Nikki let out a long sigh as she was woken by the sound outside her flat. She'd lived in or near the centre of London for her whole life, so she was used to the sound of pedestrians, of traffic, of businesses and of the countless other sounds generated by the nearly nine million residents of the vast city. What she was not used to, however, was the sound of silence.

It had been exactly one month to the day since the Prime Minister had addressed the nation, saying the words that Nikki and countless others had dreaded to hear.

"From this evening," the Prime Minister had said, "I must give the British people a very simple instruction- you must stay at home."

All shops selling anything other than the bare essentials, such as food, toiletries or medicine, had closed with immediate effect. Libraries, gyms, bars and cafes had all closed. Public gatherings had been outlawed. The regular house parties that Nikki had looked forward to so much were no longer to be held, and nor were weddings, baptisms or any other ceremonies, with one exception- funerals. Funerals would still go ahead, because they would need to, because at the start of March, around the same time as Nikki's 23rd birthday- which she had, ignorant of the danger, celebrated with all her friends- an intruder had made its way onto British soil, an intruder known as COVID-19.

The disease was so pervasive, and so potentially deadly, that extraordinary measures had to be taken to prevent its spread among the population, especially among the vulnerable, such as the elderly, or those with underlying health conditions. Nikki's job, which required her to be in near constant contact with events, studios and companies, had effectively ended on the 23rd of March. Her employer had assured her that she would continue to receive her full wage until such time as the lockdown ended and she could return to work, but Nikki still felt bad about taking the money, especially as she knew it came from her employer's own pocket. And moreover, she loved her job. She loved the satisfaction of completing a project and establishing connections in the industry, but most of all, she loved being able to work with her friends- none of whom she'd seen in the flesh for the previous 31 days. However, Nikki was consoled by the fact that while she may have been forced to isolate, she was not alone.

"Mmph," Nikki's wife grunted as she rolled over to find that Nikki was already awake and out of bed. "Nikki? What time is it?"

"8:15," Nikki replied with a sigh. "Couldn't sleep. Ugh, not like I've got a busy day ahead of me, like..."

"I know what you mean," Sarah moaned, reaching over to give her wife's hand a gentle squeeze. "Though I admit, yes, I at least can work from home."

"I wasn't going to say anything," Nikki said softly. "Ugh, you know, most people would be grateful to have a month off work with full pay? It's like, you know, an extra free holiday or something."

"Yeah, but 'holiday' kinda implies you can leave the house every now and again," Sarah said, sighing as she threw back the covers and led her wife by the hand to the bathroom. "Though this would be impossible if we weren't together."

"Totally," Nikki whispered, her tension easing as her wife gave her a long, sensuous kiss. "It- ugh. I kinda feel guilty, you know? You should be all I need, but I'm still missing everyone else so much..."

"You are all I need," Sarah whispered. "But I'm missing everyone else too, more with every passing day. Have we got a conference call tonight?"

"Yeah, 7pm," Nikki replied as she and her wife stripped and started the shower running. "A whole eleven hours of doing nothing, heh."

"Well," Sarah purred as she pulled Nikki under the hot water. "I wouldn't say 'nothing', exactly..."

Elsewhere in London, another young family was beginning their day, though unlike Nikki and Sarah, there wasn’t just two, but three people living under the same roof- one of whom was considerably more eager to start the day than her parents were.

“Mummy, mummy!” The brown-haired three-year-old girl shouted excitedly as she tugged on her mother’s dress. “Look, mummy! I got ready for ballet all by myself!”

“Aww, that’s great, Olivia!” The girl’s mother said with a wide, genuine grin as she scooped the leotard-clad toddler up for a cuddle. “But I’m afraid we can’t go to ballet today.”

“But why not?” Olivia asked with a pout.

“Because if we go to the class, you might get poorly, and you don’t want that, do you?” Jamie asked, trying to maintain a sympathetic smile even as she braced herself for an argument she'd had countless times with her daughter over the previous few weeks.

“I’ll get poorly if I don’t go to ballet,” Olivia meekly mumbled, before slowly weeping as her mother held her tighter.

“Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay sweetie,” Jamie whispered as she barely held back tears of her own. “Tell you what- why don’t I contact your Auntie Krystie and see if she can do another video lesson for you?”

“But I want to dance with my friends…” Olivia whined.

“I know you do, sweetie,” Jamie said. “I miss my friends too. But I don’t want to get poorly, and I especially don’t want you to get poorly!”

“Tell you what,” Jamie's husband- and Olivia's father- said, making the little girl perk up as he entered the living room. “How about we all go for a walk in the park later, get some fresh air?” Stuart and Jamie both smiled warmly as their distraught daughter dried her tears and nodded.

“Can I- can I wear my purple dress?” Olivia asked softly.

“Of course you can,” Jamie said, giving her daughter a gentle kiss on her forehead, a gesture repeated by her husband. “Now come on, let’s get you changed, okay?”

“Okay,” Olivia mumbled as she was escorted upstairs by her parents.

“That dress has been a lifesaver these last few weeks,” Stuart whispered, making his wife giggle quietly.

“Remind me to text a thank you to Alexa for sending it over for Olivia’s birthday,” Jamie whispered back. “I just hope this whole thing’s over before she grows out of it, heh.”

“Seems like just yesterday she came into our lives,” Stuart sighed happily as the family entered the little girl’s room and gazed around at all the fancy toys and dress-up clothes their young daughter already owned. However, both Stuart and Jamie knew that all of her expensive toys were no substitute for the simplicity of spending time with her friends.

“I’ll call Charlie in a bit, see if her and the twins feel like a ‘video playdate’ or something,” Jamie said as she helped her daughter out of her leotard and into her new favourite dress.

“Good idea,” Stuart said. “I’ve got a jam session with the rest of the band later on this evening, I’ll text them all, see if the other fathers are interested.”

“As long as this ‘jam session’ is over by 8pm?” Jamie reminded her husband.

“Oh, don’t worry, it will be,” Stuart chuckled. “We’ve got our priorities straight, heh!”

“Glad to hear it,” Jamie said with a smile.

“Are you doing any recording of your own today?” Stuart asked. “Or any Zoom sessions with the girls?”

“Not today,” Jamie replied. “We’re actually ahead of schedule for filming, heh. Helps when you do all of it from your living room, I guess.”

