Page 172 of Vying Girls

We’re stalled by the sound of Nan placing plates of pizza onto the table. She takes two, one probably for Mum, and with a quick smile, says, ‘I’ll leave you girls to it. The kids can eat in the lounge.’

Nic nods to the table. ‘Sit.’

I do as she says, waiting for her to tell me why she’s here. Didn’t even know she had my address. Nice to see her alive though. I know Tilda’s been stressing after she legged it at hockey.

‘Haz told me you’ve quit uni.’

‘Yeah. I mean, I will. After all this. It’s just…yeah, no other option.’

Nic nods understandingly, then says, ‘There is though. That’s why I’m here. I want to talk to you about it.’

‘O-kay. Shoot.’

‘So—’ She does something on her phone, then spins it to face me. There’s a photo of some woman on the screen. ‘This is Angelica.’

‘Okay. New bird?’

She huffs out a laugh. ‘No. A nurse. Cum babysitter. Cum dogwalker.’

I frown, pulling the phone closer with a finger. ‘Huh?’

‘I spoke to her yesterday. She’s local. To you. She can start whenever.’

‘Start what?’ I look up at Nic. ‘I’m confused.’

‘Here. Helping. Anything your nan wants.’ She taps the table with a finger. ‘Whilst you’re getting on at uni.’

I look back down at the woman, touching the screen when it begins to darken. She’s got light eyes, a bland smile. Maybe ten or so years older than us.

‘All on me,’ Nic says quietly. ‘Let me, Elly.’

I shake my head, looking up as Tilda comes back in and takes the seat beside me. The energy in the room turns weird but I’m too confused to care much.

‘That would cost, like, a shit-tonne of money.’

Nic nods easily. ‘Mm-hm. Which I have.’ She glances at Tilda briefly. ‘Believe me, it’s better going on this than other shit.’

When I still don’t say anything, she leans forward. ‘Look. Get your nan down here. It’s her I should be persuading anyway. It’s just for a year, Elly.’ She regards me with a protective intensity. ‘Not letting you throw your future away if there’s something to be done about it. And there is. Because you’ve got two rich as shit friends with a weird aversion to spending.’

I snort at the truth of that. Out of the three of us, it’s me spending my loans on useless crap the most.

I pick up a slice of pizza, plopping it on a plate for Tilda. ‘Can we eat first? My brain’s mush and I can’t think right.’

Nic nods, that determination dimming in the face of a meal with me and Tilda. ‘Course. No rush.’

Nic

Two hours later, I’m still at Elly’s, growing twitchier by the second. Pizza turned into ice lollies which turned into some multiplayer game thing. Only her mum stays upstairs, hiding away in her nan’s bedroom.

They’re a funny bunch, I can see how Elly fits in. I can also tell it’s a forced sort of cheer, more a release of energy thananything else. There’s no escaping that their loved one is dying. The sadness of it seeps from the walls.

Truthfully, I’m more aware of the other odd one out. It’s like there’s some kind of cord, attaching me and Tilda no matter where we’re sitting. It’s awkward. There’s just not the space here to talk.

I note the time. If I leave soon, I can get back to the ferry before it gets too late.

My skin tingles when Tilda gets up from the sofa, making an arc around where I sit, and enters the kitchen.

‘Go talk to her,’ Elly says. ‘I know she’s dying to.’