One More Thing

Chapter Twenty Two: Puzzled

"I don't understand," I say to Mae, later that evening over FaceTime. "Sydney confronted me about trying it on with Jude. He heard, confronted her, and they had an argument. Later that day, they broke up. What was I supposed  to think?"

"Yeah, I can't think what else it would have been about," she says. "Did he really snap at you for asking?"

"Yep. He told me the world revolves around me. Or so I think, apparently."

"That's so unfair."

"Well, I thought so too at first," I say. "But, to be fair, I did keep making it all about me and he had just been through a rough breakup the night before. I really shouldn't have said what I did."

"I suppose," shrugs Mae. "But we live and learn, don't we."

"Yeah. Anyway, enough about me. How are you feeling after yesterday?"

Mae goes quiet for a few seconds. Even through the camera, I can see her face grow weary at the mention of yesterday. 

"Still really shaken," she whispers, looking around as if someone might hear her.

"Have you told your parents?"

"No," she says. "I'd rather not tell them."

"Well, if you're sure..."

"Valerie," says Mae firmly. "I appreciate your concern but I don't want them to know about this." She lowers her voice to a whisper. "Ever since last night I've felt guilty and ashamed and... dirty. I know I shouldn't, and I know it wasn't my fault, but I can't seem to shake that feeling off, and my parents knowing about it is only going to make it ten times worse."

"Okay," I nod. "That's completely valid. Just let me know if there's anything I can do to help, yeah? Maybe we could try and get you booked in with my therapist. She's pretty good."

"Maybe," says Mae.

I take the hint and change the topic of conversation to something a bit lighter.

"Still up for throwing that party?" I ask, immediately cringing because it feels so unnatural for me to say that. 

"Hell yeah."

For months now, Mae and I have been planning on throwing a party for my 18th birthday. We wanted to throw a joint party, but Mae doesn't turn 18 until May (I know, her name couldn't be more apt), and it's currently November. So we've agreed to have separate celebrations.

I am excited about mine, but also nervous. Even though Mae has quite a lot of friends, I am worried that no one will show up, further confirming my loser status.

"Who did you say was coming again?"

"Amy, Johnny, Chandice, Mitch, Aisha and Louisa. And maybe Naomi, but you know what she's like."

I don't really, because I've never met any of Mae's friends except for Amy and Mitch. They're both in the year below us at school. Most of Mae's friends go to other schools.

"Wow okay," I say. "That's a nice handful."

"Are you going to invite Sophie?" asks Mae.

I bite my lip, feeling my face flush with embarrassment. Sophie is my only other friend apart from Mae, but we don't talk that much anymore. She moved to London when we were ten years old, and these days we only really message on birthdays and Christmas.

"Probably not," I say. "It would be too far for her to come."

"Fair enough," says Mae. "There'll be eight of us at the very least, which is enough for a nice chilled party. Better get the drinks in!"

We're planning to throw the party the weekend after next, so that gives us less than two weeks to get everything organised. Luckily, Dad and Lucas are going to Manchester that weekend to see a football match, and Cathy is staying at her sister's house.

That only leaves Sydney, but I don't want to think about that yet, so I push the thought away.

"I'm glad we're not inviting Tom anymore," says Mae. "I've come to realise that he's a bit of a dickhead."

Finally, I think.

"What made you reach that conclusion?"

"It wasn't one particular event," sighs Mae. "But what really did it was when he interrupted Mr Norton during art class... for no reason other than to show off his new designer belt."

"What an arsehole," I say, and we both laugh, properly laugh, for the first time in a while.