The Elephant and The Boat-A Tom
Hiddleston Fanfiction
Jenni and Tom have
been friends since childhood. They spent every waking moment together from the
ages of seven to thirteen. When Tom moves to Oxford
to attend Eton College everything changes. Ten years
later they meet again, will they remain friends or will their relationship turn
into something more?
* * * * *
A/N: The idea for
this Fanfiction developed from a Twitter conversation I had with my `stalker`
Jenni Otto from a dream she had involving Tom, a boat and an elephant. I
decided to create a Fanfiction on it for her. Hope I do this justice, Jen. Lots
of love dear <3
The Elephant and
The Boat:
Chapter 1:
“There will always be that one person you’ll never get over
no matter how long it’s been”
Tom had never forgotten Jenni, just like he promised her he
wouldn’t ten years ago. They had grown up together from the age of seven to
thirteen.
Tom could still remember rescuing her from the school
bullies who tugged at her pigtails, pushed her to the floor and called her
names, when she was just seven years old. He was a few years older than her
with baby blue eyes and curly blonde hair all over the place.
He didn’t understand why people bullied other people for no
apparent reason. He promised himself that he would be kind to everyone he met
no matter how they treated him.
He held his hand out
to her. She took it and he helped her up, brushing down her clothes and
stroking her long brunette hair. It was so soft.
“Thankyou” she told
him shyly.
“You’re welcome” he
replied.
“What’s your name?” he
asked her
“Jennifer Otto. Jenni.
Jenni Otto. Jen. And yours?”
“Tom. Thomas William
Hiddleston. Tom Hiddleston.”
“Tom” she experimented
saying his name. “Thomas” “Tommy”.
“Do you mind if I call
you Thomas?” she asked. He laughed at her asking permission. No one ever called
him Thomas, only his mother when he was being naughty.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. It’s just no
one ever calls me Thomas unless I’m naughty.” She giggled.
“How about I call you
Tommy instead then? May I?” He thought about it for a while. No one ever called
him Tommy. He liked it. He was her Tommy.
“Only if you let me
call you Jen” he replied.
“Deal” she told him
holding out her hand. He shook it. They stood like this for a while looking at
each other. She spoke first breaking their trance.
“Tommy, do you want to
play with me before we have to go back to class? She asked. Tom showed her his pearly whites and
nodded. She ran from him. “Catch me” she said to him.
He went to run after
her but stopped in his tracks for a moment saying her name. Jennifer Otto. Jenni Otto. Jen His new friend, Jen, Jenni
Otto. He loved the way her name sounded on his tongue. He knew from that moment
that they were going to be great friends.
They found out a few
days later that they lived on the same street, just down the road from each
other. Tom and Jenni`s mums, Dianna and Helen soon became great friends going
round the others houses for coffee, allowing both Jenni and Tom to spend a lot
of time together. They spent every waking moment together. At school, after
school and going out on weekends with the others family, swimming, to the
cinema and to the park and zoo.
The picture of the two of them that had been taken at the
zoo just before he left to move to Oxford to
attend Eton College was stood on his bedside table.
Her young, beautiful eleven year old face, framed by her long brunette locks
and the most big blue eyes that could see into his soul was the last thing he
saw at night and the first thing he saw in the morning.
“You’ll always be on my mind, appear in my dreams and stay
in my heart”. There was never a moment he didn’t think of her. She was his best
friend, just like he was hers, well atleast he hoped he still was. They hadn’t
spoken in ten years. He saw her tonight but she left before he could speak to
her.
He kept replaying the evening over and over in his head
Tom had recently
started his acting career having graduated from The Royal Academy
of Dramatic Arts a few years ago. He was just starting to get his big break
having just finished filming his first independent film `Unrelated` with his
sister, Emma directed by Joanna Hogg, in which he played rebellious teenager
Oakley.
He had always wanted
to be an actor, ever since going to Eton.
During his first year he was going through a tough time with his parents going
through a divorce so he threw himself into acting. It was something he enjoyed,
an escapism for him.
* * *
He was at the after
party for the film at a posh hotel in London
when he saw her. She had always wanted to be a singer, just like he had always
wanted to be an actor. They always used to put on shows for both their parents
growing up, her singing and him doing impressions and Shakespeare monologues.
The singer on stage
looked exactly like Jenni, but older. Dressed in a leopard print dress her
gorgeous brunette hair cascading down to her shoulders and her blue eyes
shining against the light. It had to be her, didn’t it? Could it be her? She
did always want to be a singer. The only way he was going to find out was when
he heard her speak and sing.
The room went quite as
the familiar cords of Andy William’s Moon
River came over the
speakers. Their song.
“This is one of my all
time favourite songs and it means a lot to me and reminds me of a very special
person who changed my life completely. You know who you are so Thankyou” Tom
couldn’t help the smile that appeared on his face. Jen. His Jen was stood a few
inches away from him, after all these years. She looked more beautiful than she
did when she was just eleven years old if that was possible, of course it was.
She`d grown up, just like he had.
Jenni`s mum had grown
up watching Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and both the film and song
had become a favourite of Jenni`s since she was little, Tom’s too by the amount
of times Jenni made him watch it with her.
Moon River,
wider than a mile
I'm crossing you in style some day
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way
As soon as those familiar cords and her beautiful voice
filled the room he knew it was her. No one sung it like she did. Her voice was
so beautiful, so powerful. She was beautiful. In that moment he knew that he
had to see her afterwards. Catch up with her on all that wasted and lost time.
Two drifters, off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend
My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me
Tears began to form in her eyes as she took her first
glance at Tom in ten years. His eyes still sparked that beautiful blue that she
loved, his hair, still the curly blonde locks, how she missed running her hands
through them. His hair was her favourite part of him, apart from his personality,
ofcourse.
She continued looking no where else but at him. All those
times they had sat and watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s together. The amount of
times she watched it alone once he left. It wasn’t the same. Whenever they used
to watch it together she used to long for the happy ever after Holly and Paul
`Fred` had and used to imagine her prince charming coming to find her once she
lost her cat in New York. She didn’t watch it for years after he left. She
couldn’t bring herself to. He was her Fred.
(Moon River,
wider than a mile)
(I'm crossin' you in style some day)
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way
Two drifters, off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after that same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend
My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me
One night when she first started university and needed
comfort she cuddled up to Ellie, the cuddly elephant he gave her and watched
it, laughing at Mr Yonoshi, smiling at the scene when Holly and Fred spent the
day wondering around New York and crying at the scene where she told him she
was leaving, just like she had when Tom told her he was leaving. She would
never find her happy ending. There was no such thing.
She finished the song and wiped away her tears wanting to
make a run for it before he saw her. She didn’t want him to see her cry over
how much she had missed him. Jenni put the mic back in the stand, thanked the
audience for listening to her sing before walking down the stairs and out of
the building and grabbing a taxi back to her halls of residence.
