Page 20 of Do You Ship It

CHAPTER 9

I’m on a bit of a high when the fourth episode finishes. Téiglin has made a reappearance, running into some council meeting of his fellow forest-creatures, interrupting minotaurs and fauns and a very large, badly animated owl, to report back what he found out about the evil royal family.

I’m still not sure why they’re so evil, or what the whole drama is exactly, but Téiglin has solidified himself as an endearing, sort of bumbling character – and I’m here for it. Plus, it’s given me a bit of new inspiration for my art project, and I’m suddenly itching to get home to my sketchbook to draw, which is … new. I normally turn to art to while away time, rather than because I feel this burning need to put an idea on to canvas and see it come to life.

So maybeOf Wrath and Runeisn’t allsoawful and boring.

I’m not sure I’d call myself a ‘fan’ at this stage, but when I tell Jake I’m excited to watch the next few episodes, I’m surprised to find just how much I mean it. The storyline hasn’t captured me in the slightest, but the characters are making up for that.

‘Are you around this week?’ I ask Jake. ‘Maybe we can watch some more?’

Plus, I’ll get to see him again, and maybe we won’t have to put up with our third-wheel this time.

But Jake hesitates, and in that split-second, my stomach sinks.

‘Oh, uh … I don’t know, Cer.’ He rubs the back of his neck, and glances at Max for a beat too long. The usurper, the interloper. ‘We’ve got alotof homework, and then it’s football, plus the match on Sunday – we were gonna go out after that, and … I mean, you’re working Saturday anyway, right?’

‘Yeah, but …’

I trail off, swallowing the rest of that sentence. My shift at the H&M in town is only a few hours in the afternoon, but I’m getting the message loud and clear: Jake doesn’t want to spend time with me.

I am being pushed out.

I am no longer the best friend he chooses to hang out with.

I hate hate hate Max with a passion. I don’t even know his last name, but Ihate him.

I can’t bring myself to hate Jake; this wedge between us hurts too much, and I know that if I could just get rid of it, things might go back to the way they were before. If I take this betrayal and upset out on Jake, it could ruin us for good. But Max – Max is very safe to hate.He’sthe one who’s taking this away from me, after all.

‘Maybe next week?’ Jake says, more hopefully. ‘We could make this a regular Wednesday thing. Max, you’d be up for that, right?’

Oh, goodie, weekly hangouts with Max.

But if the alternative is not knowing when I might have plans with Jake next …

I force a smile. ‘That’d be great! Yeah, Max, are you in?’Please say no, please say no.

He looks a bit startled when I talk more directly to him, and he doesn’t smile but does nod once, hesitant. ‘Sure, I guess.’

Why?Why would he agree when he so clearly doesn’t want to be here?

My smile strains. ‘Perfect.’

Jake beams, looking genuinely thrilled, absolutelyoblivious to the tension between me and Max. ‘Awesome! Wednesday OWARs, it’s in the calendar. You staying for dinner, by the way, Cer? Think Mum’s doing a chilli.’

The ‘yes’ is so ready on my tongue, but Max is slouched low in the gaming chair on his phone like he’s already been invited and will be staying, so I hear myself telling Jake, ‘Thanks, but I should probably get home.’

‘You sure?’

‘Yeah! Next time, though, maybe.’

He brightens, and I reach for my bag, not realizing when I haul it upright that it’s open.

‘Got it!’ Jake says, immediately diving to collect my schoolbooks that have fallen out. One catches his eye, though – a blue spiral-bound sketchbook. He was with me when I bought it. He lights up as he starts to thumb through it, and I freeze.

Like, my whole body. Turned to ice. Rooted to the spot. The world stops turning, except for Jake, who seems to be moving at a lightning speed I can’t fully process.

‘Ooh, what’ve you been drawing lately, Cer? Any nice profiles of yours truly? I am such a handsome muse, after all …’

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