Wednesday 24 April 2013

Summer of Film 2013


Summer of Film 2013


Having been writing for `The People’s Movies` film blog since last year I finally went to my first proper film event last night in the form of a launch party for Summer of Film 2013.

An evening spent with other film bloggers and journalists presented by Alex Zane, film journalist for The Sun Newspaper and Sky Movies presented clips from some of the biggest summer blockbusters.

Held at Somerset House in London in the stamp building, the room where a scene of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides was filmed. I found this rather surreal, especially as the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy is one of my favourites.

Walking in to the venue I felt important and as though I fit in immediately, waiters came round with trays of drink including red and white wine, beer and orange juice and water for those who didn’t want to drink.

As soon I walked in me and my mum (my guest for the evening) got approached by a cartoonist by the name of Chrissy Marshall who drew our portraits whilst he spoke to us about our favourite films. He asked us both what our favourite films were within the past twelve months, I went completely blank to begin with but told him that mine was Les Miserable and that I was excited for The Great Gatsby.

He then asked a bit about the blog I work for, he assumed that I owned it and when he asked how many facebook likes it had I explained to him that I didn’t run it I just wrote for it and how it is infact owned by the lovely Paul Devine from Glasgow in Scotland.

Once he finished our portraits we went and sat down and filled out some of the quiz questions we were given. The next thing I knew mum told me not to freak out as Alex Zane was a few feet away from me.

Being an aspiring journalist Ive looked up to Alex Zane for quite a while. I thought seeing him and getting a photo with him at The Empire Awards was a big deal, but this was even more of a big deal. Luckily enough I had gotten the picture of me and him taken at Empire printed that morning for me to bring with me to see if he could sign it if I got the chance to meet him again.

He seemed busy, looking over at his notes but I finally plucked up the courage to go and ask him if he could sign the photo. I walked over and told him I was sorry for interrupting him but asked if I could have his autograph. He said it was ok and said ofcourse I could. He generally seemed flattered that I asked for his autograph as he asked where it was taken in which I replied at the Empire Awards.

I then let him go back to what he was doing and me and mum took in all the surroundings.

At around 7:30 the actual event started.
Alex started by giving a bit of information about what would happen throughout the evening letting us know that there would be two special guests; some quiz questions and music from band Off The Record before telling us about the films of the summer.

The first category was comedy. He chose a few British films to talk about, among them The Worlds End and Alan Partridge Alphapacker both due out in August.

Alphapacker is the first time we’ll be seeing Noriches favourite DJ on the cinema screen whilst trying to sell his media career and how he ends up as a al hostiage in the third part of their cornetto trilogy. The first Shaun of the dead and Hulk First.

The Worlds End. Why is it called that? Because old friends go on a pub crawl looking for a pub cool who then find out Worlds End could be more literal than ever imagined. In reality the location of the Worlds End was the gardeners arms in Letchworth.

Richard Curtis has returned with British Comedy About Time which opens at the end of September and stars Bill Nighy and concerns a family who’s men have the amazing ability to travel back in time and relive any moment in their past.

Emma Watson appears in a couple of comedies released this summer. The Bling Ring directed by Sophia Kobler in which a gang of teenagers trace the location of celebrities on the web and then rob their homes aswell as This is The End which continues the catorpsnic theme this year. A group of actors having a party at James Francos Hollywood home has suddenly faced the apocalypse it’s an expansion of the teaser trailer made six years ago by Jay Parochell and Seth Rogan who now star in it along with Jason Segal, Jonah Hill, Emma Watson, Danny McBride and many more.

Next month in May the epic conclusion of the Hangover trilogy hits our screens, The Hangover Part 3. The wolf pack including Ed Helms and Bradley Cooper return to the fame. The trailer is below and looks very funny.

Ed Helms also appears in a second comedy this summer, Were the Mirrors which also stars Jennifer Aniston, it aspires that the Millers are a fake family created as a cover by west drugs dealer.

Fans of Wedding Crashers will be pleased to know that Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn returns following up the 2005 hit with The Internship which is out in July  about two 40 something out of work salesman who get offered work experience at Google.

Grown Ups 2 is released in cinemas. Adam Sandler has made his first sequel and is back with Chris Rock. Taylor Lautner.

