Effy lead the way, ducking out of the door to the staircase before anyone notices that they've gone.
****
They don't give a fuck that they only make it as far as the student union where a curly-haired boy is stuttering as he hands out free jelly shots to passers by in an effort to lure them in.
Katie turns to Effy who shrugs and they detour towards him.
"Hello," he says brightly. "Try a green one - they're apple."
"I've had five!" squeaks a blonde girl to his left and then says, "Look!" as she sticks out her tongue and Katie flinches, whereas Effy just cocks her head to the side.
"Impressive," she says, like she actually means it and Katie almost does a double-take.
When she realises that Effy's not taking the piss Katie smiles back at the girl who still hasn't put her tongue away and is dancing around the curly boy. It sort of looks like fun, Katie reckons. Not that she'd go for the exact same brand as this girl but it does look like she's got a point.
"What the fuck," she shrugs, then, and grabs a green one for both her and Effy.
They've downed them and are walking inside the Union when they hear, "Erm, JJ - I feel all funny. Where's that Netto bag?"
"No, Panda, wait - they cost 5p each!" and the sound of her vomiting is drowned out by the booming bass as Katie and Effy leave them both behind.
****
It's not the biggest club they've ever been in - no where near as big as The Syndicate, anyway - but the way that it's completely rammed full of people makes it seem like it'll take at least half an hour to get from one side to the other.
Katie's jostling people out of her way as they come running past, hands linked and cheering as Tinie Tempah comes on, and she starts to get into it until the DJ spins it into some sort of remix and then she's pissed off again.
Tugging back on Effy's sleeve, Katie mouths Bar? and mimes a drink, nodding encouragingly, which Effy only acknowledges by changing direction and steering them both towards where the biggest crowd of people have piled up.
It's almost not worth it, Katie's thinking as yet another long-haired boy with big plastic-rimmed sunglasses elbows her in the head. It's not her fucking fault she's short, for Christ's sake, but usually people are aware enough of her reputation or at least familiar with the glare she'd shoot at anyone who got in her way to know to move the fuck out of it.
Effy's got hold of her hand, though, and it seems like it'd be more effort to go backwards than forwards (and it'd undoubtedly take even longer to get a fucking drink that way) so Katie ducks the last few elbows until they've wedged themselves in at the end of the bar.
At least Effy's taller, Katie's thinking as she watches her try to catch the attention of a bartender, but she's got significantly less tits, so Katie leans over the bar, hoping that at least one fucking male member of the staff appreciates a good pair of breasts when he sees them.
University, however, seems to be a lot fucking different than the Fishpond Tavern, or so it seems when, ten minutes later, they're still there. No-one's even looked twice at her cleavage, and at this point Katie would have even settled for it being one of the girls, so she's really just about to tell Effy that they're leaving when she finally fucking gets served.
They neck two shots of whatever's cheapest and then get pints of cider, which Katie actually hates but they're really on a fucking budget these days and they've got to make it last.
It's easier to get out of the crowd than in, Katie's finding, because people are making way just to try and be the first to bundle in behind them to take their place at the bar, so they're almost out when Katie turns around to say something to Effy and is firmly blocked off by someone in front of her.
There's the distinct sensation of something wet sloshing over her hand and, when Katie faces forward again, there's a tall blonde girl in front of her glaring and wearing a good two-thirds of Katie's pint.
It only takes a moment for the anger to rise and then she's saying, "What the fuck? You've spilled my pint, bitch!"
Katie watches as the girl blinks, once, and then squints down at Katie and then at herself, shaking her hands off.
"You walked right into me, so if anyone spilled your fucking pint it's you, you silly cow."
"Do you know how long I was at the bar? This is a fucking -"
"Now, now, girls," Effy's saying, then, and stepping to Katie's side, almost wedging herself in between her and the blonde. "Let's not fight."
"But, Eff -" Katie starts, incredulous that she's not backing her up.
"Sorry," Effy says to the girl who only rolls her eyes and backs away.
"Whatever. Just watch where you're going, yeah?"
Katie watches her go, the girl, and waits for her to be out of earshot before she shouts in Effy's direction that they should go.
Shaking her head, Effy casually takes a sip of her own pint before swapping it with Katie's.
"Better?"
"Ugh, hardly," Katie mutters, but gamely starts drinking Effy's cider anyway.
