Strictly Friends? (16 page)

‘N-no, we actually went to the theatre.'

‘Oh?' She could tell Jake's ears had pricked up. ‘What did you see?'

‘
Riverdance
.' Megan squirmed slightly.

‘Wow! You lucky thing! The only time it came anywhere near Milton, I was ill and couldn't go.' Jake sounded envious. ‘What was it like?'

‘Brilliant,' replied Megan. ‘Really brilliant.'

‘Did they do that thing at the end where they all line up and it's like they're almost robots because they're so perfectly in time?'

Megan bit her lip. ‘Yeah. It was so amazing!' Why was she lying? She hadn't seen the end! But she knew if it had been Jake with her, they would both have
been glued to their seats, eyes fixed to the stage for the whole performance.

Jake let out a breath. ‘I am so jealous. They say it's the farewell tour. I don't suppose I'll get to see it now. Oh well. What did Danny think of it?'

Megan squeezed her eyes shut and crossed her fingers. ‘He really enjoyed it,' she lied.

Jake waited for more but Megan didn't say anything else. ‘And?' he prompted.

‘And what?'

‘Well – I don't know. Was it the first time he'd seen something like it? I mean he doesn't sound like the dancey type.'

‘Oh,' said Megan miserably. ‘Yeah, it was the first time. He was surprised by how much he liked it, actually.' She couldn't believe she was making all this up! But somehow if she told Jake the truth . . . She shook her head. She wanted to preserve the nice moments with Danny. And she wanted Jake to be impressed that she had a boyfriend. He wouldn't be impressed if he knew that Danny had made them leave at the interval, and Megan realized she really wanted Jake to like the sound of Danny. She wanted Jake to be happy for her.

‘Well, that's great,' said Jake. ‘It sounds like you're a perfect match.' He cleared his throat again.

‘I think we are,' agreed Megan, though it sounded unconvincing to her own ears. Was that how she really felt?

There was silence for a moment.

‘So when are you coming down?' asked Megan, attempting to change the subject. ‘Mum's cleared most of the boxes out of the spare room and she says there will even be a bed in it by the time you arrive.' She laughed.

‘Uh, well . . .' Jake took a breath. ‘Thing is, Megan, I'm not sure I'm coming after all . . .'

Megan felt as though her stomach had suddenly become very heavy. ‘What? Why not? I thought – I thought it was all settled.'

‘Yeah. It's just that – um . . .' Jake seemed to be struggling for an answer. ‘Well . . .'

A sudden thought struck Megan. ‘Oh God! It's not – it's not because of your stepdad's redundancy, is it? I mean – is it a money thing?' ‘Yes,' said Jake quickly, in some relief.

‘Yes, that's it. We haven't got the money. I'm really sorry.'

‘No, I'm sorry,' said Megan sincerely. ‘I hadn't even thought . . . could we send you the money?'

‘No,' said Jake. ‘No, thanks anyway. Mum wouldn't take it.'

‘I guess not. Oh, Jake.' Megan felt almost tearful.
‘It's such bad news. I was so looking forward to you coming.'

‘I know.' Jake's voice had steadied and he sounded genuinely sorry. ‘I'm gutted too. Maybe we can meet up at Christmas or something?'

‘Yeah, maybe.' Megan clutched the phone to her ear more tightly. ‘You won't – forget me, will you?'

Jake burst out laughing, and then he sobered. ‘Never, Meg. I could
never
forget you.'

‘I know it's a pain to move everything,' said Bryan, panting as he carried a chest of drawers out of Megan's room, ‘especially as you've just got it all where you want it. But it'll make the painting so much faster and easier. We might even get it all done today.'

‘Humph,' said Nicola disbelievingly. ‘That sounds unlikely.'

‘Can I help?' asked Owen, peering round the corner of the door, Snowy dangling from his hand by one leg. ‘I'm good at painting.'