Melissa McCarthy of Bridesmaids stars in both The Hangover Part 3 and the new film from Bridesmaids director, The Heat where she plays partner of an uptight FBI Agent Sandra Bullock in order to crack a drugs case which is in cinemas at the end of July.

To end the comedy section is a British comedy called All Stars about a dance show that is put on to save a beloved dance club. It stars Ashley Jenson and Kimberly Walsh.

The first of the two special guests was then introduced on stage. The Chief Executive of Film London Adrian Wootun who talked about filming locations that are used in and around London. Somerset House being one of them in which, as I mentioned earlier has been used to film Pirates of the Caribbean and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Greenwich is also used a lot aswell as some of the tube stations, the most recent example being Skyfall.

Tom Cruise has recently finished filming in London and it is now confirmed that Avengers 2 will shoot there aswell as Cinderella.

He also spoke about how big an impact Danny Boyle and the Olympics have had on shooting in London. It is also starting to become popular within TV shows such as Game of Thrones and Sherlock and how he expects both the studios and London to be very busy by June and July.

A trailer of The Internship was then shown before moving on to the Documentary Category. Among these Chimpanzee, Beware of Mr Baker and 1D 3D in cinemas August.

We then moved on to the category of Revivals, all time favourite films relaunched in cinemas. Jurassic Park 3D, Roman Holiday and Dial M for Murder are just a few.

The films in the Adventure and Suspence category include Kiss Ass 2, World War Z, Fast and Furious 6, Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters, 300 Rise of the Empire, Dead Man Down, Red 2, The Last Exorcism, The Coal, Dead Fall, Now You See Me, Summer in February, The Company You Keep and White House Down.

The trailer for Red 2 was shown and the evening then moved on to the section Penultimate Preview section of Animation Adventures which included films Despicable Me 2, The Smurfs 2, Monsters University and Planes.

A vote of a poll of the most iconic screen icons was then announced which was voted for by more than 2000 people. The list included:

1. Holly Golightly as played by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
2. James Bond 007 in the series of 23 films from Dr No (1962) to date
3. Michael Corleone as played by Al Pacino in The Godfather Trilogy (1972, 1974, 1990)
4. Hannibal Lecter as played by Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and subsequent films
5. Captain Jack Sparrow as played by Johnny Depp in The Pirates of the Caribbean films from 2003.
6; Darth Vadar in the Star Wars episodes (from 1977)
7. Tony Montana as played by Al Pacino in Scarface (1983)
8. The Joker as played by Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight (2008)
9. Forrest Gump as played by Tom Hanks (1994)
10. Rick Blaine as played by Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
11. Sugar Kane as played by Marilyn Monroe in Some Like it Hot (1959)
12. The Terminator as played by Arnold Schwarzenegger (from 1984)
13. Indiana Jones as played by Harrison Ford (from 1981)
14. RP McMurphy as played by Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
15. George Bailey as played by James Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
16. Don Vito Corleone as played by Marlon Brando in The Godfather (1972)
17. The Man with No Name as played by Clint Eastwood in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly(1966)
18. John McClane as played by Bruce Willis in the Die Hard series (from 1988)
19. `Red` Redding as played by Martin Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
20. Johnny Castle as played by Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing (1987)

Some of the other big blockbusters that film fans can look forward to are:

Iron Man 3-Thursday
Thor 2
Captain America-The Winter Soldier-2014
The Avengers 2 will begin filming next year for release in 2015
Wolverine-July
Star Trek: Into Darkness
Superman
Man of Steal-June
The Lone Ranger-Johnny Depp-August
The Great Gatsby- Baz Lurhmann 3D. Leonardo Dicaprio, Carey Mulligan

The Summer Festival official trailer including more than 52 films of the summer was then shown which is below:

The second guest of the evening Ian Freya, Empire Journalist then spoke about the films he was most excited about including Star Trek Into Darkness, he then spoke about how he got started within the industry as a professional writer and journalist. He started his career in his early 30s but made films when he was younger, he wanted to be Steven Spielberg. He also told us about how he interviewed Steven Spielberg on the set of War Horse and had a chair next to Stevens with his name on it. He gave us some advice on what’s it like working at Empire, most of it is fun with the interviewing and going to watch films but there’s also the boring side which include meetings etc. The key to working at any magazines is ideas. They work on three issues at a time so you know what’s going on in advance.  He also talked about his worst interviews, what’s more important between fun or fact, his favourite film of 2013 and how to deal with spoilers.