He tried to see her after her performance but he was too
late. She made a dash for it as soon as she could. That song meant a lot to
her, as much as it did to him and she knew it. It’s funny how a song can mean
so much and bring back so many memories.
Jenni didn’t realise he was going
to be there when she got the job or even what the event was until she arrived.
He? He wasn’t a he. He was Tommy. Her Tommy. Her best friend. Well, he was
hers, whether she was still his, she didn’t know.
Once back at her halls of
residence, Jenni slipped off her shoes and leopard print dress and changed into
her stripy pj bottoms and sun top before
putting Breakfast at Tiffany’s in the DVD player,cuddling up to Ellie the
elephant and crying herself to sleep.
Tom left about an hour later
making his excuses. He really wasn’t in the mood to spend time with his cast
mates. He wanted to be back with his best friend but she didn’t know where she
was or where she lived or anything about her. A lot could have changed since
she was eleven. He was now twenty three which meant she had just turned twenty
one. A lot can happen in ten years. He needed to get to know her again, find
her.
He went back to his empty flat in London, changed into a t shirt and some sweats, put Moon River
on repeat on his record player and flicked through the many photos he had taken
with and of her ten years ago.
A picture of them a few days after
they met in his back garden, at swimming, in the park. Their last day of school
with their shirts signed by fellow class mates, a picture of her feeding an
elephant a banana, a picture of him with his sunglasses on reading and lastly
the last picture they took together, the picture that sat on Tom’s bedside, the
last picture they took of them at the zoo, smiling to the camera, despite the
consequences. He missed her and at the same time he wondered if she missed him
too.
Tom retired to bed a few hours
later dreaming of the little seven year old girl he rescued from the school
bullies all those years ago. He would find and get to know her again. How hard
could it be?
Chapter 2:
A/N: Thankyou so much
for the likes and messages I received about the first chapter. Hope you all
continue to enjoy it. Lots of love.
It broke Jenni`s heart when her best friend left to go to
Oxford. She thought her and Tom would always be together. She loved his company
and spending time with him. She used to see him everyday and then she didn’t
see him at all.
She missed him so much and everytime she looked at the
cuddly elephant on her bed that he had given her before he left, she realised just
how much she missed him. It was her most prized possession, she slept with it
every night pretending and wishing she was cuddling up to Tom like she had done
so many times before.
She remembered the day he gave her the elephant like it was
yesterday.
It was the summer
holidays. The summer after they had just left school. Jenni would be starting
secondary school come September.
Jenni was in her room
when the phone rang. She ran down the stairs to see who it was just like she
always did. She sat on the middle step listening to her mother talking on the
phone.
“Hello. Oh Dianna how
lovely to hear from you. Yes we’re all good Thankyou how are you? That’s good
to hear, oh he did? Tell him congratulations from all of us. He must be so
happy and you so thrilled.”
What is she talking
about?
Helen quietly shut the
door as for Jenni not to hear the conversation. What is it mum doesn’t want me
to hear? Does it involve Tom? She said he so it must do, unless it was his dad.
She had to find out.
She quietly walked
down the stairs and pressed her ear to the kitchen door.
“You’ve become such a
great friend to me, just as Tom has to Jenni. When do you leave? Oh, so soon?
Yes, you want to be there before he starts, that I can understand. Yes, I’ll
tell her. She’s become so close to him. I don’t know how she’ll take it. Ok
then, yes. I’ll come round and see you before you leave. Ok then, bye”
Leave? Leave? What’s
going on? Leaving? Tom? He…he can’t leave me. He wouldn’t leave me. Would he?
Jenni turned the
doorknob and let herself into the kitchen. “Mum, what’s going on?” Helen
sighed. She really didn’t want to tell her daughter that her best friend was
leaving her.
“Honey, why don’t you
sit down and I’ll explain.” Jenni sat down at the kitchen table. Helen sat next
to her, her hand on her daughter’s knee.
“Tom and his family
are moving away.” She told Jenni an apologetic look on her face. “I’m so sorry,
darling”
“Moving…moving where?”
Jenni`s eyes watered with tears.
“Oxford”
“Where’s that?”
“It’s a place a few
hours away from London.”
“But…but why, mummy?”
“Tom has been accepted
into a top boarding school called Eton and the
family are moving there so he can attend.”
Tommy…Tommy, her Tommy
who she had grown up with and had seen every waking minute of the day since she
was seven, she was now eleven, she had spent three years with him and he was
suddenly leaving. The tears flowed down her face like a river. Her best friend.
“Tommy” she whispered.
“Darling, come here, I
know this is hard to understand now but you can make new friends.”
“I don’t want new
friends, I just want Tom. I love him. He’s my best friend”
She didn’t want to
hear anymore. She ran out of the kitchen, out of the house and down the road to
Tom’s house. She banged on the door so loud she was afraid she was going to
break it, she didn’t care. She needed to see Tom.
Dianna opened the
door.
“Hello Jenni, darling”
“Where…Where’s Tom”
she sniffed. “I need to see Tom”
“He’s upstairs, why
don’t you go on up.”
Jenni climbed the
stairs two at a time and knocked on Tom’s door.
Tom was inside working
on some maths homework. “Come in” he told the person at the door thinking it
was his mother. The door opened and Jenni walked in, tears running down her
cheeks.
“Jen, what’s the
matter” he asked concern etched on his face coming over to embrace her. She
hugged him back for dear life. She didn’t want to let go. She didn’t want him to
leave. She wanted to say she’d go with him, she’d go anywhere with him, he
couldn’t leave her. She couldn’t loose her best friend.
“Why... didn’t…you…tell…
me… Tommy?” she asked between sobs.
Tell her what? As
though she read his mind she continued. “That you were moving what feels like
half way across the world to school. If you didn’t want to be my friend anymore
you could have just said.”
How did she find out?
It suddenly clicked that his mum had told her mum and she must have overheard
the conversation. Sometimes his mother really annoyed him, especially when she
told his business to someone else, especially Jenni. He wanted to tell her
himself.
“Jen, I’m so sorry”
Jenni clutched to him tighter letting her tears fall freely, wetting his t shirt.
They stood like this for what felt like ages, him hugging her and letting her
cry on his shoulder whispering comforting words and stroking her hair. Only Tom
could soothe her by stroking her hair. He was the only one to calm her down.
He had seen her cry so
many times, over silly little things, which usually involved her older brother,
Ben teasing her and taking and flushing one of her Barbies down the toilet. But
this time, it was different. Her crying was different; it was like a wolf howl.
He hated to know he caused her to cry like this.
Once her crying had
subsided he led her over to his bed letting her cuddle up to his side,
continuing to stroke her hair and brush away her tears with his thumb whilst he
explained.
“Jen, do you remember
how we always used to put on shows for our parents each weekend? You singing
with your beautiful voice and me doing impressions?” she nodded. That made her
weekend, getting to spend them with Tom and do one of the things she enjoyed
most, sing. She loved to sing. Tom always told her what a beautiful voice she
had.