Nicola laughed. ‘You certainly are, Owen. So I tell you what: you and me will have our own painting party downstairs.'

Owen pouted. ‘I want to help Megan.'

Nicola looked helplessly at Megan.

‘I'd love you to help,' said Megan to Owen. She crouched down. ‘I'm only using one colour, though. Just lilac. Everything will be lilac.'

‘Just lilac?' Owen looked perplexed. ‘No red?'

‘No.'

‘Yellow?'

‘No.'

‘Blue?'

‘No.'

Owen's face creased further as he tried to think of more colours. ‘Orange?'

‘No,' said Megan. ‘But downstairs, Mummy's got all those colours. And more.'

‘Really?'

‘Yes. But I'd love you to help up here if you'd like to.' Megan held out a paintbrush.

Owen considered it for a moment before shaking his head. ‘No thank you. I think I'll help Mummy downstairs.'

Megan pretended to look disappointed. ‘Oh, all right. If you're sure.'

‘I am.' Owen turned and headed down the stairs. ‘Come on, Mummy.'

‘See you later,' Nicola told the other two. ‘Give me a yell if you need something.'

‘Coffee?' suggested Bryan.

‘Get it yourself,' retorted Nicola good-humouredly.

‘Charming.'

Once Nicola had gone, Megan's dad opened the window and shook out the dustsheets. ‘Got to cover everything up,' he told her. ‘Paint is a bug—uh, very difficult to get out of a carpet.'

‘You don't have to pretend not to swear in front of me,' said Megan. ‘I have heard that word before, you know.'

‘It's inbuilt,' said Bryan apologetically. ‘When you have children, you soon learn that they repeat everything you say. I learned that the hard way.' He peered at her. ‘Are you OK? You look a bit pale.'

‘I'm all right.'

He looked sympathetic. ‘You must be disappointed about Jake not coming down after all this week.'

‘Yeah, I am. It's almost like we were never in Milton, Dad. Like we've got no connection any more.'

‘You and Jake?' Bryan raised his eyebrows. ‘I'd have said you had an unbreakable connection, what with your dancing and everything.'

‘Not just Jake – everything back home. It's all different here. And as for dancing . . .' Megan sighed. ‘I miss that too.'

Her father carefully tucked the dustsheet round
the edge of the carpet. ‘I can see how it must be frustrating.' He frowned. ‘We haven't done enough to find you a class. I've been so caught up in everything at work . . .'

‘That's another thing,' said Megan. ‘I think maybe Jake is jealous, just a tiny bit.'

‘Of what? Of you?'

‘Well, no – of you. You and your new job. Just as his stepdad has lost his.'

Bryan sat back on his heels. ‘That's a real blow,' he admitted. ‘Stephen's good, too. Very good. His company has missed a trick by losing him. I'd work with him anytime.'

‘Maybe you could find him a job in your company?' suggested Megan, half-joking.

Her dad smiled. ‘Think I'm still a bit too new to be making changes like that. I'm still finding my feet myself. Besides, it's a tight unit. No room for extra employees.'

Megan shrugged. Even though she hadn't really been serious, she felt a bit disappointed. ‘Never mind. If Stephen's as good as you say, I'm sure he'll find another job soon.'

‘Hmm.' Bryan seemed about to say something but changed his mind. ‘Come on, let's get this paint pot open and get started.'

When Nicola came to see how they were getting on, the two of them were painting in concentrated silence, Bryan with his tongue sticking out as he negotiated a tricky window sill and Megan with lilac paint smudged across her cheek. ‘This is looking better already!' Nicola stood in the middle of the room and gazed around. ‘I wasn't sure about the colour at first, but you were right, Megan. It's lovely.'

Megan straightened up from her position on the floor. ‘I like it too. Can I have new bedclothes to match?'

Her dad rolled his eyes. ‘More money!' he complained, joking. ‘Do you think I'm made of it?'