It takes her a while to shake off the incident, still stewing over how she's already lost a bunch of alcohol and some twat didn't even see fit to apologise for it, but soon after Effy's slipped her a little something in the toilets and she's buzzing, dancing to the music like it's actually good.
Fuck it, she thinks. She's there to have a good time. That's what Uni's all about, anyway. She just hopes that the first night isn't a reflection on what's to come. Even if she is still thinking about the way that girl had stared down at her like she didn't know.
Of course she didn't, Katie thinks as she sinks into an unfamiliar bed. Nobody knows her anymore. Not really, anyway.
****
They settle into classes after Fresher's Week, which is a big mess of trying to avoid girls from their halls and figure out where all the fit boys are hiding though they still haven't been able to find any by the time classes start.
Katie sees the girl again, wandering around with a pile of books and generally keeping her head down as she goes about it.
It's a relief, really, because Katie's still not managed to shake off the way she'd glared at her, like she's better than Katie or something, which is, um, hello, impossible.
No-one's ever looked at her like that before and it's unsettling, just how this place is so new and she's now, suddenly and completely out of nowhere, nobody.
****
She rings her sister in the second week after only keeping in contact via Facebook up until then, and the one thing that's immediately apparent after just one conversation is how much more fun Emily's having.
"Hey babe!" she shouts down the line, and it stuns Katie for a moment because not once has Emily called her that before.
"Um, hi Ems . What are you doing? Sounds like you're in the middle of a fucking riot."
"LGBT drinks," Emily says, like it's obvious what that is. "It's like a fucking... hey, that's my pint!" Emily's laughing, then, and talking to someone away from the phone.
"Emily. Emily!" Katie shouts until her sister's back on the line. "Fuck's sake. Listen, I'll ring you another time."
"Okay, okay, sorry. Love you, Kates."
"Yeah, love you too," Katie's saying, but Emily's already hung up. "Bitch."
She's not lonely. It's just different.
****
There's really no option for Katie other than to get a job. She's got the time for a few shifts a week, she reckons, so when she sees the sign outside the Union that they're looking for bar staff she thinks it's perfect. She fakes up having worked at a bar in town so she can put it on the application form and says some shit about customer service that her dad advised her about and hands it in the same day.
She hasn't really been there much since that first night but she thinks that if she does have to go there she might as well get paid for it.
The interview's a piece of piss (apparently not everyone at the Union is ambivalent to low-cut tops) and she gets given two evening shifts and one during Sunday lunch-time. The pay's not great but, as she's dialling Effy's number to tell her the good news despite being minutes away from halls, she reckons it means she can afford a few drinks.
Somewhere else, though. Somewhere not her new place of work.
****
On the morning of her first day Katie wakes up with a good feeling, making Effy some tea before she leaves for her lecture and making her promise that she'll come down to visit later.
"Free drinks, though," Effy says , rubbing sleep from her eyes.
Katie winks and leans in to kiss Effy on the cheek. "I'll see what I can do, babes."
It's the best she's felt since she got to Uni. She just wishes that someone had told her never to be too optimistic about something, not when there's the good chance it'll end up coming back to bite you on the arse.
****
Her good mood lasts until precisely 7.03pm when the manager takes her into the kitchen (after handing her a polo shirt as garish as something Emily might wear) and introduces her to the assistant manager.
Katie's face drops and she almost considers legging it right out of there. But then the manager's saying, "And this is Naomi. Naomi - Katie."
"Right," Naomi says, lip curling up into a sneer. "Doug, can I have a word?"
"Problem, Naomi?" he says, brow furrowing and Katie can see her new income slipping away from her, and she and Effy had already spent most of it at Spoons at the weekend.
"No problem, Doug," Katie pipes up, faking a smile and extending a hand towards the girl. Naomi, apparently. "Hi, I'm Katie Fitch. Nice to meet you."
She's begging Naomi with her eyes to let it go, even if it does mean working with - or, Katie thinks while trying not to shudder, for - her. She needs the money. She's not as resourceful or as stupid as Effy to get by dealing and everywhere else is well into town and it's just... she needs this job. As much as she hates to admit it.
There's a moment where Katie thinks her heart doesn't beat as she panics that Naomi's going to leave her hanging as Naomi rolls her eyes, but then she's grabbing Katie's hand, squeezing a little bit too tightly as she shakes so that it feels like a warning, and the deal is done.
