Roxy checks whether I heard what Cat-eye Glasses said. Oh, I heard. I heard that loud and clear, my friend.
“What does THAT mean?” I gasp.
OK, I might be more sensitive than usual right now, but shehas to know that hurt, right? The steward scurries off towards a gap of more than 50 cm and I turn to Roxy, too deflated to speak.
“I know, babe, she’s just drunk on power,” she says, giving me a consolatory smile. “I’d be lucky to have you.”
“Well.Ithink so. I’m adorable.” Roxy raises her eyebrows. “I mean, Icanbe adorable.”
“If you say so,” Roxy says, patting my cheek as the queue starts moving again.
We stop again and I don’t even need to look round. I can sense them in the queue next to us, feeding on my misery.
“Oh, hi again. We’re in a little pattern,” says Vivian, clapping her hands. “This is hilarious.”
“Is it?” I say. I look at Charlie Chamberlain, who’s fiddling with the strap of his watch. “What did you mean by that?”
“I literally said nothing?” he says, blinking at me, the picture of innocence.
“Before, about the quiz you said,would you even listen if I did?What did you mean?”
“It doesn’t matter,” he says, doing a sort of one-shouldered shrug, like I’m not even worth both of his broad, stupid shoulders.
“No, tell me,” I say.
I put my hands on my hips and look up at him until he finally rolls his eyes.
“I just meant that sometimes you’re so intent on making your mind up about someone that you’ve already decided what they think before you’ve given them a chance.”
I blink at him, then look up at Roxy who’s grimacing. I can’t tell if it’s anoutragedgrimace or awhat-he-saidgrimace.
“No, I don’t,” I say, my nostrils flaring.
“Yes, you do. You’ve decided what my answer is, so you won’t listen properly when I actually tell you. It’s what you always do when you think you’re being confronted.”
“No, I don’t,” I try again.
I don’t, guys. I really don’t. Charlie Chamberlain can’t give an accurate assessment of my character, not any more.
“Tension much?”
Vivian looks from me to Charlie to her vamp nail polish. My cheeks feel like they’re melting off, leaving two hollow craters in my face, then I feel a gentle hand around mine. I look down at Sadie, who’s looking up at me with almost heart-shaped eyes. It’s quite the contrast with the blood-red contacts.
“I didn’t think it was a fair question, Eliza,” she says, squeezing my fingers.
“Thanks, Sadie,” I say, squeezing hers back.
“Are you going to ask what I think?” says Charlie Chamberlain.
“About what?” I ask.
“About the quiz,” he says, his cheeks turning red.
“I don’t care what you think,” I say.
Charlie Chamberlain scans my face. I don’t think we’ve held eye contact for this long in over a year and my mouth goes dry as he blinks at me.
“Forty-two,” he says, his voice soft.
