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Minnie stepped into the shower and let the warm water stream down her face. She scrubbed at her skin, trying to wash the day-old make-up and smell of the club from her pores. Her neck still felt stiff from sleeping on the toilet floor, and she rubbed it from side to side between her palms. Leila’s hand reached around the bathroom door.
‘Just leaving you some clothes for when you’re ready,’ she said.
Minnie looked over at the door where Leila had hung a red and white polka-dot dress. Leila was not a conservative dresser; most of her outfits were even more colourful than her kaleidoscopic hair. She was like the child who insisted on using every colour in the Crayola box.
Twenty minutes later, Minnie presented herself in the living room.
‘I cannot wear this,’ she said.
Ian burst out laughing. ‘It’s Minnie Mouse!’
‘Don’t be rude. You look lovely,’ said Leila, scowling at Ian.
‘You’re not taking me to Disneyland, are you?’ Minnie asked, hands on her hips.
‘Nothing that exciting,’ said Leila. ‘I’m taking you to lunch. I’m tired of you saying you never want to do anything for your birthday. It’s your thirtieth, it’s a big deal – we have to mark the occasion somehow.’
‘Oh man, you’re old,’ said Ian, taking his eyes from the screen to make a face at Minnie. His bottom lip trembled and his eyes grew wide in mock horror.
‘Ha-ha,’ said Minnie, pointing at the TV screen where ‘GAME OVER’ was flashing in aggressive capital letters. Ian made a ‘fahhh’ noise and threw the controller down onto the sofa next to him. He pulled off his cap and briskly ran his hands back and forth over his head.
‘I’m not sure we should let Minnie in the flat if she’s got this curse hanging over her. I don’t need the ceiling falling in when I’m sitting in my pants.’
Minnie gave an exaggerated eye roll. Ian had been Leila’s boyfriend for three years and he and Minnie had quickly fallen into the roles of bickering siblings. They liked to play-fight for Leila’s attention.
‘If the ceiling started falling in, would you move from that sofa?’ Leila asked, waving a finger at the scene in front of her. ‘I bet Greg doesn’t sit around all day playing video games in his pants, does he Minnie?’
‘Don’t knock the pants,’ said Ian. ‘Me and these pants have been through some good times. You and these pants have been through some good times.’
Ian raised his eyebrows. Leila tried to stifle a smile.
‘Shit, I must call Greg. Can I plug in my phone?’ said Minnie.
Minnie moved an array of multicoloured nail varnishes from Leila’s dressing table and plugged her phone into the bedside charger. She sat on the bed while Leila riffled through her wardrobe for something to wear.
‘So, you’ll never guess who I met last night,’ Minnie said, tapping her toes on the floor.
‘The Pope?’
‘No.’
‘Jon Bon Jovi?’
‘No.’
‘Hot priest fromFleabag.’
‘You’re just saying random people?’
‘Yes.’
‘OK, I’ll tell you.’ Minnie paused until she had Leila’s full attention. ‘Quinn Hamilton.’
Leila paused, ‘Who?’
‘Quinn, Quinn Hamilton.’ Minnie stared at her friend in disbelief. ‘Name Stealer Quinn.’
‘Quinn!TheQuinn?’ Leila took a quick step towards Minnie, her eyes wide, one hand clutching a hanger to her chest. Minnie nodded slowly. ‘Childhood nemesis Quinn?’
