“Doing some stalking?” I say with a chuckle.
She gives me the phone back. “I know, I’m so creepy,” she jokes with a faint blush on her cheeks.
“You know,” I say, putting my phone back into my pocket, “you never explained to me why you don’t have social media.”
She shrugs. “It’s not an amazing answer — it’s not like I’m being super mindful or anything. I used to have all of them when I was younger, but I stopped using them. I didn’t have many people to contact. That’s it.”
“Huh.” I lean back in my chair and evaluating her.
Like always, her hair is in a high ponytail and she wears minimal makeup. Apart from the clothing, she looks the same as she does at school. Sure, her face changed over the years of high school, the way everyone’s does, but it’s still hers.
And yet now she looks so different to me. Maybe it’s because before I always saw her expressionless or serious, but now I see her laugh and smile and waggle her brows. Funny how small things can change a face.
“What is it?” she asks. When we first started talking, she’d tense up when she asked questions like that. Now, her shoulders are relaxed.
“Nothing. Just that … at the start of term, I knew nothing about you.”
It’s not the answer she’s expecting, but she smiles. “I know. It’s so weird. If I told my younger self that I’d be friends with Noah Rosselli, she’d laugh.”
I think that’s the first time Eve has said we’re friends.
19
Eve: Just Add Alcohol
Ruby and I get ready for the party at her house because she lives a street away from Craig. We’re going to walk there, although Ruby’s mum told us to call her to get a lift back instead of walking. Better to be safe than sorry.
We touch up each other’s makeup while listening to a pop music playlist, and once finished, we walk down the footpath of Ruby’s street; the sky darkening.
“Is Oliver coming with his friends?” I ask.
“Yeah, with John and Richard,” Ruby answers, rubbing her hands over the sides of her dress. She’s wearing a pretty sundress covered in miniature roses. I’m wearing a denim skirt and silky top. Our hair is the same though — loose waves, courtesy of Ruby’s hair curler. “He’s going to crash at John’s, so we have the house to ourselves tonight,” Ruby continues.
“Awesome,” I say.
“Excited to see Noah?” Ruby asks.
I blink. “Yeah, I guess.”
“You won’t ditch me for him, will you?” Ruby laughs, but I can hear the strain in her voice.
I pause on the footpath. “Of course not,” I say, once I resume walking. “Friends don’t ditch each other, especially at a party. Pinkie promise.”
Ruby giggles as we touch pinkies. Soon we arrive at a modern double-story house, made of geometric chunks of stone and shiny glass.
There are four cars parked outside, but that can’t be everyone. Some laughter drifts from the front door, but no music plays.
Ruby and I glance at each other. Is this the right house?
When no one answers our knock, Ruby tries the door handle and the door swings open.
We walk over white tiles until we find a group of people chatting in the kitchen. Declan turns and his brows shoot up.
“Knightly. Ruby. You’re early!”
“Um. Isn’t the party meant to start at seven?” I ask, looking at the older people who are giving curious stares.
“Oh, yeah, but people never come on time. Come here, I’ll fix you both with a drink. But only one — I don’t give out many freebies. This is my brother, by the way.”
