Notice Me Page 2

  Maisy helped me into the flat. There would be no point waiting for Megan. Charlie may even have been joining her tonight, but I didn’t want to wait to find out.

  Maisy dragged me into my room, putting a sick bucket by my bed just in case. I lay on my bed watching my room spin. Why had I drunk so much? I would only regret it in the morning. I could hear Megan and Charlie laughing next door in her bedroom. I put my iPod on to drown the noise. The music soothed my head a little and it wasn’t too long until I drifted into a deep dreamless sleep.

  Chapter 2

  “Shannon wake up. Come on you have been asleep all morning.”

  Megan was shaking me, but I wasn’t ready to open my eyes yet.

  I did feel like I had been asleep all morning, my mouth was so dry that my tongue ached but that was nothing compared to the deep thudding inside my head. Maybe just a few more hours sleep would stop it? Then I remembered Megan was still shaking me at the bottom of my bed.

  “Megan please let me sleep?” I begged, but I knew it wouldn’t work.

  “No I have to talk… Oh my God he is so amazing. Did you know he stayed the night? He is so wonderful, and his body oh…” Megan seemed to get lost in her own little dream. I just used it as an excuse to sleep again. “Hey wake up,” Megan hit me hard on my thigh, laughing.

  “Ouch! Megan!” I was awake now.

  “Well that worked,” Megan giggled. “Oh Shannon, I think I am in love. He is just… I mean he is just… Well, he was…”

  “Get your words out Megan. You are making no sense at all, maybe it is love.” I pulled a face. “But you have only known him a week.”

  “That’s all you need, you know – sometimes you only need a minute.” I rolled my eyes like I hadn’t heard that before.

  I just looked at her. This was not the Megan I knew. She laughed at love and the concept of being with only one person. Why have only one when so many men wanted her? She had always called it a waste. Yet I could see it in her eyes, the hope that she had finally found him, the one to make her whole.

  “What are you thinking Shan?”

  “You don’t sound like yourself Megan that’s all.”

  “I know. I don’t feel like myself.” She almost had a glow about her as she became wrapped up in her thoughts from last night. Maybe she really had found the one, her soul mate. Although if she heard me talking like this she might laugh. I was the hopeless romantic.

  Months flew by in a whirlwind. Megan was so happy. Her life was complete as she began her first ever serious relationship with Charlie. I felt I knew Charlie as well as she did. Megan mentioned him in almost every conversation we had.

  I never minded that, her life was so much more exciting than my own. Three years we had been best friends, inseparable from the day we met. Even now I couldn’t really believe I was here. I wasn’t even sure I recognised myself anymore, but that was a good thing. I had been so different on that first day of work experience. I laughed to myself remembering the fateful day.

  ****

  I was late. My long brown hair was drenched from the rain. I was pretty sure the make-up I had put on to try and enhance my green eyes would be running down my face. I knew I should have gone for waterproof mascara. I was right as I looked at my reflection in the window. I looked like a panda. I wiped as much away as I could with my hand, talking to myself.

  Why had I slept through my alarm? I knew how important today was. How much of an idiot could I be?

  I did the best I could with my face and decided to tie my hair back. It was a slight improvement, at least I wasn’t dripping all over my new blue shirt. I took a deep breath. I could do this, it was only work experience I told myself. Who cared if I didn’t know anyone, that everyone would be looking at me, ‘the new girl’. Suddenly my stomach turned like a washing machine on full spin. I couldn’t move. I gripped the wall for support. My nerves were taking over again. I panicked in any situation that wasn’t familiar to me. Today was one of those days.

  “Are you okay?” A voice asked as I looked up, trying hard to regulate my breathing. I must have looked so stupid. I saw her watching me with a concerned face. “It’s only that you look a little green.”

  “I’ll be okay in a minute thank you,” I whispered, letting go of the wall.

  “You’re the new work experience girl aren’t you?”

  “Is it that obvious?”

  “You are not the first to react like this, I mean Field Organisation is a big company, it’s a big thing. You are lucky to have the opportunity to gain experience here.” She was almost gloating, pushing her long blonde hair behind her shoulders.

  “Oh, I know. It’s just I don’t cope very well with my nerves. This is a big thing to me.” It amazed me how easily I could talk to her, I usually found it hard to talk to people I didn’t know.

  “Oh stick with me and you will be fine. What’s your name?” she asked, putting my arm through hers and squeezing my hand in encouragement.

  “Shannon Davis,” I replied with a smile as the queasy feeling slowly began to fade.

  “I’m Megan. Trust me you will be fine. Let’s check with reception which department you need to report to.” She pulled me over to reception. I was feeling much better now I had a sort of friend. An absurdly beautiful friend who looked like a model. Why was she working here? With her beauty she could do anything. But then this was the Field Organisation, a few years working here and the opportunities were endless, maybe she had the same plan as me.

