Page 35 of The New Girl

‘Did you come on a plane from Athens to Dublin?’ Clara asked.

‘Yes.’

‘OK, and then what happened?’

Safa stood up. ‘I don’t really remember, it’s a bit of a blur.’

‘I understand. I just thought you might be able to remember some things,’ Clara urged.

Safa wrapped her arms around her stomach protectively. ‘I don’t know.’

‘Stop.’ Ruby stepped in. ‘She’s answered enough questions.’

Clara glared at Ruby. ‘I’m just interested in the details, Ruby. They are very important.’

‘I know, Clara, but Safa has said she doesn’t remember, so drop it.’

‘Fine, but it’s on you.’ Clara snapped her copybook shut and stomped off, followed by Denise.

Safa turned to Ruby. ‘What’s going on?’

Ruby shrugged. ‘Dunno, just forget it. Clara can be a bit over the top sometimes. Her mum is a bit intense, so I guess Clara just wants to show her that she has talked to you about your life.’

Safa hoped she hadn’t annoyed Clara. She liked her. Clara was bossy and she did ask a lot of questions, but she was kind too and had been a good friend to Safa. But she couldn’t remember the exact dates, and surely Clara couldn’t be angry with her for that?

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Ruby

Ruby opened the fridge. There was a ready-made meal with her name on it and another one for Orla. Mum had taken Robbie to the Children’s Hospital in Dublin for a check-up and wouldn’t be back until late.

Ruby didn’t want a microwave dinner. She wanted a proper dinner. She wanted Mum’s amazing spaghetti bolognese, or she wanted her yummy roast chicken and mashed potatoes dinner.

But Mum rarely seemed to have time to cook any more. She cooked for Robbie and often had to cook several meals for him, because depending on his mood he could turn two or three plates upside down. So when it came to Ruby and Orla, they usually ended up with plain pasta, toast or a microwave dinner. If Dad wasn’t out in his taxi, like he usually was, he sometimes made them dinner. Orla was supposed to cook, Mum said she was old enough and that if you could read you could cook, but she never wanted to.

As Ruby peeled the plastic off her dinner, Orla came in.

‘Oh God, not chicken pesto again. I told Mum I hate that one,’ she groaned.

Ruby shrugged. ‘There’s nothing else unless you want to go to the shops and cook something.’

‘I’ve just spent eight hours in boring school and walked home in the rain. No, I do not want to go out again.’ Orla threw her bag down and peeled off her wet coat. ‘I guess it’s toast and peanut butter again.’

She slammed two pieces of bread into the toaster. Ruby knew when her sister was like this, the best thing to do was say nothing.

‘I had to listen to Kylie Phelan telling everyone how she and Conor are now dating. Stupid cow. I hate her and I hate him and I hate my life. I might as well just become a nun. No guy is ever going to go out with me because we are a “retard family”.’

Ruby felt the chicken stick in her throat. She picked up her glass of water and drank to dislodge the meat. ‘Do you really think that’s what people think of us?’ she asked.

Orla spread peanut butter over her toast. ‘Yes, I do. We might as well be nuns because no one will marry us because they’ll be afraid that we will have kids like Robbie.’

‘But Robbie was just unlucky,’ Ruby said.

‘I know that, and you know that, but people out there are so stupid, they don’t understand.’

Ruby put her fork down. She didn’t feel hungry any more. ‘But most people aren’t stupid.’

‘In my opinion, they are.’

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