“Where are you now?”
“Hiding in the toilets.”
“You should get out of there. Can someone pick you up?”
June took a deep breath. “Alex, I’m sorry to ask, but I don’t have a single person I can call. Please can you—”
“Al, have you seen my black dress anywhere?”
The voice was young, husky, and female, and June remembered with a jolt that Alex was in London.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize...” she mumbled.
“No, that’s okay. Hang on one sec... Ellie, I’m just...” There was a rustling sound as Alex moved the phone away, and June pictured him covering the microphone with his hand. She could make out the odd muffled word.
“Girl from school...”
“Lives alone...”
“Doesn’t have anyone...”
June felt each word like a slap across the face.
“Sorry about that,” Alex said when he came back on the line. “What were you saying?”
June was so mortified that it took a moment for her to find any words. “Nothing. I’d better go.”
“No, it’s fine. Do you want me to—”
“Sorry to bother you. Bye.”
June hung up and looked in the mirror, feeling a wave of revulsion at the pathetic face staring back at her. She wanted to scream in humiliation. Why the hell had she called Alex when he was with his girlfriend? She imagined the two of them laughing about thisweird girl from school who was so tragic she didn’t have any friends to ask for help. Or worse still, not laughing but pitying her.
Fighting back hot tears, June threw her phone into her bag and hurried out of the toilets.
•••
June caught a taxi home and spent the rest of the afternoon hiding with the curtains drawn against the bright August sunshine. She tried to readGreat Expectations, but every time there was a scene with Miss Havisham, she felt a creeping sense of recognition and eventually cast the book aside. She started cleaning, but each picture and ornament seemed to be mocking her.How can you still be a virgin at twenty-eight?the china girl with the book teased as June dusted her.What are you so afraid of, Junebug?her mum asked out of every framed photo. Even Alan Bennett got in on the act.You’re such a loser, he seemed to say as June fed him.You’ve hidden away in this house rather than get out there and live your life.
That evening, as June lay slumped on the sofa listlessly watching an old episode ofFour in a Bed, she heard her phone buzz. She glanced down and saw a message from Alex. At the sight of his name, June felt a stab of pain at the memory of their phone conversation and his words to Ellie.Girl from school... lives alone... doesn’t have anyone...Alex had been the one person whom June could call anything near to a friend, but now he knew how sad her life really was.
She picked up the phone and clicked on his message.
Alex Chen
Hey, hope ur ok? Dad told me he just saw the library protest event on the local news—I can’tbelieve those old FOCL fuddy duddies booked a stripper! Great news for the campaign though x
June sat up abruptly. In all her self-pity, she hadn’t once thought about the library event this morning. She quickly searched on her phone to find the local news and pressed play. There was a report on some local building development, but June couldn’t concentrate on it, willing the story to hurry up.
And then suddenly Tessa was on the screen, standing outside the church hall.
“Six libraries in Dunningshire are threatened with closure by the council. But only one has come up with such a novel way of drawing attention to their cause.”
The news piece cut inside and there was Rocky, wearing some kind of S and M cowboy outfit, grinding away in the center of the church hall. There was a small, shocked-looking crowd watching him, and in the middle stood Jackson, his mouth hanging open.
“With just seven weeks to go until the council’s consultation ends, organizers in Chalcot have laid on an eye-catching protest,” Tessa was saying.
The piece went to Mrs.Bransworth, looking dazed. “Er, we thought this might help draw attention to our campaign,” she stammered, as Rocky thrust and gyrated behind her.
