Cinnamon Twigs by Darren Freebury-Jones Page A

laughed.
                  ‘I’ve always wanted to be an actor. I can’t imagine being anything else. It’s like I was born to do it.’ He placed his glass on the polished surface of the bar and motioned to the waiter for another drink. ‘And then I met you. Someone who has what it takes, and is as determined as I am. It’s gonna be hard work, and it could take us years to get anywhere. But we will share the red carpet one day.’
                  ‘I really hope so.’ I fumbled with a disposable lighter in my pocket.
                  ‘Always believe in yourself. Trust your instincts, and trust your mental insight. Perspicacity is the key to admission.’
                  ‘Uh, yeah, of course…’
                  Sometimes I really didn’t know what the fuck Michael was talking about when he spoke in dubious riddles and used words I’d never heard before. But I knew he would always be by my side, egging me on. He was the best friend an aspiring actor could ask for, full of infectious confidence, and he would be there to instill self-belief despite the inevitable rejections. He might have been cocky, but he knew he’d picked a difficult dream. His presence would carry him all the way. I had no doubt about it. He had it made from the beginning. 
                  When we entered our second years at Cardiff University, we knew we’d made progress. We intended to graduate and get decent jobs to fall back on when our intake from acting wasn’t high. We knew the importance of money.
                  That September was the most beautiful September of my life. Michael and I liked to drink in the afternoons after lectures, under the shade of Lord Ninian Edward Crichton’s statue, in Gorsedd Gardens. We’d smoke cigarettes and watch the pretty girls pass by. Students ran across the turf, attacking each other with water guns. Others bathed in the sinewy rays of light, or read books on Cardiff Museum’s stone steps. Blooming flowers splashed yellows and reds across the Gardens, their lemony scents lingering in the crisp air. Tawny butterflies fluttered over our heads.
                  There was something in her blue eyes that made me feel as if we’d met before, or that we were destined to meet that September. Something familiar about her smile and the way the sunlight sifted through her pale blonde hair.             
                  ‘You’re obsessed with that girl.’ Michael waved a hand in front of my eyes. ‘You’re drifting in and out of conversation. Keep your eyes in their sockets, your tongue in your mouth and your dick in your trousers!’
                  ‘She’s gorgeous. I’m sure I’ve seen her in my lectures.’
                  ‘Why don’t you ask her out?’
                  ‘Don’t be stupid.’
                  ‘What’s the problem?’
                  ‘I can’t just walk over to a girl I’ve never spoken to and ask her out!’
                  Michael raised an eyebrow.
                  ‘It would be awkward,’ I said.
                  ‘Sometimes I wonder where your confidence goes. One minute you’re as full of yourself and as awesome at schooling life as I am, and the next minute…’
                  ‘I’m not confident about certain things, that’s all.’
                  ‘Are you telling me you’re not confident with women?’
                  ‘Well…’ I trailed off.
                  ‘I’ve seen you pull plenty of birds.’
                  ‘That’s when I’m drunk.’
                  ‘You have to be drunk to pull?’
                  ‘I feel awkward otherwise.’
                  ‘What’s the worst thing that could