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Jordan waves before heading over to us and sits in front of me, next to Rosie. “Who was that?” Willow asks, voicing my question.
“I know the girl, Emma. She’s the small one next to the guy with tatts.”
“Is that the girl you mentioned earlier?” I ask, double-checking.
“Yeah. I saw them outside and said hi. Her friend and her boyfriend have come from out of town to visit and see how she’s getting on. I sense more of a story there, but don’t want to pry. That Max guy is a hoot. Kind of reminds me of you, CJ.”
CJ chokes on his hot chocolate, narrowing his eyes. “There’s only one me. I’m limited edition.”
Jordan’s lips twitch in amusement. “Yep, definitely reminds me of you. He said something similar out in the carpark.”
CJ scoffs, glancing across the room at the table the two couples have sat down at. “Nope, only one me. I’m fucking awesome.”
I tap his leg, placating him. “Okay, we get it. Did you eat?”
He groans, rubbing his stomach. “I’m starving actually.”
Willow leans over Cole to glance at us. “You ate a sub not fifteen minutes ago because the waiting was making you hungry.”
CJ grins. “That was fifteen minutes ago, now is now,” he tells her, before turning to me. “What would you like to eat?”
“Just a sandwich—if they have cheese. And a double chocolate chip muffin, if they have that, too.”
He licks his lips. “I’m sure they do. Want any chips? I’m going to get the lasagne.”
In other words, he wants me to order chips so he doesn’t look like a pig in front of the others. I giggle and nod. “Sure, but I probably won’t eat them.”
“That’s okay; I’m sure I can finish what you don’t eat.”
Meaning all of them, I muse.
The boys leave the table to go order, leaving Becca, Willow, Jordan, Rosie and me at the table.
Willow turns to me, smiling. “The lads were telling us how their coach has organised a last-minute game this Saturday to raise money for the children’s hospital. Are you working?”
“I’m not this Saturday. The manager has someone from the local high school doing work experience, so she doesn’t need all of us.”
Willow claps her hands excitedly. “That’s great. We’ll all be able to go. I don’t think I could stomach watching that again on my own.”
I giggle at her pale face. “True. It was brutal. Maybe we can bring some snacks this time. I know I’m bringing sweets.”
“Something warm ‘cause we’re meant to have three inches of snow over the weekend,” Jordan adds.
“Will they still do the game if it snows?” Rosie asks.
“Who knows. This is England; we only have to get a sheet of snow and everyone goes crazy. I only went for bread the other day and the shop had sold out. Same at the next three shops I went to. You’d think we were having a zombie apocalypse.”
I start laughing at Jordan’s expression. She looks so torn up over bread, so annoyed people went and bought it all. It’s hysterical.
“What you all laughing at?” CJ asks, sitting down.
I lean into him, smiling. “Zombies.”
He shudders, glancing around warily. “Fucking zombies. I’d beat that shit hands down. Fuckers would never get near me.”
I begin to laugh, hoping he doesn’t start off on his list of shit to do if we were to ever have an outbreak. He has it down to where he would go, what he would do, and who he would take with him. I thought I was crazy loving The Walking Dead, but then I met CJ and realised I was sane compared to him.
I space out when they start talking about zombies, Willow begging them to shut up. My eyes drift back over to the table Emma is sitting at, my mind wondering why she holds so much pain.