  “Hey Sally,” Megan greeted the receptionist with a dazzling smile. “Can you tell me where Shannon the new work experience girl needs to report to please?”

  “Certainly Megan… Have you done something to your hair, it looks great?” the receptionist asked.

  “No.” Megan seemed uninterested in making conversation with her, which seemed strange seeing as how kind she was being to me.

  “It’s the twenty seventh floor. She has been assigned to Rupert Price.”

  “You must be good Shannon,” she smiled back at me, “Mr Price is one of the best.” I just smiled nervously. “Follow me.”

  We made our way towards the elevator. I didn’t really take in the surroundings I was too scared. I was aware of all the people rushing around me. The grey marble floor was so shiny I could almost make out my reflection. I hoped my panda eyes had gone.

  “Hey Megan,” a voice shouted.

  “Oh, will he ever get the picture,” Megan muttered to herself. “Shannon do me a favour, whatever I say agree with me, please,” Megan begged.

  “Sure.” What else could I say?

  “Megan wait a minute,” the voice shouted again. A tall fair haired man came into view. He was an attractive man. The sort you wouldn’t mind shouting your name unless you were Megan apparently.

  “Oh Tim, sorry I didn’t see you there,” Megan lied.

  “Did you get the message I sent you?” Tim asked.

  “Oh yes about that. I’m sorry I promised Shannon I would go for a drink with her after work, isn’t that right Shan?” She nudged me so I knew it was my cue.

  “Yeah that’s right,” I muttered.

  “Oh okay, how about the weekend then?” Tim pleaded.

  “Look Tim I have to be honest, Shannon needs me, she has had a rough time of it lately and I have promised to be there for her. You know how it is, she is my friend and I need to help her.” She looked at him with her blue gem eyes, he was putty in her hands.

  “Of course Megan I understand, maybe some other time.” Tim smiled at her. “Hope you feel better Shannon.” I just smiled back as Megan pushed me into the elevator.

  As the doors shut Megan sighed with relief. I could see her face in the mirror doors and she was laughing.

  “Thank you so much Shannon. Do you know how long I have tried to get Tim Scott off my back?”

  “That was Tim Scott?” I asked, shocked. I couldn’t believe I had just spoken to the youngest high flyer in Field Organisation history. Then I thought why o
n earth had Megan let him down?

  “Yeah, he is so dull. All he talks about is work,” Megan sighed.

  “And that’s a bad thing?”

  “Trust me Shannon there is more to life than work you know.”

  Her statement didn’t make sense to me, if that were true why was she here? You didn’t get to work at Field Organisation if you weren’t one hundred and ten percent focused on your career. I would surrender my whole life for this one chance, the chance to be successful.

  “You really have no idea do you?” she asked, looking at my confused face. “How old are you Shannon?”

  “Sixteen almost seventeen.”

  “Really? I thought you were older. Hey, we are the same age. I’m seventeen next week.”

  My face froze, she was my age. She was so confident, so beautiful. There was no way she could only be sixteen, it seemed impossible.

  “You are my age?” I finally blurted out.

  “Yeah, does that surprise you?”

  “Yes, you are so…” I couldn’t find the words that wouldn’t offend her.

  “I know I get it all the time,” she giggled “Here is your floor, follow me.”

  “Are you on work experience too?” I asked as I followed her down a corridor full of light brown wooden doors.

  “Sort of,” she laughed. “But I had no choice in the matter. Here we are.”

  Megan entered the room. I felt like I would start hyperventilating as I noticed all the people in the office, there had to be at least twenty.

  “Megan, what a nice surprise,” a friendly voice said.

  “Hello Mrs Carsley. This is Shannon your new work experience girl.”

  “You didn’t have to bring her up, I would have come down to get her,” Mrs Carsley smiled at me. “But it is lovely to meet you Shannon. I have heard good things about you from your teacher, Mr Richards.”

  Mrs Carsley was a fairly old woman with a kind face. Her short grey hair was perfectly styled and her brown eyes were as warm and caring as her face.

  “I didn’t mind bringing her up, it was on my way anyway. I will take her to lunch at one o’clock if that is alright with you?” Megan asked, winking at me. “I promised I would help her out this week.”

  “That’s very nice of you Megan,” Mrs Carsley smiled. “Yes, one is fine for lunch. Right let’s get you settled Shannon.”

  “Good luck, see you at one,” Megan grinned.

  “Thank you for everything,” I smiled back.

  “No problem, that’s what friends are for.” With that Megan skipped off.

  I couldn’t believe Megan called me her friend. Why would she want me as her friend? I was boring. I had no friends at school. It was sad to think once Megan got to know me she would realise that. I would have to make the most of the time I had with her while it lasted.

