Cheryl squinted at the line. That couldn’t be right. Patrick had played for the Hammerhead Sharks for ages. The internet must have him screwed up with some other Patrick Normal. She scrolled down to the ‘About’ section.
Patrick Fitzgerald Normal
Born: 25 November 2003 (age 20 years)
Rockingham, Western Australia
Siblings: Jason Normal, Martin Normal, Antony Normal, Dominic Normal
Parents: James Normal, Katherine Normal
Cheryl’s throat went dry. She didn’t know a lot about Patrick, but Eden had said he was from Rockingham, and he’d mentioned having four big brothers. The odds his biography age was wrong when everything else looked right was… unlikely.
She stared at his birth date with mounting horror. 25 November 2003.
2003? 2003? People weren’t born in 2003! They were born in the 90s. Or the 80s. Or the fucking 60s. 2003 was when you were in primary school and learning how to swim, and oh God, Patrick wasn’t even alive for 9/11! He had to learn about it. Like it was history or something.
“No,” she told her hotel room. “No, no, no.”
She reopened Instagram, determined to nip this flirtation in the bud. She thought for a second, then began to type.
I’ll mail you the shoe and you can see it all you want. Wear it, even.
Her phone buzzed.
Might be a bit small…
He was still flirting with her. She needed to nip harder.
Cinderella made it work, bitch. So can you.
Cheryl winced. She’d been aiming for firm but friendly, but that had come out totally over the top. She moved her thumb to delete the message, but it was too late. He’d already seen it. She sucked in a breath, waiting for him to bail on their conversation.
Her phone vibrated.
Fine, I’ll slice off some toes. Besides, where we’re going, we won’t need feet to run.
The phrase rang a weird bell, and then it clicked.
Event Horizon?
You know it. Me and my brother Martin fucked ourselves up watching it when we were kids. I still love horror movies, though.
Cheryl sat up excitedly.
I love horror movies! The more messed up the better! Only no one ever wants to see them with me.
Same. We should team up. You get back next month, yeah? We could go to that blood zombie one with Kate Hudson?
Cheryl hesitated. She really, desperately, wanted to see the Kate Hudson blood zombie movie, but not if Mr 2003 thought it was a date. She needed to spell this out clearly.
Just as friends?
Nah. Co-conspirators or nothing.
Exhausted and relieved, she giggled.
You’re on. But I’m warning you, I don’t share popcorn.
