Page 37 of Spring Awakening

Zach wants to ask her how she remembers that but not who he is now. “He was a cartoon,” he says.

His mum laughs, her hands clasped in front of her. “You loved him so much.”

“I liked his arms!”

“And what about this girl? Does she have nice arms?”

“She has nice everything.” He sighs. “She’s the kindest person I’ve ever met.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“I’m not the right guy for her.”

His mum frowns. “Why ever not?”

Zach shrugs. “I’m a bit of a dick.”

His mum gasps, and he laughs, knowing that if she knew who he truly was, she’d throw a slipper at him for daring to swear in her house.

“If you are such ad-word,” she says, with a knowing glance, “then why are you sitting around on a Thursday lunchtime with an old lady you hardly know?”

“You’re my favourite old lady,” he replies, and she smiles.

“Tell me more about this girl.”

Zach laughs. “Alright. Let me text her quick. I think she needs stuff from the shops too.”

“Oooh, can you get me orange chocolate? Are you coming back? Will you bring her?”

Zach works out how to answer her rapid-fire questions.

“There’s some in the cupboard, but I will stock up for you.”

“And the girl?”

“She’s at work,” he replies. “But there’s a family game day in a few weeks. You can meet her there if you want?”

He sends a quick message instead of overthinking it for twenty minutes. It’s only asking if she wants him to grab her anything from the shop. But yesterday she sent him a delayed response to a joke, and he’d thought about it all evening as she sat reading,then he lay in his room with the door open hoping to see her walk past. Whenever he thinks he misses her, he finds a stupid meme and sends it to her, then waits to hear her laugh.

His mum gasps, her hands coming in front of her face. “I can go, even though I’m not family?”

Zach bites the inside of his cheek. “You can do whatever you want, Ma.”

His phone vibrates, and he avoids his mum’s gaze as he smiles.

Mali: yes!

Mali: where are you going?

Mali: can I meet u there?

Mali: Zachhhhh

Mali: xxxxxxx

Zach: You can just send one text, you know?

Mali: but you take eight years to respond

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