Pilot - Episode 1

The birds twittered as they flew on overhead and the smell of the flowers that adorned the outside of the apartment building was not strong enough to overpower the stench of the city.
Barry walked by, not even noticing the birds or the flowers; having lived in the city his entire life he didn’t appreciate any of these things and besides, he was way too excited looking forward to the next few weeks.
He reached the iron gates that were locked, looked about for the buzzer and called up to flat three.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it’s Baz. Wanna let me in?” Barry always called himself Baz – it was an image thing.
“Sure Barry, I’ll let Ben know you’re on your way up.” The voice replied as the gates unlocked. Barry pushed them open, they squeaked loudly; in need of an oil.
“Thanks Emilie, see you in a second.”

Barry walked up to the second floor and found number three. He hesitated before knocking.“She’s your best friends’ girl.” he told himself. “Your best friends’ girl.” He continued to mutter under his breath.
He lifted his hand and rapped his knuckles against the door three times. There was a scuffling from inside the apartment.

“Come on, Ben. Go and get the door. He’s your friend.”
“Emilie, don’t make a big deal out of it; I’m watching something on the box. You’re already on your feet.”
“Oh this is ridiculous.” Emilie said, Barry heard her voice getting louder as she approached the door. “Anyone would think you don’t want him to come on this vacation with us!” She pulled the door open and there she was, a blonde angel, standing in front of him. What he would give to just rip her clothes off right then and there.

“Barry!” Emilie scolded while still smiling. “I’m up here.” She pointed to her face and Barry noticed that he had been looking somewhere inappropriate.
“Sorry Emilie, just got a bit distracted there; it has been a long time since I seen you.” Emilie continued to smile and planted a big kiss on Barry’s cheek and received one herself.
“It’s quite alright; it’s nice to see you too.” She held him at arms length. “Come and see Ben.”

They walked over to where Ben was sat in front of the television.
“The sooner we go on vacation and away from that bloody thing the better!” Emilie joked.
“So, have we decided where we’re going yet? I mean we’re leaving in a couple of days. We should probably get a move on right?” Barry scratched his hairless chest which was on show with his shirt that was unbuttoned quite a way down.
“Well that’s why we’ve invited you today.” Ben replied not taking his eyes from the television screen. The football was on.
“If I was with you, I wouldn’t be watching the football.” Barry whispered to Emilie who giggled.
“We are going to Kevin’s place to discuss the trip. Did you have an idea of where you want to go?” Emilie asked.
Barry stood there gawping. Kevin? Kevin was coming on the trip with them?
“Emilie, you never told me that Kevin was coming with us.”
“What? This whole trip was his idea. He didn’t actually invite you along but he doesn’t mind… why, is it a problem if he comes too?”
Barry shook his head and quickly cleared his throat.

“No, course not.”
“Barry, Kevin’s gay. He’s not some mass rapist you know?” Emilie fixed a smile on her face; she didn’t like homophobia in any sense of the word.
“Yeah, I know. He just, makes me uncomfortable.”
Emilie turned away from him.

“Shall we get going then, he lives just across the hall; not far.”
“Emilie, I’m watching the game. Can we wait till it’s finished?” Ben said not moving an inch. Emilie stood in front of the screen blocking his view.
“Yeah, let’s wait for the game to finish.” Barry agreed dropping down onto the couch next to Ben.
“Guys! Let’s go. We shouldn’t keep them waiting. This is our trip too, remember? Do you want them to decide where we’re going without us?”

“Thank God that semester’s over!” Leona said slumping down onto the couch. “I don’t think I could bear coming back next year. At least we have this holiday to look forward to.”
Kevin stoked the fire, the heating was off in the apartment block and he hadn’t called the landlord to come and fix it yet.
“Yeah, but why on earth did your sister have to invite Barry along with us? I thought she didn’t even like him?”

Leona sat up and patted the empty seat next to her. Kevin sat down.
“I know he gave you a hard time in high school, but it has been two years since you last saw each other. Can’t you look past all of that shit that happened back then? I think Emilie does like him; he’s far too charming. Plus he distracts her from Ben, who, may I say is being a total jerk lately.”

Kevin sighed. “It’s not that he was a dick to me in high school… stuff happened back then…”

“Between you and Barry? Oh my God! No way!” Leona giggled in shock; she could hardly believe what she was hearing. “But Barry is way too much of a ladies man!”

“So you’re saying I’m lying?”
“No! I’m just shocked that’s all… things are going to be awkward huh? Things were awkward enough with Em going off with Ben for make out sessions. You never know maybe something will happen between you two on this trip. He’s not that bad, you know?”
“Nothing is going to happen on this trip. He never spoke to me again, I… did stuff to him and he has ignored me since.” Kevin bowed his head. “It would be so much easier and far more relaxing if it was just you and me, you know?”