“Can’t imagine what Charlotte’s party room is like right now,” Stuart mused. “It must be eerie for it to be so empty for so long. Then again, knowing Keith, him and little Keithy have probably built a fort in there, heh.”

“Yeah, probably,” Jamie chuckled. “And don’t forget, I used to live there for YEARS. Trust me, I know how eerie that place can be when it’s empty, heh. But, you know, even when it’s empty it feels, well, like home. One of the safest ‘safe spaces’ in London, heh.”

“Trust me, I know all about THAT,” Stuart sighed, grinning as he picked up his newly changed daughter and carried her back down the stairs. “One- admittedly, very rare- positive about the pandemic, we’re much less likely to get harassed on the street for being who we are. Heh, but only because we’re much less likely to be on the street at all.”

“I know,” Jamie sighed, before smiling and taking Olivia from her husband. “But that just means that the transphobes are as well, I guess. Doesn’t stop them from being a nuisance on the internet, but what else is new, eh?”

“As long as all the people we love are safe and healthy, that’s what matters,” Stuart said.

“If only they all were,” Jamie said with a sad sigh as her thoughts turned to one of her friends who hadn't been as lucky as they were.

“Akh!” Stephanie grunted in pain as her body was racked by a powerful coughing fit, powerful enough to wake her from her slumber. Once her throat was clear, the young singer moaned with pain as she huddled her sheets around her shivering body, wishing that she wasn’t unwell- or alone.

Stephanie wasn’t sure when or where she’d contracted the illness, but she was fairly certain she knew how she had. As one of the most famous transgender people in the UK, and one of the most famous singers regardless of gender identity, Stephanie was regularly asked for autographs and selfies wherever she went. The beginning of the pandemic had caused the requests to become less frequent, but hadn’t eliminated them, and as Stephanie had discovered, it only took contact with one infected person for the worst to happen.

On the first day, she’d noticed herself coughing more than usual. On the second day, her sense of taste and smell had mysteriously vanished. By the third day, she was huddled up under a blanket on her sofa, shivering and sweating through a fever of 38.8 degrees Celsius.

Four days later, while her fever had subsided by half a degree, Stephanie wasn’t feeling any better, thanks to being alone- and moreover, worried for the people she loved. A worry that was shared by the 30-year-old man whom Stephanie found a chat request from when she eventually stumbled through to her living room, still wrapped in her duvet.

“Hey Steph,” Danny said to his sister, biting his lip with worry as her face appeared on his screen. “How are you feeling today?”

“Still rough,” Stephanie croaked in reply. “How are you and Rachel?”

“Bored stiff,” Danny replied with a snort of laughter. “Though I’ll take ‘bored stiff’ over what you’re going through.”

“Same here,” Stephanie sighed. “And for what it’s worth, I’m not exactly ‘continually entertained’ myself, if that makes any sense.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Danny said with a sigh.

“And you at least have a partner to keep you ‘entertained’,” Stephanie said, chuckling and coughing as her brother rolled his eyes.

“Wife, if you don’t mind,” Danny said, holding up his left hand. “Got THAT done just in time, as it turns out.”

“Is Tom still pissed off he’s had to delay his wedding?” Stephanie asked.

“Umm, last time I spoke to him, yep,” Danny replied. “Though I think he’s still more relieved than anything that he was able to be in the delivery room when Amanda gave birth.”

“By three days,” Stephanie mused as she thought of her new nephew- and the fact that not only had she not been able to visit him yet, she might not be able to for a long time. However, Stephanie’s biggest worries were not for herself. “How- have you heard from mum and dad?”

“…Last spoke to them on Tuesday,” Danny replied in a low whisper. “I think they’re, like, working yesterday and today…” Stephanie bit her lip and nodded as she thought of her parents and their long careers within the National health Service- her father as an ambulance driver and her mother as a ward nurse. They had retired the previous year after over 30 years each in their jobs, but when the pandemic increased the demand on the NHS and volunteers were asked for, neither of them hesitated to return to their old roles for as long as they were needed. And while Stephanie was proud of her parents, she was also extremely worried- after all, if a chance encounter with a fan could affect her as badly as it had, she dreaded to think what effect dealing with infected patients on a daily basis would have on her mother and father- the former of whom was fast approaching her sixtieth birthday, while the latter had celebrated it the previous July.

“They haven’t met their new grandson yet either,” Stephanie whispered.

“They will,” Danny said firmly. “I know- KNOW that they will, sooner rather than later.”

“I hope you’re right,” Stephanie sighed. “How- how’s Rachel, anyway?”

“Even more bored than I am,” Danny chuckled. “She’s actually on the phone to the doctor right now.”

“Oh- oh god, has she got-“ Stephanie asked.

“No- no, thank god, she’s not got any symptoms,” Danny replied. “She’s just been having some stomach problems, that’s all.”

“Oh?” Stephanie teased, coughing as she forced a smile onto her face. “Am I going to get another niece or nephew in a few months’ time?”

“Given that Rachel isn’t having morning sickness but the other kind of ‘stomach problem’, no,” Danny replied, scowling as his sister giggled. “I don’t recall ‘morning diarrhoea’ ever being a thing. But I’ll let her know you’re thinking of her, just as we’re thinking of you.”

“Thanks,” Stephanie whispered. “And thanks for the mental image, I really needed THAT when I’m feeling rough.”

“You’re welcome,” Danny said with a smart aleck grin, before grimacing and pausing. “Have you- have you talked to Kayla yet today, at all, maybe?” Stephanie took a deep breath to try to compose herself before responding.

“Not yet,” Stephanie whispered. “Maybe in a bit, dunno if she’s awake yet.”

“It really sucks that the two of you finally get back together, and she’s isolating in Southampton while you’re here in London,” Danny sighed.

“Yep,” Stephanie replied bluntly. “But I- I really can’t risk giving her what I’ve got. I mean, like, we’re singers, we kinda need our lungs, you know? Ugh, the recovery from this is gonna suck just as much as the illness itself…”

“Well, at least you won’t be touring for a while, I suppose?” Danny asked, before squirming as Stephanie shot him an angry glare. “…Sorry.”

“Okay, maybe it’s not like I NEED the money, even if I have to pay the rent by myself, but- ugh,” Stephanie sighed. “It’s the uncertainty, you know? Even if I do recover fully, it could be months before we’re allowed to tour again.”

