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“Mark says it’s cool.”
“If being cool means making your clothes and breath smell and dying from lung cancer. Girls don’t normally find that attractive.”
“What about, you know, drugs? Mark smokes weed.”
“Someone at uni used to make muffins with it,” Alex says. “Look, I play a bit of rugby and cricket, but I’m not great at sport. I can’t draw or paint. And I’m not great at singing. But I’m pretty smart. I like my brain and the way it works, and I don’t like taking things that interfere with it.”
“Mum says you like whisky.”
“Ah, yeah, well. Whisky’s a man’s drink.”
“Do you get drunk much?”
“Nah. I don’t have enough. Not often, anyway. When you’re an adult, a glass of Islay malt is one of life’s little pleasures. But when you’re young, drugs and alcohol change the way your brain works. I wanted a healthy brain, and I was determined I wasn’t going to damage it.”
There’s a short silence. I can imagine Finn thinking about his words. Alex hasn’t laid down the law. He’s given his honest opinion, and Finn will trust that more than anything.
“Can I tell you something?” Finn asks eventually.
“Sure.”
“I haven’t told Mum.”
My eyebrows rise.
“Okay…” Alex says.
“There’s someone in my class that I quite like.”
“What’s their name?” I’m sure Alex has chosen the neutral pronoun on purpose, his voice non-judgmental, and I close my eyes. God, I adore this guy.
“She’s called Josie,” Finn says.
“Blonde or brunette?”
That makes me stifle a laugh. At least he didn’t ask what her boobs were like.
“What does brunette mean?” Finn asks.
“Dark-haired, like your mum.”
“Oh, it’s sort of fair and reddish, but not, like, ginger. Mum calls it strawberry blonde.”
“Nice.”
“She’s finished Zelda as well.”
“Wow. I think you should ask her to marry you.”
Finn giggles, and my lips curve up.
“Does she like you?” Alex asks.
“Dunno. She’s taller than me.”
“She won’t be for long. We measured you the other day, remember? You’ve grown, like, five centimeters since we first met.”
“Mum says my voice might break soon.”
