Page 44 of Freshman

“Are you moving to day shift?”

Alfie shook his head and tapped his letter to his hand. “No, erm. I—I don’t think I’ll be staying here much longer.”

Queenie’s face sagged, but his eyes widened. He dropped into the chair next to Alfie, and Alfie opened his mouth to protest, then snapped it shut. It was either sit for a few minutes with Queenie or sit alone, and he didn’t want to listen to any more of his internal monologue.

“Why?” Queenie asked.

Alfie shrugged. “I don’t think this is for me.”

“How long you been here?”

“About eight months now.”

Queenie nodded. “It took you eight months to realise it wasn’t for you?”

Alfie didn’t answer. He lifted his gaze to Ryan’s door and prayed it would swing open.

“You saved my life…”

“It was nothing, any of us would—”

“You know that’s not true.”

Alfie pressed his lips in a firm line. “You’ve got to promise me no more late-night tea-bag experiments.”

Queenie snorted and nudged his shoulder into Alfie’s. “I promised, didn’t I? Nate’s going to be gutted you’re going.”

Alfie swallowed, but his throat spasmed, and his voice came out dry. “Why? I’m sure he can torment someone else.”

“Torment? Is that what you think he’s doing?”

He turned to Queenie and eyed his smile curiously. “Am I wrong?”

Queenie tutted and fluttered his eyelashes. “Not completely wrong, but it’s more than that.”

“More?”

Queenie laughed. The deeper boom made Alfie jump back into his seat.

“Nate’s… He—he knows what he wants.”

Alfie raised an eyebrow. “And what does he want?”

“You to open the hatch.”

Alfie waved the envelope. “Well, he’s not going to get it.”

Queenie sighed and shook his head.

“Can I ask you something? Has Nate…has he been like he is with me with someone else?” He tried to swallow the lump in his throat. “Before?”

“No,” Queenie said with certainty. “You’re special to him.”

Alfie shook his head.

“I know you don’t get it, and if it makes you feel any better, I don’t think he gets it either, but since he’s seen you…it’s like he’s alive again.”

The name Tyrone was yelled from the farthest gate, and Queenie growled, kicking the bucket on the floor.

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