last logged on. She moved the mouse back and forth before clicking on "friends" instead of his photo, unfriending him. It was better that way; she didn't want to see him. Especially not if he was with her. Might as well unfriend her while I'm at it. Her friends' number was starting to look a little sorry for itself.
Setting the laptop on the table, she went to make herself another coffee. As she waited for the kettle to boil, she thought about all the girls she had gone to school with, friends from Stydon. It was so easy to lose contact when you didn't live near each other, when you didn't see each other for years. Too easy to just not bother. She sat back down on the sofa with a huff and started typing in names. Surely, some of them had to be on Facebook.
After the first three names came back with nothing, she typed in the one she really wanted to find, Vicky Hudson. Nothing. Her shoulders dropped before she started typing again and there she was, Victoria Hudson. Emma smiled at the page and sent a friend request then sat back, feeling happier than she was when she switched the laptop on.
***
Emma had arranged to meet Vicky at the Altenchester Arms, because Stydon didn't have a pub and Friday nights were always busy. Sitting at the bar, she let the buzz of conversations surround her, let the group of posturing workmen standing by the door distract her. But she sat up straighter every time the door opened then slouched back down each time it wasn't Vicky. She checked her phone, again, but there were still no messages and Vicky still wasn't late, yet.
Shoving her phone back into her bag, she looked up as the door swung open. And there she was, Vicky Hudson. Looking exactly the same as she remembered, yet different, too. Vicky waved and walked towards her, seeming as confident and attracting just as many glances as she always had. Her blonde hair hid half of her face, the other half tucked behind her ear, showing off dark roots. Her hair, so much like her impish face, managed to look sweet and innocent yet hinted at a streak of mischief. That was Vicky, though. Emma had lost track of the number of times she had gotten into trouble with Vicky, yet somehow Vicky would always get them out of it, too.
"Hi, Emma," Vicky said, wrapping her arms around Emma. "I'm so sorry to hear about your mum. I was going to come to the funeral, but ... I don't know. It felt weird because I hadn't seen you or your mum for so long."
Emma pulled her arms from around Vicky and wiped at her eyes. She felt so guilty for letting Ben ultimately alienate her from her friends. "It's fine, I didn't expect you to come. If I could have gotten away with it, I might not have gone, either."
As Vicky ordered two glasses of white wine, Emma couldn't help, but smile. The drink might have changed, but Vicky ordering for them hadn't. Vicky was always the one to get the drinks, as she'd always looked the oldest. They took their glasses and sat in a corner booth, where it was easier to chat, away from the noise of the bar area. They both stared at each other, and Emma let the memories of happy times together flash through her mind.
"So, you're back then?"
Emma nodded and bit her lip because Vicky didn't exactly look thrilled by that fact.
"For good?"
Emma thought about it for a second then said, "Yes." Her mum wasn't the only reason she had come back home, and there was nowhere else she wanted to be. She had a shot at doing what she loved for a living. She liked her little cottage. Even liked the village that was just far enough away from her dad and sister. She had even started to make friends, an image of Matt lifting her lips. She had history there.
Emma watched Vicky's face and took a sip of her wine.
"And Ben?"
Emma put her glass back on the table and looked Vicky straight in the eyes. "Ben is a dick."
Vicky tilted her head and said, "Oh, Ems, I could have told you that years ago."
It wasn't what Emma had expected Vicky to say, and a
Setting the laptop on the table, she went to make herself another coffee. As she waited for the kettle to boil, she thought about all the girls she had gone to school with, friends from Stydon. It was so easy to lose contact when you didn't live near each other, when you didn't see each other for years. Too easy to just not bother. She sat back down on the sofa with a huff and started typing in names. Surely, some of them had to be on Facebook.
After the first three names came back with nothing, she typed in the one she really wanted to find, Vicky Hudson. Nothing. Her shoulders dropped before she started typing again and there she was, Victoria Hudson. Emma smiled at the page and sent a friend request then sat back, feeling happier than she was when she switched the laptop on.
***
Emma had arranged to meet Vicky at the Altenchester Arms, because Stydon didn't have a pub and Friday nights were always busy. Sitting at the bar, she let the buzz of conversations surround her, let the group of posturing workmen standing by the door distract her. But she sat up straighter every time the door opened then slouched back down each time it wasn't Vicky. She checked her phone, again, but there were still no messages and Vicky still wasn't late, yet.
Shoving her phone back into her bag, she looked up as the door swung open. And there she was, Vicky Hudson. Looking exactly the same as she remembered, yet different, too. Vicky waved and walked towards her, seeming as confident and attracting just as many glances as she always had. Her blonde hair hid half of her face, the other half tucked behind her ear, showing off dark roots. Her hair, so much like her impish face, managed to look sweet and innocent yet hinted at a streak of mischief. That was Vicky, though. Emma had lost track of the number of times she had gotten into trouble with Vicky, yet somehow Vicky would always get them out of it, too.
"Hi, Emma," Vicky said, wrapping her arms around Emma. "I'm so sorry to hear about your mum. I was going to come to the funeral, but ... I don't know. It felt weird because I hadn't seen you or your mum for so long."
Emma pulled her arms from around Vicky and wiped at her eyes. She felt so guilty for letting Ben ultimately alienate her from her friends. "It's fine, I didn't expect you to come. If I could have gotten away with it, I might not have gone, either."
As Vicky ordered two glasses of white wine, Emma couldn't help, but smile. The drink might have changed, but Vicky ordering for them hadn't. Vicky was always the one to get the drinks, as she'd always looked the oldest. They took their glasses and sat in a corner booth, where it was easier to chat, away from the noise of the bar area. They both stared at each other, and Emma let the memories of happy times together flash through her mind.
"So, you're back then?"
Emma nodded and bit her lip because Vicky didn't exactly look thrilled by that fact.
"For good?"
Emma thought about it for a second then said, "Yes." Her mum wasn't the only reason she had come back home, and there was nowhere else she wanted to be. She had a shot at doing what she loved for a living. She liked her little cottage. Even liked the village that was just far enough away from her dad and sister. She had even started to make friends, an image of Matt lifting her lips. She had history there.
Emma watched Vicky's face and took a sip of her wine.
"And Ben?"
Emma put her glass back on the table and looked Vicky straight in the eyes. "Ben is a dick."
Vicky tilted her head and said, "Oh, Ems, I could have told you that years ago."
It wasn't what Emma had expected Vicky to say, and a
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