The hallway was bare and unattractive thanks to the grey walls and grey floor. The temperature was a lot colder than it was outside where the sun was shining.
“So which door is it?” Barry joked before rapping his knuckles on number two directly opposite Emily and Ben’s apartment. “This must be cosy living directly across from your sister and her gay best friend.”
“Leona doesn’t live with Kevin, Baz; she lives next door to him.” Emilie laughed.
“Still, you don’t get much time away from each other then?”
“Baz what are you on about? Leona’s always with Kevin and I’m always with Ben. I hardly ever see her.”

“Not that it bothers you I expect.” Barry joked. “How did she become your sister again? Who’s the adopted one?”
Emilie looked shocked and quickly punched Barry on the arm.
“She’s adopted, but she’s still my sister.”
“I know, I know. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Barry apologised.

Leona and Kevin were still sat on the couch gossiping when they heard the door knock.
“That’ll be Em, Ben and Barry.” Leona said twisting her neck to look at her best friend. “Don’t worry it won’t be as bad as you think.”

Kevin just looked at her.

“You know this isn’t going to be good Leona. Stop pretending.” He got up to open the door and let the others in.

A few minutes later and everyone was sat down, either on the couch or on the floor, except for Barry who was rooting through the refrigerator for something to eat.
Emilie, who was sat on the floor, was the first to speak regarding the ideas for the trip.
“So, Kevin, since this was your idea do you have an idea where you want to go?”
Kevin looked taken aback.

“Er, no. I didn’t want to decide where we should go; I thought it should be a group decision.”
“And you would be right, Kevin.” Ben said patting him on the knee. “Since we are all going on this trip we should all have some say in where we want to go; even if nobody agrees.”
“Well, alright then, Ben. Where do you want to go?” Emilie asked, clearly irritated. It was the first thing he had said all day that was actually rational and it annoyed her more than anything else he could have said.

“I know where he wants to go.” Barry said through a mouthful of chips dragging one of the kitchen chairs with him and sitting on it. “He wants to go somewhere warm and sunny where we can laze about on the beach all day and watch girls in their skimpy bikini’s walking by. And I agree with that one so there’s two votes.”

Leona laughed and turned her head away before rolling her eyes. “As much as I like surfing, Barry…”
“Baz, with a ‘zed.’” Barry corrected.
“Alright… Baz. I couldn’t help but think that that was your idea of a vacation and not Ben’s. I mean, when he has my sister he has no reason to want to look at girls in skimpy bikini’s… besides her of course.”
Barry continued to munch on his chips and didn’t say anything else.

“Thanks, Leona. You’re right, I’d rather have a vacation where we all stay together the entire time; make it a trip to remember.” Ben said.

Leona smiled; she’d just thought of something brilliant.
“I agree. What if…” She continued, getting excited. “…we rented a cottage somewhere and had a really great time there. Drinking, messing about – don’t forget we can go for walks in the hills and whatever. It would be an amazing trip.”

Kevin, who was still sat next to her let a small smile play across his lips – that was exactly what he had been hoping they would decide to do the entire time.

Emilie actually grinned, quickly brushing her golden hair out of her eyes.

“I like it! I’m going to get looking for cottages straight away. This is so exciting!” It was apparently so exciting that she forgot all of her annoyances with Ben. “Thanks Ben that was such a good idea. This summer is going to be unforgettable.”
“You got that right.” Barry mumbled from behind her. “Unforgettable because it was such a boring vacation.”

“Right so we need a cottage for five of us, that’ll be four bedrooms.” He winked at Emilie. “Unless anyone has someone extra they want to bring along?” Nobody said anything so he continued. “Can you look for the perfect place Em?”
“Sure, it should be easy!” She grinned.
“Good, and we need somebody to get all the booze and somebody to do the driving. The way I see it we have two drivers, so two cars. That’ll make travelling easier. And means that one car can carry the booze and the other can carry our things. I’ll drive one of them, Kevin do you want to drive the other?”
“Yeah, shouldn’t be a problem. If Barry and Emilie go in your car, I can take Leona and push the back seats down to fit all of our gear in and then you can take the drink?” Kevin replied leaning forward.
“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. So now we have all that sorted it’s all down to you Emilie to book the perfect cottage.”
“I’m on it.” Emilie stood up quickly said goodbye and ran across the hall to browse on the internet.

“Right.” Barry said, standing up from his chair. “Now that we have this lame vacation sorted I have some things I need to be getting on with.”
Leona looked up at him, trying to ignore his exposed chest.

“Nobody is forcing you to come with us Barry. You know you can always back out if you want to.”
Barry’s eyes darted to Kevin and then back to Leona.

“No, I’m in. Perhaps it could turn out to be more fun than it sounds.”
“Good. Because you’re getting the booze! We’ll give you a list of the stuff we like and the money. You are responsible. Don’t screw us over. This stuff has to last two weeks.”
Barry snorted as Leona pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and began to scribble things down. “Sounds like you don’t trust me.”
Leona just looked up at him with her eyebrows raised.