“Let’s not be pessimistic,” Danny said, before smirking. “Think Rachel’s finished her call, she said she’s got a call arranged with some of her old colleagues from the airline, so I’d better let her use the laptop. But you take care of yourself, okay?”

“Sure,” Stephanie whispered, smiling at her brother as he ended the call, before reclining back onto the sofa and moaning as her fever gripped her again…

Meanwhile, in another part of London, another young woman was sat in front of a laptop screen, but unlike Stephanie, her chat was more than a mere attempt to cheer herself up- it had the potential to decide her entire future.

“So that’s it, then?” The blonde girl asked, a look of pure disdain on her face. “One small setback and you’re just giving up?”

“It’s not like that,” the tall young man pleaded. “It’s not like I had a choice- either of us had a choice.” The blonde girl sighed and closed her eyes, grimacing before returning her attention to the screen.

“…I guess not,” the blonde girl mumbled.

“Okay, cut there for a sec,” the teenagers’ teacher said, taking control of the Zoom call and temporarily muting the girl, the young man and the other twenty teenagers listening in. “Laura, your emoting is fine, spot on, but when you’re acting on a Zoom call, you need to be conscious of the fact that people watching will have a lot of background noise, distractions, that sort of thing. I get that it doesn’t make a lot of sense, what with a microphone literally in front of you, but unlike a theatre, you’re not going to have people’s undivided attention. For example, people could be making a cup of tea, or doing their nails, or maybe even playing on their phones…” Laura suppressed a giggle as several of her classmates, all of whom were on camera, suddenly started paying attention to their screens again. “Okay, I think we can take this as a hint that we all need a quick break, so take 15 minutes, everyone needs to be back on by 11:10.” Laura smiled as she, along with the other students, left the call, before her smile widened as she saw an incoming call from one of the young men who'd been watching her act.

“Hey babe,” Laura said as she answered the call.

“Hey beautiful,” Will said with a lopsided, almost nervous grin of his own. “I can’t stay long, mum says I need to help make lunch for my brothers during the break, so- yeah. Just wanted to say hi. And love you, of course.”

“Love you too,” Laura sighed, blowing a kiss at the screen and making her boyfriend blush. “I am saving these up for when we can properly see each other again, by the way.”

“Yeah, me too,” Will sighed. “Typical I start going out with the hottest girl in the world one month before the whole world gets locked inside.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much my love life in a nutshell too,” Laura giggled. “We’ll chat later tonight, okay? But before I go…” The blonde girl grinned devilishly as she stood back from her laptop, showing her body to her boyfriend- specifically, the short skirt and tight crop top she was wearing- before stretching her bare, slender leg high above her head. “Just ‘cause I’m not actually attending ballet class, doesn’t mean I don’t need to keep up my flexibility, you know?”

“Glad to hear it,” Will said with a smile that mirrored his girlfriend’s. “Talk soon, Love you!”

“Love you too,” Laura whispered as the call ended.

With a sad sigh, Laura scanned her friends list to see if there was anyone else she could talk to- her sadness soon turning into excitement when she saw a group of four names, all of whom were listed as ‘available’. Without any hesitation, Laura started a group call with all of the girls, grinning as one by one, their faces appeared on screen.

“Hey girlies!” Harriet said with a giggle.

“Hey everyone, especially Harriet!” Mia said, smiling devilishly as she and her girlfriend leaned in to kiss their cameras.

“No, no, no!” Nicole playfully moaned. “It was bad enough when you did this in text form, I don’t want to stare at your tongue all break!”

“We haven’t seen each other in a month,” Harriet retorted.

“Yeah, well, none of us have seen our boyfriends in that time either,” Megan sighed sadly. “Stupid virus…”

“It is the WORST,” Nicole moaned. “What’s the point of being eighteen if we’re all stuck indoors and can’t go out partying?”

“Meh, we might be out of lockdown by my eighteenth,” Mia shrugged. “Things have got to be better by June, right?”

“You’d hope so,” Laura sighed. “Speaking of ‘missed parties’, let me get Suri on the call…” The five girls all smiled as their brown-skinned friend joined the other faces on screen, though it was clear from her facial expression that she was no happier than the rest of her friends.

“Hey girlies!” Suri said in her gentle Indian accent. “How’s everyone today?”

“Same as every other day for the last month,” Harriet replied with a snort. “Though at least none of us are coughing our guts up, that’s something.”

“I was gutted when I saw that Stephanie Abbott was laid up with covid,” Mia sighed sadly. “Don’t suppose either of you have an insider Heavenly Talent perspective on everything, by any chance?”

“Nope,” Laura sighed. “I’ve messaged Steph, but- yeah. Think she just needs to rest for a bit.”

“It’s not right that she has to be alone, though,” Suri said. “I mean, we at least have our families around us, right? Well, most of it, anyway.”

“When they’re not driving you mad,” Nicole scoffed. “Sabrina and Damian still aren’t back at school yet, for Sabrina it’s okay as she can at least chat with Bryony all day, but ‘cause Damian’s got special needs… yeah. I’ve never felt sorrier for my parents than I do now, I mean, he’s not thick as such, but this has completely destroyed his routine.”

“You’d have to be made of ice or something not to feel ANYTHING right now,” Suri sighed. “Speaking of Bryony, can we try to get her big sister on the call? I’ll try and add mine if she’s free, heh.”

“Ash was showing as busy a couple of minutes ago,” Laura replied. “Think she might be free now, just a sec…” The six young women all cheered as the youngest member of the ‘Excellent Eight’s' face appeared on screen, sporting a tired smile.

“Hey girlies!” Ashley said in a tired voice.

“Hey Ash!” Nicole said. “How’s you today?”

“Tired,” Ashley replied bluntly. “Bored, fed up of staring at the same 4 walls every day, heh.”

“And your same siblings every day?” Nicole asked.

“Meh, I don’t mind that too much,” Ashley replied with a shrug. “Eddy and Felicity are too young to really know what’s going on. Dorothy’s treating it like a big adventure. Bryony’s spending most of her time chatting with her friends. Cassie, though…”

“You can take the girl out of ballet class but you can’t take ballet class out of the girl?” Mia asked with a sympathetic grin.

“She more than makes up for it by dancing literally EVERYWHERE she goes in the house,” Ashley sighed. “Like, she's nine, so she’s old enough and mature enough to understand why she can’t go to dance class, but that’s not going to stop her anyway.”

