“No!” I say, loud enough to take him aback. I lower the volume of my voice. “I can’t. I’m busy, sorry. Actually, I’m not sorry. You should have…just…” I try to calm myself down. “I’m sure Aiden or Hudson are free. Hang out with them.”
“What the hell, man? Why are you so pissed off?” He moves his face an inch closer, scanning me. “Wait…were you banging that girl?”
“What are you talking about?” I ask, leaning back.
I wish he’d lower his voice. I don’t want Kieran to hear this. I think of him waiting in the wardrobe and wring my hands.
“That girl you’re banging,” Fin continues. “Remember when we talked about it at lunch once? Who is it? Someone from school?” His eyes widen. “Is it Trinity? You simped for her for ages. It’d be hilarious if it was her. Not that she’s not hot — good for you, man. But I bet Phillips would be jealous. He hangs out with her and all those girls a lot. He must be in the friend zone. Unless he’s gay, and in that case — ”
“Fin,” I interrupt, “I’m busy. I need you to go. Okay?” I grab his shoulder and march him out of my bedroom.
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah.” I continue to take him down the hallway to the stairs, where he bats my hands away. “See you at school.”
He narrows his eyes at me, then nods. “Fine. Fine!”
I’ve pissed him off — and it’s never a good idea to piss him off, because Fin is the pettiest person I know — but I had no choice. I go with him to the front door, trying not to twitch with impatience. Once he’s gone, I race back to my bedroom.
When I arrive, Kieran’s sitting on the end of my bed, shoulders rolled over. He looks up at me. “Well. That was humiliating.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “He’s gone now.”
Kieran looks at his fingers.
“I didn’t invite him. He just came. I didn’t know.”
He nods.
I shift my weight. “Did you hear us?”
“He guessed you were banging a girl.” He lets out a mirthless laugh. “He’s half right.”
“Kieran.”
He shakes his head. “Why are you friends with him? Never mind. Forget I asked that.” He stands up.
He’s leaving, and I can’t blame him, even though every fibre of my body wishes he’d stay. I reach out for him, then pull my hand back. I want to make things better, but I don’t know how.
“I’m sorry.” It’s the only thing I can think of.
He musters up a smile and shakes his head. “I’ll let myself out. See ya.” Then he walks away.
24
Kieran: Hoodie
Senior glances at me from the driver's seat. “Excited?”
I fight the urge to groan or laugh, even though I feel like a little kid being invited to their first birthday party. “Yeah,” I answer. “Imogen’s a good friend.”
Senior couldn’t contain his shock when I asked him for a ride to Imogen’s 18th, like he thought that socialising was a thing I didn’t do, since this is the first party I’ve gone to in Easton. I didn’t correct him to say this was the first time I’d been invited to a party by anyone in our year level. I’m not bitter about it — I know I’m still a stranger to most of my classmates, while they’ve known each other for ages. But I’m still pretty excited about Imogen’s party. More excited than it’s cool to be.
“Is Jasper going too?” Senior asks, pulling up to a red light.
“I think so,” I answer. I’ve tried not to think about Jasper since the last time we hooked up, when Fin arrived. I certainly haven’t spoken to him. “Imogen invited the whole year level.”
“I could’ve driven him too.”