To end the evening Mark Bakeman presented Alex Zane with a charetcture of him done by Chrissy in order to say Thankyou for presenting the show.

Off The Record then continued to play their set whilst me and mum continued to mingle. At nearly 9 o clock we got ready to leave. I then went to go and say Thankyou to Alex Zane. He said he was glad I enjoyed the event and gave me a hug. I then asked if I could shake his hand and then he does this weird handshake thing. I looked at him confused asking what? He replied saying he made it up.

Not only did Alex Zane ask my name and sign my photo he gave me a hug and a handshake too. Honestly one of the best nights of my life. I came home on a real high and I think I will be for a few days.

I know now that I have definitely made the right choice within the industry I want to go into and that ive chosen the right course to study at Southampton Solent University in September.

Summer of Film 2013 is now Live!

For more information go to: www.filmnetwork.com

Sunday 21 April 2013

Moving House-A Tom Hiddleston Fanfiction


Chapter 10

I was awoken around nine by a knock on my door. Amy came in with a cup of tea and brown toast with lots of butter and marmite, just how I liked it.
“Rise and shine sleep head” Amy said coming over and sitting next to me on the bed.
“Morning” I replied sitting up in bed as she passed me my breakfast. I took a sip of tea and a bite of my toast. “Thanks, just how I like it” I smiled. “What time do you want to go shopping?” I asked her in between sips of tea.
“Whenever you’re ready. I thought Id wake you so we could go at a reasonable hour.”
“Okay then, I’ll finish this, get dressed and meet you downstairs then we can decide where you want to go” she smiled saying to take my time and that she`d see me downstairs when I was ready before closing the door behind her.
I checked my phone whilst I ate my breakfast. 1 new text and 1 new email.
The text message was from Tom:
Good morning my love. I trust you slept well? Up bright and early for a day of interviews! Would rather be with you watching you try on those gorgeous dresses. Looking forward to seeing you this evening, darling, I will pick you up at 8. Have a great day darling. T xxx
I smiled typing a quick reply:
Morning, Tom. I did Thankyou, I trust you did too? Hope today goes quickly for you as it does for me so I can be back in your arms, you guiding me round the dance floor, I may have to buy a new dress especially for the occasion. See you this evening my love. E xxx
I then checked my email. 1 new email: Paul The Peoples Movies.
Hey Emily,
Just to let you know you’re review of What to Expect when you’re expecting is up. Also look through the list attached and see if there are any more films you wish to review and I’ll send them to you. Let me know. Paul.
I read the email and looked through the list looking at the previews available. There were some good ones coming out. I typed a reply:
Hey Paul,
Thanks for putting it up. Just looked through the list and wouldn’t mind reviewing Anna Karenina, Now is Good, The Perks of being a Wallflower and Beasts of the Southern Wild.
Thanks
Emily
Once Id replied back to my text and email and finished my breakfast I got up and had a quick shower getting dressed in my jeans and Armani t shirt paired with my grey cardigan jusr incase it was chilly outside and black boots before going downstairs.
Amy stood by the kitchen counter dressed in jeans, a white striped t shirt and black cardigan a mug of coffee in her hand.
“Morning” I said walking down the stairs empty cup and plate in hand.
“Morning” she replied. “You ready to go?” I looked at my watch. 10.45.
“Yeah, sure, let me just get my bag and we can go. Where do you want to go?”
Oxford Street,Camden? Just take a look around see what we can find?”
“Yeah, sounds good. I’ll be right back.”
Amy went and rinsed our cups and plates from breakfast whilst I went upstairs to gather my things. I checked my phone seeing I had a new text message from Tom which said he couldn’t wait to see what I picked out and that he was looking forward to having me back on his arm this evening. I typed a quickly reply saying I couldn’t want to see him either before grabbing my purse, camera and iPod from my nightstand and putting them in my bag before running back downstairs.
Amy was outside waiting for me. I soon joined her and we began walking to the nearest tube station to spend the afternoon shopping.
We arrived at Oxford Street around half an hour later and spent the rest of the morning shopping. We were meant to be looking for wedding dresses but we ended up spending most of our time in Selfridges just trying on dresses like we used to do when we came to London.Oxford street was a common shopping destination for us and we always seemed to loose track of the time whilst in Selfridges dreaming and trying on clothes neither of us could afford.
I may be wearing an Armani t shirt but it doesn’t mean I can afford expensive clothing; I treated myself to it when I got my first wage packet from work, that and a new blue blazer. I treated myself every few months on a new bag or pair of shoes or a dress. This month would be spent on a new dress for tonight’s occasion, going dancing with Tom.