“Aww, that actually sounds kinda cute, you know?” Suri giggled.

“It is when she isn’t pestering me to show her pointe steps,” Ashley chuckled. “Meh, at least that keeps me in practice, heh. Not that I’m likely to need it any time soon, heh. Speaking of which, where are Allie and Diana?”

“Not at college anymore,” Suri chuckled. “We’re lucky in that we can rehearse acting over Zoom, dancing is kinda more difficult, especially ballet, where you need a LOT of space.”

“I’ve tried a few steps in my back garden,” Laura said. “But even then, it’s virtually impossible, and going en pointe on concrete will result in destroyed pointe shoes almost immediately.”

“And on grass it’ll probably mean ANOTHER destroyed ankle,” Nicole said solemnly. “Sabrina’s tried to persuade our dad to build a deck in the back garden, but even then, it’d have to be perfectly dry before we can do any steps, pointe or not, and there’s the small problem that most DIY shops aren’t open right now. Never thought THAT would be a problem, heh.”

“But on the bright side,” Megan said, “at least all of us are keeping healthy and safe. And that’s what’s most important, right?”

“Of course,” Suri said with a smile that turned into an eye roll as the final member of the Excellent Eight joined the call. “And if all of us were in London, it’d be better, but SOMEONE…”

“Yes, yes, get over yourself,” Priya snorted, before chuckling. “And I can’t stay long, I’m just between seminars right now. Unlike some people, our uni hasn’t closed down!”

“MOST people are paying too much for that to happen!” Suri teased her scholarship-funded sister, who rolled her eyes in reply. “And when are you coming back to London, anyway?”

“Not before the end of the school year,” Priya sighed. “I mean, I do still technically live in London, but like I’ve said before to my friends up here, travelling back and forth between London and Durham when you might be unwell is just about as irresponsible as it gets.”

“So we’re not going to get to meet your new transgender friends anytime soon?” Ashley asked.

“No, but they’re still eager to meet you,” Priya replied. “And I REALLY do have to get to my next seminar now, but we will talk again tonight, I promise.”

“Before or after 8pm?” Suri asked.

“Better make it after,” Priya replied. “The Student Union kinda make a big deal of it, heh.”

“As they should,” Harriet said with a grin.

“And when you do set up a chat with your uni friends, let us know,” Laura said with a smile. “I’ll try to get Ellie and Jade on the same call- unless you think that might be a bit, you know, overwhelming, they might feel, like, outnumbered?”

“Umm, can you have too many friends?” Priya asked.

“NO!” Came the resounding reply from the other seven girls, all of whom giggled excitedly despite their situation as they returned to their classes, confident that they would be reunited soon.

As the eight college-age girls were chatting with each other, another conversation was taking place between two other young women the same age as them- the two sisters that Laura had namechecked mere moments earlier, whose special bond remained unaffected even as they were prevented from seeing each other in the flesh.

“Hey sis!” Jade said excitedly into her phone as she answered the video call. “How’ve you been the last few days?”

“Heh, bored out of my skin,” Ellie chuckled. “You?”

“The same,” Jade sighed. “It’s becoming a HUGE pain with mum and dad working from home too.”

“Yeah, same here,” Ellie sighed.

“…You live with literally one other person, who’s the same age as you,” Jade reminded her sister.

“Who’s also studying music,” Ellie retorted. “Kinda hard for us to both study from home with thin walls, heh. So we’re kinda, like, taking it in turns.”

“Makes sense, I suppose,” Jade shrugged. “Ooh, while we’re on camera, do you like my new skirt?” Ellie smiled as her younger sister stood up and showed off the short black garment she was wearing.

“Cute!” Ellie giggled. “Is that real leather?”

“Nah, imitation,” Jade sighed. “Had to buy it with my own money- well, what money I have left, heh. It was either this or a new pair of ankle boots I had my eyes on, and, well, I’m actually likely to wear a skirt in the next few weeks, which can’t be said of ankle boots. Or any other ‘outside’ clothes, heh.”

“Yep, I know that feeling,” Ellie said with a tired chuckle.

“I’ve also got a lot better at tucking,” Jade said with a proud smile. “Followed a few of the tricks you told me, reckon I could wear even a bikini or a one-piece swimsuit without any, well, ‘problem’.”

“Nice,” Ellie said, biting her lip as she felt a wave of emotion wash over her- something that didn’t go unnoticed by her sister.

“…Ell?” Jade asked, concerned by her sister’s sudden change in mood. “Is- did I- did I say something wrong?”

“N- no, Jade,” Ellie sighed. “It’s just that I- heh. I was hoping to, you know, not have to ‘tuck’ after this summer. But it doesn’t look like THAT’s an option anymore.”

“Ugh, Ell, I’m SO sorry…” Jade mumbled.

“Nah, it’s hardly your fault, heh,” Ellie said with another sad sigh. “Like, I get that SRS isn’t ‘essential’- well, not ‘emergency’ surgery, but- yeah. I don’t need to tell you of all people, do I?”

“I’m just glad- heh, feeling almost guilty even that I was able to start HRT when I did,” Jade said. “God knows how I’d have been if I didn’t.”

“You’d still have been girly and cute,” Ellie reassured her sister, who giggled bashfully. “Even if your chest would have been a bit less, well, ‘enhanced’.”

“Oh- shut up,” Jade mumbled as she pulled the neckline of her t-shirt higher. “Besides, you can’t say I didn’t earn these, same as you.”

“No arguments here,” Ellie chuckled. “Are you, well, ‘well supported’?”

“Yes,” Jade replied with a sigh as she momentarily pulled aside one sleeve of her t-shirt to show her bra strap. “Still only just an A cup, though my counsellor thinks I will, well, ‘grow’.”

“I’m glad,” Ellie said, before giggling. “Janet always said that you know you’re a real woman when you spend your day counting down the minutes to when you can take your bra off, rather than put it on, heh.”

“Yeah,” Jade chuckled. “How is Janet, anyway? Have you spoken to her recently?”

“Yeah, just yesterday, actually,” Ellie replied. “I’m really glad she was able to get her SRS before the whole world ended, heh. Though I think she’s going a bit nuts working from home too.”

“Lindsay still lives with her though, doesn’t she?” Jade asked.

