‘What?’
‘Hey, I was worried.’ I pause and then add, ‘It’s not like you not to show up. I’ve done the best I can with what was left at the community centre. You can always paint over it if my amateur attempts affront your artistic soul but...’
‘Show me.’
I pull my phone out my pocket. ‘Here, pull up and swipe through the photos of the backdrops.’
‘Oh, wow, they actually look really good. We’ll make an artist out of you yet.’ Her tone softens further. ‘Was Olive all right about me not being there?’
‘Yeah, I covered for you plus she’s super excited about being involved in the Drag Factor thing. She has been piling the pressure on to make sure I go. But enough of that, I wanted to see you in person, make sure you’re all right.’
She doesn’t answer straightaway but swipes the screen on my phone again. ‘Oh, look at everyone. Is that guy they’re all singing around Dan that we met the other night?’
‘Yeah, he’s been putting them through their paces. Dan wants them to all stand and do a little choreographed routine when Jinx takes to the stage, a flash mob in the audience.’
‘Wow. They look great. Will they be um wearing...um...?’
‘The T-shirts, yup. They insisted. Dan’s asked them to make any extra touches as flamboyant as possible.’
‘Ha. Does he know what he’s asking? Has he met Olive?’
‘Oh yes. She is now officially his second mother.’
‘Sweet.’
‘He may not think that when she turns up next Saturday dressed in nothing but a pair of neon coconut shells, the T-shirt tied in her hair. He may well regret giving her free rein on the word “flamboyant”.’
‘Oh, I’d love to see it.’
‘Well, go down. The more people cheering for Jinx the better. And you have a very loud cheer.’
‘I do. When is it? And why “go down”, why not “come down with me”? Does that mean you’re not planning on going?’
‘It’s tomorrow night. Will you make it?
‘Um...I don’t know. Things are...um....’ She shakes her head and then meets my eyes. ‘But I’ll try. I really will. Again, are you not going?’
‘It’s kinda...um...probably not.’
‘If you’re not going, then I’m not going! And I actually really want to go. What’s happening?’
I shrug. If I tell Cass she’s either going to bawl me out for being an arse or screech mean things about Lily and I am not really willing to deal with either option.
‘Wow, so you want to be all up in my shit but you’re not going to tell me yours? Whatever it is I suggest you get over it. Olive will be gutted if we don’t support her guys in their moment of glory. You know it. You’re going to disappoint Olive, are you? And Eric?’
‘Cass...’ I try and mimic the puppy-dog eyes she does so well.
‘Don’t even try. Is this Lily-related?’
I wince.
‘Has she filed a restraining order?’ She giggles at this, but it’s a little bit too raw for me to smile back. ‘Oh, Jay. Right, well, whatever it is, that needs to be sorted out. Do you not think Drag Factor would be a good place? The two of you could talk whatever needs to be talked out on the rooftop. It’s her territory so she’ll feel secure. It’s not like you to leave things in a bad place.’
I lower my eyes and shake my head. I don’t want to be pathetic but I still don’t have words. When I got home after our talk on The Downs even Dimkins came and sat on me and tried to give comfort. I nearly suffocated but he tried.
‘Oh, bro, we’ll get this sorted. We will.’ She gets a wan smile and she does a sympathetic thing with her lips, tilts her head. ‘Promise, but I need to get on so can you sod off and we’ll deal with this later?’
‘Yes, but only if we do real talk now? Just for like thirty seconds.’
