Page 95 of How We Began

Something doesn’t feel right. Ben’s playing the Gibson and I’m lying on my bed listening to it. But something is definitely not right.

(11.08 p.m.)

Got it.

(11.18 p.m.)

I’ve moved my bed so that it’s alongside the same wall as his. Now there’s just a thin partition keeping us apart. Well, a thin partition wall and a sea of problems that will never be solved.

21st February

I think I might become a vegetarian. That way I won’t keep craving Ben’s crispy bacon sandwiches anymore.

Obviously, this is a very big decision.

There are pros and cons to carefully consider.

Pro: I will no longer have to whine at Ben to make me a snack and stand there like a pleb whilst he cooks.

Con: I might starve.

22nd February

(2.00 p.m.)

I’ve taken to singing. I categorically can’t sing. It makes all the local cats stand by the window and yowl.

However, it does seem to do a very good job of winding Ben up, which makes it a worthwhile pursuit.

I don’t know why I feel the need to wind him up. It’s just pissing me off that he seems to be dealing with the whole ‘friends’ thing more easily than me.

I have been putting in some Taylor time just to make my point clear. Ben banged on my wall until I stopped earlier today—when “Story of Us” was the song du Jour—which I thought was rather rude. Childishly I giggled away to myself, pleased at the fact that I’d annoyed him until I heard him play the same song on his guitar back through the wall, making it sound much more tuneful than me.

I’m not sure what point he was trying to make.

It could be read in two ways:

He took on board the comment I’d made in Lyme and has been trying to understand what I was very poorly attempting to explain to him.

He thinks my singing is truly awful (which it is) and is demonstrating in his frustratingly superior manner how much better he is at everything than I am. This only highlights for me the fact that we are better off only being friends.

Ugh, Friends Shmends.

Who’s going to go out with me? Benjamin Chambers has ruined me.

(2.20 p.m.)

I think I might have a go at cooking something. I wonder what you need to make spaghetti Bolognese?

(2.30 p.m.)

Blimey! Apparently you need quite a lot of stuff.

Garlic.

Onion.

Mince.