Seven Days Read Online Free

“nice surprise.”
    “I stayed at Marnie’s last night.”
    Lyn nods. He sees that as a pretty normal thing. One of the few things he knows about me is that I sometimes need to escape. I hang out with Lyn here, at the park, by the flats, quieter moments by the lake. I could never take him back to mine.
    He reaches out and touches my cheek, which is a rare public sign of affection. I can feel my whole body tingle with excitement. I bring my hand up to touch his, longing to hold it there. He rests his arm casually over my shoulder; I can feel the warmth move through me. One of his mates, Joel – I think – sniggers, but I ignore him. Idiot.
    “I was talking to the boys about my party on Saturday. You girls coming?” Lyn says.
    I didn’t know anything about a party. I try not to look too blank or too keen. “Might do, not sure.”
    Marnie steps up beside me. “Sounds cool. Who’s going?”
    “Pretty much everyone. Dad’s away for the night, so the place is ours.”
    It would’ve been nice if he’d asked me privately, away from everyone else. Is it too much to want to be treated differently by him? Like someone special? I think of our private times when it’s just us; huddled under the slide, kissing, walks along the Estate with our hands locked together. Why does he still not treat us like a couple all the time?
    “We’ll go, won’t we, Kez?” says Marnie, nudging me.
    “Yeah, of course,” I say, trying to look casual. “C’mon, Marnie, let’s go. We’ll be late for Lois.”
    I shrug off Lyn’s arm and as he turns to face me, I snatch his cigarette. I don’t even like them much but I quickly stick it in my mouth, knowing his lips have just been pressed around it.
    He grins back at me and I think I die a little.
     
    Lois meets us by the school gate. As soon as we walk up the road, it’s clear she’s annoyed about something. Lois has never been very good at hiding her feelings. I’ve known her for years now. When she’s wound up, her face becomes pinched; it makes her look hard, scary even. The thing is, she’s really pretty – like, stop-the-traffic pretty and she knows it. The confidence just spills out of her. I can imagine her being a model or an actress, splashed all over a glossy magazine. If she wasn’t my friend I’d probably hate her.
    “Lo! What’s up?” Marnie is in her face straight away.
    Lois just stares. She has her phone out and is texting someone. I’m not sure who. Hannah, maybe. Those two have been hanging out together more lately.
    “You OK?” I ask her. My tiredness has turned into a full-blown headache now and I want to get inside and take something for it. A jug full of pills.
    Lois raises her eyes. “Yeah, sure. I’m OK.” She sighs, and hitches her bag up on her shoulder. “I just thought – well, that we were meeting at yours last night?” She is looking at me and immediately I feel a stab of guilt. Yeah, she was meant to come to mine. Watch a DVD – chill out. I totally forgot to cancel it.
    “I’m sorry. Did you show up?”
    My heart is beating fast now. Please tell me she didn’t.
    “I knocked but no one answered.” She is seriously fed up now, glaring at me. “But you were on Facebook earlier and you said nothing about calling it off. Then Hannah tells me you were at Marnie’s.”
    How would Hannah know?
    Marnie looks at me, obviously seeing my confused expression. “Her mum drinks at the pub. You know what my mum’s like for gossip.”
    I feel so angry I want to scream, yet I can’t let myself because I’m getting death stares from Lois – who really is the last person I want to annoy.
    “I’m sorry. It was a last-minute change of plan. I didn’t think.” I say.
    Lois looks so sad. She shakes her head. “You should’ve just said. You could’ve come to mine. I’m on the next road, after all.”
    I can’t answer that, because no answer would sound right. How can I tell her that I could never feel comfortable in her house? It’s