Page 98 of To Hell With It

‘Do you want to see him again?’

‘I might ask him if he wants to go for a drink, maybe Fish and Chips Friday,’ she said. ‘Are you jealous, Pearl O’Reilly?’ She laughed.

‘Of course I’m not bloody jealous, it’s bloody Niall O’Callaghan. I’m just surprised that’s all.’

And you know when you feel really pissed off, but you don’t want to feel pissed off, or even admit that you’re pissed off?

Well, I was really pissed off.

* * *

The girl with the purple cap at Jump Bungee told me there was a hostel in Rotorua and that I would get ten per cent off because I’d done the bungee jump and it seemed like a fair deal to me.

The hostel was within walking distance and turned out to be more of a bungalow, which meant no stairs, thank God, and a room that was twice the size of mine at home. The bed faced out towards the garden, which had a palm tree at the bottom and one of those swing benches like a hammock but not on a tree. I decided I would get one for Anickuna Cottage when I got home.

I hadn’t been able to get Una and Niall’s kiss out of my head. Not because I wanted to kiss Niall – I did not – just because it had annoyed me, and I didn’t know why. Perhaps because Una didn’t really fancy Niall? She’d never spoken about him in that way before. Or maybe she had always liked him deep down? Maybe that was why she’d gone on about him so much to me?

When my phone pinged with an email, I had completely forgotten about the photo of me doing the bungee jump until I opened the attachment and remembered Kit had said he’d email it to me. He’d sent two, one of me stood on the edge with a look of death across my face and another I hadn’t realised he’d taken but I knew I would keep forever. I sent the first one to Niall and waited for him to reply, but he didn’t, which annoyed me even more because where was he that he couldn’t reply? With Una?

After my shower I climbed into bed, because even though the sky was still bright (it was only the afternoon) I was exhausted. The light streamed through my curtains like long fingers that tickled my face, and I imagined the sun staining my skin golden. Then I closed my eyes and thought of the second photograph that Kit had taken of me as I reached out for the trapped butterfly, determined to set it free.

ChapterForty-Eight

When I woke up Niall had messaged me back and I fought the urge to ask him why it had taken him so long to reply.

Well done! How do you feel? Did you enjoy it?

I did.

I knew you would. The world’s your pearl now!

Ha ha.

Do you want your next challenge?

What about your kiss with Una?!

Have you seen Una?

I’m sure you already know that I have.

Yes, I do.

So why ask?

Why didn’t you say you’d kissed her?

Why do I have to?

Do you like Una then?

Yes, I like Una.

Like as in like?

Not in a romantic way, if that’s what you mean. I had too much to drink.

You don’t have to explain yourself.

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