“Well, I need to go to
a new school so I can maybe make a career out of doing those impressions, as an
actor. But I need to go to Eton first to get
somewhere with it. Those times we spent putting on those shows, they made me
realise that I want to become an actor and do something with that and that’s
all down to you. So, really I have you to thank. You shouldn’t be upset, Jen, I’ll
still see you and I’ll call you and I can maybe come back and see you and you
can come and visit me when I’m back at home. I’m not leaving you on purpose, I’d
never do that. It’s just something I have to do. Do you understand?”
Jenni nodded. She did
understand, a little. Although that wouldn’t replace the whole in her heart
that she knew would form when he left. “When do you leave” she asked tears
forming at the back of eyes that she wouldn’t let fall.
“Monday.” He told her
sadly. “I start school next Monday but mum wants us there in plenty of time so
we can settle into the new house” Monday? That was too soon. Monday. Today was
Saturday. Two days? In two days her best friend would be leaving her to move
what felt like the other side of the world, but what was really only a few
hours up the road. When you’re eleven however, you don’t quite grasp that
concept and two hours feels like other side of the world.
She cuddled up to him
more wanting to savour this moment, not the moment where he told her he was
leaving, just this. Him holding her like he always did, in his room with
posters of dinosaurs and superman on the walls. The amount of time she’d been
in his room. This felt different. Weird. Weird to think that in a few days time
someone else would have moved in to this room, Tom’s room and this house down
the road from her. the house that had pretty much become her second home of the
past five years. She spent more time here than she did at her own home.
To lighten the mood
Tom suggested they go to the zoo just like they always did on the weekends and
always had done. This time it was different. This time would be the last time,
the last time she could go with Tom, her best friend since she was seven. Her
Tommy, Her Tommy who let her spend hours by the elephant cage, just watching,
staring at how beautiful they were.
Jenni loved elephants, she always had, she
didn’t know why.
Tom was the only one
that would let her just stand and admire. He enjoyed watching her, the way her
eyes shined, the way she smiled. Just Jenni. His Jen. His best friend.
Tom ran down the
stairs and asked his mum to take them to the local zoo just like they did every
weekend. She agreed and dropped them off outside the entrance and told Tom to
text her when they were ready to be picked up.
They wondered round
the zoo hand in hand like they had many times before. Taking in the
surroundings of all the beautiful animals. Jenni never understood why they were
in cages. She remembered she asked Tom why on one of there first visits. His
reply: “So they don’t get out and eat you alive, like this”. He then done an
impression of a tiger and chased her around the zoo until they arrived at the
elephants. She immediately stopped running and just stared in awe. Tom ran into
her pulling her back with his hands so she didn’t fall, placing his hands on her
waist and resting his head on her shoulder, just taking in the view of both his
best friend and the creatures in the cage just a few meters away from him.
“Tommy, look” she whispered. “Aren’t they beautiful?”
“Yes” he whispered
back. Wondering if he was really thinking about how beautiful the elephants
were or how beautiful his eleven year old best friend was.
* * *
As they arrived at the
elephants section Jenni`s eyes automatically lit up and a smile formed on her
face.
“That’s better,
there’s the smile I love.” Tom told her coming up behind her and hugging her
from behind, placing his head on her shoulder. She smiled a weak smile back but
it didn’t reach her eyes.
“To think this is the
last time I’m going to see you and be able to come to the zoo” she sighed.
“Jen, don’t think like
that. This isn’t the last time were going to see each other and why would this
be the last time you come to the zoo? You can come without me you know?”
She pulled away from
his embrace walking closer to the elephant cage placing her hand on the cage.
An elephant got up from where it was laying and came over to where she was
standing.
“Don’t even say that,
Tom” she told him her voice slightly raised. “You know I won’t come here or go
anywhere that reminds me of you without you. Nothing will be the same after
you’ve left. You’re my life, Tom. I don’t know what I did before you came into
my life and saved me. You made my life better, Tommy and to think about my life
without you hurts so much” the tears threatened to fall out of Jenni`s eyes
again. Tom sensed this and walked up to her hugging her from behind, placing a
kiss on her cheek and stroking her hair.
Jenni turned into his
embrace so her face was resting on his blue t shirt right next to his heart.
She closed her eyes and breathed listening to his heartbeat to calm her down.
She didn’t want to cry. She wanted to make the most of her last few days with
him, enjoy the time with him before she couldn’t anymore.
They stayed like this
in each others embrace just watching the elephants. The one elephant that was
stood by the cage was soon joined by another big elephant and few small
elephants.
Words didn’t need to
be spoken anymore. Enough words had been spoken for both to understand. Enough
that Jenni understood that Tom would be leaving but wasn’t doing it on purpose
and enough that Tom knew that he had saved Jenni`s life.
The only words spoken
between the two were the words of how much they loved one another and how much
it hurt for both Tom to leave Jenni and Jenni to be left by Tom. When Tom told
her he loved her he used to say it in a friendly way, just like he kissed on
the cheek in a friendly way, but that last visit to the zoo, he felt like he
loved her more than just a friend, especially as it hurt him so much to leave
her. He wondered if she felt the same but he wouldn’t bring it up, especially
not now. Things were already so complicated; he wasn’t going to make them
worse.
Instead, both relished
in the touch of the other and the scene that played out infront of them of the
family of elephants playing in the mud.
Before they left the
elephants, they took photos some photos of them aswell as a couple of each
other and some together, smiling at the camera despite that everything had
changed within the last few hours. Looking back at the photos they could tell
that the other wasn’t happy, that it was hard for both of them to smile knowing
their friendship would change, no matter how much they tried to convince
themselves and the other that it wouldn’t change a thing. Their friendship had
changed within the space of just a few hours. Tom’s smile didn’t reach his eyes
and they didn’t shine as much as they used to the many other times they had
come to the zoo. Jenni`s eyes were red and puffy from where she had cried into
his chest a few hours prior. This was going to be hard on both of them, yet
both covered it up so they could enjoy the rest of the afternoon.
They went to the local
café and enjoyed a nice lunch of coca cola and plates of chips before going to
see the lions, tigers and bears, singing the Wizard of Oz in the process, before
retiring the gift shop and exit.
A few years ago they
would have spent hours in the gift shop, Jenni trying to choose out of the many
elephant ornaments and Tom looking at the dinosaur toys, but now, the more
times they came and as they got older they looked at different things. Jenni at
the stationary and postcards and Tom at the key rings and animal bones.
Jenni bought a few
postcards and an elephant keyring whilst Tom bought a lion ornament, and when
Jenni wasn’t looking a cuddly elephant to give to her as a going away present.
Tom text his mum
saying they we ready to be picked up whilst Jenni paid for her gifts.
It had started to rain
by the time they came out of the zoo. They stood huddled in Tom’s jacket as
they waited for his mum, Jenni`s arms snug around his waist and Tom’s head
resting on Jenni`s forehead, each breathing in the others scent and the smell
of the rain.
