Page 15 of When We Were Friends
‘One hundred per cent,’ said Tiff. ‘If anyone was going to see through Hugo’s game, it should have been you, Morgan. But Christ, instead you ended up sleeping with him.’ She put her hands up. ‘As for me, it was the first time a boy appeared to look past my podginess and I was bowled over, I lapped it up.’ She shuddered. ‘God, I was so grateful.’ Her voice wavered. ‘I told Hugo I loved him.’ She didn’t blink for a few moments as if watching a reel of a horror movie from 2004.
‘I looked up to you three,’ said Emily in a quiet voice. ‘My closest friends who knew best about everything, who were always there when life got shitty. I was having a bad enough time as it was, because of my mum. I still think about how Hugo must have found the fact he was the first boy I’d ever kissed funny.’
‘I’m sure we didn’t mean everything we’d said to each other that night,’ said Paige, her tone reminding Morgan of how she so often used to bring the girls together. However, today that conciliatory tone irritated Morgan, who couldn’t keep the words in.
‘You said I was gay! I didn’t care what you thought about my sexuality, what hurt was the fact that I thought we knew each other, inside out.’
‘Did we? You called me a princess, Morgan,’ said Paige, colouring up.
‘Better that than a slut,’ said Emily and shot a grimace Tiff’s way. ‘I couldn’t have had less experience with boys.’
Tiff got to her feet. ‘You were right, Paige. I should have kept shtum. In fact, I should have kept away today, because you three have no idea how I suffered after that night.Gay?Paige didn’t mean it as an insult, it was simply a misguided observation, not a critical comment about, say, your behaviour or appearance. As forprincess, well, let’s face it Paige, with your designer clothes and dad’s Aston Martin, it was near to the truth. Andslutwas a common enough insult thrown by people at school to each other, no one really meant it, and you obviously weren’t, Emily. ButJabba…? That name’s repulsive image drew all the loudest laughs.’ Her eyes shone and she went to go.
‘Please don’t leave,’ said Morgan and looked around the table. ‘Please. I need… I couldn’t bear it if…’ She gulped and knocked into the table as she got up and charged towards the toilets.
Tiff raised her eyebrows and sat down again. ‘Oh. She’s truly upset. Guess I would be, if I was the one to reach out after all these years and it didn’t go to plan.’
Paige followed Morgan past the cake counter and into the small corridor. She was crouched at the bottom of a wall, a tissue in between her fingers, her handbag next to her, open, with an official-looking letter sticking out and a tube of Rolos, favourites ever since she’d been old enough to have pocket money. Paige took Morgan’s hands and pulled her up.
‘Look, Morgan, there’s something I should tell you…’
Morgan’s breath hitched. ‘I don’t need to listen to anything, unless it’s you and the others agreeing to spend this time together, looking for Olly’s dad, the four of acting as a team, like we used to.’
Paige tilted her head. ‘There’s more to this than finding Hugo, isn’t there? Why are you so upset? You must have realised there was a chance we’d not hit it off again. What’s going on, Morgan, apart from all this stuff with Olly?’
Morgan rolled her lips together. Paige waited, in silence, whilst Morgan’s mind raced back to what had been the beginning of the end for the friends. She could exactly recall Hugo’s face when he found out he’d lost his captaincy of the football team. It was the end of January, six months before the prom. The four friends were walking home, past the frosty, lit-up football pitch. Hugo was shouting at the coach, who pointed to the changing rooms and ordered him inside, to get dressed and go home. On the way, Hugo passed the girls.
‘You frigid little bitches have caused this,’ he spat, icy-white air shooting out from his lips like icicles. ‘The headmaster’s had a word with Coach. Coach wasn’t happy with him interfering with the way he runs things, but said he couldn’t help agreeing…’ Hugo’s eyes flashed with anger. ‘Apparently, my behaviour doesn’t fit with theethos of the team.’
‘That’s what happens when you two-time the head’s daughter,’ said Paige smoothly.
‘Amelia brought her suspicions to us, we were duty-bound to help,’ Morgan had added.
‘She was really upset,’ said Emily, standing a little behind the others’ backs.
‘The truth always comes out eventually, however much you carry on denying it,’ said Tiff, bravado at the fore.
‘My dad’s going to go apeshit. You’ve made the biggest mistake of your lives,’ he’d hissed and jabbed his finger in the air.
Morgan shook herself and stood straighter. Wiped her eyes. Blew her nose. ‘Sorry, Paige. I don’t know what came over me. I should never have put that message in the newsletter. I’ll find a way to track Hugo down on my own. Right… better go and wash my face. Take care. If they’re still there, thank the others for me and say goodbye on my behalf.’
Morgan splashed cold water onto her skin. The headmaster’s daughter was one of the few pupils who’d shot the girls sympathetic glances at the prom. Months earlier, she’d taken them to one side, explained how it was odd how Hugo was more interested in talking to her dad than to her, whenever he went around for tea, as if his mind was on something – or someone – else. Therefore, the girls had used their four gifts and the evidence they found left them in no doubt that he was cheating with a pupil in Year Ten named Sophie. She sat next to Morgan in maths.
Morgan wiped away the water and memories with a paper towel. The one thing she liked so much about maths was that if an equation went wrong, you could always trace it back to the first mistake – and then put it right. Life wasn’t like that. What was the first mistake The Secret Gift Society made? Was it each falling for Hugo? Was it taking on Amelia’s case and standing up against their nemesis? Was it forming the society in the first place?
Morgan left the toilets. Where was her handbag? Crap, she must have left it on the floor. She hurried back into the café. Emily and Tiff sat waiting, Morgan’s handbag on the table. Paige must have picked it up and put it there. The café door opened and Paige walked in, cheeks drained of colour. She held onto the back of the chair for a second and then sat down.
‘I just needed some fresh air.’
Had Paige been crying?
Paige gripped the chair back tighter. ‘I’ve got something to say…’
10
MORGAN
‘This isn’t easy for me,’ said Paige. ‘I came here today to put an end to this reunion.’ She exhaled, air noisily escaping her clenched jaw. ‘But whatever’s happened in the past, Morgan has guts for getting in touch, for asking us to work together even though the sense of betrayal is still so raw. This tells me she’s pretty desperate. Aside from that, Olly’s blameless in all of this. Us four started it when we took on his dad. Emily’s right, we should do this for him. It’s our responsibility. One last ever case, if you like.’ Her tone sounded affectionate for a moment. ‘Then we formerly, and properly, this time, disband the society. Right, Emily and Tiff?’ She gave them both pointed looks, then sat down and took out her compact, looking thoroughly miserable as she dabbed the skin around her eyes.
