Page 81 of Oar Than Friends

‘Yes, Arthur. It’s now.’ He started walking again, and I followed. ‘Seriously, what’s up with you? Did you fall out of bed and hit your head or something?’

‘My head’s fine,’ I grumbled, stepping off the path for a moment to let a group of girls pass us. Charlie was still pulling a face at me when I moved next to him, though it was now more knowing and less confused. ‘What?’

‘Nothing, just realized what’s going on.’

‘What?’

He moved to cross the road, dodging a cyclist as he did. ‘With you.’

Charlie was an inch shorter than me, yet with the speed he was walking I needed to jog to keep up, especially as it seemed to be the same moment everyone else in Oxford had decided to also walk along the road, in the opposite direction to where we were going.

This is how salmon must feel.

I fell into step next to him again. ‘Would you like to enlighten me?’

‘If you don’t know, I think you should figure it out for yourself.’

‘Now who’s being annoying,’ I grumbled.

‘Aww little Ozzy, all sensitive now he’s fallen in love.’

I smacked Charlie’s hand away as he reached to rub my head. ‘Shut up.’

Whatever I’d said had Charlie stopping so suddenly a girl behind us narrowly avoided crashing into him, something she wasn’t pleased about given her scowl and loud tut as she passed. Except Charlie didn’t notice as he was staring at me like I’d suddenly grown another head.

‘What, you’re not going to deny it? I was joking.’

‘Deny what?’

‘Being in love!’

‘Um …’ I thought about it. I knew I’d never been in love before, just like I knew I’d never felt the way I felt about Kate, so being in love wasn’t totally out of the realm of possibility. On the other hand I’d kind’ve been put on the spot, and I didn’t want to fuck up my answer even if it was only to Charlie’s question. ‘I mean, I don’t know. What did it feel like when you fell in love with Evie? How did you know?’

He scrubbed a hand down his face, scratching through his beard like I’d just asked him to solve quantum mechanics, though he could probably do that. Either way, his face had taken on a distinctly grave expression.

‘When you wake up, is everything …’ he waved his hands, searching for whatever word he needed, ‘… do you feel happy without knowing why? You’re in a good mood from the second you open your eyes? Like you have been the past few weeks, annoyingly so,’ he added with an eye roll.

I nodded a few times, my head bobbing as I gave it serious consideration. ‘I guess. I mean, we’re up pretty early and it’s dark outside. I still have to hit snooze twice, but after that I’m in a good mood.’

I didn’t add that Kate was now the first thing I thoughtabout when I woke up, or the first person I messaged before I got out of bed. She was the first person I wanted to speak to.

‘How soon after she messages you do you reply?’

I shrugged, like I didn’t know the answer, but I jumped on those bad boys the second they came in. ‘When I see it.’

‘And when you speak to her or see her, what does it feel like right here?’

I groaned as he smacked me in the stomach, much harder than he needed and clearly a retaliation for the stunt I pulled at the cash machine. Least I didn’t scream like a girl, though.

‘I dunno? What answer are you looking for? I like her a lot, not denying that.’

‘Like we’re standing on the podium about to be awarded gold.’

‘Oh. Kind of. That’s a good way of describing it, it’s not as intense, like with all the cheering, but yeah, I guess I have something similar. It makes me feel like I’ve drunk hot chocolate and riding the sugar rush, but warm.’

A heavy hand fell onto my shoulder, and he squeezed hard. If I didn’t know better I’d assume he was about to deliver a death sentence. ‘Hate to say it, Oz, but you’re probably falling in love with her. Sorry, mate.’

‘Why are you sorry?’

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