Page 34 of Oar Than Friends

‘What? Why?’

‘Oh, I couldn’t think of anything and Mr Peppermint was the name of my rabbit when I was a kid. He was small and fat, just like my cadaver. I thought it worked well,’ she replied, making me laugh as she pulled on a hoodie followed by her puffa. She sniffed inside her shirt. ‘Urgh, I smell like formaldehyde. Can we change before lunch?’

‘Yes. Good idea.’

The cold fresh air hit us when we walked outside, and we breathed deep until our lungs were full. ‘We’ll get used to it.’ I nudged her as I caught the expression on her face.

‘I hope so.’

We hopped on our bikes and hurried past the dozens and dozens of students who’d all had classes breaking at the same time we did; some walking through the university streets and narrow passages, some cycling like us. Twenty minutes later our bikes were safely locked up in the bike racks at Downing College.

Imogen was waiting for me as I fastened the padlock on mine, ‘Why’s that guy staring at you like you murdered his puppy or something?’

I turned around to find Olly, Oz’s friend, maybe not quite looking like I’d murdered something he loved, but he definitely wasn’t as friendly as he’d been the week prior.

I quickly turned back to Imogen. ‘Dunno, weird.’

I was hoping he’d walk off, so we didn’t need to pass him, but instead he slowed his pace.

‘Want to stare harder?’ snapped Imogen, stalking past him up the steps at such a speed I was having to take them two at a time to keep up.

It only made him grin, which in turn made me scowl. If I wasn’t careful, I’d be outed about something that I wanted no part of, and the weight of keeping that secret made itself known in my chest.

‘Okay, two minutes to change, then I’ll buy you a sandwich at this place my sister told me about.’

I stripped off the second I stepped inside my dorm room, throwing all my smelly clothes in the laundry on top of the clothes I’d worn for training. At this rate I needed to add extra time in my schedule to spend in the laundry.

I should have predicted it would happen before it did. After seeing Olly outside I knew I was on borrowed time before my phone buzzed with another message.

I reached for my phone, gingerly opening it up in case he somehow could see me.

There they were – four in a row.

Oz:

Kate, please can we talk?

Oz:

I promise I’m not the Hugh Hefner of rowing, I look ridiculous in silk robes …?

Oz:

Question for a question. Did you know that the Boat Race was started by two friends? One was Cambridge and the other Oxford? No enemies in sight … Your turn next

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