Page 23 of The Reboot
‘Did you…’ She felt it was only polite to ask him about his results in return, but what if he’d done really badly? She didn’t want to embarrass him. ‘Did you … get what you wanted?’
‘Yeah. I passed, which is all I needed to do. I’m not planning to go to uni or anything. I only stayed on for the Leaving because my mum made me, so I’d have options – you know, in case my pop career goes tits up.’
‘That’s sensible.’
‘Yeah, so if you ever need someone to sketch you an ox-bow lake, I’m your man,’ he said, pointing his fork at himself.
Ella laughed. ‘I believe people who can sketch ox-bow lakes will be in big demand in the future. And you could branch out into other things – volcanoes, for instance.’
‘My volcanoes are top notch! And I know an interlocking spur when I see one. So whatever happens with the band, I’m sorted.’ He leaned back, grinning. ‘Win, lose or draw.’
It would always be win for the likes of Roly, she thought. She was glad. Happy for him.
‘Do you still feel drunk?’
She shook her head to test it. It didn’t hurt. ‘No. I think breakfast took care of that. Do you?’
‘No. Just tired.’
‘Yeah.’ She yawned. ‘Me too.’
‘I guess we should go.’
She nodded. I’ll get this if you get the taxi.’
‘You don’t have a corsage,’ Roly said when they were in the taxi, his eyes flicking to her wrist.
‘Drawback of going with a girlfriend,’ she said with a crooked smile.
‘Aww. Have mine.’ He took the flower from his buttonhole and held it out to her.
‘Thanks.’ She took it from him and smiled, looking down at it in her hands, touched by the sweetness of the gesture.
They fell silent, both lost in their own thoughts.
‘It’s exciting, isn’t it?’ Roly said, when they were near her house. ‘Going out into the big, bad world?’ He widened his eyes.
‘Yeah.’
‘But a bit scary too.’
‘Yeah, it is.’ It was what she was feeling, but she was glad he’d had the guts to say it out loud.
‘Ah, you have nothing to worry about, my brainiac friend,’ he said, putting an arm around her shoulder and pulling her into a hug. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. ‘You’ll be fine.’
The taxi pulled up outside her house, and that was it. That was her moment with Roly Punch. ‘Thanks for the lift,’ she said, turning to him as she unfastened her seat belt.
‘Thank you for breakfast.’
Suddenly emboldened, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. ‘Well, good luck with everything. Have a great … life.’
‘Thanks. You too.’
‘Bye, Roly.’ She opened the door.
‘See you!’ he said as she got out.
See you. It was just something people said. She knew she wouldn’t see him again. She stood on the pavement as the taxi pulled away, and watched as it carried him out of her life. When it got to the corner, she waved, but Roly was looking ahead and didn’t see. The taxi disappeared out of sight, and she turned and went into the house.
