she's dyslexic after they
know how smart she is. Not that she tries to cover
it up, but she's worked for some people for years
before they find out.
It takes me a few minutes to turn the plain
crepes into crepes with warmed real maple syrup
and crepes with fresh lemon and vanilla sugar. I'd
expected skinny Romy to protest about the pile of
food and I'm surprised to find that she doesn't hold
back, but tucks in, demolishing four of the lemon
and sugar ones by the time I've only been able to
get through two.
'Sorry,' she says, catching me looking at her
as I reach for a third crepe. 'Hungry. And really,
really good,' she points at the crepes with her air-
suspended knife.
'No need to apologise,' I tell her. 'JJ will
be happy you've eaten them. She loves people
enjoying her food.' I notice then that Romy's knife
is shaking a little in her hand and, after a second or
two, she notices me noticing. 'Are you sure you're
okay?' I bring my eyes up then to meet hers, but
she keeps staring at the knife shaking in front of
her and takes some time in answering.
'No, not really,' she finally says.
It's not exactly the answer I'd been hoping for.
I turn and look at the entrance to the hallway,
hoping someone is going to enter and save me. But
no luck. I swivel back around in my seat. 'I ... um
... do you want to talk about it?'
Romy does look at me then. Really looks at me.
'Why would I want to do that?' she asks, almost
suspiciously. As if I might have a tape recorder
hidden in my pjs. Still, I guess I could have. Maybe
something like that has even happened to her
before.
I stare back at her, wondering if I should offer
that she give me a quick frisk. 'I ... I don't know.
You don't have to. I just thought you might like
to.'
Romy glances away and then her fingers reach
out and pick up JJ's crumpled up note. She brings
it back closer to her and begins to play with it,
picking at it. I'm worried for a second that she's
going to open it up and read it, but she doesn't.
Uncomfortable with the silence, I continue.
'Whatever it is, it can't be that bad, can it? Maybe I
could ... I don't know ... give you a fresh perspective.
I mean, I don't really know anything about
you, do I? I never even saw Rich Girls until a fortnight
or so ago.' Oh, great. What on earth did I
say that for? Good one, Elli.
Naturally, Romy zooms in on this last sentence.
She drops the note and turns to face me properly.
'Are you serious?'
I nod. Please don't fire JJ, I think.
'So you don't know anything about me?'
'Not really.'
'Do you know much about my family?'
'I guess I thought you might have one. From
what I've heard they're really wealthy.'
Romy laughs at this. 'But you don't know who
they are and what they do?'
I shrug. 'Nope. I've kind of been living in
operatic isolation for a couple of years in Vienna.
TV and internet for one hour only per day. No
cell phone.'
'Are you serious?'
'Deadly. But please don't tell anyone. It's a bit
of a secret. If too many other teenagers find out
I'm not one of their kind, they may stone me to
death.'
Romy laughs at this and finally looks at ease
again. 'That's just ...'
'Cruel. Inhumane. Torturous ...' I finish her
sentence for her. 'Tell me about it. Most of JJ's
bosses have been more than slightly strange.'
I pause, then realise what I've said. 'Oh! Except
for you, of course. You seem really nice!' I add
hurriedly.
Romy laughs again. 'Nice save.' She reaches out
and slowly picks up another crepe, placing it on
her plate, shaking her head all the while. 'Do you
know how ... refreshing that is? To hear you don't
know who my family is? Sometimes it feels like
everyone I meet has already decided who I am and
where I fit into the scheme of things. Sometimes I
think there's not even any point being me. I'm just
this outlined shape they've already coloured in.'
Silence.
Yikes. I mean, what do you say to that? It's a bit
deep for 3 am with a side of crepes, isn't it?
'Sorry,' Romy sighs, starting to pick at her
know how smart she is. Not that she tries to cover
it up, but she's worked for some people for years
before they find out.
It takes me a few minutes to turn the plain
crepes into crepes with warmed real maple syrup
and crepes with fresh lemon and vanilla sugar. I'd
expected skinny Romy to protest about the pile of
food and I'm surprised to find that she doesn't hold
back, but tucks in, demolishing four of the lemon
and sugar ones by the time I've only been able to
get through two.
'Sorry,' she says, catching me looking at her
as I reach for a third crepe. 'Hungry. And really,
really good,' she points at the crepes with her air-
suspended knife.
'No need to apologise,' I tell her. 'JJ will
be happy you've eaten them. She loves people
enjoying her food.' I notice then that Romy's knife
is shaking a little in her hand and, after a second or
two, she notices me noticing. 'Are you sure you're
okay?' I bring my eyes up then to meet hers, but
she keeps staring at the knife shaking in front of
her and takes some time in answering.
'No, not really,' she finally says.
It's not exactly the answer I'd been hoping for.
I turn and look at the entrance to the hallway,
hoping someone is going to enter and save me. But
no luck. I swivel back around in my seat. 'I ... um
... do you want to talk about it?'
Romy does look at me then. Really looks at me.
'Why would I want to do that?' she asks, almost
suspiciously. As if I might have a tape recorder
hidden in my pjs. Still, I guess I could have. Maybe
something like that has even happened to her
before.
I stare back at her, wondering if I should offer
that she give me a quick frisk. 'I ... I don't know.
You don't have to. I just thought you might like
to.'
Romy glances away and then her fingers reach
out and pick up JJ's crumpled up note. She brings
it back closer to her and begins to play with it,
picking at it. I'm worried for a second that she's
going to open it up and read it, but she doesn't.
Uncomfortable with the silence, I continue.
'Whatever it is, it can't be that bad, can it? Maybe I
could ... I don't know ... give you a fresh perspective.
I mean, I don't really know anything about
you, do I? I never even saw Rich Girls until a fortnight
or so ago.' Oh, great. What on earth did I
say that for? Good one, Elli.
Naturally, Romy zooms in on this last sentence.
She drops the note and turns to face me properly.
'Are you serious?'
I nod. Please don't fire JJ, I think.
'So you don't know anything about me?'
'Not really.'
'Do you know much about my family?'
'I guess I thought you might have one. From
what I've heard they're really wealthy.'
Romy laughs at this. 'But you don't know who
they are and what they do?'
I shrug. 'Nope. I've kind of been living in
operatic isolation for a couple of years in Vienna.
TV and internet for one hour only per day. No
cell phone.'
'Are you serious?'
'Deadly. But please don't tell anyone. It's a bit
of a secret. If too many other teenagers find out
I'm not one of their kind, they may stone me to
death.'
Romy laughs at this and finally looks at ease
again. 'That's just ...'
'Cruel. Inhumane. Torturous ...' I finish her
sentence for her. 'Tell me about it. Most of JJ's
bosses have been more than slightly strange.'
I pause, then realise what I've said. 'Oh! Except
for you, of course. You seem really nice!' I add
hurriedly.
Romy laughs again. 'Nice save.' She reaches out
and slowly picks up another crepe, placing it on
her plate, shaking her head all the while. 'Do you
know how ... refreshing that is? To hear you don't
know who my family is? Sometimes it feels like
everyone I meet has already decided who I am and
where I fit into the scheme of things. Sometimes I
think there's not even any point being me. I'm just
this outlined shape they've already coloured in.'
Silence.
Yikes. I mean, what do you say to that? It's a bit
deep for 3 am with a side of crepes, isn't it?
'Sorry,' Romy sighs, starting to pick at her
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