‘Of course you can,' said her mum. ‘But one thing at a time, OK? I came to ask if you'd like some sandwiches or something. Owen's watching
Monsters Inc
. so I've got a bit of time to make lunch.'

‘That would be fab,' said Megan, putting her roller down in the paint tray.

‘Don't stop yet.' Nicola held up a hand. ‘You've got at least five minutes more while I go and make them. I'll bring them up so you only have to stop for a bit. I don't want to interrupt your flow!'

It wasn't until her mum brought the sandwiches up that Megan realized quite how hungry she was. ‘Delicious!' proclaimed Bryan, munching away.

Nicola settled herself on the floor with them. ‘Is Mari coming round to practise again this week, Megan? Only it would be good to know which evening so I don't plan something else for us instead.'

Megan shook her head. ‘Not this week. She's gone away to visit grandparents for a few days, seeing as it's half-term.'

‘What about Danny?' asked her dad casually. ‘Do you want to ask him to come round?'

‘Um . . .'

‘That's a good idea,' said Nicola brightly. ‘Why don't you ask him to lunch one day?'

‘Well . . .' Megan fidgeted. She wasn't at all sure she was ready to bring Danny home to meet her parents. ‘I think he's busy.' She saw her parents exchange a look. ‘What?'

‘Nothing, nothing,' said her father hastily. ‘It's just it would be nice to get to know him a bit better, that's all. More than just saying “hello” and “goodbye” when we drop you off or pick you up.'

Nicola smiled. ‘Yes – it's only that we don't really know him at all. And you're spending a lot of time with him now . . .'

Megan felt a spike of annoyance. ‘So?'

Her mother shrugged. ‘So it's nice to know who your daughter's hanging out with.'

Megan stared. ‘Are you saying you have to check out my friends before I can hang out with them?'

Bryan tried to make his voice sound light. ‘Not at all. Your mum didn't mean it like that.'

‘Then what did she mean?' Megan asked testily.

‘There's no need to get defensive,' said Nicola, her eyes narrowing. ‘It's not an unusual thing to ask, you know. You hang out with Mari and we've met her and we like her. And this Danny – well, he's sort of becoming a boyfriend, isn't he?'

‘What do you mean,
sort of
?'

‘So,' her mother ploughed on, ‘if he's important to you, then he's important to us too.'

Something in Megan rebelled. ‘I don't see why,' she said. ‘
I'm
the one going out with him, not you.'

‘Don't be ridiculous,' said her mother sharply. ‘And don't take that tone with me. I just want to make sure you're choosing the right friends, that's all.'

‘The right friends? What do you mean by the
right
friends?'

‘Umm . . .' said Bryan. ‘Maybe we should . . .'

‘The right friends,' said Nicola, trying to sound calm, ‘are people who care about you. And know how to treat people decently. And don't influence their friends into doing things they don't want to do. Or give them a bad attitude.'

‘A
bad attitude
?' Megan's eyes were wide with angry astonishment. ‘You don't know anything about Danny!'

‘I know he likes skateboarding and racing and dangerous activities,' snapped her mother. ‘And I want to make sure you're not being led down the wrong path.'

Megan stood up. ‘I can't believe I'm hearing this! First you move me
two hundred miles
away from all my friends and everyone I know – and now you're telling me I can't choose my own friends
here
?'

‘That's not what—'

‘Why can't you just stop interfering?' Megan felt anger boiling up inside her. The date with Danny hadn't gone as expected. Jake had backed out of coming to stay. And here were her parents telling her she couldn't be trusted to choose her own boyfriend! ‘It's none of your business who I hang around with! How do you think I felt, having to move so far away from everyone I care about? And now I've found some new friends and a boy who seems to like me and want to go out with me, and you're telling me you need to check everyone out first? What, like some kind of
vetting
process? To make sure they're all right to be my friends?' She glanced
down at her half-eaten sandwich. ‘I don't want any more. I'm going downstairs for a break.'

There was silence behind her.