Whilst shopping in Selfridges I saw and fell in love with a gorgeous 1950s dress, it was baby blue with red and green flowers covering it with quite a prominate neckline to show enough cleavage but not too much and still feel secure at the same time. It had a small red belt around it to bring in my waist and spun out if I was to spin in it which seemed appropriate as I was going dancing. I tried it on and it fit perfectly. I felt like a princess. I’d always been inclined to wear dresses that spun when I danced and now was no exception. I bought a new pair of red flats and a red cardigan to go with it, thinking I could use the 50s style brown bag I used when Tom first took me out to dinner last month.
It was hard to believe that I’d only known him a month and I was already going out with him. Some people may say it seemed rushed but it just felt right.
Once we’d spent more than a few hours in Selfridges and id bought the dress we went and had some lunch at Garfunkel’s, our favourite restaurant we came to when we were in London. I ordered my usual hamburger and chips whilst Amy ordered the chicken sandwich sharing some of my chips.
We discussed more of the wedding over lunch. Amy said she wanted to get married in London as it was a new start and seeing as she didn’t have any family around anymore it seemed appropriate.
Her mum had died of breast cancer when she was a teenager and her dad had fled the country when he found out her mum was ill. She hadn’t spoken to him since and I didn’t blame her. She figured it would be nicer to get married in London because that was where her new life was and she had nothing in Dover that she cared enough about to get married there, there was only me and I would be in London with her anyway.
Even though it was tradition for the bride to get married where she grew up I could understand her decision. It would be better for her to get married where she felt happy plus she got along well with Jay’s parents and younger sister and older brother who would be giving her away as Amy had no siblings of her own.
Her mother’s death was hard on her. It was hard on me too, her mum was like my second mum as I spent so much time there as a child. We both missed her and spent quite a lot of time talking about her over lunch.
Amy also decided that she wanted a red colour scheme so she could have roses as her flowers that would contrast her cream white dress. We would wear red dresses to match the red ties and grey Armani suits Jay and Tom would wear.
She asked me to explain fully about my day spent with Tom yesterday and to not leave out any details. I told her everything including about him asking me to be his girlfriend at which she freaked, in a good way. She seemed really happy for me and said that I deserved to be happy, especially after what happened with Jack, my ex. She all of a sudden went quite and looked down at her empty plate when she mentioned him. Was there something she wasn’t telling me?
“Amy, what is it?” I asked her concerned. She stayed silent. “Amy” I said again.
“I’m inviting him to the wedding” she blurted out.
“What? Who?”
“Jack” she said an apologetic look on her face. This cant be happening. This cant be happening. No no no no!
“What? You’re inviting Jack? My ex Jack? Jack Mills?” she nodded. “Why?”
“I don’t want to invite him. Jay does, they were friends at Eton remember? I’ve tried to talk to him but he doesn’t understand. He probably wont even come and if he does you don’t have to talk to him.” I gave her daggers. I wasn’t happy in the slightest. “I`m sorry” she said
“Yeah, its okay. I guess I’ll just have to suck it up and hope he doesn’t show, even though he likely will.” Urgh why is this happening. I hadn’t seen him for atleast ten years.
Myself and Jack had met during secondary school. We had drama together; he wanted to be an actor. He did the first two years of secondary school before pulling out to go to Eton.
We began dating just before he left and continued to whilst he was at Eton and later whilst he was at the Guildhall School of Music. He was my first love. I was smitten from the moment I first saw him in drama when he began reciting Shakespeare. He had short blonde hair and the most gorgeous blue eyes you could imagine. He looked a lot like a young Gary Barlow when he first joined Take That.
Jack was one of the popular boys at school always hanging around with the pretty girls or the bars of chocolate as me and Amy liked to call them. He acted all cool around the other girls and barely took two looks at me, but in drama he was a completely different person. We spoke often and we were friends, we used to laugh a lot and have great fun, especially when we watched all the boys gawking at our teacher, Miss Wood. She was so pretty, fairly young with long blonde hair and was one of the loveliest teachers I had had. I later became close to her when I was in my final years of secondary as she was my dance teacher.
With every drama class myself and Jack got closer and closer and sometimes saw each other after school, going to the cinema or just hanging out getting to know each other.
He asked me out at the end of year eight after our performance of West Side Story. At the beginning of year 9 however he told me had gotten accepted at Eton and that he would be leaving. I was heartbroken. He promised we wouldn’t stop seeing or going out with each other-which we didn’t, I just saw him less which was really hard.
We continued dating and I saw him at the weekends. We continued like this for the next few years and he finished Eton the same time I left secondary school. He took me out for a meal for my sixteenth birthday and that night I gave myself to him completely. He was my first. My first kiss, my first love, first everything and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