Dianna arrived a few
minutes later picking them up and taking them back to Tom’s house. Jenni stayed
for dinner with Tom’s family, his mum and dad, James and two sisters, Emma and
Sarah before her mum came and knocked on the door to collect her at around
eight in the evening.
She didn’t want to leave,
just like he didn’t want her to leave. Neither wanted to let go. They wanted to
stay like this; in their own little world, in their own bubble and relive the
last five years, all those times swimming, in the park and at the zoo and the
many times she forced him to watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s with her. The amount
of times she made him sit through it, the amount of times he moaned about it,
he wouldn’t take it back. He wouldn’t take any of the time back that he spent
with her. He wanted to be Peter Pan and her Wendy and fly away to Neverland and
never have to grow up, but they both knew that that couldn’t happen.
They embraced in the
doorway for ages until finally Helen said she had to leave. He kissed her
forehead as she kissed his cheek.
“I love you, Jen”
“I love you too,
Tommy”
“I’ll come and see you
before I leave” she nodded giving him one last embrace breathing in his Tom
scent before pulling away, giving him a small smile and walking out the door
back to her house.
She went to sleep that
night thinking how her life would be so different without her Tommy.
She was awoken at two
am by a knock at her window. No one knocked at her window so she was reluctant
to open it. She pulled her blind up all the same and was met with the face she
knew so well. The face of her best friend, the boy with blonde curly hair and
baby blue eyes. Her Tommy. She smiled lifting up her window.
“Tommy…what are you
doing here?”
“I couldn’t sleep. I
need my best friend near me before everything changes, Jen.” He looked sad,
like he was about to cry. Her poor Tommy. She rarely saw him cry, only once
when his nan died. She knew then how much she meant to him. She nodded and he
climbed in through the window pulling her into his embrace, holding onto her
for dear life, as if he let go she would be gone in a poof of smoke.
“Jenni. Jen I cant do
this. I can’t go. I can’t not have you in my life anymore. I made out I was
fine with it because I didn’t want you to see me upset, because I knew that
that would get you more upset.”
“Oh Tom. It’s okay.”
In that moment he broke down, tears streaming down his face soaking the
shoulder of her nightgown. Her hands automatically went to his hair running her
hands through it, stroking the curly locks upon his head. She let him cry in his
arms, just like he had let her do early that day. One of the hands that was
stroking his hair went to his back rubbing it up and down to soothe him.
“We’ll work this out,
Tommy, we will. It won’t change
anything, I promise you. You’ll always be my best friend but you need to go and
see if you can fulfil your dream, you said so yourself you’re not doing this on
purpose and I know your not. Please Tom, no matter how much I want you to stay
and how much you want to stay you need to go and atleast give it ago. You’ll
make lots of new friends who you’ll have more in common with than you do me,
friends who you can play football with, who will love Superman and films like
you do. We both know that you’re sick of Breakfast at Tiffany’s” She laughed
trying to lighten the mood. He laughed a little too, his breathing returning to
normal as he began to calm down.
He looked into her
eyes trying to read what she was thinking. He knew that she was trying to
reassure him as much as herself but he hoped she was right. He wanted to give
it a go, he needed to see what it was like without her, but when you’ve spent
every waking moment with someone for the past five years, it’s hard to let go.
This was going to be hard for both of them.
She let go of him and
walked over to her DVD player and pressed play. The familiar instrumental track
of Moon River quietly filled the room as the
opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany’s played out on screen. The camera panned
onto a quiet Fifth Avenue
street, a view of a taxi and jewellery store Tiffany’s coming into view. A
young women in a black dress and pearls gets out of a taxi and peers into the
shop window of Tiffany’s, sipping a cup of coffee, a Danish in her hand. Audrey
Hepburn.
Both Jenni and Tom’s
eyes were glued to the screen. She walked over to him taking his hand walking
him over to the bed. “Watch it with me
one last time?” she asked as she sat on the bed. He nodded joining her getting
comfy against the cushions and headboard. She joined him cuddling into his side
as the film they had grown up with and watched so many times played out on
screen.
* * *
Jenni woke to a knock
on her door. “Jenni, are you up darling?” her mothers voice called. “We need to
go food shopping” she looked over at the TV, the film menu quietly playing Moon River
and then at the body next to her. Her best friend in his blue striped pajamers
snoring quietly next to her, both hands around her waist. He looked so
peaceful. She really didn’t want to wake him but she knew she had too. If her
mum found him in her she wouldn’t be happy and then she’d tell his mum and he’d
get into trouble too. The last thing she wanted was to be grounded and not be
able to see Tom before he left.
“Tommy” she whispered.
“Tom. Tommy.”
“Hmm” he slowly opened
his eyes getting his barings. He looked at the screen and then at Jenni and
smiled.
“Morning, Jen” she
smiled.
“Jenni” came her
mother’s voice.
“Yeah, morning mum,
I`m up, i`ll be down soon.”
“There’s a cup of tea
and toast here when you want it.” “
I’ll have it in a
minute I’m just getting dressed” she lied.
“Ok then, well hurry
up I need to go to Morrison’s”
“Yes mum” and with
that her mum was back down the stairs. Tom just looked at her trying to stifle
his laughter. Jenni playful hit his shoulder.
“Ow! What was that
for?”
“Because we could have
got caught. I didn’t want you getting
into trouble and I didn’t particularly want to get grounded so I couldn’t see
you before you left.” The mood automatically changed after that.
“We will get through
this, nothing will change.” He told her. She smiled a small smile before giving
him a hug. He hugged her back, kissing her forehead before getting out of bed.
“I best get going
before mum wonders where I was half the night.”
“I better get ready
before mum comes back up these stairs and drags me to Morrison’s” they both
laughed.
“I’d rather go to
Morrison’s than pack all day”
“Believe me, I’d
rather you come with me than you be packing, you saying that just makes it more
real.” She sighed.
“Me too, Jen, me too.
I’ll come and see you tomorrow morning before I leave though okay?” she nodded
hugging him once more. He hugged her back climbing out the window back to his
house.
* * * * *
Once Tom had left
Jenni turned off the DVD player, had a quick shower before getting ready and
meeting her mum downstairs to go food shopping.
Tom spent the rest of
the day helping his mum, dad and sisters pack up the house. He also packed up his room,
looking back through old things from the past few years, old school work, toys
and photographs, choosing what he needed and what he didn’t need to take with
him. He took down his Jurassic
Park posters to find the
drawings him and Jenni had drawn on the walls. The one that made him smile the
most was the love heart with the initials X TH & JO FOREVER. X. He snapped
a picture with his phone and sent in to her with the message:
No matter what happens you’ll always be my best friend. I love you,
Jen. Your Tommy xxx
He continued to work
through the rest of his stuff before going to have some lunch.
Jenni was doing some
homework when she received the picture message from Tom. It made her want to
smile and cry at the same time.
