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“Hadley. Shut. Up,” I repeated.
“Babes–”
“I’m going away now and I’m not speaking to you until tomorrow,” I informed her.
“No! Pipe!”
“Tomorrow! Bye,” I yelled after I’d pulled the phone from my ear, my eyes glued to the house next door, and I hung up on her.
I got changed and spent a couple of hours sitting in my window seat pretending I was reading my English book when I was actually watching the movement next door.
Somehow I must have actually got sucked into my book because the next thing I knew, I was jumping in surprise when the doorbell rang.
“Honey!” Dad called and I smoothed my shirt as I stood up, not sure why I should feel so nervous that Roman was standing at my door.
“Coming!”
I mean, Roman and I had been at school together for something like ten years. Sure, we hadn’t talked to each other outside the vague requirements of a couple of shared classes over the years. And, sure the guy was trouble. But, honestly that was no reason to be nervous.
I took a deep breath and went downstairs to see Mum talking to a woman I recognised well as someone Mum socialised with from her book club.
And I’d stressed for no reason, because…
“No Roman?” Mum asked her.
Carmen shook her head. “Uh, no.”
Carmen’s expression suggested she was telling Mum a whole lot more and Mum’s expression suggested she understood that whole lot more. I looked between them as Mum gave Carmen a smile before turning to me.
“Carmen, you remember Piper?” she asked, motioning me over and I wandered towards them.
The woman with the thick curly brown hair and the nicest light brown eyes I’d ever seen smiled at me warmly.
“I do, although you’ve grown up a lot,” she replied and I smiled.
“Hi. It has been a while.”
“I think it was the Year Eight play, maybe?”
I nodded. “Probably, yeah.” I huffed a laugh, “Wow, I’d almost forgotten about that.”
“You were wonderful.”
I shook my head. “Not so much.”
“You were very enthusiastic. That counts for a lot.”
I laughed. “That’s a good word for it.”
“Carmen! Good to see you!” Dad cried as he came out to the hallway, wiping his hands on a tea towel.
“Matt, you too. Bree wasn’t sure you were going to be home in time.”
“I got out of my meeting. Come through. Come through. It’s good to have you over. Bree just mentioned the setback. But, no Roman?”
Mum gave him an exasperated look and an apology crossed his face. Mum led us through to the living room.
“Oh, no. It’s fine,” Carmen brushed it off. “He’ll be in bed by sun up.”
