Page 36 of Take Two

Sticky icing was welded to her lips, her jaw barely managing to chew around the mass.I’m safe, she thought.Can’t fuck me up now, mouth.

Callie stared at her, confused. ‘Mae. What in theworld?’

Mae shut her eyes, chewing furiously, pretending this was normal behaviour and not absolutely mad. She finished. Swallowed. Wiped her mouth on the back of her hand.

And Callie, still watching her, still maddeningly patient, said quietly, ‘You think I can’t ask a question twice?’

‘I need milk,’ Mae said and went to the fridge. She pulled out a two-pinter and unscrewed the cap.

‘I hope you’re not about to do what I think you’re about to do…’

But Mae was already doing it, lifting the plastic bottle, tipping it back and drinking with grim determination, gulping in heavy, throat-thudding swallows. By the time she came up for air, she felt like she’d come close to drowning herself in the most surreal way possible. What a front pagethatwould make for the Westerleigh Chronicle.LocalGirl Perishes in Very Avoidable Full-Fat Tragedy.

‘Mae…’ Callie tried again.

Mae belched, a long and gross one. With any luck, she’d be sick after this. Callie had to be thinking about this in the face of Mae’s display.

But there stood Callie, watching, not leaving, annoyingly committed. ‘What are you gonna do next, eat the bottle?’

Mae actually looked at it.

‘Mae, I’m not leaving, and you’re running out of mad shit to do, so…’

‘Fine,’ Mae snapped, louder than she meant to. If Callie needed something, Mae could give her something. A lie. ‘If you really want to know, I’m upset, all right? I’m upset because you’re… moving on without me.’

Callie frowned. ‘Moving on?’

‘Yes,’ Mae muttered, pacing suddenly because standing still felt dangerous. ‘You and Emma and… everything.’

Callie stepped closer, brow knitting. ‘Mae, we’ve had two dates—’

‘It’s all going to get worse,’ Mae went on, barrelling straight through, ‘Because you’re going to leave, you’ve always said you would. You’ll go one way, I’ll go another, and we’ll barely talk anymore. So I thought… I thought I’d help it along. Get used to it now.’

Callie looked at her with as near to heartbreak as Mae had ever seen on her face.

Mae looked away. Couldn’t manage even a glance. Her heart was pounding so loud she could barely hear herself think.

‘So there you have it,’ she said, arms folded, looking at the floor. ‘I didn’t tell you about the date because it doesn’t matter. None of it matters. You’re moving on. I’m just catching up.’

There was a silence. And then Mae got what she wanted. Callie walked out.

Mae let go of the biggest breath of her life. She was safe. She was miserable, but safe. She’d ruined her friendship, but she wasn’t exposed as whatever the hell she was starting to know she was. Her life was crap, but it had always been crap. And now she’d gotten rid of the one thing that made it bearable.

Yay.

Mae broke down then, crying on the floor of the bakery, behind the counter. She cried steadily for several minutes.

So much so, in fact, that she didn’t hear the door click back open. She didn’t know that Callie had walked back in till she was sitting right next to her.

‘Hi,’ Callie said.

‘The fuck!’ Mae yelled, scared. ‘Why have you… What are you do… Why would you…’

‘I don’t believe you,’ Callie said.

‘What?’

‘I thought about everything you just said, and I don’t believe it. I don’t believe you want to stop being my friend because of whatever the hell it was you just said.’