“Yep,” Ellie replied. “Another person I’m dying to see again, heh.”

“And we will,” Jade said confidently. “Hopefully before August, heh.”

“Yes, even if we can’t celebrate it on the day, I WILL throw you an eighteenth birthday party,” Ellie said with a mock sigh, smiling as her sister giggled excitedly. “As long as you give me a 21st next year!”

“Well, duh,” Jade said, earning a giggle from her sister. “Oh, and, umm, speaking of parties, have you- have you talked to your friend Ian recently?”

“…Not since Sunday,” Ellie mumbled in reply. “I’m calling him next, actually.”

“Tell him I said hi,” Jade said softly, earning a raised eyebrow from her sister.

“I thought you said you weren’t into boys?” Ellie asked, giggling as her sister rolled her eyes.

“I said, ‘tell him I said hi’, not ‘tell him I want to snog his face off’,” Jade snorted. “I just, you know, want to make sure he’s okay. Every trans life matters, right?”

“Every last one,” Ellie said with a smile.

“Ugh, mum and dad are calling now,” Jade sighed, her smile turning into a grimace. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“After 8pm?” Ellie asked. “I’ll see if we can make it a group chat with the other girls too, if you’d like?”

“You can never have too many friends,” Jade replied with a knowing wink as she ended the call, while her sister let out a happy sigh.

With her flatmate still practising her guitar, Ellie scrolled down her Zoom contacts list, smiling when she saw that the young man that she and her sister were talking about was both online and not in a call. Ellie’s smile widened when she pressed the ‘start call’ button, and even more when her screen was filled with the image of a young man with scruffy blond hair and a light layer of stubble on his face.

“Hi Ian!” Ellie said, giggling as the young man smiled at her.

“Hey Ellie,” Ian replied in his mild Welsh accent. “No lessons today?”

“Yeah, but I kinda have to take it turns with Sade, ‘cause-“ Ellie replied.

“Two music students at the same time would be a bit- yeah,” Ian interrupted with a tired chuckle.

“How- how about you?” Ellie asked. “Keeping busy?”

“Where I can,” Ian shrugged. “Even though he’s said I don’t have to, I still feel like I owe Joshua big time for covering my rent, even though I can’t do any actual work for him right now.”

“You’re still covering some of Heavenly Talent’s social media channels, aren’t you?” Ellie asked.

“Where I can,” Ian replied with a shrug. “I’m getting a lot more requests from my grandma’s friends in Cardiff too, to help them set up their iPads and laptops so they can keep in touch with each other.”

“That’s good too,” Ellie said with a sigh. “I would NOT want to live through this pandemic if chatting like that- well, like this wasn’t an option.”

“Same here,” Ian sighed. “Especially with Lee still going into uni as normal every day.”

“Leaving you by yourself?” Ellie asked.

“Yes, but I’m fine, seriously,” Ian replied. “Honestly, I’m more gutted that the local tattoo parlour’s closed as well.”

“So… how many do you have now?” Ellie asked with a smirk that her friend mirrored.

“Eight,” Ian replied, showing off the artwork on his arms before turning and lifting his shirt to show his friend the intricate pattern on his back. “Got loads of ideas for more when they finally reopen. Heh, one of the perks of studying graphic design, I guess, you get to be your own canvas.”

“It sucks that you couldn’t pick up your course from where you left off,” Ellie sighed sadly.

“Meh, something to look forward to in September, I guess,” Ian shrugged. “And I’d have struggled to catch up even if face to face classes were an option.”

“Still though,” Ellie mused. “It doesn’t mean that you can’t come to LGBT society meetings from time to time, I know Kellie is missing seeing you on the calls.”

“I- I’ll think about it,” Ian said hesitantly. “I’m still doing a lot of virtual jam sessions with the other members of the band, which takes up a lot of free time- not that I have anything other than free time nowadays, heh.”

“Are you getting virtual counselling sessions as well?” Ellie asked.

“Of all definitions of the word ‘counselling’, yep,” Ian replied, earning a sympathetic smile from his friend. “Honestly, I’m feeling a lot better than I was, like, four months ago. If anything, the pandemic’s made things easier for me in some ways, taken a lot of the, like, ‘pressure’ off, if that makes sense.”

“I think so,” Ellie mused. “Like- and I’m just thinking out loud here, I don’t mean anything by it, but- it’s hard to think that you’ve fucked things up if the whole world’s been fucked up by everyone else ahead of time?”

“Exactly that,” Ian said quietly. “Those exact words, too, heh. And the weird thing is, I’m only sleeping, like, six or seven hours per night, heh. It’s a bit like, the only time I leave the flat is to pick up snacks and supplies from the local supermarket, so I don’t need any extra rest, if that makes sense?”

“I’m pretty much doing the same,” Ellie confessed. “Helps that I’ve been sleeping alone for the last 4 weeks, heh.”

“I was about to ask why you’ve called me and not your boyfriend,” Ian teased, smirking as his friend rolled her eyes. “Unless you called me by accident?”

“Well, my top’s still on, so THAT guess is wrong,” Ellie replied, letting out a smirk of her own as her friend started to blush. “But no, Oli and I, we- we do keep in touch. When I’m not studying and he’s not busy, anyway.”

“I’m glad,” Ian said with a sad smile. “God knows how many relationships are going to get ruined by this virus.”

“And friendships,” Ellie said with a sad chuckle. “I’ll repeat myself: Thank god for social media, heh.”

“Never thought I’d agree with THAT,” Ian chuckled. “Meh, I dunno. Maybe if I was in a relationship I’d think differently, but- meh. Never mind.”

“Every single one of your exes is an idiot,” Ellie stated in an almost robotic voice that made her friend chuckle. “Better?”

“A little,” Ian shrugged. “I’m kinda, you know, not looking right now anyway. Heh, not that there’s anywhere to look, but, well- yeah.”

“I get it,” Ellie said. “But your exes are still idiots.”

“Thanks,” Ian said with a smirk as his friend grimaced.

“Ah- think Sade’s done,” Ellie said. “Got a lot of uni work to, like, catch up on.”

“Speaking of which,” Ian said, “when are you going to get her to teach you bass guitar, so you can play with our band?”

“Hardly appropriate when you’re an all-male band, is it?” Ellie asked with a smug smirk.

