The Magpie Effect - The Magpie Chronicles Book 1 (#Wattys2015)

Chapter 20.1

"I promise to try and banish all self-obsessed thoughts and become as selfless a rodent as it is possible to be," I vowed. Debbie's severity vanished, replaced instead by that familiar grin that simultaneously extracted my own. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt like this, like I was weightless. 

"Come on, sit down," Debbie said. She tugged at my sleeve, and I fell into the seat next to her. She leaned in close, and spoke to me in a low, conspiratorial voice. "I got 'exacerbate' from my Word of the Day calendar. I've been trying to think of a way to use it for ages."

I laughed. "Who needs English lessons?"

"Not me!" Debbie beamed.

I trailed off into silence. I could feel Wesley watching us, although he appeared to be innocently tucking into a plateful of French fries. "Listen, Debbie, I really do mean it. I'm here for you. Anything that you want to tell me about Band Guy Number Three or anything that I zoned out on before-"

Debbie reached over and clamped my lips shut between her fingers. "Okay, that's enough from you.  Wesley, get over here!" Wesley's eyes lit up, and in the clamouring scrape of activity that followed as he shifted to re-join us, Debbie muttered to me: "Band Guy Number Three is a sore subject, don't mention it."

"Hey, Saffy!" Wes chirped as he fell into the seat opposite us. "Glad you're back in the gang."

"Hey, Wes," I said, "and thanks, I guess?"

Wesley grinned and continued to eat his fries. Debbie stared at him like he was a baby happily munching on his food. "Hey," Wes spoke up, sending a fine spray of potato over the table. I winced. "Did you hear? Jet is looking for you."

"What?"

"Jet," Wes said. "He went looking for you. I think he went to the library."

"What does he want?" I asked, perhaps sounding a little more alert than I'd intended to. 

Wes opened his mouth to reply, but a sudden squeak from between his lips made me think that Debbie had kicked his shins under the table. After a gulp, Wes said, "He didn't say what he wanted, just that he was looking for you. Why don't you go after him?"

My immediate instinct was to jump up from my seat and launch myself out of the canteen, but a glance at Debbie kept me rooted to the spot. I cleared my throat and said, calmly, "Nah, it's alright. It's probably nothing important."

Debbie gave me one of her signature eye-rolls. "Saffy, just because we made up doesn't mean you can never leave my side again. You're a rodent, not a leech, remember? Go on, go after him. See what he wants."

I eyed her meekly. "Are you sure?"

"As sure as I am that I'll revoke any former pardons if you don't go and find Jet immediately," Debbie replied. 

I gave her an appreciative nod, and leapt to my feet. "I'll catch you later?"

"Sure. Listen, are you working tonight?"

"No, not tonight. Why?"

"Fancy catching up over a pint?"

"A pint?" I frowned. "You know we're underage, right?"

"A pint of coke, stupid," Debbie said. "Or milkshake, whatever you fancy. What do you say?"

"Sounds good to me! Where?"

"Oh, I don't know.  Somewhere new, somewhere refreshing."

"Ok, I'll call Bev to book us a table."