And you’ll always be mine. I love you, Tommy. Jen xxx
The rest of the day
continued as any Sunday would. Jenni doing her homework and having dinner
before watching Sunday night telly with her mum. She then went up to bed
placing a DVD in the player. Not that she watched it however, he mind was
preoccupied. Come tomorrow she’d be all alone again. She fell in to a restless
sleep wishing she was seven years old again, wishing she could relive the past
five years.
Tom’s evening was much
the same than the afternoon. More packing, dinner and the cleaning of the house
before watching a bit of TV and retiring to bed. Tomorrow everything would
change, he was leaving the town and the street he had lived on for the past six
years, leaving his best friend to move to a new town, a new city, a new school
where he would have to make new friends when he had only know one life and one
friend for the past five. Jenni would always be his best friend.
Monday morning came
too quickly.
Today was the day
everything changed for the both of them.
Tom got up and got
dressed as normal. It was weird going downstairs to an empty kitchen. He thought
his room was bare, it didn’t feel like his room any more, the only thing that
remained was his bed and the picture of him and Jenni on his bedside, but going
down to the room that used to be his kitchen it felt odd. Weird. Like he was a
stranger in the house he used to call home.
His family were
scattered throughout the house. All helping pack the removal van in someway or
another. All accept his mother who was in the kitchen sipping on a cup of
coffee.
“Morning Mum” he
greeted her.
“Morning darling. How
are you?” Tom thought about this for a moment. How was he? How was he? How was
he really? Did his mother want the real answer of “how do you think I’m
feeling, you’re taking me out of the place I grew up, away from my best friend,
to a new town, to a new school. How do you think im feeling?” or did she want
the false answer of “Fine. It just seems odd. I feel like I’m a stanger in my
own home” answer. He settled for the latter. He didn’t want to start an
argument with her especially with how stressed she was already.
“I know, Tom but Oxford will be better.
You’ll go and make new friends and you’ll fulfil your dream. He didn’t want to
hear this. Instead, he went back to his room, or rather his old room and pulled
the cuddly elephant out of the zoo bag placing it on his bed. He went back
downstairs and found a blank piece of paper and pen on the work surface.
On it he wrote the
following:
This is Ellie. She loves you as much as I do. When you’re feeling
lonely or missing me, then cuddle up to Ellie and it will be as though you’re
hugging me.
I know how much you love elephants but this wasn’t the reason I bought
her. The reason I bought her was because elephants mean Never Forget.
I’ll never forget you Jennifer Otto, Jenni Otto, Jenni. Jen. My Jen.
I love you with my whole heart, always.
Your Tom. Tom Hiddleston. Thomas William Hiddleston. Thomas. Tommy. Your Tommy.
Xxx
He placed her back in
the bag before running down the stairs and walking out the door. His mum
stopped him before he got out the door.
“Tom, we leave in
fifteen minutes. We’ll come and get you from Jenni`s. Don’t go inside as I know
you wont come out and I don’t want trouble today, okay Thomas?”
Tom sighed. “Yes,
mother”
He then continued out
the door and down the road to Jenni`s house.
Helen answered the
door when he arrived.
“Hello, Tom, dear”
“Hello Helen, lovely
to see you again. Is Jenni in?”
“She is. She’s
upstairs; would you like to come in?”
“I’d love to but mum
says I can’t as she knows that if I come in I won’t come back out. He laughed a
nervous laugh.
“I’ll just go and get
her for you sweetie”
“Thankyou, Helen.
With that, Helen
rushed up the stairs and knocked on Jenni`s door.
Jenni came down the
stairs a few minutes later. As soon as she got near the bottom, she saw him,
her best friend waiting outside her house. She smiled a small smile. She knew
that within a few minutes everything would have changed. She walked down the
stairs giving Tom a small smile and bracing herself for the goodbye.
Tom stood there in
dark blue jeans, converse and a blue t shirt. His hair it’s usual blonde,
beautiful curly state. As she got closer she saw his baby blues sparkle like
they always did when he saw her.
She ran up to him
embracing him. “Hi Tommy”
“Hello Jen”he
whispered in her ear, letting her go from the embrace.
“Will you come in?”
she asked.
“I...I can’t Jen. Mum
knows me too well. If I come in, you know as well as she does that I won’t want
to come out. She wants me to stay outside. Can you come out?” she nodded
walking out the door and closing the door behind her.
“Hi”
“Hi”
“Listen… I can’t stay
long. They’re coming to get me in fifteen minutes.”
“Fifteen minutes? Oh
god.”
“Come here, Jen” she
done as he asked and he pulled her to him enveloping her in his arms. She
started to shake, tears threatening to fall.
“Shh shh, Jen, its ok. I’m here. Please don’t cry, don’t make this
harder than it already is.” He stroked her hair, soothing her. “I love you,
this changes nothing, I’m always here, I’ll always be your best friend” a
choked sob fell from her lips. “Tommy” she cried. He rubbed her back. “Calm
down, darling its ok”
“Its not though, is
it, Tommy. You’re being taken away from me.”
“I know but its not
goodbye, it’s just see you later. I may be a few hours away but im not going
anyway. I’m on the other end of the phone and the memories we shared will
always remain in here.” He pointed to his heart. He took one of her hands from
round his neck and placed it over his where his heart was, interlacing his fingers
with hers.
He kept saying
soothing words to her until she calmed down. She squeezed his hand, he squeezed
back. “I don’t want to let go, Tommy” He held her tighter. She ran her fingers
up and down his neck playing with the curls there.
A car tooted coming
along the road. This was is. This was goodbye. He reluctantly pulled away from
her embrace as the car pulled up next to the house. Her tears fell without
warning. He wiped them away before handing her the zoo gift bag. She opened it
and even more tears fell from her eyes. A smile spread across her face.
She pulled Ellie out
of the bag and read the note he put around her pulling Tom into another embrace
with her and Ellie.
“Never Forget, I`ll
never forget you Jen, ever. You’re my best friend Jennifer Otto. I love you.” He
whispered in her ear. A tear escaped his eye. She wiped it away.
“I’ll never forget you
either, Tommy. I love you so much.” in that moment she meant it. Real love, I can’t live without you love. It
felt different. Nice. Without thinking she pressed a kiss to his lips, just so
she could know what it felt like to feel his lips against hers. He kissed her
back, wanting so badly to deepen the kiss and make her his, but he knew better
and that even kissing her had changed things, especially as he had lingered
there for too long already. He pulled away placing a kiss on her forehead.
His mother tooted the
car again. He pulled in for yet another embrace remembering what her body felt
like against hers, what it felt like to touch her hair, what it felt like to be
her best friend because they both knew, that in that moment everything had
changed.
Helen had come out
whilst they were saying their goodbyes in order to say goodbye to Dianna and
the family. They were all now in the car waiting on Tom. “Come on, Tom, time to
go.”
