me
wrong, it was good, I think? He was really nice this morning, but I think he
knew I was pretty distraught. Poor guy.”
“Poor guy? He took
you home after feeding you drugs. I’m not feeling much sympathy for him.”
“He was drunk out
of his mind, too. We were as bad as each other. I’m pretty sure I was the one
who suggested we get out of there.”
I sat and listened
to her talk and felt guilty as hell. I considered not even telling her about my
parents.
“I really don’t
remember what happened when I got back to Maurice’s, I think I’d drank a lot by
that point, too. I’m sore this morning, though. I don’t feel traumatised, or
like I was raped or anything, I just regret it, you know?”
“I know,” I
definitely understood regrets. “I’m sorry for leaving you alone.”
“It’s okay, it’s
not your fault. It’s my own. Anyway, I enjoyed the drug, it’s a shame I had to
ruin the memory with my silly mistake,” she swallowed, before running a hand
through her hair. “Actually, I kind of regret it most because I kind of fancy someone
else.” Emma was blushing wildly and I raised an eyebrow. “I might have been
keeping a few secrets, too.”
“ Emma ,” I
whined. “Come on, tell me who. I was beginning to worry you weren’t interested
in anyone.”
“Just this guy
from gymnastics. We get on really well and he’s really nice… only he’s fifteen.
Which makes it kind of weird. I wasn’t going to do anything, obviously, and
even if he’d asked me out I’d have declined, but I just really like him. Do you
think I’m a creep? At least you’re eighteen, that’s like two years over the age
of consent, which stops Mr. Lane being really weird.”
I almost cringed
to hear his name. “When’s his sixteenth birthday? I mean, it’s perfectly legal
for you to date as long as you don’t sleep together until then, right?”
“I can’t date him,
I just wanted to make sure just thinking about it wasn’t weird. I mean,
he looks so much older, older than me even and he’s obviously,” she cleared her
throat, “a man. I just feel like I’ve betrayed myself by sleeping with someone
else, I guess.”
“You don’t have to
feel like that if you’re not together.”
“He’s sixteen in
like a week, by the way. I suppose that is kind of important.”
I laughed.
“Definitely not weird, then. There’s a two year gap, that’s nothing, and he’ll
be legal in a week. Stop stressing about something like that and ask him out if
you get along that well.”
She smiled. That
was obviously exactly what she wanted to hear. “I might do. We’ll see. Thanks
for confirming that I’m not a weirdo, anyway, I needed to hear it. How was your
night, did you enjoy yourself? And hey, seriously, don’t beat yourself up about
letting me out of your sight for like two seconds. You stopped me going home
with some real maniacs, that much I do remember.”
I would have
laughed; one problem had been kind of lifted, but two remained. “I broke up
with Luke.”
“Last night? I
thought you were planning on doing it today. Did you really get that drunk?
Oh, you didn’t mention Mr. Lane, did you?”
I scowled. “I’m
really not that stupid, you know, of course I didn’t mention him. I just, I did
a really awful job of it,” I groaned and lay down, disrupting the comfy
position Emma had been in, head rested on my lap. “I saw my dad kissing another
woman and I was really upset and so I told him I’d cheated to get him to
leave.”
“Wait, what? Your
dad is sleeping with another woman?”
I shrugged,
feeling the weight of that knowledge on every muscle. “Yeah, he is. I have to
talk to him about it today when I get home, to get him to tell mum.”
“I’m so sorry,
that’s awful.” Our positions switched and I was the one being comforted. The
familiar feel of my best friend’s fingers dragging through my knotty
wrong, it was good, I think? He was really nice this morning, but I think he
knew I was pretty distraught. Poor guy.”
“Poor guy? He took
you home after feeding you drugs. I’m not feeling much sympathy for him.”
“He was drunk out
of his mind, too. We were as bad as each other. I’m pretty sure I was the one
who suggested we get out of there.”
I sat and listened
to her talk and felt guilty as hell. I considered not even telling her about my
parents.
“I really don’t
remember what happened when I got back to Maurice’s, I think I’d drank a lot by
that point, too. I’m sore this morning, though. I don’t feel traumatised, or
like I was raped or anything, I just regret it, you know?”
“I know,” I
definitely understood regrets. “I’m sorry for leaving you alone.”
“It’s okay, it’s
not your fault. It’s my own. Anyway, I enjoyed the drug, it’s a shame I had to
ruin the memory with my silly mistake,” she swallowed, before running a hand
through her hair. “Actually, I kind of regret it most because I kind of fancy someone
else.” Emma was blushing wildly and I raised an eyebrow. “I might have been
keeping a few secrets, too.”
“ Emma ,” I
whined. “Come on, tell me who. I was beginning to worry you weren’t interested
in anyone.”
“Just this guy
from gymnastics. We get on really well and he’s really nice… only he’s fifteen.
Which makes it kind of weird. I wasn’t going to do anything, obviously, and
even if he’d asked me out I’d have declined, but I just really like him. Do you
think I’m a creep? At least you’re eighteen, that’s like two years over the age
of consent, which stops Mr. Lane being really weird.”
I almost cringed
to hear his name. “When’s his sixteenth birthday? I mean, it’s perfectly legal
for you to date as long as you don’t sleep together until then, right?”
“I can’t date him,
I just wanted to make sure just thinking about it wasn’t weird. I mean,
he looks so much older, older than me even and he’s obviously,” she cleared her
throat, “a man. I just feel like I’ve betrayed myself by sleeping with someone
else, I guess.”
“You don’t have to
feel like that if you’re not together.”
“He’s sixteen in
like a week, by the way. I suppose that is kind of important.”
I laughed.
“Definitely not weird, then. There’s a two year gap, that’s nothing, and he’ll
be legal in a week. Stop stressing about something like that and ask him out if
you get along that well.”
She smiled. That
was obviously exactly what she wanted to hear. “I might do. We’ll see. Thanks
for confirming that I’m not a weirdo, anyway, I needed to hear it. How was your
night, did you enjoy yourself? And hey, seriously, don’t beat yourself up about
letting me out of your sight for like two seconds. You stopped me going home
with some real maniacs, that much I do remember.”
I would have
laughed; one problem had been kind of lifted, but two remained. “I broke up
with Luke.”
“Last night? I
thought you were planning on doing it today. Did you really get that drunk?
Oh, you didn’t mention Mr. Lane, did you?”
I scowled. “I’m
really not that stupid, you know, of course I didn’t mention him. I just, I did
a really awful job of it,” I groaned and lay down, disrupting the comfy
position Emma had been in, head rested on my lap. “I saw my dad kissing another
woman and I was really upset and so I told him I’d cheated to get him to
leave.”
“Wait, what? Your
dad is sleeping with another woman?”
I shrugged,
feeling the weight of that knowledge on every muscle. “Yeah, he is. I have to
talk to him about it today when I get home, to get him to tell mum.”
“I’m so sorry,
that’s awful.” Our positions switched and I was the one being comforted. The
familiar feel of my best friend’s fingers dragging through my knotty
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