Bonnie laughs. "Everyone goes through that, though," she adds kindly.
"Yeah, but limiting the number of people who saw me like that is important for my ego. Anyway, the point is that I've emerged as a butterfly."
"You're ridiculous," Kennedy says, before grinning at the cousins. "We have so much to catch up on. And that includes me showing you all the photos I have of Liam."
I freeze. "Kennedy, no."
"Yes," she cackles.
I keep my protests to a minimum while Kennedy's mother and father bring out the main course of roast pork. Kennedy's vegan, so she brings out a plate of vegan pasta for herself. I help pour soft drink for Bonnie, Kennedy and me. While everyone is over eighteen, the three of us prefer soft drink over wine.
"So, what's uni like?" Kennedy asks Erin once everyone has piled their plates with food.
Erin has the same curly hair as her sister, but she's tamed it into a ponytail. There are a few flyaway curls, and she brushes one out of her face as she talks about her course. "It's pretty competitive, but I enjoy it. I guess I'm one of those people who work well under pressure," she finishes.
"Do you pull all-nighters for assignments?" I ask.
She shakes her head. "Sometimes I go to sleep late, but I've only pulled a few all-nighters."
I shiver. "I couldn't do that."
"You've done it at parties," Kennedy reminds me and turns to the cousins. "When Liam drinks he drinks, he gets crazy wasted."
"I can't trust myself around alcohol. I always say something I regret. Anyway," I say, waving my hand. "Staying up for a party is different to staying up for an essay or something. Imagine spending the entire night studying. Ugh."
"I know some people who pull all-nighters for Year 12," Bonnie says. Like Kennedy and I, Bonnie attends a private school, except it's one in the city and is much fancier and more competitive.
Kennedy cringes. "No."
Bonnie nods and tells us about how people compete for the highest ranking in classes, and how intense it is. Erin agrees, saying it was the same when she was in Year 12.
We all moan and complain about Year 12 for a bit. High school has always been pretty chill for me, but this year, all the teachers are like war generals, demanding we do well in the exams, get into our preferred universities and uphold the school's reputation.
We finish dinner and take the plates to the kitchen before returning to the table. On the other side of the table, Kennedy and my parents refill their wine glasses, laughing at a joke Kennedy's dad made.
"What about you two?" Erin asks Kennedy and me. "Have you thought about your university preferences?"
"I have no idea," I say.
"Me neither," Kennedy says. "It'll have to be something that gets me a good job, though. Not something I like."
Erin and Bonnie nod sympathetically. Every child in the Harding family must face the same pressure to get a prestigious and lucrative job. My parents aren't like that though — I think they just want me to choose something, anything.
"I get that," Bonnie says. "I want to study education but my parents said teachers aren't paid that well."
"Teachers should be paid more," I say. "Anyone that has to deal with crazy children and teenagers should be paid a fortune."
"How ironic," Kennedy says.
"What is?"
"You two could probably guess this," Kennedy says to the cousins, "but Liam's the biggest pain in class."
"Hey," I protest. "Teachers love me."
"They think you're charming. Sometimes," Kennedy says. "They also think you're annoying as hell."
"Yeah, well, you're just as a nuisance. Kennedy doesn't go a week without finding something to protest and sending a letter to the school."
