Page 20 of Choose Us

*

The observation deck was something to behold. We sat on a sofa with 360-degree views of the city. Unfortunately, we were limited to fifty minutes due tohigh demand.

“Who can eat in fifty minutes?” I said to Beth.

It turned out the food menu consisted of bar snacks, so it didn’t matter because mixed nuts would have to see me through until dinner. My heart rate wouldn’t settle, even the hair on my head felt heavy. I was beginning to sweat; the heat was taking its toll on my exhausted body. I needed adistraction.

“How high up do you think we are?” I said.

“Weren’t you paying attention? It said 230 metres on the sign over there.” Beth didn’t seem phased we were basically on the same level as an aeroplane.

“I don’t feel like that sounds high. What does 230 metres equate too? Maybe like ninety-seven giraffes?”I shrugged.

“That is specific, and it’s hard to scale using giraffes as your measurement.” Beth laughed.

“True. How about three football pitches?”

She looked towards the skyline, deepin thought.

“A regulation tennis court is around twenty-three metres, so it’s basically ten tennis courts.”

She was smart. “Huh, I expected more.”

I wanted to order the champagne drinks package, but I remembered the reason to celebrate was also the reason it wasn’t appropriate to drink champagne, so I settled for a mocktail in solidarity with Beth.

“We should have come here at night. I bet the skyline is incredible.” The feel of the plush grey padding on the chair cushioned my back perfectly.

“We can come back. We might need to book though. I’m told it’s even busier in the evenings,” Beth said.

The view should’ve been the only thing occupying my mind. Instead, my eyes wandered from one corner of the deck to the next, searching for the girl withblonde hair.

I needed to be certain itwasn’ther.

“What are you looking for?”Beth asked.

“Erm... Tokyo Tower.” I pointed towards the tall red tower in the distance—quick thinking. “I don’t get it though, why is it a landmark? It just looks like they plonked Blackpool tower in the middle of Tokyo.”

“Are you seriously comparing Blackpool tower to the famous Tokyo Tower? For starters it’s twice the size.”

“Is it?” I shrugged. I’d only seen Blackpool tower once on a school trip. I remember it towering above everything else, and to a teenager with stunted growth itseemed huge.

“You’re on edge,” Bethpointed out.

I didn’t look at her. She could read me like a book. I avoided eye contact, but I could feel hers burning into my peripheral vision.

“I’m fine,” I replied, unconvincingly.

A light bulb moment spread across her face; her eyebrows arched; her lips cracked open. She knew.

“You thought you saw Brooke,didn’t you?”

How did she—

It was pointless to lie,so I nodded.

“For a split second.”

I half expected to be ridiculed, but she did something I didn’t think she would. She reached over and grasped my hand; her smile wassympathetic.