Love always, Holly
I blindly stab at my phone until the email’s disappeared and then I order myself a big ass drink.
Mike’s on the terrace rustling up a BBQ while Mila sloshes rosé into our glasses. Ben would love to go and talk to Mike about beef, I can see it in his eyes, but instead he’s being very sweet and listening to me ramble on aboutthatemail instead.
‘I wonder why she’s getting in touch now,’ Mila says. ‘Maybe she feels like there’s enough water under the bridge?’
‘There will never be enough water under that stupid bridge,’ I reply. Ben smushes my cheeks which is irritating and cute in equal measures.
‘Did you hear from her too?’ I ask.
‘No,’ they say in unison.
‘But then, it was you two who had the huge fallout and besides, you and Holly were best mates in the first place. It’s not surprising that you’d be the one she reached out to,’ Mila adds.
‘Weren’tyou friends from primary school?’ Ben asks.
‘Yep. She was my oldest friend. We used to hang out at each other’s house after school and we always competed together in the three-legged race on sports day. . .’
‘I remember thinking how utterly cool she was when I first met you two at secondary,’ says Mila. ‘Do you remember that time when we went to prom and Holly looked exactly like Marissa Cooper from The OC? All that perfectly wavy hair and shit. I was just about dying to be her then. Not to mention the fact that she could have any—’ Mila stops short of finishing her sentence, her face falling. ‘Shit, sorry Jas. I didn’t think.’
‘It’s okay. You’re right, Holly was basically blessed. Is it weird to admit that I always felt more confident in her presence? Like, she would literally light up the room and you could see how much people loved to be around her. I was happy basking in all that reflected glory.’
‘What? That’s not what it looked like to me. Youbothlit up the room, everybody wanted to be aroundbothof you. I don’t think it was a one-way street Jas, you encouraged each other to be brilliant. Remember that weekend we had at mine when we were sixteen? My mum was away and also, my mum wouldn’t know parental responsibilities if they punched her in the nuts. That’s why I love your mum so much Jas, she’s so fun to hang around with but she’s also, first and foremost, a mum. Mine has literally no clue.’
I frown. Mila’s mum has always been useless. ‘You know Mum pretty much sees you as a second daughter?’
‘Thank goodness for Linda,’ she smiles and I give her hand a squeeze. ‘As for my actual mother, she came round with a house-warming gift for Mike and me the other day. It was the candle that I’d bought her for Mother’s Day! She’d obviously lit it, decided shedidn’t like the smell and stuffed it back in the box ready to gift-recycle. I know it’s not really a big issue, but I’d love it if she paid a bit more attention to, I dunno, me?’
It’s stories like these that make me want to march over to Mila’s mum’s house and ask her why the chuff she’s so rubbish. She always has and always will put her own social life before her daughter’s and it makes me really sad for my best friend.
Mila shrugs it off. ‘Anyway, that weekend my mum was away with friends and we all sat around on the first night, drinking cider and talking about the people we fancied. Ben had a crush on. . .’
‘Don’t say it,’ Ben grimaces.
‘OUR HEADMISTRESS!’ Mila and I chime, collapsing into giggles.
Ben folds his arms. ‘Yes, well, she was hot and an older woman. Besides, you fancied the PE teacher.’
‘That’s not weird though,’ Mila argues. ‘He was fit and only, like, ten years older than us. Your crush was nearly a hundred years old and she wore her glasseson a chain. Anyway, I fancied that boy in our year who everyone thought was the coolest. . . what was his name? Matt something? Matt Richards! Jasmine and Holly encouraged me to call him that night.’
‘Oh yeah, I remember now!’ I say.
‘You both made me feel so confident and like I could do it. So we all sat around while I rang up Matt Richards. When he said yes Holly squealed so loud that you threw a cushion at her face!’
I laugh at the memories. ‘Didn’t he take you to MacDonalds?’
‘Yes, and he spent the whole time asking about you, Jas. He obviously had a crush on you.’
‘Thatwasn’t the official reason you “broke up” after one date though, was it? Didn’t you just tell everyone that he was boring?’
‘I had to save face,’ Mila grins. ‘And you were too busy working on an art project to be bothered by boys at that point, remember?’
‘I’d forgotten that. Look at Past Jasmine prioritising work over boys like a bawss. Is it weird to think that my life was more sorted in my teens than it is now?’
Ben shakes his head and says softly: ‘I think sixteen-year-old Jasmine would be so proud of you. You’re an awesome photographer, for a start.’
‘YES YOU ARE! And you’ve managed to fit in some time to find new types of boys this summer as well. Where are we, date number four now? So according to the list, that means that it could just be three more dates until you find your one. Imagine if Matt Richards came back into our lives. . .’ Mila glazes over at the thought.
