Page 29 of Matched Up

‘Sorry, gotta go,’ I said, unsure what exactly he wanted to catch up on.I wished he’d just move on, to Amina or Zoe or something.Why did he have to go and make everything so awkward by asking me to V-Ball?

‘Maybe we can catch up next week?’he asked with a smile that was usually reserved for Niall’s rubbish jokes.It was like he’d forgotten about what had happened earlier, what he and Niall had said to Shane.Either that or he just didn’t care.

‘Yeah, maybe.But maybe you and Niall should be nicer to the kid who just joined your team and doesn’t know anybody,’ I added, burning with rage all over again.

He stared at me for a second, like he didn’t know I’d seen.

‘It was just a joke, Lexie.Chill out.If anything, he’ll play even better now, just to prove us wrong.So it’s win-win for him.’

‘That’s fucked up.’

‘Come on, Lex, we didn’t mean it.’He turned on the charm, smiling under the weight of Niall.

I shook my head and rolled my eyes.‘Let’s just get him out of here.’

‘Donottell Dad about this, OK?’Niall slurred as Hunter walked him towards the door.

Amina laughed, and I looked over to see Zoe staring at me like she was trying to work something out.A tension that hadn’t been there before.Was she wondering what I’d got upto with Shane?Did she recognize the jacket I was wearing?Part of me hoped she would, especially after what Amina had said about the sex on the beach.

‘Let’s go, Niall – you are not puking in Zoe’s lovely house,’ I said, making sure she heard me.

Hunter dumped Niall in the back seat, and Megan got in the front beside me.

‘What’s the deal with the trackie top?’she asked.‘How did I not notice that you were slumming it in Puma?’She stroked my sleeve.

I wondered how long she was going to keep trying to pretend that nothing was wrong.

‘I was cold, so I found it in Zoe’s house.Must be her brother’s or something,’ I said.I hoped she was drunk enough not to question me any more.I didn’t even know if Zoe had a brother.

‘Do you reckon Hunter got his teeth done?I don’t remember them beingthatwhite.Orthatbig.Did he go to Turkey recently?I don’t know, maybe I’m just forced to look at him more now because of Niall.’Megan rested her head against the window.

I couldn’t believe she wasn’t saying anything about what had happened between Niall and Shane.

‘You need to tell Niall to lay off Shane,’ I said.

She peeled herself away from the window.‘He was just letting off steam.He’s really upset about it.’

‘So what?It’s hardly Shane’s fault, is it?’I said, getting angry again.

‘Well, he kind of did just walk on to the team and take Niall’s position,’ she said, like this was a good explanation.But she was drunk, so there was no point in arguing with her.She probably wouldn’t even remember it the next day anyway.

‘Whatever.’

‘Whatever,’ she sang.And then fell asleep.

Mum and Dad must have been in bed when we got home because the lights were off, except for the hall, and nobody said anything when we walked in.I actually wished Megan had come back with us just so she could give me a hand up the stairs.

Eventually I got Niall on to his bed.Even though part of me wanted to leave him in the living room, drunk, so Mum and Dad would find him, the tiny part of me that was Niall’s first friend, first confidante, just couldn’t do it.And it made me feel pathetic, that even though he’d been so horrible to me, and so horrible to Shane, I couldn’t just say ‘fuck him’ and drop him in it.

This used to be the part where Megan would come with me, into my room, into my bed, where we’d talk about school and football and boys all night.But I shut the thought down.I had better things to think about.

I had been desperate for some time alone since Shane had left.His number in my phone, screaming out at me.

I left Niall and walked into my bedroom, going straight to the window.I opened it so I could hear the ocean.I looked out at the moon, the shimmering crescent that made the dark water glitter.The same stars and crescent moonthat Shane and I had been standing under a couple of hours ago.

I reached for my phone and sent him a message before I gave myself any time to think about it.To convince myself that maybe he left because he was bored of my company or that maybe he was lying about not having a girlfriend.I felt brave.It felt like something with too much potential to just sleep on.

ME: Hey

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