Page 33 of Now and Again

‘Yes.’ Riley pulled the sheet back over her head. Her mother walked out. And that was that.

So Riley wasn’t going to live with her dad anymore, but it didn’t matter. She’d be gone in a few months anyway, off to uni. And then she’d make her own way—a brand-new life away from everything and everyone she knew. They could all screw themselves.

Riley’s mood was not improved by a text she got a few minutes later.

I thought you were different. Guess I was wrong. You’re the same as all of them.

Riley hadn’t been shocked by her mother’s announcement. But this? It stunned her. What the hell did it mean? Was Juliet mad because it was kind of Riley’s fault she’d gotten shoved in the pool? Because Riley had moved quickly, but she hadn’t pulled Juliet out of the way. Was that it? Did she blame her for it?

As Riley thought about it, she began to realise that maybe it wasn’t that. Maybe it was something much more terrible. Maybe this was Juliet’s way of letting her know that Riley simply wasn’t good enough. She thought Riley was average.

This was her worst fear made real. Riley had shown herself to Juliet, and all she’d seen was a spoiled, silly rich girl.

NOW

‘Would you pass the gravy?’ Juliet asked.

‘Huh?’ Riley said, ripped from her stupor. She looked over, and Juliet was looking at her with a small smile. Riley passed her the gravy, wishing she hadn’t suddenly found herself doing a small toddle down memory lane, stopping off along the way at a place known as ‘The worst text I ever received’ Road. It was a part of history she hadn’t thought about in a long time.

Only now she was sat next to Juliet, at ‘family’ dinner. And she couldn’t help but wonder if Juliet still looked at her and thought exactly the same.

Fifteen

It was midnight, and Juliet had been in bed for an hour. Nothing was happening.

She supposed it was just the shock of the new preventing her from falling asleep. That, and her neighbour. Right next door, Riley Powell. It was making her feel jittery. She didn’t understand the feeling. She had a crush, so what? Why did that have to mean she was lying here fidgeting around just because that crush was lying on the other side of the wall, possibly in some silky underwear? In fact, for all Juliet knew, Riley slept naked…

Juliet slapped her wrist and told herself to stop it and go to sleep. Just because someone was nice to you didn’t mean you had carte blanche to have salacious thoughts about them. Juliet felt it was quite rude of herself to let her mind turn Riley into the star of her sexual fantasies. It was like she was taking something from Riley that Riley didn’t know had been stolen. It wasn’t right. Riley had been kind to her since the day she nearly got her walking papers. Juliet had to stop this and be her friend, like they’d said. Be normal. Not the same idiot she’d been ten years ago, chasing a ridiculous, unobtainable dream.

THEN

Juliet needed to speak to Riley. Now.

She couldn’t believe the level on which she’d fucked up. She’d never known anyone like Riley. She was nice, smart, sexy, thoughtful, and had reached out to her, tried to connect. And Juliet had blanked her. But it wasn’t too late to make it right. She hoped.

When she arrived at lit, she was first there. The teacher hadn’t arrived yet, the room was still locked. She leaned against the hall wall and waited, hoping Riley might be the next to arrive.

No such luck. What she got instead was India.

Juliet turned her eyes away from the approaching girl. That was all she needed today—a run-in withher. Juliet began to look through her bag on the floor, as though she’d lost something, trying to look busy.

But then she felt a shadow fall over her. She looked up. India had her hands on her hips, smiling down. Well, sneering. ‘What are you looking for? Your phone?’

‘Umm…’ She didn’t want to engage with India, but she didn’t want to ignore her either. But which one would make whatever was about to happen worse? Hard to say. ‘I lost a book.’

India shocked Juliet by reaching right into her bag and pulling out the copy ofThe Haunting of Hill House. ‘What, this one?’

Juliet jumped up, trying to snatch the book out of her hand. But India was quick, and she yanked her arm back, the book just out of reach.

‘What are you doing?’ Juliet asked, surprised by her forthright tone.

India arched a nasty eyebrow. ‘Sorry, didn’t realise it was so precious to you. It’s not even yours, is it? Belongs to the school library,’ she said, thumbing the first few pages.

‘Exactly. It’s not mine. That’s why I don’t want you ruining it,’ Juliet said. She was kind of loving this, talking to India without cringing, without stepping back. She supposed she was past caring about all this school crap. They were leaving soon. And who was India? Just your standard bitch. Nothing special. Not like her friend. Riley was worth caring about. Not any of this.

‘Oh, I guess it’s a bad idea to rip a page out then?’ India said, holding the cover roughly.

Juliet shrugged. ‘Go ahead. I’ll let them know they can charge you.’

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