1. Should’ve, would’ve, could’ve

“Kailey where the hell are you?” I wondered round the streets of brick lane north London lost. “You know that I don’t know this area,” Which was kind of ironic considering my name. “I thought you were going to wait at the station?”

“Soooo, I was being good and I was waiting at the station, but then Trey called.” I rolled my eyes, for christ’s sake! “I’m sorry C. But he finally asked me out and you know I’ve had a crush on him since the first week of first year.”

“Really Kailey?! Really?!” I sighed. Wait till Tristan hears this, she’s going to have a bloody field day....

“Please, please, please, pleaseee— forgive me! I will make it up to you.” I could picture her puppy dog eyes, and pouty expression.

“This was your idea you know! Project ‘University Debut’. Y’know, make me into a trendy girl in time for second year. We were meant to go shopping, pick out new outfits...and all that other crap. It was your bloody idea. Just because of that stupid magazine. ‘Other’ my ass.....” I muttered.

“Hey! Don’t diss the magazine. It’s 100% accurate, I’m telling you.” Sure. According to this stupid magazine if you were to try and categorize me I was neither a ‘Sporty Girl’, ‘Hot Girl’, ‘Cute girl’, ‘Fashionista’ or any other ‘normal’ type of girl. No if all these things were listed with tick boxes next to them. I would have to tick the box that said ‘other’.

I sighed. I, apparently, was ‘The Other Girl’. All this because of Martial arts....it wasn’t my fault my dad brought me up to be more of a boy then a girl. And it wasn’t my fault I was actually really good at martial arts. In fact that was the only thing I was good at, full stop.

“Whatever.” Well I wasn’t one to hold a grudge over such trivial things.“Okay, you are forgiven. Just help me find my way back.” I knew I shouldn’t have just started walking around, but, well I was just a bit stupid and standing still had seemed so boring. Yes, I definitely had my moments in which common sense evaded me. I really shouldn’t have done that.

“Of course! There must be a street name somewhere, just tell me.”

“Right.” I looked around and finally spotted one. “Okay I’m at—” My phone went dead.

I looked up to the heavens in disbelief, Really??!!! I cursed silently; frustrated by the fact that it was really my own fault, I forgot to charge it last night.

“Fine, fine, fine.” I muttered to myself. “Well, I’ll just keep walking then.”

*

I wondered round the back streets for a while, until I walked just round a corner and spotted someone running my way. I opened my mouth to call his attention but the words got stuck as I realised the guy wasn’t just running my way, he was being chased. I hid back round the corner

Think Camden think!!

There were three guys chasing him, and by the looks of it they were going to beat him up.

Okay this was crazy, but I was not the type of girl to just leave someone who was in trouble, especially as I was more than capable to handle them, and I wouldn’t be able to call the police. Right just go for it!

I knew it was stupid, and I knew it was dangerous. But all I could think was, if it was me I’d hope someone —no— anyone, would help me. And I was better than no one right? I took a deep breath, turned round the corner, and charged screaming.

Yes I looked like a mad women who had lost her mind, but it had the effect I needed.

All four guys gave me the ‘wth’ look, with the three guys doing the chasing slowing down in confusion. I made the most of the opportunity. Running forward, I manoeuvred my small leather rucksack off my back and began swinging it in the air above my head as a distraction. Using this to my advantage, I round kicked the one to my right in the chest, using the momentum I swung round, switched legs and kicked the other guy in the middle. This just left me with the guy to my left. I moved quickly so that he didn’t have a chance to react, and jump kicked him in the chest. I reached out with my other hand and grabbed onto the guy who was being chased, turned, and dragged him away with all my strength.

We must have run down several streets before I let go of his hand and let myself breath. Falling down on to the pavement in exhaustion. “Are you okay?” I managed to get the words out in between sharp breaths, as I brought myself up from my sprawled out position. “God, what the hell where you doing being chased by three guys?”

He looked at me dumbfolded. I finally took in his, now slight dishevelled, appearance. He had one of those faces. The kind of face that belonged on the cover of, well, of a magazine. He had a strong jaw line and dark brown eyes. And long eyelashes, which I could never understand. Why where guys always blessed with long eyelashes??! They didn’t even need them. And to top it off, short cut black hair that contrasted his slightly tanned ivory skin. “Are you crazy? I mean are you some crazy fan or something?” I almost thought I had misheard his slightly accented words. Or maybe it was wishful thinking on my part.....

Whichever it was, I was now the one looking dumbfounded. “I’m sorry, what?”

He rolled his eyes. “I said, ARE YOU CRAZY?” He started to pace back and forth mauttering to himself in some other language. Chinese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, Japanese, hmm Korean?

“Umm, excuse me.” I felt bad for disturbing his internal rant.

“What!” He snapped exasperated.

“I think there’s been some sort of misunderstanding. I’m not crazy; well my friends say I’m crazy. But when they say it, they mean quirky crazy not dangerous crazy, you know. Maybe we need to start at square one. I’m Camden, Camden Penn. I thought those guys were chasing you.....If I had known I was wrong I would’ve” I trailed off realising that there wasn’t something wrong with the words coming from my mouth. I stood up. “You know what! I’m not going to apologise ok. I was trying to help!”

“Help?! Are you blind as well as crazy? Did you not see the cameras?”

“Cameras?”

“Yes cameras, the ones on the roofs of the buildings. You know the ones we were using to film that scene for my music video. That was before you came crashing into the scene kidnapping me.”

“Ah.” I grimaced. It seemed like I had really messed up. “I’m sorry ok!”

He sighed and finally took a breath turning to look at me. “Sorry.” He apologised. “I’m having a go at you because today’s been a long day, and to be honest I just didn’t need this happening.”

“Sigh.”

“Did you just say ‘sigh’” He burst out laughing. “You are weird huh.” I rolled my eyes, as a small smile crossed my lips. What could I say back to that, I was different, that was for sure.

*

“So then what happened?”

I rolled on to my back as I lay on my double bed, on the phone to Tristan. “Well, after that he whipped out his mobile made a few calls. Some guys from the filming crew came in a van to collect us. Took us back to the location they were filming. I apologised profusely like a billion times. The director laughed, and insisted I watch back the recording, as he found it really funny, as did the rest of the team. And told me several times that I should go into stunt acting.” I waited for Tristan to stop laughing before I continued. “Then one of the guys was nice enough to take me back to the main road and directed me to the station. Can you picture that! I’m from London Tristan! And yet I needed someone who wasn’t even from this country to give me directions.” I sighed. “And the rest as they say is history.”

“Sounds like a typical day in your crazy life.”

“Well I guess I could have dealt with this whole day in different way but, it is what it is. At least I can walk away with one thing from this whole mess.”

“Which would be?”

I rolled over onto my stomach. “I want to be a stunt woman!”