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Authors: Natasha Mac a'Bháird
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late. I tried not to be insulted on behalf of my wardrobe.
Pete was late. We sat in Java Bay, sipping an oversized pink lemonade with two straws.
‘Are you sure we’ll see him from here?’ Ellen asked for the third time.
‘Of course. You said you’d meet him outside the Music Centre. There’s only one entrance,’ I reassured her.
‘I’d hate him to think I stood him up,’ Ellen said.
I looked at my watch. It was beginning to look like it might be the other way around.
We made the pink lemonade last as long as we could. The cafe started to fill up, and I noticed the waitress giving us some pointed looks as she cleared tables nearby.
‘He’s an hour late,’ I said eventually. ‘Do you want to text him or something?’
‘No. No way. I don’t want to sound desperate,’ Ellen said. ‘Let’s go and visit Liam, see what he’s up to.’
‘Maybe we shouldn’t. He’ll be busy,’ I said.
‘Oh we won’t keep him long,’ Ellen said. ‘We can just see if there’s any gossip from the disco last night.’
‘I thought you didn’t care about that “baby disco”,’ I said.
‘I don’t.’
‘So let’s leave it then. We can have a look round the shoe shop instead.’
‘We can do that after. I think it might be a good idea if Pete saw me talking to Liam. Make him jealous!’
She was back to scheming again, and somehow Liam and I were caught in the middle. As usual, I gave in.
Liam was carrying a huge box of books into the newsagent ’s. He smiled when he saw us coming. ‘Well, where did you two get to last night?’
‘Oh, it’s a bit of a long story,’ Ellen said. ‘There was this band we wanted to see. Did we miss anything?’
‘Not much,’ Liam said, beginning to take some books out of the box and stacking them on a shelf. ‘It was a good night, but nothing that exciting.’
‘Obviously not, since we weren’t there,’ Ellen said.
‘What are you up to today?’ I asked, then immediately felt my face starting to go red. What sort of an idiot was I? Wasn’t it obvious? ‘I mean, obviously you’re working now, but any plans for later? I mean, not that I’m suggesting we meet up or anything, I’m supposed to be helping my mum with something anyway …’ I trailed off. Ellen was giving methat wide-eyed look which means she is afraid to imagine what I am going to say next. I was a bit afraid myself.
Liam, lovely guy that he is, just gave me a straight answer. ‘I’m working til four. Not sure after that. Should be studying but I might give myself the evening off.’
‘Well, let us know what you’re up to. We have to go,’ Ellen said. Her – sorry, Pete’s – phone had beeped and she obviously couldn’t wait to check it.
‘Sorry, Liam. Bye, Liam,’ I babbled, turning to follow Ellen, who hadn’t waited to say goodbye but was already on her way out of the shop.
‘That was kind of rude,’ I started.
‘At least I wasn’t chatting him up!’ Ellen said.
‘I wasn’t chatting him up!’
‘That’s what it sounded like to me. Do you fancy him or something?’
Thankfully she didn’t wait for a reply because she was reading her text at the same time. ‘Damn, it’s Pete, he says something’s come up and he can’t make it into town.’
‘Nice of him to let you know!’ I said, glad of the change of subject. ‘We’ve been waiting more than an hour!’
‘Oh I’m sure it must be something important or he would have come. Not to worry. At least I get more time to plan my outfit!’
‘What about your phone?’
‘I don’t know. I suppose we can just forward any messagesto each other.’ Ellen suddenly looked worried. ‘God, I hope Mum doesn’t send him any of her daft soppy texts!’
She put the phone back in her bag. ‘How about we call over to Carrie’s? I can’t wait to tell her all about Pete!’
Dear Ellen,
It’s school musical time again. I saw the poster up on the noticeboard. Mum wants me to audition, but what fun would it be without
Pete was late. We sat in Java Bay, sipping an oversized pink lemonade with two straws.
‘Are you sure we’ll see him from here?’ Ellen asked for the third time.
‘Of course. You said you’d meet him outside the Music Centre. There’s only one entrance,’ I reassured her.
‘I’d hate him to think I stood him up,’ Ellen said.
I looked at my watch. It was beginning to look like it might be the other way around.
We made the pink lemonade last as long as we could. The cafe started to fill up, and I noticed the waitress giving us some pointed looks as she cleared tables nearby.
‘He’s an hour late,’ I said eventually. ‘Do you want to text him or something?’
‘No. No way. I don’t want to sound desperate,’ Ellen said. ‘Let’s go and visit Liam, see what he’s up to.’
‘Maybe we shouldn’t. He’ll be busy,’ I said.
‘Oh we won’t keep him long,’ Ellen said. ‘We can just see if there’s any gossip from the disco last night.’
‘I thought you didn’t care about that “baby disco”,’ I said.
‘I don’t.’
‘So let’s leave it then. We can have a look round the shoe shop instead.’
‘We can do that after. I think it might be a good idea if Pete saw me talking to Liam. Make him jealous!’
She was back to scheming again, and somehow Liam and I were caught in the middle. As usual, I gave in.
Liam was carrying a huge box of books into the newsagent ’s. He smiled when he saw us coming. ‘Well, where did you two get to last night?’
‘Oh, it’s a bit of a long story,’ Ellen said. ‘There was this band we wanted to see. Did we miss anything?’
‘Not much,’ Liam said, beginning to take some books out of the box and stacking them on a shelf. ‘It was a good night, but nothing that exciting.’
‘Obviously not, since we weren’t there,’ Ellen said.
‘What are you up to today?’ I asked, then immediately felt my face starting to go red. What sort of an idiot was I? Wasn’t it obvious? ‘I mean, obviously you’re working now, but any plans for later? I mean, not that I’m suggesting we meet up or anything, I’m supposed to be helping my mum with something anyway …’ I trailed off. Ellen was giving methat wide-eyed look which means she is afraid to imagine what I am going to say next. I was a bit afraid myself.
Liam, lovely guy that he is, just gave me a straight answer. ‘I’m working til four. Not sure after that. Should be studying but I might give myself the evening off.’
‘Well, let us know what you’re up to. We have to go,’ Ellen said. Her – sorry, Pete’s – phone had beeped and she obviously couldn’t wait to check it.
‘Sorry, Liam. Bye, Liam,’ I babbled, turning to follow Ellen, who hadn’t waited to say goodbye but was already on her way out of the shop.
‘That was kind of rude,’ I started.
‘At least I wasn’t chatting him up!’ Ellen said.
‘I wasn’t chatting him up!’
‘That’s what it sounded like to me. Do you fancy him or something?’
Thankfully she didn’t wait for a reply because she was reading her text at the same time. ‘Damn, it’s Pete, he says something’s come up and he can’t make it into town.’
‘Nice of him to let you know!’ I said, glad of the change of subject. ‘We’ve been waiting more than an hour!’
‘Oh I’m sure it must be something important or he would have come. Not to worry. At least I get more time to plan my outfit!’
‘What about your phone?’
‘I don’t know. I suppose we can just forward any messagesto each other.’ Ellen suddenly looked worried. ‘God, I hope Mum doesn’t send him any of her daft soppy texts!’
She put the phone back in her bag. ‘How about we call over to Carrie’s? I can’t wait to tell her all about Pete!’
Dear Ellen,
It’s school musical time again. I saw the poster up on the noticeboard. Mum wants me to audition, but what fun would it be without
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