Page 61 of Do You Ship It

‘Hello, Anissa! Lovely to meet you,’ Mum chirps.

‘Yes, hello,’ Dad says, and thengoes to stand up, like this is some bloody business meeting and he’s going to shake her hand. He used to shake Jake’s hand whenever he saw him, and they’d both make a joke of it. I glare at him and he catches on, sitting back down. He and Mum exchange another look with raised eyebrows. Instead, he says, ‘We picked up some pizzas for you girls, in case there’s no food at the party. Shall I get them in the oven?’

‘Yes, go on,’ Mum says for us. ‘Can we get you anything to drink, Anissa? Some pop?’

‘Oh! Um … If you’ve got any Diet Coke, or something, please?’

‘Coming right up!’ They both stand in unison, and Mum ushers us away to my room to get ready, saying she’ll bring everything up. Dad’swhistlingto himself, and Mum doesn’t even snap at him to be quiet.

Anissa and I go up to my room, and I cringe. ‘Sorry about them. They’re not normally … that weird.’

She laughs. ‘Don’t worry, my parents are a bit like that too.’

Anissa sets her bag down at the end of my bed. There’s a blow-up mattress squashed into the corner that Mum will sort out later. Unzipping the bag, Anissa pulls out a dress and scrunches her face up.

‘So I know you said you were wearing a dress, but …’

‘That issocute, ohmigosh!’ I take it from her to hold it up; it’s a pink wrap dress with a tie in the front and long sleeves. I’m sure I have a lipstick that matches it she could borrow, but Anissa is already pulling some other clothes out of her bag.

‘Mum gotreallycarried away. I’d never normally wear this sort of thing, but I didn’t have the heart to tell her that. She was just so excited, you know? I don’t …’ Anissa blushes, and bites the inside of her cheek, then looks down at the floor as she blurts, ‘I mean, I don’t need to tellyou, I don’t really get invited to stuff like this. I think she was just happy I was finally being included in something.’

I set the dress down next to her bag, and because I’m not sure there’ll ever be the right time to ask, I say, ‘I always thought you just … preferred to keep to yourself? You never seemed very bothered.’

She shrugs one shoulder, still not lifting her eyes from her feet, in a way that says she very muchwasbothered.

‘Oh. I … I don’t …’

‘It’s okay.’ She gives a thin, fleeting smile, hardly glancing up at all, and sits on the edge of the bed smoothing out the fabric of the other dress bunched in her hands. Her shoulders are slumped, but there’s something relaxed about her posture that’s more accepting than self-pitying. ‘It’s one of those things, right? I just … haven’t found my people yet.’

Now, Anissa smiles up at me, and it’s hopeful, like she’s not worried about making friends – just finding the right ones.

Like maybeI’mone of the right ones.

Not, you know, a heinous traitor with an ulterior motive.

‘Discord’s been really fab, though,’ she gushes. ‘My parents aren’t really into any of the fandom stuff and I didn’t know anybody at school who was, so it’s nice to finally have some people to talk to about it, and you’re right – they are a really nice bunch, and so easyto chat to. I just wish I’d known about it sooner! I wish I’d knownyouwere a fan sooner, too. You wouldn’t have seemed so intimidating to try and talk to then.’

She laughs, but all I can do is stare.

‘Intimidating?Me?’

‘Well, yeah! I mean you always just seem so … so cool, and like you always know what to do and what to wear and what to say, and you never seem to have any trouble making friends or –’

I burst out laughing so hard that she looks miffed at the interruption.

Mum chooses that moment to appear with a glass of Coke for us each. ‘Pizza won’t be too long! I’ll bring some snacky bits up with it, too. Don’t want you drinking on an empty stomach! Are you going to be having alcohol, Anissa? Does your mum know? I’d rather you girls be sensible about it, is all.’

‘Pleasedon’t do the Regina George “cool mom” speech,’ I groan, and Mum immediately starts pretending to hold out a video camera and do the ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ dance like in the originalMean Girls. Anissa is giggling behind me, and I can’t decide whether to laugh too, or wish the ground would swallow me whole.

‘I might have a little bit, and my parents know,’ Anissa says, though doesn’t mention the gin she’s been supplied with.

Mum nods, and I usher her out before she can repeat her whole ‘safe partying’ spiel. Anissa meets my eye with another giggle and I just roll mine, and we start discussing outfits. While she’s leaning towards jeans and a T-shirt, I’ve got a dress Nikita lent me that the other girls all approved, and try to persuade Anissa to wear a dress, too. I don’t want to look out of place; I don’t wantherto feel out of place, either.

She seems to have bundled half her wardrobe into her duffel bag, though, so we have plenty to choose from, and by the time we’re snacking on pizza and crisps, she’s happily settled on a long-sleeved black tube dress. It’s knee length and a bit plain, but by the time she adds some make-up and a pair of hoops, it’ll be perfect, I think – but then I’m forced to bite my tongue when she layers on a necklace with a misshapen jade pendant and clips on a gold ear cuff that looks like a snake.

She’s still wearing the evil eye bracelet, too. None of it matches, and with the black dress, shedoeslook very witchy. Maybe that’s the vibe she’s going for, though …?

I guess if she feels comfortable, that’s what matters?

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