Florence didn't know what to wear for an interview.

Especially and interview in her own home, she had rung Natalie around a hundred times, but her agent hadn't picked up which was unusual for her, efficient and glued to her phone, that just about summed Natalie up.

So she did the only other thing she could, she dialled Cooper's number, as she heard the familiar ringing tone she realised that she needed to stop being so reliant on everyone else around her, she needed to stop overthinking and melting when things didn't go exactly as planned.

"Hello!" said Cooper, far too chirpy for six in the morning

"Hey Cooper" she replied "I have a slight problem"

"Yes?"

"What do I wear for an interview?"

Florence trailed her fingers along the soft fabrics of the clothes hung up in her wardrobe, she didn't want to come across as too relaxed or too uptight, this was such a big deal!

"Um..." 

For once her friend seemed utterly lost for words.

"It's in your house right, so don't go too dressy, just throw on any old jumper and pair of jeans"

"Hmmm" Florence mumbled as she wondered why she hadn't thought of this before.

"Listen Flo, you'll be great, your trying to spread a message not showcase runway fashion!" 

"Yeah..."

"Well I have to go now, I'm proud of you babes, you'll be great!"

Was it just her imagination or did Cooper seem rather eager to leave?

"Okay bye Coops, love you"

But Cooper had already hung up, all she heard was the dialling tone and she felt betrayed without quite knowing why, it seemed like all her friends had abandoned her when she needed them...

In the end she settled for a pink jumper with her blue jeans, as Cooper had said, relaxed and comfortable.

Cole stuck his head around her door as she was putting her hair up into a bun that was epically failing.

"Um"

Things had been awkward between them ever since their less than happy end to the conversation.

He was dressed in a black top with the Deirdre's logo emblazoned over the top pocket, he was clearly still going to work... with this Charlie girl.

"I'll be back about 4" he said taking care not to look her in the eye.

She wasn't his Mother, he didn't have to tell her.

Or maybe she was just in a crap mood with him.

"Ok" she replied and he left quietly shutting the door.

The interview was due to begin at 9am and at 9.16 she was pacing the corridor nervously, had it all been some kind of joke at her expense?

Where was the interviewer?

She was so glad when the bell rang that she almost tripped over the hastily abandoned boots in the hallway.

She fixed a smile on her face, trying to show that she was definitely not crazy and a responsible adult, she prised open the door.

And saw Alex.

At first she thought it must have been some kind of mistake, this couldn't be her life, her interviewer couldn't be the person she had spilled a hot beverage all over the week before.

But she saw the BCU name badge around his neck.

He didn't look as surprised as she felt to see that the mad girl with a staring problem was the bestselling author he was now interviewing.

"Hello...again!" he said outstretching a hand which she took and shook, probably a bit too vigorously.

"So your the Florence, the world works in strange ways"

Those eyes were really so strange, but had a kind of beauty about them, she didn't fancy herself a photographer but she wanted to capture them in this moment.

God, she was a freakish specimen of a human being.

"Yeah, I guess I am!" she said way too loudly "Come on in"

He looked around and then came in taking off his shoes as he did, and she stood there like a complete buffoon unsure of what to do, she had been expecting a woman she didn't know why.

She walked into the small dining room and pulled out two chairs, one for each of them and gestured to the seat which he took.

"Would you like a drink?" she asked, then seeing his expression she added bashfully "This time I'll try to give you the drink rather than your shirt"

"I'd love a tea please" she turned on the kettle as he rifled through the papers in his black bag before pulling out a whole wad.

She pulled out two mugs from the drawer, cringing at the fact that the only one's they had were two matching Valentine's mugs from lord knows where, they'd been here before she and Cole had moved in.

He pulled out a paper filled with questions typed up and she felt a knot of unease in her stomach, it was all good before she was actually asked questions for this interview, that caused her to feel panic.

He accepted the tea she offered him.

"So Fiona, thats my editor sent me here to not just ask you about the book but to find out more about you, we want to run a piece on the women who are changing the book industry, who are making a real impact with their stories and spreading a message, I'm going to ask you a few questions, feel free not to answer them if your uncomfortable"

She nodded, this couldn't be that bad.