Tom reluctantly pulled
out of Jenni`s embrace and went to turn and get in the car. She pulled his arm
grabbing his hand. “Tommy” he turned towards her and placed a kiss to her
knuckles. “Forever, Jen. I’m forever your Tommy and only yours.” She smiled. He
smiled back. He then let go and got in the car, pulling down the window.
Jenni`s mum come up
behind her putting her hands on her shoulders. Jenni hugged Ellie the elephant
close to her chest as she watched her best friend of five years drive away.
Chapter 3:
After that day everything changed, just like they both knew
it would.
He called and text her everyday like he promised he would,
letting her know that he missed her and that it wasn’t the same without her. Telling
her that he missed going to the zoo and cuddling up to her on the sofa and
watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s with her. He told her about the friends he had
made including Eddie Redymane who would later become one of his closest friends
and Dominic Cooper amongst others. He insisted that no one would ever replace
her and that she would always be his best friend, but deep down she knew she
wasn’t. They had started to grow apart and both knew it.
The everyday texts and phone calls soon turned into once a
week and then once a month and then barely at all. The only exception was when
he invited her up to his new home in Oxford
for the summer when he was home from school, but even then she could see how
different he was and how much he and everything had changed. He looked
different, older and acted different too. He told her that he had appeared in a
few of the school plays and he knew that acting was his calling. He then asked
about her new school and if she made any new friends. She replied saying it was
quite without him and that no one could replace him. He smiled a small smile
before dismissing the conversation and asking about what she wanted to after
school. She told him she was looking into studying music to fulfil a career as
a singer. The conversation was dropped after that and the rest of the day, the
summer infact was spent with Tom talking about Eton and his new friends and
Jenni helping him rehearse for his next play. Nothing about their childhood was
mentioned. When she tried to mention it he stopped her and changed the subject.
That hurt. It was as though those memories weren’t important to him anymore,
atleast not as important as they were to her.
She used to enjoy summers with Tom, but since he’d moved
away and gone to Eton it seemed he was no
longer her Tommy, no longer her best friend who she spent those five years of
her childhood with.
It was like she wasn’t as important as his new school,
friends and acting career were anymore. It saddened her to think she had lost
her best friend all because he had moved away and went to a posh private
school. It saddened her even more to think that no matter how he felt about
her, no matter how much he didn’t seem to care or have time for her anymore, he
would still be the most important person in her life, the person who saved her,
her best friend, her Tommy. It broke her heart to think she would never get
over that. No matter what happened she would always be there for him.
She was just starting to think he no longer needed her and
wouldn’t be part of her life anymore when the phone call came, the phone call
that broke Tom completely, his mum and dad getting a divorce.
* * * * *
It was early evening
in November when Jenni got the call from Tom. She was in her room writing an
essay on Romeo and Juliet when the familiar notes of Moon River
signalling that her phone was ringing distracted her from her inspiration to
write her essay. She had always liked English but Shakespeare not so much; she
just didn’t understand the language. Tom tried to explain it to her once but
she still didn’t understand. Speaking of the devil, or rather thinking of the
devil his picture appeared on her screen signalling the incoming call from her
best friend. A picture of him taken a few years ago one summer in her back
garden, sunglasses on and a goofy lopsided grin on his face. She smiled
thinking about it.
She thought about not
answering, especially as he hadn’t called her in ages, but no matter what
happened he would always be her best friend.
She picked up the phone
holding it to her ear whilst she finished writing.
“Hello?”
“Hey Jenni” he tried
to sound happy, like he always did when he used to speak to her, but deep down
he was hurting like hell. He felt like his heart had been shattered.
“Hi Tom” she replied.
She wanted to be angry with him. Angry for not speaking to him in months but as
soon as she heard his voice a small smile broke out on her face. “How are you?”
“I’m...” he thought
for a moment. Don’t tell her yet, ask how she is first. “I’m great, Jen, how
are you?”
“Good”
“What are you up to?”
“Just doing English
homework, an essay on Romeo and Juliet. I wish you were hear, I never
understood Shakespeare” the words were out of her mouth before she even
realised what she was saying. Tom didn’t speak for what seemed like ages.
“Tom, you there?”
“Jen...” his voice
broke as if he were crying. She knew then that something must be seriously
wrong.
“Tom. Tommy, what’s
the matter?”
“Oh, Jen” in that
moment he broke down, shaky breathing and sobs coming from the other end of the
line, from her best friend. She wished in that moment that she could be there
with him, calm him down. But she couldn’t. She let him cry down the phone to
her comforting him, asking what was wrong.
“Tommy. Tommy, what’s
the matter? What’s happened?”
“It’s…It`s..Mum...and...
Dad…Jen” he replied between sobs.
“What about them, Tom?
Are they ok?” the line went silent again.
“Tom”
“They’re…getting…a…divorce”
he choked.
Now it was Jenni`s
turn to be silent. Divorce? Dianna and James Hiddleston? Her second family. It
couldn’t be. She felt the need to cry too but she wasn’t sure why, either way
she stayed strong for Tom’s sake.
“But why?”
“I...I don’t know.
Apparently they had been arguing ever since I left to go back to Eton after the summer. I can’t help but think it’s my
fault, Jen. I feel so guilty. I wish I had never left, left the house, left
school, left you, my best friend. Jen, I miss you. I’m sorry I’ve been such a
tit to you since moving away. The truth is I still need you. I love you. I miss
my best friend, Jenni. I miss you. I don’t want to grow up, I’m scared. He
began crying again.
“Shh, Tommy, shh its
okay. I’m here. I’m always here”
“But... but you’re
not, Jen. You’re not here with me. I need to see you. I need you, Jen. I need
my best friend. When can I see you?”
She said that she
would ask her mum if he could come and stay one weekend when he was home from
school and that she would let him know tomorrow. The pair continued to talk on
the phone for the rest of the evening, Jenni`s homework long forgotten, her
best friend needed her, he was more important to her than her English homework,
even if he shouldn’t be. He was, he was her whole world.
They talked about old
times and everyday they spent together until they both fell asleep listening to
the others voice and breathing. Jenni hugged Ellie so close to her that night,
really wishing that she was hugging Tom, they both needed to hold the other.
Tom went to sleep hugging his photo of the two of them by his bedside listening
to her beautiful voice lull him into a restless sleep.
* * * * *
Dianna had rung Helen
as soon as she could letting her know the news and asked if Tom could come and
see Jenni for the weekend next time he was home from school, a familiar friend
from home whilst she sorted everything out with James. Helen agreed saying how
lovely it would be for both to see each other again. They decided on the
weekend coming, the sooner the better before hanging up.
Dianna dropped him off
a few days later. Jenni was at the door waiting with open arms for her best
friend. Her Tommy. He ran straight into her embrace not wanting to let go. He
had missed her so much. Her embrace, her beautiful face, her laugh, the way his
hand fit in his. Everything.
She led him into the
kitchen for a drink of orange squash and homemade cookies made by Helen before
deciding that they needed fresh air rather than being cooped up on a Saturday
afternoon despite the cold.