"Right, great," Doug grins, slapping them both on their backs. "Naomi here will be in charge of your shifts and the like. She'll organise your breaks and your free lunch on Sunday and generally be your go to gal for everything."
"Great," Katie says, smile almost faltering, rubbing her hand where Naomi had almost snapped her bones. "Thanks Doug."
"Yeah," Naomi glares, straight at Katie. "Thanks, Doug."
He misses the sarcasm, rambling on about health and safety, and how Katie shouldn't worry about the other students, but all the time Naomi's staring.
For a moment Katie forgets who she is and almost cowers but, then, she finds herself and shoots Naomi a smarmy smile before following Doug.
It's not even nearly what she wanted, having to spend time with this girl when it could have been so easy to avoid her. For the rest of forever.
****
Effy, that cunt, thinks it's hilarious, which she only shows by raising an eyebrow and taking an extra long slurp from the pink straw that Katie shoved into her vodka and coke, but Katie can tell.
"It's not funny," she snarls but Effy only flicks her eyes to somewhere behind Katie and then back again before going back to her drink. "I hate you," Katie mutters and turns away to find Naomi leaning against the other end of the bar, looking in her direction.
You too, she thinks, and washes her hands until they stop feeling sticky.
****
There's no actual way of ignoring Naomi even though they both do their best to say as little to each other as possible, conversation ranging from things as menial as The Fosters needs changing to You're late again, which really makes Katie's blood want to boil because, honestly, how the fuck can she be expected to be on time when she left her pink nail varnish in the kitchen and Camomile stole it and kept it in her bedroom until Katie demanded it back?
Naomi doesn't understand things like that, though, and when Katie's leaving for the evening Naomi tells her not to wear nail varnish anymore if it's going to cause a problem and Katie almost flips her off to her face. She manages to wait, though, until she's outside and does it at the whole building instead.
She doesn't feel better. She's not sure if anything could make her.
****
It's not an isolated incident, either, and it seems to Katie like Naomi's stopped looking for reasons to be fucking horrible to her and is just a bitch on principle.
If anything it's making Naomi hang around Katie even more, like she's waiting for Katie to trip up somewhere. And even though they don't say anything it feels like they're having a fight just with the amount of tension that they can fit into that tiny space behind the bar.
One time Katie's mopping the floor at the end of the night and her bed is so close she can almost feel it. And she makes it all the way to the end of the bar before she realises that Naomi's watching her from where she's cashing up at a nearby table.
"What?" Katie snaps before she can stop herself, but she's fucking tired and she's already had enough lectures today as it is.
Naomi blinks at her, shakes her head, and goes back to counting fivers.
"Don't forget to flush the loo after you empty the bucket this time, Katie. Last time Doug saw it and thought the drains were backing up and he's got a weak stomach, so..."
It's not the first time Katie's been frozen with rage, but it hasn't happened since the first year at college when Emily had announced to the whole family over dinner that she was a lesbian and basically gave their mum a coronary.
Katie had thought it selfish, as well as it being a massive lie to get attention, and it had seemed unnecessary. But she's since learned that Emily was just trying to be honest, just trying to be herself.
And, Katie thinks now as she digs her nails into the wooden handle of the mop, if this is who Naomi is, honestly, then Katie doesn't know how much longer she'll be able to put up with her.
"Fine," she says, though, once she's stopped gritting her teeth enough to be able to say anything at all. "Whatever you want."
She turns then, picking up the bucket to take it to the loos, getting out of there before either one of them can say anything else that might turn this uglier than it already is.
****
"Just ignore her," Emily says through a yawn. "She sounds like a bit of a bitch."
"She is a bitch, Ems. That's what I'm trying to tell you."
It's not the first time she's woken Emily up with a phone call at midday and Katie wonders if either of them have got even the slightest chance of passing their degrees at this rate.
"Well, why don't you just give it right back. You would have done before."
"Because she's my fucking boss, Emily. Jesus, sometimes I wonder if you held your breath after I left you in the womb."
There's a heavy silence, then. It's weird for Katie because Emily isn't who she used to be, not really. There was a time when she'd just accept stuff like that from Katie but now, now she's off being all gay or whatever, and being not with Katie, she's not putting up with any shit. And it makes Katie roll her eyes and flop back onto her own pillow.
"Sorry."
"It's okay, just... Katie, listen. You're always going to have a boss that's a bit of a cunt. But you can either sit back and take it or be yourself."
"Oh, and what's that then?"