He pressed the microphone's on button.

"Interview started with Florence Clarke" he said.

"So Miss Clarke, we all know Dysmorphia is a true story inspired by your experiences but what first made you pick up the pen and spill your thoughts onto paper?"

She studied the steam curling out from her mug.

"Well I'd say it was my experience at the clinic that made me want to spread my story, I learned who I truly was at Oakwood and that I was stronger than I could have possibly ever thought, I'd say writing was my therapy it helped me to get better and once I'd left I had this collection of my random thoughts and I thought it might help other people to heal to not know they were alone"

He nodded, seeming fixated on her as she spoke.

"Wow, what an inspiration"

She was surely blushing from head to toe.

"Thanks"

He shuffled through his papers.

"Alot of the newspapers seem to find you somewhat of a mystery Florence, why do you prefer to keep out of the public eye in the way you do?"

Now this was an easy question.

She smiled 

"People these days are way too invested in how a person looks or how they act instead of just letting them live their lives, I knew what I was getting into when I published my book but that doesn't mean I want my entire life on display to the world, I'm happy to talk to anyone who admires my work but I don't want the press knowing details about my life, I want some kind of privacy, scheduled interviews and meetings are the time for questions, not harassment outside my parents house!"

He smiled back.

"Understandable"

This was actually going well, she hadn't crumbled or made a fool out of herself, at least not yet.

"How did you deal with the sudden surge in fame, almost overnight you became a sensation?"

She could have laughed, her Florence Clarke, a sensation?

"Well lets just say I didn't deal too well at the start but luckily I have my amazing parents and friends to prop me up, it was overwhelming at the start but as time goes by I guess you just adapt to situations, what once seems strange now seems just everyday life"

Florence took a sip of her tea, it had cooled just right.

Alex nodded.

"And now the question on alot of people's minds, what made you return to Phillipson High after the trauma you received at the hands of the students there?"

"It wasn't really my choice to make" she blurted out "I mean, it technically was but when you have so many people looking up to you and wanting you to speak up for them when there voices are barely heard you just have to do what you have to do, even if its hard you just have to get on with it and make your impact on the world"

Half an hour later the interview was over, it had barely felt like an hour and a half, but she was glad that it was over, Alex was really nice but being in the spotlight had never been her thing.

He triumphantly ended the recording and smiled at her.

"My editor's going to be over the moon with that interview, we hardly had to do any retakes"

"I'm glad" she replied smiling back, "Thank You again Alex, I'm glad that we could meet again without me acting the fool"

"You didn't act like a fool" he assured her "And as I said you didn't have to give me the money, I have five shirts just the same"

He looked around "This is a nice place" he looked over to where Cole's jacket was slung over the chair "Do you live her alone or..." 

He must have mistaken her expression for anger because he quickly backtracked.

"Sorry that was nosey of me"

"It's fine, and I don't live alone, my um... friend Cole lives here too"

"Oh Okay" 

He'd gone red.

"Are you two togehte-" he asked at the same time as she said "We're just friends"

They were both scarlet, he smiled at her and her heart did a funny kind of loop.

"So do you want to go get a coffee sometime or.."

He was so adorably awkward, saying no would have seemed cruel, like kicking a puppy to the sidewalk.

"Of course I would"

This was normal, she was being normal, making friends and getting on with life.

"So tomorrow... 12pm okay for you there's that coffee shop round the corner I could come pick you up"

She nodded, a tad too excited.

"It's a date" she said and then felt like slapping herself hard.

Why did she constantly feel the need to humiliate herself?

"See you then"

Another smile.

Another heart flutter.

She let him out the door and as soon as he was out of vicinity she punched the air in victory and did a happy dance around the kitchen, she was normal, that's what people did went out to drink coffee with their friends.

She turned around and saw the picture of Chase leaning against the fridge, his eyes seemed to follow her as the smile dropped off her face, as if he was accusing her.

But it was fine.

She and Alex were just friends, and they were going to stay that way.