It may have been
November but it didn’t stop them from going out. Both got wrapped up warm in
hats, scarfs and coats, before retiring to the park along the road. It was
there, on the swings, that Tom told his best friend, his Jenni, everything. She
listened and nodded when appropriate and held him when he cried. He let it all
out on her, all his fears, everything. He was the only one he could tell
anything too without being judged.
As much as it hurt her
to feel and hear the pain Tom was going through she was happy that he still
trusted her enough and would still go to her if and when he needed her, atleast
for now.
That night, once Helen
had gone to bed, Tom snuck upstairs from his bed on the sofa into Jenni`s room.
They held each other just like they used to, listening to the others heartbeat
and falling asleep in each others arms.
At around 5am Tom
crept out of Jenni`s room giving her a kiss on the forehead and going back
downstairs to the sofa. It was nice to be back in a familiar house.
The next day was spent
much as the last. The morning spent going swimming at the local pool and the
afternoon spent cuddled up on the sofa watching films, Jurassic Park
and Jaws and ofcourse the classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s amongst a few others.
The evening was the
same as before, Tom sneaking into Jenni`s room and cuddling with her. She liked
the feeling of his body against hers, she felt safe. He felt safe in her arms
too. He didn’t want to be anywhere else; he wanted to stay here, in her
embrace, in her bed, in her room filled with posters of her favourite films,
with his best friend, his Jen.
Tom had begun to enjoy
school but now he came home he didn’t want to go back. It was nice having a
girl around, it was nice having Jen around. Being surrounded by boys all day
soon got tiring, he longed for some normal conversation rather than the same
old about which actresses were considered `fit` and all the talk of football.
Morning come too
quickly. The thought of leaving her all over again, especially with everything
that was happening at home. He wanted to stay here, until everything blew over,
until his parents made up, he wanted to stay here, period. He didn’t want to
leave her again but he knew he had to, his dad would never forgive him,
especially as the main reason they had moved to Oxford in the first place was
because of the new job he had been offered. Eton
just seemed an appropriate school for Tom to go to with it being so near.
Jenni woke in the
familiar arms of her best friend. He smiled down at her placing a strand of
hair behind her air and kissing her forehead. She smiled back even though she
knew today would be the same as the day he left her two months ago. She had
gotten so used to being with him the past few days that the thought of him going
back again not knowing when she would speak to him again broke her heart. He
had only been back a few days and he was already leaving again. She wanted him
to stay with her until everything got sorted, she didn’t want him going back
when he didn’t feel ready.
She knew there was no
point in arguing with him though, as she knew that neither his mum nor dad
would be happy if he didn’t go back, especially considering how much money they
were spending on his education.
“What time do you
leave?”
“Mums coming to pick
me up about five as I’ve got to go back to school tomorrow.” She sighed.
“I just want you to
stay. Two months was enough without you.
“It doesn’t change
anything, Jen”
“Don’t give me that,
Tommy. You know it does, you proved that a few months ago.”
“Jen, please, lets not
argue. I don’t want to spend my last few hours with you arguing.”
“Fine.”
He picked Ellie the
elephant up off the floor and began tickling Jenni with her. “Tommy…Tommy stop…stop”
she said between giggles.
“Why is she on the
floor? I bought her for you and she ends up on the floor” he faked hurt.
“Because the real
thing was here. As much as I love Ellie, I still prefer hugging you. There’s
something better about hugging you than my elephant.” He smiled.
He was so close to her
that he could smell her breathe on his face. If she leaned up to him their lips
would be touching. He couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to touch
his lips to hers again. He seemed to think about the kiss they shared a lot
whilst he was away. Maybe it was because he missed his best friend, or maybe it
was because he was starting to think of her as more than his best friend and
more of a girlfriend, his wife even. He could imagine them having their own
house, in the countryside where they could maybe have a little farm, with
horses and pigs. Ofcourse, this was just a fantasy. They were too young to be
thinking about all of that. Weren’t they?
Jenni kept her gaze on
Tom. He looked lost in thought; she couldn’t help but wonder what he was
thinking about. His lips looked so soft. She wanted to lean up and brush her
lips against his. She didn’t, no matter how much she wanted to, she didn’t want
to make things complicated. He needed her as a friend and nothing else.
Presides they were too young to think about that sort of stuff.
He leaned in closer,
just as she leant up their lips a mere few inches apart. He stroked her cheek
looking into her eyes. They seemed a brighter blue than normal, just as his
looked darker. They inched closer…closer…closer until there lips touched
briefly in a soft kiss. A friendly kiss? Yes, a friendly kiss. Both would have
gone further if they didn’t want to wreck their friendship. They were both so
important to each other that they didn’t want to ruin that. I mean look at
Tom’s parents. Married for thirty years and now they were suddenly getting a
divorce. The friends continued to look into each others eyes.
“I love you, Jen”
“I love you too,
Tommy” their lips brushed again. Firmer this time yet still soft. It felt
different. New. Right. They needed to stop, they couldn’t ruin their friendship
no matter how good it felt to feel the others lips on their own. They continued
to kiss. Toms tongue licking along her bottom lips asking for entrance. She
obliged and their tongues battled with each other. He was soon on top of her
intertwining his hands with hers, kissing her with as much passion as he could
muster. He needed to stop. He needed her as his friend, but he also wanted her
to be his. She wasn’t stopping him either, she was enjoying the feeling of his
lips on hers and her body pressed against his as much as he was, so much so
that a moan escaped her lips. A quite content noise in the back of her throat.
This only egged him on more and he started to grind against her.
“Tommy”
“Jen”
“Tommy… stop…we…need…to…
stop” She told him punctuating each one with a kiss. Tom placed his forehead
against Jenni`s kissing her there.
“I’m so sorry, Jen I
got carried away.” She giggled looking down to see that he was a bit excited to
say the least. He looked down at what she was laughing at and blushed bright
red.
“Oh god, Jen, erm... I
don’t know what to say I’m so sorry.”
Jenni couldn’t stop
laughing. “Jen, it’s…it’s not funny. I’m so embarrassed” a knock on the door
bought her laughing to a standstill. “Jen, are you up? Is Tom in there with
you, it’s just he’s not on the sofa. He didn’t sleep in there with you, did he
Jen? Because I mean it if I find out he did you’ll be in serious trouble.”
Tom looked at Jenni
just as she looked at him.
“Morning mum. Yes
we’re both up and yes he’s in here with me. No, he didn’t sleep in here with me
last night, he came in earlier this morning and we’ve been sat talking.” He
raised his eyebrow at her. She tried not to giggle.
“There’s breakfast
downstairs when you want it. Also, Dianna rang and she’s coming to pick Tom up
at twelve due to James wanting the car.”
“Ok, mum” with that
she was gone. They both sighed knowing that there time together was ending for
a while. It was now eleven; the hour would soon role round.
