Read Online Strictly Friends? by Jo Cotterill - Free Book Online Page B

‘Now who’s talking the language?’
    They grinned at each other. ‘I had a very nice time, thank you,’ said Megan primly. ‘Where’s Mum and Owen?’
    â€˜Gone swimming,’ said Bryan. ‘Owen asked specially.’
    For a moment, Megan felt disappointed. She loved swimming. And splashing around with Owen was good fun.
    Bryan saw her face. ‘We didn’t know what time you’d be back. Owen had one of his manic moments. Your mum thought he should burn off some energy. Sorry.’
    â€˜It’s OK.’ She sat down on the sofa next to him. ‘I can go next time.’
    â€˜So what did you do?’ Bryan shuffled
The SundayTimes
out of the way and turned to face her. ‘Did you fall off?’
    â€˜Only once,’ admitted Megan. ‘I hurt my ankle a bit but it’s OK now. Danny showed me some tricks while I was resting.’
    â€˜Danny?’
    â€˜This boy.’
    â€˜Ah . . .’ said her dad in a knowing voice. ‘A
boy
.’
    Megan laughed. ‘He’s really nice, Dad. And amazing on a skateboard – I mean, really mind-boggling.’
    Bryan grinned. ‘Let me guess – he’s also incredibly good-looking and was very nice to you all the time you were there.’
    Megan flushed. ‘Dad . . .’
    He held up his hands. ‘Sorry, sorry. Didn’t mean to embarrass you. So, are you going back again? To – uh – see Danny?’
    We might be sort of going out somewhere together . . .’ mumbled Megan. ‘Maybe.’
    â€˜Say no more,’ said her dad. He patted her on the back. ‘I hope you have a lovely time.’

    Megan knew it was Jake when her mobile rang, but when she answered it, all she could hearwas laughing. ‘Jake? Jake, what’s going on?’
    â€˜AHAHAHA!’ Jake laughed loudly in her ear. ‘AHAHAHAAAA! Seriously, though, I’m crying with laughter here.’
    â€˜Why?’ Megan felt the corners of her own mouth creep up. ‘What’s so funny?’
    There was a pause and then Jake said, ‘You on a skateboard! AHAHAHAAAA!’
    â€˜Oh ha ha, yes it’s all hilarious,’ said Megan sarcastically. ‘Have
you
ever been on one?’
    â€˜I
have
actually,’ said Jake, stopping laughing as suddenly as he had started. ‘For about five minutes. It didn’t go anywhere, so I got off.’
    Megan laughed despite herself. ‘You idiot.’
    â€˜So, how did you do?’
    â€˜Not too bad,’ Megan told him proudly. ‘I only fell off once.’
    â€˜Was that when it started moving?’
    Megan blew a loud raspberry down the phone. ‘You are impossible. I won’t tell you anything else about it.’
    â€˜Fine. I’ve got news to tell you instead.’
    â€˜Really? What kind of news?’
    Jake sounded amused. ‘You know that drinky thing we had to go to the other evening? With the new people next door?’
    â€˜Yeah.’
    â€˜Well, it turned out to be this really mad evening. We were there till one o’clock in the morning!’
    Megan nearly dropped the phone. ‘What? On a
school night
? Bet your mum loved that!’
    Jake chuckled. ‘You’d be surprised. She was playing charades with a party hat on her head.’
    â€˜No!’
    â€˜But that’s not the strangest thing,’ Jake continued. ‘They’re knocking through the kitchen and lounge wall, and they’ve put a hot tub in the conservatory!’
    â€˜A
hot tub
?’ Megan clutched the phone. ‘You’re
not
going to tell me you spent the evening in a hot tub?’
    â€˜No. It’d only just arrived that day, there wasn’t any water in it or anything. I did sit in it for a minute but then Skye told me I might damage it.’
    â€˜Who’s Skye?’
    â€˜She’s the girl next door. She’s got a brother – get this – he’s called