“There’s no rule stopping a girl- even one as girly as you- from playing with us,” Ian replied, widening his friend’s smirk.

“Tell you what,” Ellie said, “how about: me on keyboards, Sade on vocals and lead guitar, you on bass and Lee can learn the drums? Assuming you don’t mind being a member of TWO bands?”

“Not when all the other band members are my friends,” Ian said with a grin. “Enjoy your work!”

“Thanks,” Ellie said with a smile as she ended the call, leaving the young Welsh trans man by himself.

Just as Ellie had done, Ian found himself scrolling through his contact list for company, smiling when he saw that another member of his ‘Fellowship’ was showing as online. After firing off a call request, Ian’s smile widened again when the frazzled-looking face of his friend appeared on his screen.

“You are an absolute lifesaver,” Jacinta said as she took her laptop through to her bedroom. “I swear I am going to KILL my roommate.”

“No need for me to ask ‘how are you’, then?” Ian asked, chuckling as his friend rolled her eyes.

“Neither of us have had sex in over a month,” Jacinta said. “She will NOT stop having, like, sexy chats with her boyfriend every hour of every day and- ugh!”

“And… what’s stopping you from having sexy chats with your boyfriend?” Ian asked.

“Katie, usually,” Jacinta replied with a sigh. “I start chatting to Tom and she treats it like a competition. Ugh, I- I dunno. I mean, we've both been going out with our fellas for ages, but this whole ‘stay at home’ thing is just- I dunno. Would it really kill someone if I just went round to his place or vice versa for a quickie?”

“Well, according to Chris Whitty, maybe,” Ian sighed. “You not working today, then?”

“Kinda difficult to do photography work when we’re not allowed to meet anyone face to face,” Jacinta snorted, frowning as her friend blushed. “Ugh, I’m sorry Ian, didn’t mean to bite your head off, just- yeah. Think that’s why Katie’s so highly strung as well, I mean, her boss is covering 100% of her wage and I’m getting furlough payments, but I want to do more than just sit on my arse all day, you know?”

“I’ve literally just come from weeks of sitting on my arse all day into this,” Ian chuckled, blushing as his friend smiled sympathetically at him.

“I have been wondering how you’re doing,” Jacinta said softly. “Sucks that no one’s allowed to visit.”

“I’ll be fine,” Ian shrugged. “Lee’s still living here, Joshua’s continuing to pay my rent too, and my retainer, same as every other model who isn’t getting any work right now, heh. And we’re pretty certain our landlord’s going to extend our contract by 12 months, so not everything’s chaotic, heh.”

“That’s something, at least,” Jacinta said. “Reckon you’ll be back at uni in September?”

“100%,” Ian replied. “Need to find inspiration for some new tattoos if nothing else, heh.”

“You and your tattoos!” Jacinta teased the young man, who grinned smugly. “Well- I’m glad you found something like that, like, a hobby. Dunno if I’ve told you, but Ophelia’s still working full-time from home and the amount of ideas she’s had in the last few weeks is incredible, I can’t wait to try some of them on.”

“Has she started doing any menswear yet?” Ian asked.

“Funny you should mention that!” Jacinta giggled. “She’s designed, like, this dress shirt type thing- not, like, a ‘dress’ shirt, but a formal one, but that’s got some ‘dressy’ influences, like, it has tails at the front and back, if that makes any sense, and the upper arms are more billowy and less fitted, and- I’ve lost you, haven’t I?”

“No, actually that sounds kinda cool,” Ian said. “It’d make a change from wearing the same jeans and t-shirts every day.”

“That I hope you at least wash,” Jacinta teased. “Your flat smells enough of BOY as it is.”

“Yes, yes, I know how to operate a washing machine,” Ian snorted, before sighing. “Got any plans for tonight? By which I of course mean ‘what are you watching on TV’ or ‘do you have any other chats lined up’?”

“No ‘plans’,” Jacinta chuckled. “Well, apart from 8pm, but- yeah.”

“Same here,” Ian chuckled. “We’ve already watched Picard AND the Mandalorian all the way through twice, so- yep. Need to find another show to binge-watch. Though knowing your taste in TV, I’ll not ask for any recommendations.”

“Says the BOY who only watches TV shows with the word ‘Star’ in the title!” Jacinta retorted with mock offence, before giggling. “Though in fairness, I- I loved the Mandalorian too, heh. Mainly ‘cause Baby Yoda’s really cute, heh!”

“But you wouldn’t have watched it if you still had a social life?” Ian asked sympathetically, earning a sad smile and a nod from his friend.

“That pretty much sums it up, yep,” Jacinta sighed. “Meh, I’ll be fine. If I don’t kill Katie in the meantime. And if you don’t mind, I- I just got a request for a chat from Tom, so I-“

“No offence taken, go right ahead,” Ian said with a smile as his friend waved before ending the call. With a sigh, Ian returned to his sofa and plugged in his flatmate’s PlayStation VR headset, grateful that he had the option of a virtual world to escape to, given that the real world was no longer an option.

As he gamed, Ian thought about his many friends across the country, in particular his friends in Cardiff, but he also found himself thinking about how the pandemic had become a truly global issue, reaching to all corners of the world- corners where friends of his also lived.

As morning turned into afternoon in London, the day was just beginning on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean in New York City. As she had done every morning for almost three years, Paige woke up with a smile on her face as she was confronted by the sight of an untidy mop of blonde hair and the scent of strawberries in her nostrils.

“Mornin’, beautiful,” Paige whispered as she nuzzled her wife’s neck, making her smile and stir.

“Morning babe,” Jessica whispered, exchanging a brief kiss with her wife before letting out a long sigh. “Another day in ‘the city that supposedly never sleeps’, heh.” Paige smiled sympathetically at her wife as, like Nikki and Sarah had earlier, they lamented the relative lack of noise outside their window.

“What time is it, anyway?” Paige asked with a yawn.

“8:30,” Jessica replied with a sigh. “And to answer your next question, yes, my aunt has messaged me and no, there’s no work for us today.”

“You’d have thought that trans people would need just as much help during a pandemic as during normal times,” Paige said. “Maybe even more, in fact- this can’t be good for anyone’s mental health, especially not guys and girls like us?”

“Especially those of us who don’t have anyone,” Jessica sighed sadly as she wrapped her arms around her wife. “Still though, it IS nice to be able to sleep in, heh.”