Once Helen was back
downstairs Tom stole one last look at Jenni before excusing himself to the loo
to take care of his little problem. Jenni`s face went bright red. Now what did
she do? They’ve just made their friendship awkward and the annoying thing was,
she enjoyed kissing him. Was that normal? Was you meant to feel that way
towards your best friend? Was it even allowed? She pushed the thought to the
back of her mind. This wasn’t something to think about now, she could think
about it when she was alone. She only hoped he didn’t bring it up. They’d face
it again when they came to it, if they came to it. Which deep down, she hoped
they did.
Tom came back in a few
minutes later dressed in a pair of dark jeans, converse and a white button down
shirt and black blazer over the top. His hair was less curly than normal; it
seemed to have begun to calm down which he was grateful for.
He walked back into
the room. Jenni was now dressed in jeans and grey jumper. He smiled at her. She
smiled back. Neither bought up the conversation to what happened prior Jenni`s
mum knocking on the door. They didn’t want to make it awkward. Too late for
that. They brushed it aside going back to thinking as the other as just their
best friend. He kissed her forehead just like always. She bought him into an
embrace rubbing his back.
A car horn tooted far
too soon. They’re weekend was over already and it had only been two days. He
left her two months ago, came to visit her for the weekend and then was leaving
again. She didn’t want to think what would happen if they gave into their
feelings in the future. She didn’t know how she would cope with him being away
from her filming for months on end.
This was it. His
weekend with Jen was over. Now it was back to reality, back to school, back to
his home which didn’t even feel like his home since his best friend wasn’t with
him and his parents were divorcing. This term was going to be tough for him, he
just knew it. He promised himself he was going to throw himself into his plays
when he got back, he needed to escape from what would be happening at home, and
indeed his feelings for Jenni. He didn’t regret kissing her, far from it; he
regretted that their relationship had indeed changed. He needed to push those
feelings aside and not think about her atall, not in that way, atleast not till
he was back in the privacy of his own dorm.
The pair embraced at
the door, him kissing her forehead and he his cheek just like they had so many
times before.
As the car drove away
she felt more alone and confused than ever.
Chapter 4
Everything changed
completely after that. They didn’t talk for months on end. She assumed it was
because he was busy with school, but deep down she knew it was because of the
kiss they shared the last time he came to see her, six months ago now. He sent
her the odd text here and there but that was it.
She kept herself busy
with school trying not to think about him, but in the evenings as soon as she
got home and saw Ellie sitting on her bed he was the only person she thought
about.
Tom was no different.
He too was busy with school but as soon as he got back to his dorm after
classes and looked at the photo of them on his bedside he thought about it.
About her. About that weekend and the kiss they shared six months ago. He
hadn’t spoken to her for six whole months. His best friend, his Jen. Everyday
was torture but he couldn’t face talking to her because he didn’t want to bring
it up. She hadn’t tried to contact him either though. He knew he shouldn’t have
kissed her. The moment their lips touched he knew, they both knew that they’re
friendship had changed. The only way he thought about not having to bring it up
would be if he didn’t talk to her at all, just the odd text here and there. He
couldn’t bare to loose her all together, even though it felt like he already had
with not talking to her everyday like he used to.
More months passed
with no phone calls or texts. He promised it wouldn’t happen again, but it had.
He had stopped contacting her all together and she knew it was all because of
that weekend. She missed him but she couldn’t contact him without wanting so
badly to bring up the conversation both knew needed to be faced. Instead no
contact was made at all.
She removed Ellie from
her room all together, she needed to accept that he wouldn’t be part of her life
anymore, all because they mucked it up and Ellie reminded her of him too much,
all the memories they shared, just him, her best friend, her Tommy and she
couldn’t bare the thought of cuddling up to her anymore reminding her of Tom
holding her when she knew he wouldn’t do that anymore. It upset her but she
couldn’t bare it anymore.
Tom went from cuddling
the photo frame that held the photo of both him and Jenni, to putting it back
on his bedside, then turning it round, then having it faced down before finally
giving in and talking the photo out completely, tucking it in a photo album, replacing
it with a family photo, a photo of himself with his mum, dad and two sisters
before everything changed.
Things still hadn’t improved;
his mum and dad got a divorce. Dianna moved to London whilst James stayed in
Oxford for his new job.Therfore, when Tom went home on the weekends, which
wasn’t very often he went to his dads. He threw himself into acting just like
he promised himself he would despite his dad’s wishes.
James didn’t seem
convinced. He knew his son enjoyed doing impressions when he was growing up,
but as he grew older he didn’t understand why Tom wanted to fufill a career in
acting, especially when he and his mother were paying a fortune for him to have
a proper education. He didn’t understand why Tom wanted to waste his life, dressing
up and becoming different people when he could have a proper career, become a
lawyer or a banker. James didn’t see acting as a `real career` having come from
a strong, Presbyterian Scottish work class stock. This annoyed Tom but he
continued anyway, he wanted to be happy and acting was one of the only things
that made him happy.
Years began to pass
between the two friends. They still sent birthday and Christmas cards but that
was it. All those birthdays and Christmases they had spent together, with each
others families, all that changed in an instant. All because of a kiss.
* * * * *
Tom continued at Eton
until he was eighteen acting in a production of Journey’s End, an RC Sheriff
play about World War 1 at the Edinburgh
Festival. His mother had always supported his passion and love of both film and
acting and took him to the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford and to see art house films at the
local cinema. It wasn’t until he was in Journey’s End that his family and close
friends began to take him seriously and believe that he could actually do this
as a career if he wanted to.
He then went on to
study classics at Pembroke College at Cambridge University graduating with a
double first before getting accepted into RADA, The Royal Academy of Dramatic
Arts.
He longed to tell
Jenni that he was getting closer to becoming an actor; he longed to talk to his
best friend and fill her in on what was going on in his life aswell as finding
out what she was up to. Tom missed her more than ever in that moment. He wanted
her to tell him how proud she was of him. How much she missed him, how much she
still cared for him. How much she still loved him.
He still loved her, he still missed her, and
there wasn’t a day he didn’t think about her, about the kiss they shared, about
the feel of his lips on hers, the way she always called him Tommy. She was the
only one he would let call him that. She was his Tommy. He went to pick up the
phone on more than one occasion when he got accepted wanting to tell her the
news, but he didn’t. Instead he wrote her numerous letters, emails and texts
that never got sent.
* * * * *
Jenni finished
secondary school, getting excellent grades within her GCSEs and A-Levels before
getting accepted into college, where she studied Musical Theatre for two years
until she was eighteen.
She was now in her final year of studying a BA Honours
Degree in Vocals at The Institution of Contemporary Music Performance, singing
at clubs and open mic nights trying to get her big break, whilst waitressing in
a restaurant and at parties in her spare time to earn her rent.
It was whilst waitressing, there on a posh cruise ship with
a boat full of famous celebrities sailing round an island just outside London where she saw him.
Her Tommy, her best friend who she hadn’t seen or heard from in ten years.
