Shannon avoided looking in the salon mirror as Kelly finished off drying her hair. The harsh lighting was definitely not flattering, and after sitting there for almost three hours it was positively migraine inducing.

'Joey's new Facebook account is more like the Shannon Slater fan page,' Kelly said laughing.

'It is not,' Shannon protested.

'Ahem, you're in every picture he's posted.'

'Yeah and there's like three of them,' Shannon said although there were more. 'Besides, it's a private account, he's only added a few people.' She knew his settings meant no one could request him, and whilst he'd said it was so it didn't wind up with loads of 'friends', she suspected he wanted to avoid Katherine trying to add him.

'He could have just unfriended people on his old account,' Kelly pointed out.

'Hmm,' Shannon said shivering as the cool air from the dryer blew on her neck. 'He'd probably have offended people if he did though.' She could imagine that Katherine would feel it was an unnecessary slight if he'd removed her. 

'Anyway, now you guys are official, does this mean you're going to London with him?'

Shannon exhaled slowly. 'Deep down I want to but it's still early days, I don't want to blow it with Joey again.'

'You won't.'

'I did the last time I left Boston.'

Kelly made an exasperated sound. 'Shannon! Joey will be with you, it's not the same thing at all. You were kids back then, you hadn't lived. Honestly, I think if you two had broken up before you went to college you'd have got back together as soon as you graduated. The only reason you didn't is cos you were such a bitch to him.'

'Jeez thanks,' Shannon said although Kelly was possibly correct. 'Actually, Joey was saying the other day that if I'd got in touch with him when I first came back to Boston he'd never have gotten engaged to Katherine. Isn't that weird?'

Kelly turned the hairdryer off. 'No, I don't think it is,' she said slowly. 'I remember when Joey first put Kat in touch with me, she wasn't the most enthusiastic bride-to-be I've ever come across. At the time I thought it was cos she was shy and a bit overwhelmed.' Kelly shrugged. 'Maybe there was more to it.'

Shannon held in a sigh, she could see what Kelly was trying to do but she didn't buy it. 'I think Joey's mom was the problem as far as the wedding went, I don't think Katherine had any doubts about getting married.'

'But she wasn't head over heels about him,' Kelly insisted. 'If you'd come back into his life sooner, none of this drama would have happened.'

Shannon chewed her lip as she pondered Kelly's words. 'Maybe but I don't think it would have been a good move for me to have gone straight from Mark to Joey. I needed some time by myself.'

'I guess,' Kelly said falling silent as she finished combing through Shannon's hair. 'So, what do you think?' She held a mirror up to the back of Shannon's head.

Shannon regarded herself, moving her head from side to side. Her hair was lighter and longer but would Joe like it? She sort of thought he'd prefer her to go darker but if he'd seen her as a brunette - a brief attempt to reinvent herself after she'd left Mark - he'd think otherwise.

'You'd better put a picture up on Instagram,' Kelly said taking a step back to admire her work.

'Of course, I will,' Shannon said passing her phone to Kelly so she could take few photos.

'Thanks,' Kelly said as she resumed brushing her hair. 'You know I've had a bit of negative publicity lately.'

Shannon dipped her head down. 'I'm sorry, it's my fault.'

'No it's not,' Kelly said waving her hand. 'It's not your fault some idiot bitch is over-invested in her friend's life.'

Shannon squirmed, despite Kelly's words she did blame herself. 'Joey had it out with Danielle, I think all that nonsense will die down now.'

'Well, it will if you go to England,' Kelly said sounding gleeful. 'That'll show them who's on top and who's not.'

'I suppose so,' Shannon said turning her head up to look at Kelly. 'But if I do go, I'll be living off Joey. I can't expect my dad to keep supporting me.' She closed her eyes as a wave of guilt washed over her. Her father had made it more than easy for her to move back to Boston, and to stay there. She couldn't expect him to subsidise her living in London.

'Stop putting Joey down,' Kelly said spinning her around in the chair. 'Don't you think he thought all this stuff through before he even asked you to go with him? I think the money side of it is the least of your worries.'

Shanon inhaled deeply. 'Even so, I don't want to take advantage of him.' She shut up as Kelly inclined her head towards the door and Joe walked in.

'Hey,' he said holding out a bunch of flowers to Kelly, before leaning over to Kiss Shannon. 'Nice hair cut.'

'I've had extensions put in,' Shannon said with exaggerated patience. 'My hair is longer.'

'I know it is,' Joe said his lips twitching. 'I'm teasing you.'

'So what are these for?' Kelly asked indicating to the flowers Joe had given her.