“Makes a change from waking up at 5am to fly to somewhere like Berlin,” Paige chuckled. “Even if I really wouldn’t say no to a weekend break somewhere like Berlin right now.”

“Hell, a weekend break upstate would be nice,” Jessica sighed. “Or even to Baltimore…” The blonde Maryland native smiled as her Scottish wife held her tighter.

“We’ll call your parents later today,” Paige whispered. “And Aaron and Hayley too, though you know they’ll both be doing fine.”

“And your parents as well,” Jessica said softly. “And your sisters as well.”

“Well- only if we must,” Paige giggled. “Heh, I’m still worried about them, you know? Hell of a time to buy the guest house from my parents…”

“Well, your government is helping out small business owners, isn’t it?” Jessica asked.

“Ugh, probably, I dunno,” Paige shrugged, before rolling her eyes. “Were you trying to get me to comment on the orange fart again, then getting me to take a drink so you can take advantage of me?”

“…Would it have worked?” Jessica asked in a teasing voice.

“I’m literally already in bed with you, what do you think?” Paige asked, giggling as her wife planted a playful kiss on her neck.

“Mmm,” Jessica sighed happily. “Staying home all day isn’t ALL bad, hehe!”

“Yeah,” Paige whispered. “But I- I’m missing everyone more than ever, you know? The old gang… I- I knew it’d be hard when we moved here, but- ugh.”

“It’s harder because we can’t just jump on a plane and go see them?” Jessica asked. Smiling sympathetically as her wife nodded.

“How long has it been since we last saw Nat and Zoe?” Paige asked.

“Amelie and Ellen’s wedding, last December,” Jessica replied. “We were going to have them come here for my birthday next month, but- heh. THAT’s going to be less fun than usual.”

“I’m sure I’ll find a way to make it up to you,” Paige said, punctuating her promise with a gentle kiss.

“Well, you’ve got all day to think of how,” Jessica chuckled, before reaching onto her nightstand for her iPad. “Just going to see if anyone’s online… heh. And Zoe is, unsurprisingly.”

“Call her!” Paige giggled as she snuggled up next to her wife so that both of their faces would be on camera. Jessica duly obliged, and within seconds both women beamed wide smiles as the face of their French friend appeared on screen.

“Mes amies, bonjour!” Zoe said with a giggle. “It is already morning in New York?”

“We’re only five hours behind, not ten!” Jessica replied, grinning as her friend rolled her eyes and giggled. “Is Nat at university?”

“Umm… as you would say, yes AND no,” Zoe said, leaning to one side to show her spouse in the background, studying at their computer. “Studying at home, for she cannot attend in person.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Nat looking so plain,” Paige chuckled. “Apart from her earrings, of course.”

“She and I think there is no reason to wear makeup if we are not leaving the house,” Zoe said, before sighing. “Especially as money is not easy to earn at this time.” The Frenchwoman let out another sigh as her New York-based friends smiled sympathetically.

“Are you still recording lessons for the kids?” Jessica asked.

“I have just finished recording one!” Zoe giggled, stretching her leg above her head to show off the pink tights and pointe shoes she was wearing. “We must keep making lessons for those whose parents have already paid us, but we cannot accept new students until the schools can reopen for real.”

“I was about to say, and you just opened that second site as well…” Paige sighed.

“Oui,” Zoe said with a sad sigh. “But our landlord is understanding about our business rent, and as Joshua Benedict is still an investor he has guaranteed the schools shall remain. For now, at the least…”

“I’m sure you’ll be face to face with twenty-odd wee ones in leotards before long,” Paige said, giggling as her French friend grinned.

“I do hope,” Zoe sighed. “Though I assume that you know our friends who have not escaped the airline also have little work?”

“I didn’t know, but I did assume,” Jessica said. “I should probably call Abbey and Annabelle in a bit, see how they’re getting on. Team ASH too. And Anna-Jade and Rachel, even though they’ve long since moved on… what?” The blonde woman frowned with confusion as her wife and her friend both giggled.

“I shall not worry that you two are being isolated!” Zoe said with a wide grin. “It is a wonder you have any time to yourselves with so many friends!”

“Well- yeah,” Jessica chuckled. “Even if most of them are five time zones away, heh.”

“Have you not made friends in New York?” Zoe asked.

“A few,” Paige replied. “Not that we can see any of them right now, heh. Most of them we met through work with the charity anyway.”

“You are both doing such good work,” Zoe sighed happily. “Even if you have to do it thousands of kilometres away.”

“Yeah, I know, I know,” Jessica sighed. “And we will come back to visit when we can.”

“And you’re always welcome to come to us whenever you’re able to,” Paige said softly. “New York really is the most amazing city in the world. Well, usually, anyway.”

“When we can go to you, we will, and that is a promise,” Zoe said, before smiling as she felt her spouse approach and sit down next to her.

“I thought I heard a ‘Scottish with 18 months of Americanisation’ accent,” Natalie said with a smile.

“I’ve not lost THAT much of my accent,” Paige mumbled, before giggling. “How’s things anyway, Nat?”

“Same as always,” Natalie shrugged. “Uni work is still tough, but I’m enjoying it still. How’s life in New York?”

“Same as always,” Jessica replied with a smirk. “Got a feeling that’s going to be the catchphrase of the next few months, heh. Well, that and ‘new normal’.”

“There’s nothing ‘normal’ about this,” Paige moaned, her frown only disappearing when her wife wrapped her in a tight hug.

“It won’t be forever,” Natalie said confidently. “It can’t be.”

“But in the meantime, we shall always have each other,” Zoe said as she slowly wrapped her arm around her wife’s waist.

“Always,” Jessica echoed.

“I’ve got to be back in class in a couple of minutes,” Natalie sighed, earning sympathetic smiles from their friends. “Have you got any other chats lined up today?”

“Nothing planned,” Paige replied.

“We’re just going to see who’s available,” Jessica said. “Hopefully we’ll get to chat to Alexa and Jenny later today, if they’re not too busy with their own chats, heh.”

“They’ll always make time for friends,” Natalie said confidently. “You can never have too many friends, after all.”

“Even if we do all have too much time on our hands right now,” Paige sighed as she thought of her Minnesotan friends, whose day was just beginning as the four friends were chatting transatlantically.

