Page 104 of Never Tell Lies

“That’s great! Wait…what job? Don’t you already have a job?” Keira had worked at a local seamstress for the last few years honing her craft. She loved all fashion but her great love was costume design; theatre, extravagant ball gowns, dress up. If it was flamboyant, Keira loved it.

“Not here, Lo! In London! In the West End, can you believe it? The West-Fucking-End!” She clapped her hands gleefully. My mouth hung open in shock.

“Keira, that’s incredible.” I didn’t know what else to do so I pulled her into a tight hug. She was leaving. Keira was leaving. Tears threatened but I swallowed them down.I will not ruin this moment for her.

“So, when do you start? What’s the job exactly? Tell me everything.” I took a gulp of my Diet Coke, wishing there was a splash of vodka in it.

“I’ll be working under a seamstress for a theatre in Covent Garden. The pay sucks, and it’s basically the same job I have now, but it’s the West End, Lo! I’m going to be making actual costumes for an actual London theatre, and they need me pretty much immediately, so I have three weeks to pack and find a place to live.”

“Wow.”Three weeks.My safety box was being well and truly shaken.

“I know! It’s insane, right? I called my mum this morning because of the house sale and everything. The estate agent can handle the viewings, so I don’t need to be here for those. I’m actually leaving the day after your birthday. Talk about a close call!” She laughed, as if missing my birthday was a hanging offense.

“Wow, Keira. That’s amazing, really. I knew you could do it.” I pulled her in for another hug, my arms wrapping tightly around her warm, familiar body.

“I’m gonna miss you, you crazy girl,” I mumbled, unable to keep the emotion out of my voice.

“You don’t have to miss me, you know. Why don’t you come with me?” she held my hands tightly. I looked up at her like she was nuts. Which she was.

“What’re you talking about? I can’t do that.”

“Why the hell not? What’s keeping you here?”

“My job,” I said, but that excuse sounded weak even to myself.

“The job that’s getting you nowhere.”

“My family.” I couldn’t imagine leaving them. Even though I’d applied for a place at a college in London, being accepted seemed so pie in the sky that leaving them never seemed like a real possibility.

“You can visit, and what about Alfie? Do you think he’s going to be staying in our tiny town forever? He has an office in London, right? Wouldn’t it make sense for you to move there to be closer to his business?”

“We haven’t really talked about it.”

“Whatever. Lo, I love you, but if you want things in life you’re going to have to be brave and jump. Alfie isn’t in Kent. Your future, your career, all your dreams aren’t in Kent. Your past is, and you can come back to visit it, but you can’t live in it. It’s bad for you. Have you heard anything about college yet?”

“Not yet, but forget that. We need to celebrate you! Night out this Saturday? Drinks on me?” I knew that the easiest way to distract Keira was with alcohol and boy potential. Her face lit up immediately.

“You’re the best friend a girl could have, you know that right?” She grinned at me and I grinned right back. I couldn’t be prouder of Keira, but somewhere underneath I was equal parts heartbroken, jealous, and terrified of how quickly my world was changing.

After work, I hurried across town. Ryan had a football match tonight against the team from the next town over and I’d promised him I’d be there. Surprisingly, Alfie hadn’t minded.

“Ryan, let him go!” Natalie was red in the face by the time I got there. I looked onto the pitch to see my nephew pinning another boy to the floor. I hurried over.

“What’s going on?”

“He’s confusing football with rugby. Any time one of the other boys is getting the ball he body slams them. Ryan, let him up, right now!”

“I can’t, Mummy! He’s the enemy!”

“He’s not the enemy, he's the opposition, and this isn’t a battlefield, it’s a football pitch. Stop trying to kill the other players.” The referee blew his whistle and after a lot of commotion the other side was awarded a free kick.

“I can’t believe they’re still letting him play.”

“They’re short a player. They don’t really have a choice.” With a grim expression she watched her eight year old sprint up and down the pitch, chanting warrior cries at the other players.Ryan’s sporting abilities were mostly focused on intimidation and threat rather than skill and agility.

“Oh, I’ve got news!” I filled her in on Keira’s new job and watched as her brows shot up in surprise.

“Wow, great for her. You’ll miss her, I bet.” She eyed me thoughtfully.

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