I began college the same time Jack began the Guildhall School of Music. We continued our relationship but began to see less and less of each other as the months went on. One of us always seemed to be busy, Jack with auditions and myself with coursework. Our relationship had changed and we both knew it, it was just neither of us wanted to admit it. We had each become a security blanket for the other.
In Jack’s last year at the Guildhall he got the role that started his career, the role that got his name out there and from there he didn’t look back. I was left behind, we just didn’t speak anymore. I was absolutely heartbroken, I felt as though my heart had been shattered into a million little pieces. I cried for days but I guess that was to have been expected. I was eighteen at the time.
I hadn’t dated or had a relationship since, well not since now, not since I met Tom. I just didn’t find anyone I liked. I instead concentrated on my career and even now, more than ten years later I still wasn’t where I wanted to be. Yes, I was writing for an online film blog but it wasn’t what I really wanted to do, I didn’t get paid to do it, I just done it because I enjoyed it. I was hoping that my hobby would someday turn itself into a career so I could move away from Dover and here, to London, with Amy and hopefully Tom too if we kept dating.
I was pulled out of my daydream by the waitress asking if we were finished, Amy asking if I was ok and what id been thinking about.
“Tom” I lied. It wasn’t entirely a lie I mean I had been thinking about him in some respect just not as much as I should have. Tom wouldn’t leave me the same way Jack had done all those years ago, would he? Ofcourse he wouldn’t, he cares about you. Yeah but I thought Jack cared about me too and look how that turned out.
Once we had paid the bill we continued the shopping spree looking for the perfect wedding dress for Amy. At the back of my mind I couldn’t help but wonder if I should tell Tom or not. I didn’t want to lie to him but I didn’t want to upset him either.
Amy tried on countless dresses throughout the rest of the afternoon but she insisted that none of them were right or `her`. We did however find the perfect shade of dark red material for the bridesmaid’s dresses and the lady at the shop told Amy to bring all of us back to the shop in a few days time to get out measurements and fitted.
Although we didn’t find her wedding dress Amy was still happy knowing that she had made a start and found the material she wanted.
It was just after 7 by the time we arrived back at the flat. I had a quick shower before getting dressed into my new blue floral dress. It was really beautiful and I couldn’t wait for Tom to see me in it. I left my hair down and put on a bit more make up than usual, foundation, blusher, lipstick and mascara. I wanted to make an effort because I felt pretty.
I came down the stairs just before 8 and done a twirl around the kitchen. Amy was at the counter making a cup of tea and toast. She smiled when she saw me. “You look lovely, Em, that colour looks really great on you”
“Thanks!” I smiled. “Thanks for a helping me pick it out, I feel like a princess” Before she could reply there was a knock at the door. I couldn’t help the butterflies that formed in my stomach. “And there’s your prince charming” Amy replied laughing. “Go on, go answer the door, don’t want to keep him waiting just incase you go back to wearing your sweats at midnight” she joked. I laughed walking through the kitchen to answer the door.
I opened the door to find Tom dressed in a white shirt, three buttons undone, black trousers and black blazer. He looked absolutely gorgeous. “Hello darling, you look absolutely beautiful, as always. Very nice choice” he smiled presenting me with a single red rose before offering me his arm and leading me outside. Amy calling `Have fun` was the last thing I heard before closing the door behind us. Tom pulled me into him giving me a long passionate kiss.
“Hello” he smiled.
“Hello yourself” I smiled back giving him one last kiss before taking his hand and walking hand in hand to The Ivy club, where the night before we had met Amy and Jay for dinner.
Conversation flowed walking to the club. Tom asked me how I was. I lied saying I was fine. I couldn’t tell him what Amy had told me this afternoon about Jack going to the wedding. I put on a smile pushing it to the back of my mind wanting to enjoy the evening.
Tom told me all about the interviews he had done that day saying he got bored after a few hours having to answer the same questions over and over. He also told me he thought of me on more than one occasion that day and about our day at the museum yesterday. I smiled thinking how perfect yesterday was.
We arrived at the club a short while later and spent the evening in each others arms,Tom guiding me around the dance floor like the perfect gentleman. After long I found I had forgotten all about this afternoon’s lunch and was completely enjoying myself with Tom.
We spent most of the evening on the dance floor dancing the jive and waltz to some of my favourite songs including `Rock Around the Clock` by Bill Haley and `The Boy Does Nothing` by Aleesha Dixon.
