Page 60 of Take Two

‘Oh.’

Callie paused. ‘Have you told him? About us?’

‘Toldhim? I’ve only just toldme!’ Mae exclaimed.

Callie laughed. ‘Well, you’ll have to be understanding about the limits then.’

She ripped the multipack open with a flourish and held it out. ‘Three separate flavours. Go nuts.’

Mae accepted some salt and vinegar, trying not to laugh. ‘I assume this is from the mini-mart?’ Mae asked.

‘Yes,’ Callie said with a little embarrassed head dip. ‘I would have taken the bus to the supermarket, but I didn’t want any of my mother’s till buddies reporting to her about it. She’s a nosy mare. She’d have put two and two together.’

‘Thank you,’ Mae said sincerely. ‘For trying.’ Mae tore open the packet of crisps and popped one into her mouth.

It was stale.

She chewed slowly, looking at Callie, who was watching her with comically intense anxiety.

‘You don’t look happy,’ Callie demanded. ‘Is something wrong with the crisps?’

‘They’re texturally… interesting,’ Mae said.

Callie groaned, throwing herself back on the blanket. ‘I knew it. I’ve ruined everything.’

Mae put the crisp packet down. ‘This is… It’s sweet, Callie.’

Callie turned her head, peering at her suspiciously from the blanket. ‘Sweet?’

‘You put thought into this,’ Mae said. ‘You went out of your way. You tried not to drag my dad into it. You picked our tree.’

Callie’s gaze flicked to the branches above them, then back. ‘Our tree. Yeah. I thought since it’s overseen us at all our other stages, it should see this one too.’

‘You thought right,’ Mae told her.

Mae reached for one of the sausage rolls, more out of solidarity than desire, and took a bite.

It was, as expected, dreadful. ‘Mmm. Better than expected,’ Mae said. But her face must have betrayed her.

‘Oh God,’ Callie said, sitting up. ‘Is it that bad?’ Callie dropped her head into her hands. ‘Brilliant. I am officially the worst girlfriend in the world.’

Mae almost choked, and not just because of the dry pastry. ‘Girlfriend?’

‘Oh,God,’ Callie moaned, horrified. ‘It’s too soon forthat, isn’t it? I don’t know why I said it. I think I’m having a breakdown. The pressure of planning a date… I’ve never done it before.’

‘Right,’ Mae said, a sudden decision snapping into place. ‘Stay there.’ She stood and brushed crumbs from her hands.

Callie looked up, alarmed. ‘What? Why? Are you leaving?’

‘I’m going to get real food,’ Mae said, scrambling to her feet. ‘Do not move. I’ll be ten minutes.’

‘You don’t have to—’

‘I know what I have to do,’ Mae said. ‘You tried, and it was sweet. But no one should have to eat this when the bakery’s ten minutes away.’

Callie stared at her, wide-eyed. ‘You’re coming back?’

Mae rolled her eyes, heart jolting at how small Callie sounded. ‘Yes, I’m coming back. Don’t eat anything else.’