The freedom was intoxicating. They felt years older than they were, and were heady with the knowledge that for the first time in their lives they were completely unsupervised.
It was Friday. The day before the Straw Bear Festival. As usual, Rosie and Tilly marched out of the school without a backwards glance at Miss Young or their classmates and headed towards the high street. Friday was extra special as their mums would give them some money to buy a milkshake from the village cafe on the way home. Rosie loved going in and ordering, sitting with Tilly and sucking all thechocolatey cold milk from the bottom of the glass, not wasting a drop.
Except today she didn’t want to.
‘I’ve forgotten my money,’ she said to Tilly, whose face dropped in horror. Rosie pretended to be devastated too. ‘Trauma,’ she added.
‘Maybe I’ve got enough for both of us,’ said Tilly, peering into her little zip-up purse with a ladybird on it.
‘No, you should save your money,’ said Rosie quickly.
Tilly didn’t have enough anyway. There was only five pounds. Milkshakes cost four pounds each.
‘I’m such an idiot,’ said Rosie.
‘We could share one?’ suggested Tilly, hope in her eyes.
‘That might be a bit weird.’
Tilly looked affronted.
‘I mean with the lady behind the till. Us only buying one drink.’
‘Yeah. S’pose.’
They shrugged at each other then continued on their way. As usual, they came to Tilly’s house first.
‘See you at the festival tomorrow,’ said Rosie.
‘Yeah. I’ll ask my mum to ask your mum what time you’re going so we can meet up.’
‘Great,’ said Rosie. ‘See you there.’ She hesitated. Part of her was desperate to get away, to get on with what she wanted to do. But she had a very strong feeling she might need some help. She questioned whether she could trust Tilly. She questioned whether she had any choice.
‘Maybe we could meet earlier. Before the festival.’
‘OK.’
‘It’s for something important.’
Tilly looked interested. ‘What?’
‘You have to promise to keep it a secret.’
‘Course,’ said Tilly blithely. Greedily. Wanting to know.
‘No, I mean it,’ said Rosie. ‘Or I might have to kill you.’
Tilly started. ‘Okaaaay...’
‘I’ll tell you tomorrow. When I come to your house. About two o’clock, OK?’
‘Can’t you tell me today?’
‘No.’
Tilly accepted the rebuff and they gave each other a little lightweight hug, a sort of resting of the hands on each other’s shoulders and then Tilly went up her front path.
Rosie didn’t hang about. She walked swiftly away and when she was out of view of the house, she broke into a run. But instead of going home, she headed back up to the high street, crossed over the road then made her way down the lane that led towards the woods.