Tom was impressed about how well I could jive. I told him Amy used to go every Tuesday to the local Railway Club down in Dover and I used to go with her. He smiled. We also danced the waltz to `You Belong to Me` by Jo Stafford. Tom smiled as soon as it came on and lead me onto the dance floor holding me tightly around the waist, nuzzling my hair, slowly swaying and singing along to the song. In that moment I was happy and didn’t have a care in the world. I couldn’t help but wonder back to the scene in The Deep Blue Sea that followed after this one, the scene where Freddie and Hester make love. I wondered what it would be like to make love to Tom. Slow and sensual, just like the song. Tom started kissing my neck. I sighed in contentment.
Listening to the words however, I couldn’t help but think how relevant they were, he belongs to me yet im leaving to go back to Dover soon. What would happen then? Suddenly all these flashbacks of Jack came back in my mind, the arguments we had before we ended it for good. It didn’t help that Take That’s A Million Love Songs started to play right at the moment. I excused myself to the ladies before I let the tears fall. Why was I thinking about this? Why did Amy have to tell me? Tom needed to know. I wiped my eyes and splashed my face with water before heading back out to the dance floor.
Tom was sat back down at our table sipping on his Guinness. I walked over to were he was sitting and saw a glass of water placed on the table. A look of concern was etched on his perfect face as I took my seat opposite him.
“Here, darling, drink this” he told me placing it infront of me. I looked up at him and smiled a small smile before taking a sip. He grabbed my hand across the table. “Are you ok, love? You had me worried”
“I’m sorry Tom. Yes, I’m fine. Take me back to Amy’s, please?” he nodded standing up and placing his blazer back over his shoulders before coming round to my side of the table and holding out my cardigan for me. I slipped my arms through and grabbed his outstretched hand as he led me out of the Ivy and back to Amy’s flat.
It was a bit chilly outside, the moon shining brightly in the dim lit sky. We walked back to the flat in silence. In my head I was trying to find the right words to tell him about my past but nothing seemed right.
We arrived back at the flat around ten minutes later. A silence broke over us. It wasn’t a content silence, far from it, it was an awkward silence. It was weird to think yesterday that everything was so perfect then you find out one thing you don’t want to hear and that puts a dampers on everything else. I was bought out of my daydream by Tom who broke the silence.
“Darling, are you sure you’re okay? You haven’t been yourself all evening, especially when you went to the loo. If I’ve done something wrong or if something’s bothering you, I need you to tell me, or know that you can tell me anything.” Here it is, now or never, you need to be able to tell him everything, have no secrets before this goes any further. I looked down at my feet.
“I received some news today” I blurted out.
“What type of news? Good or bad?”
“Bad, well for me anyway, not so much for Jay I guess”. Why even bring Jay into the conversation? Silly girl.
Tom looked confused. “How come it involves Jay? Darling, you’re worrying me here. Just tell me, please”
“Because…because he took the liberty of inviting..him”
“Love, you’ve lost me. Invited who?”
“My ex boyfriend, Jack.” I looked at my feet again. I felt better for getting it out there and telling him but now I had to face his reaction. Tom`s hand came under my chin making me look him in the eyes. I didn’t see his normal blue shiny eyes of happiness and love, instead I saw jealousy, hatred, anger. We stood in silence for a while. Tom broke it. “Jack as in Jack Mills?” I nodded. At the mention of his name Tom`s hands turned into fists at his sides. I was shocked about how he knew him. But before I could even ask the question I knew the answer.
“How do you know him, Tom?” Tom went to Eton with Jay and that was where Jack went.
“We met at Eton” Tom sighed. “We never really saw eye to eye but even more so when he got the lead part in the school play that I really wanted and we just pretty much hated each other. Now I know he went out with you and that he was with you and possibly like that. He was wasn’t he? He was your first?” I nodded the tears starting to cascade down my face. Why couldn’t I have met Tom before? Why couldn’t I have given myself to him rather than Jack? I didn’t regret it at the time but now, how I wish things would have been different.
“It makes me so upset and angry to know that he got both the part I so wanted and he had you, the most beautiful girl in the world before I even knew you.” He took a deep breath to calm down before turning to walk. “Im sorry, darling, but hearing that after a lovely evening, I need some air, some time to think, I’ll call you tomorrow.” He kissed my forehead and turned to walk away back down the street. Great one, Emily. You really should have just kept that yourself because now you’ve lost him. But I couldn’t not tell him, he had the right to know.
Before I could even process what I was doing I called after Tom. He turned around and started walking back to me. I met him half way. I placed my hands on the side of his face stroking his stubbled jaw with my thumb. “I’m so sorry, Tom. I wish I hadn’t told you but I felt like you had to know, Tom. It’s all in the past, Jack is my past. You, Tom I want you in my future. I need you in my future. You are my future, atleast I want you to be. Please come inside, have a cup of tea so we can talk about it. I’d rather we get our pasts out in the open now before this progresses and have no more secrets, wouldn’t you? He nodded placing a kiss on my forehead. I walked back to Amy’s flat, Tom following behind

