Page 95 of Seven Letters

‘True. And neither does Kanye, really.’

‘Well, there you go.’

‘How much do you reckon a harmonica costs? I’ve only twenty quid left from my birthday money.’

‘More than twenty quid.’

‘How much more?’

Riley threw down her pen. ‘I don’t know – about fifty, I guess, for a decent starter one.’

‘Do you think I should get one that you stick onto your guitar with the long steel bar? I bet they’re more expensive.’

‘I wasn’t suggesting you do both. I think you should choose the harmonicainsteadof the guitar.’

Shocko leaned back on the beanbag, his floppy brown hair falling over his eyes. ‘Yeah, but if I did both, that would be impressive. Especially if I did both at the same time. Harmonica and guitar – seriously cool.’

Riley peeled dark blue varnish off her thumbnail. ‘I dunno, Shocko. I really don’t think it would be that cool. A harmonica stuck onto a guitar looks kind of nerdy.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah, like your mother made you play ten instruments because she thought you weregiftedand you spent all of your childhood inside playing scales.’

Shocko pushed back his hair. ‘Are you looking at it?’

‘Hard to miss.’ Riley smirked.

‘That’s why I gelled my hair down. It’s supposed to cover it. Anyway, you’re no one to talk – you’ve got a big zit on your chin.’

Riley’s hand flew up to it. ‘I thought I’d hidden it with concealer.’

Shocko laughed. ‘You can see it from space.’

‘Shit.’ Riley pulled out a hand mirror from her desk drawer. ‘Oh, God, it’s way worse than it was this morning. It must be all the stress about Sarah.’

Damn. She had drama the next day with Zach. Riley wondered if she should pop it.

‘And what’s happening with your aunt?’

Riley sighed. ‘There’s no change. She’s being kept alive because the baby shows a heartbeat. But it’s so horrific.’ Shecovered her face with her hands, as if blocking out the images in her head. ‘I went to say goodbye and I nearly puked when I saw her. I hate to see her like that. No one should end up that way.’

‘Will Adam pull the plug?’ Shocko asked.

‘No,’ Riley said. ‘He’s gone psycho. No one can even talk to him about ending it. We visited the other day, so I could say goodbye, and he freaked at us for being there. He thinks Mum’s going to switch off the machines or something. It’s mental. And guess what arrived yesterday evening by courier?’

‘What?’ Shocko said, hanging on her every word.

‘A solicitor’s letter, telling Mum and Granddad they’re banned from the hospital.’

‘Jesus, can he do that?’

Riley shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’

‘Banning them … That’s harsh.’

‘He’s a prick. You should see my poor granddad. He’s in bits. He looks about a hundred, and his annoying girlfriend keeps kissing him and massaging his shoulders. It’s gross.’

‘Do you think they’re having sex? Do old people still do it?’

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