She hears Emily take a deep breath and then sigh before saying, "Don't, Katie..."
"Right well great. Thanks a lot Ems. That's well nice of you."
They hang up. Maybe Emily's right, Katie thinks. She's been called a bitch before. She might as well live up to her name.
****
Effy's come down to the bar to spend the evening doing some coursework, which involves a whole lot of doodling pictures of fuck all from what Katie can tell, and she's propping up the bar, one of two customers in there, when Naomi comes from out the back to boss Katie around like normal.
"Why?" Katie asks, not looking around, when Naomi says that she should probably be looking a bit more professional while working. "There's hardly anyone here."
There's a frustrated grunt behind her and, when Katie looks over, Naomi's gone.
She grins at Effy who just shakes her head.
"What?" Katie asks, smile falling. "That was fair enough, wasn't it?"
"Mm," Effy hums, and eats a peanut. "Good luck."
Katie backs off in a huff, snatching the nuts away from Effy, and counts the bottles without being asked. She doesn't mind the working, honestly. It's just Naomi that bothers her.
****
It becomes obvious what Effy had meant much later on when Katie and Naomi are closing up.
They'd said nothing else to one another during the remainder of their shift but, as Naomi's locking the front doors, she turns to Katie and tells her that there's been a smashed bottle in the cellar and Katie needs to clean it up.
"What, now?" she asks. "But my shift's finished."
"It's not finished," Naomi says, levelling Katie with a stern glare. "Until I say it's finished. Now, I've got to cash up so if you wouldn't mind..."
Naomi waits until Katie moves, and she flings her cloth down on the table she'd been cleaning and stomps downstairs.
It's a fucking mess, is what it is, and it takes Katie a good while to clean up the glass before she can even mop the floor.
"Probably did it on purpose, the bitch," she mutters over her dustpan and brush, and feels a tiny bit better.
When she gets back upstairs twenty minutes later Naomi's drinking something and coke and rolling a cigarette.
"Done," Katie says, taking off her apron. "Can I go now?"
"Of course," Naomi shrugs. "See you Sunday."
Katie leaves without saying another word and slams the back door on her way out. She'll need a different tactic, she knows, otherwise this is going to turn into the worst year of her life so far.
****
She's got a timed essay to write the next week so she sits at her desk in her room going over her notes and it's the most stressed she's been since she arrived, if not ever. It's not that it's supposed to be easy, and she gets that, it's just that it's all a lot harder to do while there's no one around who really gives a fuck about what she's doing.
Effy's fine, really, but she's not great in the way of comforting words, least of all when she knocks on Katie's door around 10pm and mimes that they should go for a drink.
"Can't," Katie mumbles, sitting back down and staring at her book. "Got to get this right. Besides, we can't afford to drink anywhere."
"Union?" Effy says, and Katie spins around in her chair, almost knocking her knee on the side of the desk as she goes.
"You've got to be fucking kidding, right?"
"You can't let her control your life, Katie. She's only your boss. Let's go for one, okay? I'll buy."
Katie takes a deep breath, looks over her shoulder at where her notes are blending into one big mass of nothing, and nods.
"Fine. But if she's there -"
"Then we'll ignore her." Effy stands, goes into Katie's en suite and comes back out with Katie's make-up bag, throwing it at Katie so the most she can do is put her hands over her face to shield herself from it. "And put some fucking make-up on. You almost don't look like you anymore."
She's about to snap when she realises that Effy's right. She's been turning into someone she doesn't recognise and it's unsettling.
No one has the right to do this to her, she thinks as she slaps on some foundation. Least of all some jumped up cow like Naomi Campbell.
****
It's a breath of fresh air, Katie thinks when she realises that it's actually Naomi's night off and Doug is taking care of the bar.
He greets Katie pleasantly (almost too pleasantly, really, like he thinks that the world is made of sunshine and rainbows) and gets Karen, one of the other barmaids, to serve them.
"No Naomi, then?" Katie asks her, aiming for nonchalant.
"Nope, not tonight. Got a date, I think."
"Oh?" Katie blinks, interest piqued. "You mean someone's got the, like, patience to put up with her?"
Karen laughs and shakes her head, setting her and Effy's rum and cokes on the bar. "Sort of the other way around I think, babe."
Katie's about to ask what she means when she hears a raucous, booming laugh enter the room before its maker, and when she turns around there's a boy with a big grin and a tracksuit jacket on, pushing in a Naomi who looks happier than Katie's ever seen her.