Chapter 11:

Finally an update. Sorry it took so long to update I lost inspiration and was working on the Why We Love Tom Hiddleston Fanbook the past few months. Alas, it is now done and will soon be sent to him. For those who wish to check out the PDF version you can do here: I can now get back to writing both this, Love Rekindled and my new fic The Elephant and The Boat both of which will be with you soon. For now, enjoy chapter eleven of Moving House. Lots of love <3

Luckily Amy had given me a spare key to her flat so I could unlock the door without waking her and Jay. It was just past 11 and the house was in complete darkness. I walked into the house as quietly as possible Tom shutting the door behind him.

I walked into the kitchen and turned on the lights heading straight for the kettle to make the tea. Tom took a seat at the table and watched me. I boiled the kettle setting out two cups on the side and filling them with milk and a teabag. I stood at the counter waiting for the kettle to boil with my back to Tom. He came up behind me placing both hands on my waist and whispered in my ear. “I’m sorry for overacting, darling” placing a kiss to my neck. I turned around in his arms placing my hands around his neck and giving him a kiss on the lips before the kettle boiled pulling us out of our trance.

I made the tea taking both cups into the living room and sitting down on the sofa. Tom sat the opposite side. We were silent for a while enjoying our teas.

“I’m sorry for ruining the evening, Tom. I kind of wish I hadn’t told you”. Tom came and set next to me on the sofa taking my hand in his stroking the back of it with his thumb.

“I’m glad you did, darling. I could tell something wasn’t right as soon as I picked you up this evening. I think we need to lay all of our cards on the table now before this goes any further though, get to know each other more, no secrets, don’t you think?” I placed my other hand on Tom’s cheek stroking it with my thumb.

“Yes, Tom” We both relished in the others touch for a while staring into each others eyes. I didn’t know how or where to start the conversation.

Tom started in the end asking what happened. I told him the whole story of how myself and Jack met and our relationship right up to the end where we argued and it ended.

