My curiosity gets the better of me. ‘Why?’
‘Just checking,’ he says.
‘What are you checking about?’ I’m a little irritated now.
‘I’m making sure you’re not wanting anyone in particular to go tonight.’
‘Anyone in particular like whom?’ I demand to know.
‘Are you getting changed or what?’ He gives me a pointed stare.
I glance down at my shirt with its tomato ketchup stain on the front. ‘Er, yes.’
‘Wear something nice for me,’ he says with a look that would make most girls go weak at the knees. But it has no effect on me; I just ignore it and head down the corridor to my bedroom. I’m absentmindedly unbuttoning my shirt and removing a skirt from the cupboard when out of the corner of my eye I see Josh standing in the doorway.
‘Josh!’ I pull my shirt closed over my bra.
‘What? It’s not like I haven’t seen girls naked before,’ he says flippantly.
‘But you haven’t seen ME naked before! GET OUT!’ I storm over and slam the door in his face.
Despite that little episode, Idomake an effort to get dressed up that night, putting on make-up and high heels so I look older than my years. I’m steeling myself for a night out socialising. I don’t really feel like it, but I need to get my head into making new friends and moving on.
We arrive in Hahndorf to find Shane, Brian and Alex sitting at a wooden bench table out the front.
‘Hey guys!’ I say brightly.
‘Happy New Year,’ Shane responds, patting the bench space next to him.
‘Lily,’ Josh snaps, grabbing hold of my arm. ‘Are you going to go to the bar?’
‘Yougo to the bar, mate!’ Brian exclaims. ‘Don’t be a cheapskate.’
Josh grudgingly lets go of my arm and I slide in next to Shane, bemused.
‘What’s everyone having?’ Josh asks.
Beer, beer, beer, cider.
He sets off to the bar with a foul look on his face. He doesn’t think I fancy Shane, does he? So what if I do? Obviously I don’t, but what’s Josh’s problem?
‘Did you all have a good time last night?’ I ask the three guys sitting around the table.
‘Yeah, it was cool,’ Alex replies.
‘How many girls did you snog?’
Brian sniggers, but it is Alex who replies. ‘Brian got his tongue down three.’
‘I beat Josh for a change,’ Brian comments.
‘What was it, a competition?’ I ask sarcastically.
‘Yeah, it was actually,’ Shane replies. ‘They each bet a tenner.’
‘Weren’t you in on it?’ I ask him.
‘Nah,’ he replies, giving me a meaningful look. ‘I’m not into that sort of thing.’