He gave her a half smile. 'I'm hoping you'll work on Shannon for me, and convince her to move to London.'

Kelly laughed. 'You've wasted your money! What do you think I have been doing for the past few hours, days even?'

Joe grinned. 'I wouldn't want to be presumptuous. And it doesn't hurt to keep the BFF onside regardless.' 

Shannon rolled her eyes. 'Look I just want to be sure that I'm doing the right thing before I go and totally turn my life upside down. If I go with you then I'm quitting my job, I want a clean break. I'm not going back to air hostessing.' She shuddered at the thought. The more she mulled it over the more convinced she was that this was the kick up the backside she needed to make some changes to her life.

Joe's face broke into a smile. 'Right so your job isn't an issue, and I'm pretty sure you'd like the chance to move to London, and we've been living together without murdering each other.' He locked eyes with her, his face serious. 'So what's holding you back?'

'Nothing I guess,' Shannon said glancing towards Kelly. 'Well, my dad is. He wanted me to move back home, and now I'm gonna move away again-'

'Temporarily.'

'He's right,' Kelly interjected. 'And I don't think your dad would want to hold you back. More than anything he'd want you to be happy.'

'Yeah he would,' she said as she remembered how much her dad had loathed Mark, and how he'd breathed a huge sigh of relief when they'd finished. 'I still think he'll be disappointed if I move away though.'

'Yeah, he will be,' Joe said meeting her eyes again. 'In much the same way my mom will be, but he'll know it's for the best.'

Shannon raised an eyebrow. 'For the best?'

'Yeah for us. Chances like this don't come along that often, and I want to take it. Without Adam behind me, I might get my ass handed to me, but I'm willing to take the risk.'

'And how will Adam react if I come with you?' Shannon asked raising her eyebrows. She couldn't see his dad being pleased with the prospect, his plan had probably been for Joe to go it alone and prove himself.

Joe grinned. 'I already told him that you are.'

'What!'

'Well if you don't, then I'm not going either. I thought it was better to be straight with him.' Joe shrugged. 'I don't think he particularly cares, he just said something along the lines of, "don't go making a pitch for a larger apartment."'

Shannon frowned, instantly suspicious. 'That's quite an under-reaction for him, he must be up to something.' 

Joe shook his head. 'No I don't think he is. After the Kat catastrophe, he's not going to interfere.'

Kelly giggled. 'That's an apt way of putting it.'

'It's not really funny though,' Shannon said her mouth turning down. 

'Well you've gotta stop thinking about Katherine,' Kelly said lightly. 'But if are thinking about her, you guys going to England would probably be the best thing that could happen to her. Out of sight, out of mind.'

'She's got a point,' Joe said hesitantly.

'So we just run away then?' Shannon asked feeling slightly resentful at the idea.

Kelly groaned. 'No but you're the one who's paranoid about Katherine, paranoid about what people are saying.'

'I'm not paranoid,' Shannon huffed ignoring the look that Joe and Kelly exchanged. 'But Donnie specifically told me people think I'm Joe's rebound, or that he was cheating with me.' She left cringed knowing they were spot on with the cheating part.

'Donnie was being a jerk,' Joe said sounding bored. 'No one thinks I'm on the rebound.'

No they all know the truth. 

'Anyway,' Kelly drawled. 'Speaking of Donnie, are you guys going to his birthday party?' She sang the last two words and Shannon grimaced.

'I'd rather be hung up by my toenails.'

'Shan!' Joe admonished. 'Stop being so petty.'

She pouted at him, thinking Donnie was no friend these days, he was definitely Team Katherine. 'Fine, I'll have one drink, give the birthday boy a kiss, and then go.' She was satisfied to see Joe pull a face at the 'kiss' part.

'You'll have more than one drink,' Kelly said quickly. 'I want someone to hang out with.'

'How come you're going?'

Kelly smiled. 'Jason asked me.'

Shannon groaned. 'Urgh, I can't believe you're going out with Jason Delaney again.' Out of all of Joe's friends, he was probably her least favourite.

'He's low maintenance,' Kelly said wiggling her eyebrows. 'I don't have time for a full-on relationship.'

'Even so.' She caught Joe's eye and he pulled a face, clearly not rating Jason any higher than she did.

'Well, I like him, kinda,' Kelly said. 'So you'd better make sure you go to Donnie's party and that you do not leave after one drink!'

'Okay,' Shannon grumbled. 'But it's gonna be a shit night, I just know it.'

                                                                 ~~~

Thank you for reading, only a few more chapters left now :)