‘Holy shit,’ he says. ‘Who did you interview?’
‘Mum,’ I say simply. ‘And I discovered she’s even more badass than I thought.’
‘In that case, I need to read the article, because your mom already seemed like a badass!’ He smiles. ‘Well done, Selena.’ He scuffs his shoe on the ground. ‘I was afraid you wouldn’t want to talk to me any more, after what we said a few days ago.’
‘After you said you couldn’t be with me.’
‘Well yeah, that.’
I inhale, feeling the cool air fill my lungs. ‘Ty, I want you to come and see Rose Conrad with me.’
He looks at me with shock. ‘I was not expecting that,’ he says.
‘You’ve been on this journey with me since the start. You’re the one who encouraged me to keep writing as the Secret Sender. And you’re the one I want to be with all the time. And I need to get that off my chest. I like you so much more than a friend. And it might not work out in multiple ways, but it’s what I want. I want to be with you.’
He meets my eyes, and I can’t tell how he’s feeling.
‘Okay,’ he says.
‘Okay, what? Okay, I’ve heard you or okay, I’ll come with you to see Rose Conrad?’
‘I’ve heard you and yes to Rose Conrad.’ He grabs my hand over the fence and squeezes. ‘Thank you, Selena. And well done, Writer. I knew you could do it.’
Damn this boy can make my heart melt. Even when it’s zero degrees outside.
Fifty-One
It’ll be a while, but it’ll be the best of times
Take a chance, take a shot
On this moment of time
For we might not have it again
‘The Best of Times’ fromThe Brink of Teenage Freedom
The morning of the concert, I’m a mess. It feels like my entire life has been working up to this moment.
My mind is going into hyperdrive. What if I am near the front and someone from Rose Conrad’s team spots how big a fan I am and invites me backstage? What if she sees me from the stage and clocks how I know the words to every song? What if I run into her on the way home, as she’s dressed undercover but I know exactly what she looks like? All of these possibilities have a near-zero chance of happening – but you never know.
Kira and Faye arrive at lunchtime to help me get ready.
‘I’m really sad you both can’t come,’ I say, as Faye braids glittery strands into my hair and Kira paints my fingernails.
‘Me too, girl,’ says Kira.
‘But we’re glad you can go,’ says Faye.
‘Yeah, you were the OG Rose Conrad fan,’ says Kira. ‘If anyonedeserves to go, it’s you.’
‘And we’ll be watching the livestream, for sure,’ says Faye.
‘It’s the reason we’re all friends,’ I say, looking over to my school bag, where my Rose pin glints.
‘It’s the reason we all became friends,’ says Kira. ‘We’re friends for so much more than that.’
‘Also despite it,’ says Faye. ‘Do you remember in Year 9 when you sang ‘Torn’ twenty-four-seven?’
