Page 30 of The Reboot
‘But so was I, so I guess we were well matched.’
‘So how come you split up?’
Roly shrugged. ‘I went into rehab. We drifted apart.’
‘Oh.’
‘And she went ontoCelebrity Cell Blockand shagged Adam Leader.’
‘Ah. That’d do it all right.’ The Leaders were an Irish family pop rock band, and Adam was the frontman.
‘Every time. Can’t blame her really. Adam still had it all going on.’
Ella’s initial dislike of Pippa was solidifying by the second.
‘Do you plan to go back to college, now that you’re better?’
‘Hopefully … eventually. But it’ll have to wait. I need to pay off my debts and save up a bit first.’
Roly sighed. ‘Yeah, me too – as it turns out.’ He raked a hand through his hair. ‘I mean, I’m not in debt – I don’t think.’ He frowned and blanched as if the thought had just occurred to him. ‘But I’ve been worried about money for the first time in my life. It’s made me realise what it must have been like for Mum all those years.’
Ella only vaguely remembered Roly’s mum from the odd school concert or sports day. But she knew she was a single mother and she’d raised Roly alone.
‘At least you’ve got this place.’
‘Yeah, but maybe not for much longer. I might have to sell.’
‘Oh, that would be awful. Isn’t there anything else you could do?’
‘My mum suggested getting a lodger. I’m considering it. But it’d be kind of humiliating, you know – being me.’
‘The great Roly Punch reduced to house-sharing!’
‘Shut up!’ He laughed. ‘You know what I mean. I’d probably get some knob who thought he was cooler than me just by virtue of never having been in Oh Boy! Or a crazed fan who’d follow me around all the time taking sneaky photos and plastering stuff about me all over social media.’
‘Yeah, those are probably the options all right.’
‘I may not have a choice. But I really don’t fancy living with a stranger.’
‘I know what you mean.’ She knew that even when she could afford to move out of her mum’s, she wouldn’t be able to rent on her own. But she couldn’t face the idea of house-sharing, and was secretly relieved she didn’t have to yet. She didn’t have the energy for making herself appealing to potential housemates.
‘Are you planning to move out of your mum’s?’
‘Not for a while yet. Rents are crazy.’
‘But you’d like to?’
‘If I could afford it, yeah.’
‘How would you feel about moving in with me?’
Ella laughed. ‘This is so sudden! Do you usually ask girls to move in with you after one coffee and a pizza slice?’
He grinned. ‘You have to move fast when you’ve fallen behind like we have. I mean, I should be on my second marriage by now.’
‘That’s true. We’re way behind.’
‘I’d have to charge you rent—’
