Page 12 of You Had Me At Thirteen

Clive shoves off my brain fart with a shake of his head and goes into detail about what he’s going to wear.

I pig out on the rest of Audrey’s grapes after she shoves the container at me with a huff. Clive says something about dying his hair blond, but my mind is on whether Wren will be there.

I’m not even sure why I’m thinking of him. I don’t want to think of him. But my brain can’t seem to think of anything better.

Audrey snaps her fingers in front of my face. ‘You good, babe?’

I blink at her. ‘Sorry, just thinking…’

‘About?’

‘I shouldn’t be going to the party.’

‘Of course you should,’ Clive says. ‘The race is weeks away. You have plenty of time, plus one little party won’t hurt. It’ll be good for you.’

‘I don’t know…’ I lift a shoulder as I contemplate Clive’s words.

‘You are going. End of story.’

Shoving Clive’s shoulder, I poke my tongue at him. ‘Yes, Mum.’

Audrey sighs in dramatic fashion, making Clive turn to her. ‘And what’s your problem?’

‘Well, I was thinking I need to dress as slutty as possible.’

‘So, just your normal everyday attire, then?’ Clive says, giving me a wink.

I snort, copping the full extent of Audrey’s squinted blue eyes.

‘What?’ I say with an innocent shrug.

She rests her chin on her hand, a pout on her perfect lips. ‘I need a man.’

‘Babes, you don’t need a man, you want a man,’ I say. ‘There’s a difference.’

‘Exactly,’ Clive says. ‘We don’t let men rule us, and we certainly don’t beg.’

‘What would the two of you know?’ She points at me. ‘Til, you don’t date. And Clive,’ her head snaps to him, ‘you fall in love weekly.’

Clive flicks his hair back. ‘I may fall in love, but I don’t go begging, sweetheart. I don’t even know why you have so much trouble finding someone decent.’ He glances over my shoulder, lifting his chin. ‘There’s some eye candy right there.’

Audrey and I both turn our heads to the table where Wren, Koby, Emerson and Willis sit.

I snort. ‘Yeah right.’

Clive slaps my thigh. ‘Oh, shut up, you know I’m right.’

Audrey waggles her eyebrows at me. ‘Well, Wren’s already taken…’ She looks over again. ‘But Koby is looking mighty sexy these days.’

‘Whatever.’ Wren is most definitely not taken.

Audrey flicks her eyes to mine. ‘What are you going to wear, Til?’

I lift a shoulder. ‘Hadn’t thought about it until now.’

Clive huffs. ‘Honestly Tilly, I sometimes wonder how we are still friends.’

I scrunch my face up and squeeze my cheeks, attempting my best chipmunk impersonation. ‘It’s because I’m so adorable.’

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