“Mmm,” Alexa sighed happily as she was woken by the feeling of her wife nuzzling her neck.

“Morning babe,” Jenny purred seductively, before sighing. “What time did you say you have to be up today?”

“I’m… pretty sure I don’t have to be,” Alexa sighed. “Got a conference call I need to be on but that’s not until the afternoon. So I’m all yours today!”

“And every other day until the end of time,” Jenny said, sharing a happy smile with her wife. “And now that we’re both awake, maybe we should…?”

“In- umm, give me 15 minutes?” Alexa asked as she reached into her nightstand for a small black pouch and, more importantly, the long, stiff rods contained within.

“Sure thing,” Jenny said, giving her wife a gentle kiss before rolling back onto her side of the bed. "Then I'm going to grab a shower, okay?"

"Umm, you know you don't need to wait for me to do that, right?" Alexa asked, her grin widening as she instinctively sensed what her wife was thinking.

"...Yeah, I do," Jenny said with a devilish smirk as the couple immediately started to mentally count down the time until Alexa's 'obligation' was completed.

A short while later, after the couple had showered and dried their long, soft hair, they dressed for the day in casual t-shirts and leggings and headed down to the living room, snuggling together on the sofa with their iPads in hand.

“Checking Facebook?” Jenny asked her wife, who let out a sad sigh and nodded in reply.

“Just seeing who’s online,” Alexa replied. “Don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people online at this time of day, and I’m not just talking about London. Danny’s online, so’s Bethany, mom…”

“…Katie?” Jenny asked, smiling sadly as her wife shook her head, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “She’ll be fine, I know she will.”

“I know, I just- ugh,” Alexa sighed sadly. “I miss her more than ever, you know?”

“I know, I miss her too,” Jenny whispered, sitting down next to her wife on the bed and embracing her in a loving hug, before smiling as Alexa’s iPad pinged to let her know of an incoming message. “…Snikki?”

“Snikki,” Alexa replied with a giggle as she showed her wife the message, which simply read ‘Zoom?’. Within seconds, the image of their English counterparts appeared on the iPad’s screen, immediately raising the American couple's mood.

“Hey girlies!” Jenny said with a giggle.

“Hi Jexy!” Nikki and Sarah replied as one.

“Kinda surprised to see you already awake and dressed,” Nikki teased.

“The same can be said of you two even with the six-hour time difference!” Alexa retorted, sharing her wife and her friends’ giggles. “How’ve you two been?”

“Bored, miserable…” Nikki sighed. “If there’s an opposite word for ‘homesick’, then that’s what we are.”

“Not that we hate our flat,” Sarah explained, “but there’s only so much you can stand of the same four walls. Even if we did only move in six-ish months ago, heh.”

“We’ve rearranged the living room, like, five times already,” Nikki explained.

“I was about to ask, is that a new lamp?” Jenny asked as Nikki shifted to allow a better view of the furniture.

“From Amazon, yeah,” Sarah replied.

“It’s been the highlight of the week so far,” Nikki said with a sarcastic snort. “Well, apart from when we’re able to talk to friends, anyway.”

“I was about to say, no offence taken,” Alexa teased, smirking as Nikki rolled her eyes.

“How’s everyone in Minnesota?” Sarah asked. “It feels like ages since we last talked to Katie.”

“Yep, same for us,” Jenny sighed. “She’s still hard at work, unsurprisingly.”

“Yep,” Nikki said with a sad sigh. “I doubt there’s a single nurse in the world who isn’t flat out right now, whilst I’m here sending 8 emails, making 2 phone calls and calling it a day at 10am. You kinda feel guilty, you know? Like, we should be doing more, or at least doing our part…”

“Staying at home and keeping the virus under control IS doing our part,” Sarah reminded her wife.

“Exactly, that’s what Katie says too,” Alexa said. “I just wish- I just wish she didn’t have to risk her life like this.”

“I just wish the whole world could go back to normal,” Nikki said, before moaning with pain as tears started to flow freely from her eyes. “I mean, I know that people have it a lot worse than me, and it’s silly to miss a JOB of all things, but I- I miss my friends, I miss just being able to hang out with them, and I- I-“ Alexa and Jenny bit their lips to keep themselves from crying as their friend broke down fully and leaned into her wife for a desperately needed hug.

“It. Won’t. Be. Forever,” Sarah reassured her distraught wife while blinking back tears of her own. “We’ll be together again soon, all of us.”

“Absolutely,” Alexa reassured her friend.

“The second we’re allowed to, we’re jumping on a plane and coming to see you guys,” Jenny said. “All of you.”

“Absolutely,” Alexa repeated. “All of US.”

“Th- thanks,” Nikki sniffled, taking several deep breaths to compose herself. “Sometimes I just- heh. I just need to hear that, I guess.”

“Any time,” Alexa said gently. “That’s what friends are for, right?”

“…Yeah,” Nikki chuckled. “And in case I forget to say it later, please, PLEASE pass on our love to Katie, and our appreciation for everything she’s doing.”

“Definitely,” Sarah whispered. “And we’ll show our appreciation later this evening, as it IS Thursday, after all.”

“Ah- of course,” Jenny said as the four friends shared a knowing smile.

Later that evening, after the clock ticked over to 8pm, Nikki and Sarah headed to their front doorstep, smiling as they saw many of their neighbours also emerging from their homes. Jamie and Stuart stood on their doorstep too, along with their young daughter. Stephanie dragged her tired, aching body to her front door, while Laura stood on her front door with her sister and parents and Ashley stood along with her parents and her many siblings. Jacinta stood at the front door of her flat, Ellie and Sade stood on the front door of theirs while Janet and Lindsay stood at the front door of their house. Sophie, Amy and Hayley stood together on the front door of their flat, while Ian and Lee stood at the front door of theirs.

And they all applauded.

All across the country, at precisely 8pm, the citizens of the UK stood and applauded and cheered for the workers of the NHS who had taken on the responsibility of beating the virus. They cheered for the carers working with the elderly and disabled in their care homes, and for the many new and unexpected heroes who had stepped forward during the pandemic, such as Captain Tom Moore, whose fundraising efforts warmed the hearts and lifted the spirits of millions.

None of the men and women knew how long the restrictions inflicted by the pandemic would last. All they knew is that no matter what, they would not abandon their friends, they would not abandon their families, and even if it took months, or even years, they would, one day, meet again.