  “That was very nice of Megan Field. You are a lucky girl Shannon. Every young girl would kill to be in your shoes,” Mrs Carsley replied taking my coat and hanging it up for me.

  “Megan Field!” I asked, shocked. I was sure she didn’t mean the Megan Field, middle child of Sir Philip Field, the owner of Field Organisation based in the very building I was standing in. But the more I thought about it the more I realised I already knew the answer. Of course it was the Megan Field.

  “Yes, didn’t you realise dear?” Mrs Carsley laughed as she gently touched my arm. “Anyway let me show you your desk.”

  The hours until one o’clock went very quickly. I spent most of the morning being introduced to everyone. Some asked how I knew Megan. They couldn’t believe I had only just met her. Apparently none of the Field family had ever done anything like that before. I was glad to finally be seated at my desk. Even though I was only folding letters into envelopes I was happy. It gave me a chance to think what I was going to say to Megan when she came to get me for lunch. It was hard to imagine I was going to have lunch with the daughter of a billionaire.

  “Hey, are you ready?” Megan asked, excited. “I was thinking we could try the new bistro by the river, it’s not too far to walk.”

  “Sure, wherever you think.” I was nervous, knowing she was Megan Field made me uneasy. What on earth would we have in common? What would I talk to her about? I was sure she would be bored with me before we even reached the bistro.

  “They have told you who I am haven’t they?” she smiled, pushing the button for the elevator.

  “Um… Well they… Yes.” This was going to be a nightmare. I couldn’t even talk to her now.

  “Don’t let that scare you Shannon. It’s just, well I really need a friend right now.” Something in her voice made me believe her. I wanted to be that friend for however long she needed me. “I am just as normal as any other girl. Trust me.”

  “I know that. It’s just I am not really friend material seeing as I don’t really have any friends.” I laughed at how pathetic I sounded.

  “Really, why have you just moved here or something?”

  “No, I have lived here all my life. I just never really had the people skills, you know, to make friends.”

  “Is that because of your nerves?” Megan asked.

  “Yes, usually.” I couldn’t believe how honest I was being with her or that she knew me so well already.

  “But you met me because of your nerves,” Megan linked her arm in mine, “and apparently everyone wants to be my friend.”

  “I can’t argue with that.”

  “Well, lucky for you that I picked you.”

  “I still can’t quite believe that.” I laughed to myself in disbelief.

  “Shannon, I know we are going to be wonderful friends. Do you know why?” she looked at me suddenly very seriously.

  “Why?” I asked, a little confused.

  “Because you seem as lost as me,” Megan whispered.

  Megan’s words hit me like lightning. How did she know that? Was I that easy to read?

  It was in that moment I saw into her eyes. The emptiness was deep inside her just like my own. I could see why she had noticed me this morning – I had reminded Megan of herself.

  We were both lost. She needed me as much as I needed her. It didn’t matter we were from different worlds. Our friendship would never fade so long as we needed each other.

  Chapter 3

  Now in our last year of university together, we were living the independent dream. Megan’s parents had let us use their penthouse flat in Knightsbridge as we were both attending the University of London, although doing completely different subjects.

  It still felt like a dream as I sat on the balcony watching London go by. I gazed down at the world below me. Car horns were going off. People hustling like ants all in such a hurry to go nowhere. Cars flashed by in rays of multi-coloured lights. I couldn’t remember when London had suddenly seemed so small to me. I looked up at the night sky. It was a clear cool night, the moon was full, streaming ripples of moonlight across the sky, and stars flickered from every direction almost as if they were singing some silent song. I knew I would miss London when I left, but in three years I had finally found the courage to want more – to go out into the big world to see things and meet new people. I had gained the confidence I had always wanted. I knew I had one person to thank for that.

  “So do I go for the black or blue?” Megan came out with two beautiful dresses and twirled around holding them both up against her.

  “I’d say the black, it’s a little more classic,” I smiled up at her. “Where is he taking you again?”

  “Some new restaurant near the west end,” replied Megan, bouncing with excitement.

  “Well, for sure the black then. You should wear those new silver shoes too, they will go well,” I remembered.

  “Oh Shan I would be lost without you. What am I going to do when you go to New York for six months?”

  “That’s eight months away Megan, don’t worry about that. Anyway, you can come and see me anytime you want, it’s not like you can’t afford the flights.”


  “I know it’s just… sad.” She pulled a sad face.

  “You will be too busy with Charlie to worry about me.”

  “He may have dumped me by then,” Megan smiled, aware that no one would ever dump her. She had it all. “And anyway even if he has asked me to marry him by then I would never be too busy to not miss you Shan.”

  I smiled. “You are thinking marriage already? Megan you have only been dating him for six months. You don’t think it’s a little early?”