Page 135 of Roommates

Lara doesn’t try to pretend it was an accident and just continues to walk to her desk. She’s livid. I understand why, but it all needs to stop. Everything, everywhere needs to stop imploding.

‘I need you to stop, Lara,’ I request as we sit in our favourite Japanese lunch spot.

‘I haven’t finished with her, Aari. She could get me fired.’

‘Then maybe you should stop supplying drugs to people,’ I snap quietly. ‘Nicole would be cleaning out her desk right now if you weren’t her source.’

‘What happened was—’

‘I don’t care what happened, Lara. If I can show restraint, you can try not to kill her in the middle of the office.’

Lara leans back, averts her eyes, crosses her arms over her chest and sticks out her bottom lip.

‘Are you sulking?’

‘Yes. You’re telling me off and I didn’t do anything. I’ve had that molly for ages. CrimeSpree came to office drinks and was handing it out like sweets. He insisted I have one, so I palmed it and tossed it in my bag. Fast-forward to Monday evening, Nicole asked if I still had it, so I gave it to her.’

‘That’s it?’

‘That’s it! And she knows I’m not going to drop CrimeSpree in it.’

‘I need you to let it go.’

‘I can’t. She’s got me pinned in and I want to beat her face in for it.’

‘You’re going to have to. I don’t want to have to deal with this too.’ I deliver that last line a little more painfully than I intended to. Lara’s expression changes.

‘Babe, what’s going on? It’s obviously not just Nicole.’

I swallow the tears that threaten to erupt. Thankfully, our food arrives, giving me time to compose myself.

‘Things are just hard at the moment, especially with Zambia.’

‘Ariella Mason, don’t lie to me. You can deliver Zambia in your sleep. It’s Jasper, isn’t it? Ariella, you can’t go back to Jasper.’

‘So I keep hearing.’

‘Ooooh, I thought I was a lone voice out here in these streets.’

I pop a rock shrimp in my mouth to avoid answering. I don’t trust myself to stop short of telling her everything.

‘It’s not Dahlia. She’s the most likely to have reservations, but she loves him…Oh, yuck. Caleb. I feel like vomiting for actually holding the same position as him, but in this specific scenario it must be done.’

‘Caleb was very sweet and looked after me yesterday.’

‘Ew. Just make sure everything in your underwear drawer is still there and your new bestie hasn’t been rummaging, because that’s the closest he’s going to get.’

‘He’d never do that.’ I defend him automatically. Lara’s eyes narrow at me.

‘Ariella, Caleb may be good in a crisis, but he’s intrinsically selfish and I’m sure he’s a walking vaccine for some STD that none of us have heard of yet. All these days you’ve been taking off together are obviously messing with your sense of judgement.’

‘He’s not a bad person, even though he does some childish things like run a pool about sleeping with me.’

‘I know. I had fifty quid on “never”, but he pulled it this morning. I assumed he realised he doesn’t stand a chance and doesn’t want to pay up, so is pulling a fast one. Who told you?’

I feel sick to my stomach. ‘You knew? Thanks, Lara. I had the pleasure of hearing it from Piers.’

‘That wanker? I bet he told you just before he tried to stick his tongue down your throat.’

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