She's smiling and, Katie hates that the sudden thought hits her, she actually looks pretty for a change.
The boy's got his hands on Naomi's hips, and is nuzzling her neck as she tries to fend him off, and it makes Katie's nose turn up all of its own accord.
Naomi hasn't seen her yet and Katie wonders if she and Effy have got enough time to down their drinks and just fucking go before Naomi does see her but she's not quick enough and Naomi's smile falls when she catches Katie's eye.
She turns to whisper to the boy and his eyes flick over to where Katie and Effy are sat, his grin turning menacing. Then he's walking over to them even as Naomi's trying to pull on his arm and saying something like, "Cook!"
"Ladies," he says once he's right in front of them, and Katie looks him up and down, wondering how she's managed to avoid boys like this for the last two years at college and now there's one here. "How you diddlin'?"
"Cook," Naomi's saying then, having caught up. "Leave them alone, all right? They don't want to talk to us."
Katie considers thanking her for once but the boy - Cook - is too quick, and his attention turns to Effy who's regarding him with a cocked head and an almost-smile.
"Sure they do, Naoms. Who the fuck wouldn't?"
"Um, me?" Katie offers before she can stop herself, but he only responds with another loud belly-laugh and a shake of his head.
"Oh yeah? We don't have to talk if you don't want to." He wiggles his eyebrows and Katie feels her stomach twist in disgust.
"Cook!" Naomi shouts and he turns to her with a shrug. "Stop it. Let's just go somewhere else, okay?"
Something in Naomi's eyes looks like a warning to Katie, and she feels almost offended that Naomi's so keen on not spending time with her, though Katie doesn't know why she should when it's painfully obvious that she and Naomi basically hate each other.
"Fine," he relents, turning to Effy. "See you around though."
"Maybe," Effy says with a grin and Katie watches her as she watches Cook and Naomi leave. When she notices Katie looking at her she responds with a shrug and goes back to her drink.
"Christ," Katie mutters. "What a wanker."
Effy only hums as Katie rolls her eyes, wondering if she's ever going to find someone else to have a decent conversation with ever.
****
Maybe that's her problem, then. Emily texts. She's going out with a boy. Want to send her my way and I'll cheer her up? ;)
Katie ignores her.
****
Cook, apparently, managed to do something that Katie couldn't do herself and gave her and Naomi something to talk about that lasted longer than a sentence.
"Sorry about him," Naomi says quietly the next time they're both working, and Katie almost does a double-take when she realises that Naomi's apologising for something. "He can be a bit much sometimes."
"Right, well," Katie tries, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. "Don't worry about it."
Naomi stays beside her for a moment longer before turning to leave, and Katie rolls her eyes at herself for not accepting this blatant olive branch and pushes up from the bar.
"I mean, like. Boys, right? They can be twats sometimes." She almost kicks herself then for insulting Naomi's boyfriend, thinking that she's just ruined her chances of letting Naomi make things better between them, and waits for the snappy response that she's come to expect.
Instead, Naomi surprises her by chuckling and that smile's back on her face.
Nice, Katie thinks despite herself, but then laughs too.
"Yeah, well. Can't live with 'em, right?" Naomi winks then, and heads onto the floor to clear some bottles.
After a minute or so, Katie realises that she's watching her, staring almost, and has to look down at the bar to stop herself from getting caught.
****
However much of a wanker Naomi's boyfriend had seemed he'd magically done something to the both of them to kick them out of the rut Katie had managed to get into with Naomi.
After that day when Naomi had apologised things had been slowly on the up. Like, Katie still had to do all the shitty jobs Naomi gave her but they were given with a 'please' or a 'sorry, I know it's late, but...' and it made it all seem a lot better.
It just makes every day a little less horrible, even though every time she looks at Naomi now she's wondering how the hell a miserable bastard like her ever managed to get a boyfriend and Katie's still alone.
But then she reconciles with herself the fact that he's a bit fucking disgusting so maybe it's not all bad. Maybe they're well suited to each other.
****
She gets the mark back from her essay and is amazed when it's a 2.1, so much so that she's still buzzing when she gets into work with a smile on her face and offers Naomi a, "Hi Naomi," as she's tying up her apron.
Naomi offers her a raised eyebrow. "You're in a good mood."
