"It only arrived on Wednesday." She pauses. "I'd ask you if you were trying to buy my forgiveness, but I know you're too smart for that."
An involuntary laugh escapes my mouth.
"What?" she asks.
I wave a hand. "I knew you'd say that. But it was too good not to buy. You like it, right?"
"Of course. I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. Not now, not ever," she quotes, gesturing her hand as if she's delivering a speech in parliament.
She breaks into a smile, and I laugh, and it's like old times. Then we catch ourselves and return our gazes to our plate.
"Thank you," she says quietly.
"It was nothing."
We eat, and I for one am quite hungry, so I finish the meal first on the table. By then, Kennedy's eating has slowed down, and she picks at her food.
I ask her about school and we chat about how the upcoming English assessment on Hippolytus shouldn't be too bad. We start gossiping and Kennedy mentions the new kid, Kieran Phillips. "I heard that he got into a fight on the first day," she says.
"As in, his first day at Grammar? All the way at the start of this term?" I ask. "No way. We would have heard."
"That's what I overheard in Politics. Apparently, something happened in the boys' toilets and that Kieran Phillips threw punches."
"No one in our year level has bruises, though," I say, thinking back. "And besides, if there was a fight, everyone would know about it." Our school is the kind where there are very few physical altercations. I think the last time anyone in my year level fought was in Year 9 when one boy punched another.
"I don't know, but that's what I heard Hudson Blythe and Aiden Pate and that saying. Don't tell anyone though. I think it's supposed to be a secret."
"You told me though."
"Of course I did," Kennedy says as if it's obvious.
Warmth floods through me, and I smile. "I'm flattered. And I won't."
Once Kennedy finishes with her meal, we take our plates to the kitchen and go up to my room. We sit cross-legged on my bed, the way we have for years.
I smooth out my bedding, and in our silence, we can the laughter and voices of our parents. I think my parents are wine-drunk because they don't need to drive home tonight.
"Um, so," I say. "Is everything… okay… between us?"
She nods. "Yeah. It is."
I narrow my eyes at her to make sure she's not lying and she lets out a little laugh.
"You look ridiculous like that."
"You're sure about… everything?" I ask.
"Why does everyone ask me if I'm sure? I am." She places her hands behind her so she can lean back on them. "I was upset at the beginning. But after a while, I realised how much I missed talking to you, Liam. And I don't want to lose our friendship. I never intended on throwing it away."
"But I did something horrible…"
Kennedy smiles and raises a brow. "Are you trying to get me to justify your behaviour?"
"No!" I say. "No, I'm just saying… it's understandable if you didn't want to be my friend anymore."
"Maybe I wouldn't if it wasn't one kiss. Or it was while I was still dating him. Or if it was someone other than Curtis."
I cock my head at that last part.
