I –’
‘No, it’s no problem – have it. I’m so glad I don’t have to pretend to like that girl any more.’ David handed me the purse. I said thanks, but felt awkward taking it from him. David told us more about his holiday, and then he and Emily started to gossip about people I didn’t know. My mind began to wander. I thought about Beth again. How could somebody just vanish? Especially in a little village? How could she be cycling home one minute, and be gone the next? But when I thought of her I didn’t imagine her cycling along the road. I thought of her pale frozen body lying on the ground. I hated that image. It was really detailed and horribly clear. I gripped the plastic purse so tightly that it left an imprint in my palm.
‘Here’s Nick,’ whispered Emily.
I looked up to see him trudging along the path outside. I put the purse in my bag and banished the image of Beth from mymind. Nick spotted us inside and pushed open the door. He looked tired as he came over to the table. Tired and grumpy. But still very hot.
‘We heard what happened …’ said Emily sympathetically. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ he said, sitting across from me.
Nick proceeded to eat four cupcakes and ignored Emily’s advice that comfort eating would solve nothing. I wanted to say something to him, but was afraid I’d say the wrong thing. I didn’t want to mess up my chances.
Shortly afterwards Colin came into the café, and almost dived for the bag when he saw it on the table. His face lit up as he pulled out the DVDs and Manga stuff. ‘David, you’re an absolute legend,’ he said. ‘I love you.’
‘Steady now,’ said David.
Colin smiled as he flicked through one of the books. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen anyone look so happy. It reminded me of Mum when she’d found our Italian kitchen tiles at half price.
‘Fancy going to Sligo later?’ said Nick. ‘I need to get away from here.’
I’d have done anything to go to Sligo with Nick, but I didn’t want to sound too keen, so I waited to see what the others would say.
‘Can’t,’ said David. ‘My parents had to go off to Wexford for the night and they forgot to leave me money.’
‘So you have a free gaff?’ asked Nick, his voice more animated.
A look of horror spread across David’s face. ‘Nick, I’m not having another party. You know the shit I got into after the last one.’
‘Not a party, David … just a few friends over.’ Nick had already got his phone out and was busy texting.
‘Fine,’ said David. ‘But you’re not allowed to bring any of your bandmates.’
‘But –’
‘I mean it.’
‘OK!’ said Nick.
‘Relax, David,’ said Emily. ‘It’ll be fun.’
‘So you’re coming then, yeah?’ he said, sitting back in his seat.
‘Definitely. And Jacki will come, won’t you?’ She smiled at me.
‘Yeah, OK,’ I said. A party would be the perfect place to talk to Nick.
‘And can I bring a few of the girls?’ Emily suggested.
‘Sure.’
‘So she gets to bring people and I don’t?’ Nick protested.
‘Nick, at my last party your bassist ate my goldfish.’
‘That was so funny,’ said Nick with a laugh.
‘It was not funny. It was traumatic,’ said David.
I was so excited. I couldn’t wait for the party. This was even better than a trip to Sligo. This was a house party. With no parents. Maybe something would happen with Nick. I knew it was a long shot, because he had just broken up with his girlfriend, but that didn’t stop me imagining. I just wished my excitement wasn’t dampened by the sick feeling in my stomach. I had begun to feel very ill again, just like I had the night before in the forest and the other night in my back garden.
I looked around for the bathroom and made my way to the back of the café.
‘It’s kind of dark in there,’ said Ali as I walked past the counter. ‘I haven’t had a chance to change the light bulb yet.’
‘That’s
‘No, it’s no problem – have it. I’m so glad I don’t have to pretend to like that girl any more.’ David handed me the purse. I said thanks, but felt awkward taking it from him. David told us more about his holiday, and then he and Emily started to gossip about people I didn’t know. My mind began to wander. I thought about Beth again. How could somebody just vanish? Especially in a little village? How could she be cycling home one minute, and be gone the next? But when I thought of her I didn’t imagine her cycling along the road. I thought of her pale frozen body lying on the ground. I hated that image. It was really detailed and horribly clear. I gripped the plastic purse so tightly that it left an imprint in my palm.
‘Here’s Nick,’ whispered Emily.
I looked up to see him trudging along the path outside. I put the purse in my bag and banished the image of Beth from mymind. Nick spotted us inside and pushed open the door. He looked tired as he came over to the table. Tired and grumpy. But still very hot.
‘We heard what happened …’ said Emily sympathetically. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ he said, sitting across from me.
Nick proceeded to eat four cupcakes and ignored Emily’s advice that comfort eating would solve nothing. I wanted to say something to him, but was afraid I’d say the wrong thing. I didn’t want to mess up my chances.
Shortly afterwards Colin came into the café, and almost dived for the bag when he saw it on the table. His face lit up as he pulled out the DVDs and Manga stuff. ‘David, you’re an absolute legend,’ he said. ‘I love you.’
‘Steady now,’ said David.
Colin smiled as he flicked through one of the books. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen anyone look so happy. It reminded me of Mum when she’d found our Italian kitchen tiles at half price.
‘Fancy going to Sligo later?’ said Nick. ‘I need to get away from here.’
I’d have done anything to go to Sligo with Nick, but I didn’t want to sound too keen, so I waited to see what the others would say.
‘Can’t,’ said David. ‘My parents had to go off to Wexford for the night and they forgot to leave me money.’
‘So you have a free gaff?’ asked Nick, his voice more animated.
A look of horror spread across David’s face. ‘Nick, I’m not having another party. You know the shit I got into after the last one.’
‘Not a party, David … just a few friends over.’ Nick had already got his phone out and was busy texting.
‘Fine,’ said David. ‘But you’re not allowed to bring any of your bandmates.’
‘But –’
‘I mean it.’
‘OK!’ said Nick.
‘Relax, David,’ said Emily. ‘It’ll be fun.’
‘So you’re coming then, yeah?’ he said, sitting back in his seat.
‘Definitely. And Jacki will come, won’t you?’ She smiled at me.
‘Yeah, OK,’ I said. A party would be the perfect place to talk to Nick.
‘And can I bring a few of the girls?’ Emily suggested.
‘Sure.’
‘So she gets to bring people and I don’t?’ Nick protested.
‘Nick, at my last party your bassist ate my goldfish.’
‘That was so funny,’ said Nick with a laugh.
‘It was not funny. It was traumatic,’ said David.
I was so excited. I couldn’t wait for the party. This was even better than a trip to Sligo. This was a house party. With no parents. Maybe something would happen with Nick. I knew it was a long shot, because he had just broken up with his girlfriend, but that didn’t stop me imagining. I just wished my excitement wasn’t dampened by the sick feeling in my stomach. I had begun to feel very ill again, just like I had the night before in the forest and the other night in my back garden.
I looked around for the bathroom and made my way to the back of the café.
‘It’s kind of dark in there,’ said Ali as I walked past the counter. ‘I haven’t had a chance to change the light bulb yet.’
‘That’s
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