Sometimes

Chapter three

I smiled.  “Roz and Warren not fighting?  What’s next?  World peace?”

Leanne laughed.  “Yeah right.  It was like we finally bonded like a proper band last night.  I haven’t been this excited about a gig since we first started out two years ago.”  Her eyes glazed over slightly and I could tell that she was deep in thought.  “Imagine if ‘The Dead Atlantic’ had never formed?  The world would be a different place.”

    “You would have stayed in college, for one.”

Leanne tutted. “You know education isn’t my think, Harri.  You’re the brain box of the family.”

I nodded.  She was right. “It’s a shame Clark quit though.”

Leanne’s gleeful expression clouded over.  “Yeah, well it’s his loss.”

    “You’ll find a new bassist soon,” I said. 

    “Sonny’s brother’s mate played bass for us last night,” Leanne said, her features lifting again.  “He’s wicked good.  We’re thinking of asking him to join the band permanently.”

I was about to ask who he was when Cassie decided she wanted in on the conversation.

    “Is he hot?”

Leanne glanced at Cassie with a withering look, but Cassie appeared not to notice.

    “Uh, I don’t know.  He’s two years younger than me.”  Leanne’s eyeliner heavy eyes landed on me and I read the words she always used to describe Cassie in them; ‘Is she for real?’

I shrugged in response.

    Five minutes later, Leanne had made a quick exit and Cassie was back to talking about nothing in particular. 

    “I can’t decide if I want a blue gem next or a pink one.  What do you think?”

I peered up from where I’d been playing with a thread on my jeans and shrugged.

Cassie jutted out her lower lip.  “Well you’re helpful!”

I sat up straight and sighed.  “It’s not even worth thinking about yet.  You can’t take it out for at least six months.  That’s what the guy at the shop said.”

    “Six months!”  Cassie fell backwards onto my bed dramatically.  “That’s ages.”

    “Do you want it to get infected and start leaking pus everywhere?”

Cassie screwed up her face and waved her hands at me.  “Eww!  Shut up!”

    “I’m just saying.”

    “God, Harriet.  Why do you always have to be little miss sensible?”

I laughed.  “Because in this friendship, you give me no choice but to be the adult.”

Cassie seemed to momentarily forget about the dampener I’d just put on her belly button dilemma and smiled.  “It’s nice to know how much you love me.”

I got up from the bean bag and flopped down next to her on my bed.  “I do love you.”

    “Well then.” I felt her sit up beside me.  “You’ll take my advice.”

I squinted up at her from beneath my fringe.  I really do need a haircut.  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

She cocked an eyebrow at me and tapped her bottom lip with her nail file.  “It means you should trust me.”

I sat bolt upright.  “Trust you?”

    “Yeah.”  She nodded.  “I know what’s best for you.”