Page 30 of Now and Again

‘You know, like… Anything interesting going around?’ Juliet asked, trying not to look directly at Meera’s mouth.

Meera looked at Haley, swallowing. ‘J wants the goss.’

Haley sipped from her Ribena carton. ‘This is a first.’

Meera took another bite. ‘You’re talking about the party, aren’t you?’

And there it was—confirmation. It was a relief to hear someone say it. ‘Yes. The party,’ Juliet said sadly.

‘Pretty hilarious. I wish I’d seen it,’ Haley giggled.

Juliet pulled her cardigan tighter. ‘Do you?’

‘Yeah. I mean, it’s not every day you see a sight like that, is it?’

Juliet shook her head as she tried not to slide to the floor in a foetal ball. ‘I suppose not.’

‘I wish someone had taken snaps,’ Meera added.

Juliet frowned. ‘That’s a bit much. It was bad enough without seeing it passed around school today as well.’

Meera looked surprised. ‘Well,hedidn’t mind if everyone saw, so I don’t know why you’re judgingmefor wanting to see his arse.’

Juliet heard every word of Meera’s sentence very clearly, but her brain couldn’t unravel its meaning. ‘What?’

‘I know he’s not brains of Britain or anything, but I think he’s cute,’ Meera said defensively.

‘Yeah, and a photo’s the closestyou’dever get. Jenny Yang has him locked down,’ Haley told Meera with a nudge in the ribs.

‘Who are we talking about?’ Juliet had to ask.

‘Paul Prentiss, ding-dong. Who’d ya think?’ Haley said.

Juliet felt like she was losing her mind. ‘Can you just… Can we start this story again?’

‘I thought you knew,’ Haley said, confused. ‘There was some party on Friday, and apparently, Paul Prentiss jumped in the pool, took his bottoms off, and did a handstand. The whole school saw his bum.’

‘I’d have liked to seen the other angle,’ Meera said with all the worldliness she could summon. Haley screamed with laughter, delightfully scandalised. ‘You’re such a perv!’ she shrieked. Meera looked thrilled to gain that title.

Juliet barely heard any of that; she was spinning. This was what people were talking about? Howcouldit be? Poor, unpopular girl thinks she can party with the cool kids and her boobs pay the price? That was the headline. Wasn’t it?

Juliet needed more information. She had to go to the source.

***

Juliet coughed into her hand. Paul Prentiss, asleep on the front lawn of the school with a comic book over his face, didn’t move. Juliet coughed louder and something penetrated this time. Paul sat bolt upright, the book falling away. ‘I’m awake! Jenny, don’t leave!’ His eyes focused, and he saw Juliet. ‘Oh, hi.’ He squinted and rubbed his eyes. ‘I know you from somewhere, don’t I?’

Juliet nodded. ‘Friday’s party. You knocked me into the pool.’

Paul gaped in horror. ‘Oh, fuck! Yeah. Bro, I’m so sorry!’

Juliet shook her head. ‘It doesn’t matter. Really. I just wanted to ask… What do you remember about that?’

Paul shrugged. ‘Nothing. It’s all a bit of a blank after nine o’clock. That’s when I found that bottle of tequila.’

‘Oh,’ Juliet sighed, disappointed. ‘Well, thanks for…’

‘But Jenny filled me in the next day,’ Paul went on. ‘She said I… She told me I showed my arse. Apparently, I thought…’ Paul paused, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘She told me I thought everyone was getting naked. SoIgot naked. But like, it was just me.’ He laughed, shaking his embarrassment off. ‘Oh, and she said I saw your… ladies. She’s a bit mad at me about that, actually.’

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