"Got a 2.1 on my first timed essay," she beams, almost bouncing on the spot.
"Good work, Katiekins," Naomi says with a nod, stilling the pen over the rota. "Who knew you had it in you?"
It's almost more friendly than bitchy, so Katie just shrugs and says, "It's all natural talent, yeah?" before heading into the bar to serve her first customer of the evening with a smile.
****
The week before Christmas is the Freshers' party at the Union and Katie wants to cut a bitch because she's been asked to work it.
Naomi actually looks like she feels bad for doing it and it's probably the only reason that Katie agrees without breaking Naomi's legs.
"It's gonna be massively busy, isn't it?" she asks once she's realised the full ramifications of her acceptance, flicking her eyes around the currently empty Union, imagining how it was on that first night and how she felt having to fight her way through the crowd.
"Afraid so," Naomi sighs, shaking some hair back behind her head. "Which is why I need you. You're the best member of bar staff, Katie, so just... you'll be fine."
Katie knows she does blush then, and she's relieved Naomi's walking off until there's breath on her neck and Naomi's voice in her ear, whispering, "Just don't tell the others, okay?"
Tell them what? Katie thinks and then realises. Right, that Naomi thinks she's the best. That Naomi likes her.
Right.
Katie stares at the door that Naomi's just walked through and wonders when the fuck that happened.
****
As expected it's a fucking nightmare, and Naomi looks almost fraught for most of the night as she oversees everything, going as far as to rush around collecting spare glasses and working the dishwasher on a constant loop.
Katie's at the bar with Karen and JJ (the boy with the jelly shots) for most of the night and it goes by in a flash as she spends most of it rushing up and down her short but crowded section of the bar to serve a never-ending succession of drunk students.
And she's not even jealous, really, that they're all having a good time and she's stuck working. It's funny watching drunk from the opposite side and Katie notes how they're all slurring and stumbling as they hit the bar, shouting with beery breath into her face and holding up fingers and pointing at what they want.
It's hectic, completely, so she's not surprised when she looks around at one point and Cook's at the end of the bar with Naomi, her hands in his, as he looks into her eyes, more serious than Katie had seen him previously.
He's actually nice by the looks of it, which must really mean that bitchface does actually work on boys and Naomi's managed to fucking pull that one off too. Fucking pretty, long legs and with a nice boyfriend. What a cow.
Katie's glaring at the both of them when Karen nudges Katie with a look of impatience and a gesture towards the baying crowd.
"Right," she says to herself and, then, louder, "What can I get you?"
****
When it's empty and they've finally shut the doors much, much later, Katie feels like her feet are about to fall off so she's taking a moment with Karen and JJ to sit down before they start cleaning up.
"Christ," Karen's saying as she's rubbing her temples. "That was fucking manic."
"Yes," JJ blinks, gulping down some juice. "Quite intense. So glad I don't drink."
"What, like, ever?" Katie asks, and Karen laughs.
"No, I don't find it mixes well with me, " he says, swallowing and attempting a smile.
Katie laughs too, and then there's a clearing of a throat behind them and they spin around, ready to spring into action.
"Okay you lot," Naomi says from behind the bar. "Who wants a drink?"
Katie almost says, Oh my God, I love you, but holds back, grateful when Karen responds with a very enthusiastic, "Yes fucking please."
Naomi nods and smiles as she catches Katie's eye.
Pretty, long legs, nice boyfriend and gracious.
What a fucking bitch.
****
It's comfortable, their conversation, as they relay stories to one another about their evening, Katie even managing to make Naomi laugh a few times which she mentally congratulates herself for.
They start clearing up properly after their first drink, moving as quickly as they can so they can head off, and Katie offers to stay later than the others to help finish up properly.
Naomi looks genuinely appreciative, offering Katie a small smile from underneath her hair, and Katie thinks that she really is so much prettier when she smiles, even though Katie's seen her in her civvies and they're like scraps left over from a car boot sale that nobody could even sell for 20p and even a nice smile can't save her from that.
They're alone, then, as Naomi's pouring them another drink with a wink, putting some money for them next to the till.
"You don't need to do that, you know?" Katie says from where she's sat on the bar, swinging her ankles, enjoying having the weight off of her feet.
"What? Pay? I think someone has to, Katie. Otherwise I think it's called theft and I'm pretty sure that's a sackable offence."
"No," Katie snorts. "Of course I mean... I just thought that I could buy you one."