A few tears escaped my eyes once I finished telling him. Tom wiped them away with his thumb. I don’t know why I still got upset about it; it was in the past, maybe because I was so young when it happened.

“He…he just forgot about me, Tom. As soon as he became famous that was it, he didn’t care and didn’t want to know me anymore. I tried my best to make it work but he soon decided I wasn’t worth it and moved on to other women and our relationship just fizzled out. I don’t want that to happen to us Tom, it concerns me that it will though, as you get more famous you’ll forget about me too and I’ll be left on my own. Amy and Jay will be happily married and then they’ll be me. I’ll grow old with lots of dogs rather than a husband who loves and cares for me. Promise me you wont leave me like he did, Tom, please, I couldn’t bare it if I lost you. You mean so much to me; I didn’t think it possible how much someone could mean to you, especially as i`ve only known you a few months”

“It can’t be guaranteed that we’ll see each other all the time but I promise to spend as much time with you as possible and make this work. I promised you I would take things slow and not rush you and that I would take care of you and not leave you. I meant it, darling. We need to live in the moment rather than thinking about the past and indeed the future”

“But…but what happens when I leave and go back to Dover in a few weeks and when you’re away filming? I don’t like the idea of being away from you.”

“We’ll keep doing what we’re doing now. Texting, calling, emailing and skyping and when I’m back and not filming I can come and see you in Dover and you can come and see me here in London. We will make this work, love I promise. I don’t like the idea of being away from you either, darling. I’ve never felt so close to anyone, I didn’t even feel this close to Susannah and I dated her for a good few years.”

“Susannah?”

Tom ended up telling me all about his relationship with actress Susannah Fielding and how they met on the set of Wallander, how they’re relationship developed and then fizzled out.

We spent the rest of the evenings talking about our pasts and hopes and dreams and getting to know each other. It was 2am by the time Tom got up to leave.

“Its getting late, I better get going, love.” He pulled me in for a passionate kiss on the lips before pulling away, giving me one last kiss on my forehead before turning to leave. I grabbed his hand lacing it with mine. He turned to face me.

“Stay with me, Tom, please”

“Darling, I don’t want to rush you.” I chuckled.

“I didn’t mean it like that, although that would be lovely I just don’t think im ready for that yet. I meant just stay, sleep with me. I just need you to hold me, Tom I feel safe in your arms. Please, just one night?”

“But what about Amy and Jay, won’t they be surprised when they find me here in the morning?”

“Don’t worry about them, I think they both have work tomorrow but if either is here when we wake up I’ll deal with it in the morning. Okay?” He nodded. “And but thou love me, let them find me here.” I smiled giving him a kiss, turning off all the lights in both the living room and kitchen before offering him my hand, which he took without hesitation leading him upstairs.

Once upstairs I went into the bathroom to change and clean my teeth. I came out a few minutes later dressed in my pink and white spotted pyjama bottoms and pink t shirt.

Tom had taken off his jeans and shirt and was now left in just his black Calvin Klein boxer briefs, his bare torso rising and falling with every breath he took.

I couldn’t help but drink in the sight of him, like an angel carved of marble, perfect cheekbones and bone structure, the moles on the left side of his neck, his blue eyes shining in the dim lamp of the bedside lamp. Beautiful.

Tom’s breathe quickened as I approached him running my right hand over his bare chest, whilst my left one tangled in his hair pulling him in for a kiss. He smiled against my lips as I moved my right hand over placing it on his heart which quickened with every move I made. He pulled apart from the kiss placing his hand over mine where it lay on his heart.
“It beats only for you, fair maiden” he said removing his hand from over mine to kiss the back of my hand. I smiled. “As mine does for you, and only you, Thomas”

I made my way over to the bed getting in and making myself comfortable whilst Tom went to the bathroom. He came out a little while later and climbed into the bed beside me, wrapping both his arms and legs around me, spooning me. My hands went around his neck pulling him in for a long passionate kiss. He smelled of mint.

“Thankyou, Thomas” I told him once we parted.

“For what, my darling”

“Just for being you and for everything. I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t met you.”

“The feeling is entirely mutual darling” he gave me one last kiss before placing his face in the crook of my neck. I feel into a peaceful sleep listening to Tom’s steady breathing in my ear.


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.