Read Online Missing Ellen by Natasha Mac a'Bháird - Free Book Online
Authors: Natasha Mac a'Bháird
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up in a shop front, hoping you’ll be safe for the night. I don’t see you held prisoner somewhere, a dark confined space, your only contact a cruel captor who brings you food and water and threats. I don’t, because I don’t, won’t, can’t let these images in, and when they try to intrude, I put my hands over my eyes and focus with all my strength on that white bikini picture, the blue of the sea, the laughter and light, and I know that’s where you belong.
Love,
Maggie.
It was only when we were getting ready for bed that Ellen realised. She was looking through the texts on her phone with a puzzled look on her face.
‘What the hell … oh no! This isn’t my phone!’ she exclaimed. ‘Look!’ She showed me the screen, with a list of names I didn’t recognise – mostly male.
‘Oh no, you must have left it in the pub,’ I said. ‘Did someone else have the same phone?’
‘I don’t know, I didn’t notice. We were in such a rush I just grabbed the phone and ran!’ Ellen was scrolling through the numbers on the phone. ‘Maybe it belongs to someone at our table.’
‘Want me to ring it?’ I suggested. I really hoped she wasn’t going to suggest sneaking out to go back to the pub. My nerves were already shattered.
‘Good idea!’
I dialled her number. Someone answered right away. In the background I could hear the sound of talking and laughing and glasses clinking – whoever it was must still be in the pub.
‘Hello? Who’s this?’ I asked, feeling a bit stupid.
‘It’s Pete. That Ellen?’
God, it would have to be Pete wouldn’t it?
‘No – hang on, I’ll get Ellen for you,’ I said hastily. I passed her the phone, hissing, ‘It’s that guy, Pete!’
Ellen’s face lit up. ‘Hello? Can you believe it, we must have got our phones mixed up! … Uh-huh. Uh-huh … yes I can meet you tomorrow. Why don’t you give me a ring in the morning?’
There was a pause, then Ellen laughed. ‘Nope, not too early. We princesses like our lie-ins.’
She hung up and handed me back the phone. ‘We’re going to meet tomorrow in town. This is excellent, I wasn’t sure when I was going to see him again.’
She got into bed and snuggled down under the duvet.‘Night, Maggie. Thanks for coming tonight, it was fab!’
I lay down too, switching off the light and gazing at the stars on my ceiling. Was it possible that Ellen had taken the wrong phone on purpose?
Dear Ellen,
I thought you would like an update on Fuddy Duddy’s fashion sense. I’m sorry to say it hasn’t improved. Today she was wearing a snot-green dress with enormous cerise flowers all over it. Hideous. And it was too tight, which meant her enormous bust looked like it was straining to get out. I was looking at the buttons, just waiting for one of them to pop, when she realised I was staring at her and I had to quickly look away. I wish we could give her some fashion advice. It’s really not fair that we should have to look at THAT every time we go to geography.
Liam has started walking home with me every day now, if he doesn’t have football training after school. You’ll be glad to know that we do actually talk now. Most of the time, anyway. We talk about football, or about things that have happened at school, or what we’re going to do at the weekend. He tells me daft things his teachers have said, who got caught smoking behind the gym when they were supposed to be in class, and who’s going out on Saturday night. I tell him what’s been going on with the girls at school, who’s not speaking to who, and the latest silly thing Jamie has done.
We don’t ever talk about you.
Maggie.
Ellen spent the morning fretting about what to wear to meet Pete. Since she was staying in my house, her selection was somewhat more limited than usual. She changed her outfit five times and still wasn’t too happy. She even thought about rushing home to get something of her own, but decided against it in the end, afraid we’d be
Love,
Maggie.
It was only when we were getting ready for bed that Ellen realised. She was looking through the texts on her phone with a puzzled look on her face.
‘What the hell … oh no! This isn’t my phone!’ she exclaimed. ‘Look!’ She showed me the screen, with a list of names I didn’t recognise – mostly male.
‘Oh no, you must have left it in the pub,’ I said. ‘Did someone else have the same phone?’
‘I don’t know, I didn’t notice. We were in such a rush I just grabbed the phone and ran!’ Ellen was scrolling through the numbers on the phone. ‘Maybe it belongs to someone at our table.’
‘Want me to ring it?’ I suggested. I really hoped she wasn’t going to suggest sneaking out to go back to the pub. My nerves were already shattered.
‘Good idea!’
I dialled her number. Someone answered right away. In the background I could hear the sound of talking and laughing and glasses clinking – whoever it was must still be in the pub.
‘Hello? Who’s this?’ I asked, feeling a bit stupid.
‘It’s Pete. That Ellen?’
God, it would have to be Pete wouldn’t it?
‘No – hang on, I’ll get Ellen for you,’ I said hastily. I passed her the phone, hissing, ‘It’s that guy, Pete!’
Ellen’s face lit up. ‘Hello? Can you believe it, we must have got our phones mixed up! … Uh-huh. Uh-huh … yes I can meet you tomorrow. Why don’t you give me a ring in the morning?’
There was a pause, then Ellen laughed. ‘Nope, not too early. We princesses like our lie-ins.’
She hung up and handed me back the phone. ‘We’re going to meet tomorrow in town. This is excellent, I wasn’t sure when I was going to see him again.’
She got into bed and snuggled down under the duvet.‘Night, Maggie. Thanks for coming tonight, it was fab!’
I lay down too, switching off the light and gazing at the stars on my ceiling. Was it possible that Ellen had taken the wrong phone on purpose?
Dear Ellen,
I thought you would like an update on Fuddy Duddy’s fashion sense. I’m sorry to say it hasn’t improved. Today she was wearing a snot-green dress with enormous cerise flowers all over it. Hideous. And it was too tight, which meant her enormous bust looked like it was straining to get out. I was looking at the buttons, just waiting for one of them to pop, when she realised I was staring at her and I had to quickly look away. I wish we could give her some fashion advice. It’s really not fair that we should have to look at THAT every time we go to geography.
Liam has started walking home with me every day now, if he doesn’t have football training after school. You’ll be glad to know that we do actually talk now. Most of the time, anyway. We talk about football, or about things that have happened at school, or what we’re going to do at the weekend. He tells me daft things his teachers have said, who got caught smoking behind the gym when they were supposed to be in class, and who’s going out on Saturday night. I tell him what’s been going on with the girls at school, who’s not speaking to who, and the latest silly thing Jamie has done.
We don’t ever talk about you.
Maggie.
Ellen spent the morning fretting about what to wear to meet Pete. Since she was staying in my house, her selection was somewhat more limited than usual. She changed her outfit five times and still wasn’t too happy. She even thought about rushing home to get something of her own, but decided against it in the end, afraid we’d be
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