"Oh?" Naomi turns around and leans back against the opposite counter. "That an offer?"
"Well." Katie flounders for a moment, wondering what the fuck is up with her, and she still hasn't thought of anything to say when there's a loud banging at the back door. "Fuck!" she jumps, but Naomi casually saunters over to it, unlocking and opening it.
A loud Whey! resounds throughout the empty pub and then there's a Cook bundling Naomi almost to the ground and Katie feels like a spell has been broken and jumps down off the side, wincing as her feet hit the floor.
"Oh, and if it isn't my favourite pair of tits?" Cook grins through his teeth and Katie has to fight the urge not to kick him in the nuts as he approaches.
"Leave her alone, Cook," says a voice, but not the one Katie had been expecting.
"Effy? What are you -"
"Don't mind me stealing your girl for a bit, do you babes?" Cook says, heading back over to Effy and slinging an arm over her shoulder.
"She's not my - what's going on, Eff?"
"Got bored waiting," Effy shrugs. "Cook had a lighter."
"Found her outside, didn't I? I'm telling you, Katiepops, you shouldn't leave a girl waiting."
A wave of exhaustion hits her, then, and she downs her drink in two quick gulps and then clears her throat.
"Right, well, thanks for the drink Naomi," Katie says without looking at her, hoping there's not going to be some sort of argument about the fact her boyfriend is shamelessly flirting with Katie's best mate.
"What? You're going?" Naomi says, and when Katie does look up Naomi's frowning at her.
"Yeah, I mean. Cook's here now, isn't he?"
"Don't mind me, babes. I've got Effy to keep me company, don't I?"
"Yeah," Katie starts. "But Naomi -"
"Actually, Cook," Effy starts, and Katie relaxes again. "I've got an early start tomorrow."
Cook looks genuinely disappointed and Naomi looks the same. Katie can't work them out and wonders if Cook's not actually as welcome in Naomi's life as Katie had thought he was.
"Fair enough." Cook plants a loud kiss on Effy's face, which she wipes off with her sleeve, and Katie watches as Naomi tries to hide a smile.
Weird, she thinks as she says her goodbyes, wrapping her coat around her as she and Effy step out into the cold December air.
"What the fuck was that, then?" Katie asks after Effy's lit both of their cigarettes with the lighter she apparently didn't have.
"Nothing. Just what I said."
That's all they say about it but Katie's starting to get the feeling that someone's not telling her something but she's really too tired to start a conversation about it now.
****
It's not until she's back in her room, having said goodbye to Effy who's buggering off to Cardiff for a few days to visit her brother so they can travel back to Bristol together for Christmas, that Katie feels like she's missed out. Like her evening was only just getting started when Cook and Effy turned up and now she's back home, still buzzing, and with nothing to do.
She's got a can of Strongbow in a cupboard (like she'd ever keep it in the fridge with those thieving bastards around) and she pops it open as she switches on her laptop.
It's okay, even though it's not cold, but it doesn't taste as good as the drinks Naomi pours, and then Katie rolls her eyes at herself because this is a fucking can of warm cider and of course the rum is better.
She updates her Facebook status to Katie Fitch is fucking knackered! Long lie in for me tomorrow. and then wonders why she's done it because no one actually gives a fuck.
And she's scrolling down her news feed when she sees some pictures that Emily's been tagged in, and she's snogging some blonde girl who, from the angle, almost looks like she could be Naomi and Katie starts feeling an unpleasant prickle on her skin, until she realises that it couldn't possibly be.
"Fucking Emily," she mutters, scrolling back up and then, quickly, she types Naomi's name into the search bar. Of course the first thing that comes up is a page for the supermodel but then there's her Naomi, or the Naomi that she knows, and Katie purses her lips as she clicks on her face.
Her profile is locked but there's one picture there that Katie can see, and she's smiling straight at the camera and Katie finds herself smiling back for a moment before she's clearing her throat and closing the whole window instead of just typing in a new URL.
It's ridiculous, and she needs to just fucking stop it, whatever this is, because not long ago Naomi didn't even like her and just because Katie's good at her job it doesn't mean that they can be mates. And it definitely doesn't warrant Katie gawping at pictures of her, hunched over her laptop in the dark.
She surfs around for a while longer, checking out the Heat website and then Debenhams to see what she can get for her mum for Christmas, before she gives up on that completely and goes to bed. Alone. As usual.
Part Two