Chapter 12
The Day of the Party
Seb:
Please reply
I’m worried about you
Seb’s messages had kept coming through after she switched her phone back on yesterday morning.
Holly had allowed herself half an hour to wallow before opening herself back up to the world.
She’d replied to say she was fine - mainly because she’d heard him downstairs talking to her dad, who’d then come upstairs to tell her Seb was going to cancel his cinema trip with Danny and wasn’t leaving until he knew she was OK.
Thankfully her mum was at the cash and carry so hadn’t witnessed what she would surely interpret as a romantic gesture.
Her dad, on the other hand, simply passed on the message as if he’d been tasked with telling her dinner was ready.
He didn’t ask what had happened. He didn’t try to find out more information. She loved that about him.
Although she’d replied to Seb, she had ignored Sloane’s message. But now that the party was only a few hours away, Sloane had come in person and was currently standing in the doorway to Holly’s bedroom. She couldn’t ignore her any longer.
‘Happy birthday,’ she said, at least looking a little sheepish.
When Holly didn’t say anything, she added, ‘I thought you’d find it as funny as I did.’
That did it for Holly.
‘I challenge anyone to find it funny to have a bucket of sea water chucked over them, Sloane.’
‘Lesson learned.’
‘It was embarrassing - not to mention disgusting. I had to wash my hair twice to get rid of the smell.’ She brought her hair to her nose then, breathing deeply to check that her hair smelt of the Crabtree she didn’t want her speaking to him for her.
‘About Seb - don’t worry about passing on my message,’ she rushed out.
‘Oh no. I’m still up for that. I’m your wingwoman, remember.’ She winked at her, in what should have been a playful gesture, but felt loaded somehow.
‘What are you going to say?’
‘That you fancy him and if he feels the same, to meet you at The Dolphin at half 7.’
‘I thought you said my idea in the letter was childish?’
‘The letter - yes. But getting him to meet you before the party, I guess that’s kind of cute. Suits you.’ She shrugged.
Her nerves about Seb finally finding out how she felt, were clawing up her chest. But the thought of him not finding out, when she’d built herself up to this, well that was something she couldn’t bear either.
Making a decision she wasn’t certain she wouldn’t regret, she repeated her words from a minute ago.
‘Thanks, Sloane.’ This time those words came out as sincere.
Holly was struggling to keep up with the dynamics of their friendship this morning - it was faltering like an off kilter pendulum.
‘Don’t mention it. I’m a giver Holly, and I can overlook your behaviour recently to do this for you.’
Her words stung and Holly fell down a rabbit hole of worries as to whether she’d been the bad friend over the last few years. Had it been her behaviour that had caused this change in Sloane?
‘I didn’t realised you’d been feeling like that.’
‘It’s been hard, Holly. You’ve been pushing me away.’ Sloane sniffed, and Holly was consumed with the thought she was going to cry. Sloane never cried, and it would gut Holly to be the cause of those tears.
‘Sloane… I’m sorry.’
On hearing those words, Sloane’s face brightened. Any tears that had threatened, gone in an instant - as though they’d never been about to fall in the first place.
‘You’re forgiven,’ she said with a carefree air Holly envied, ‘better go find Seb. I’ll see you at The Dolphin at 8.’ She blew her a kiss and sauntered away.
Holly let herself fall onto her bed, unsure of what had just happened.
‘That sounded intense,’ her mum’s unusually quiet voice floated in from the now vacant doorway.
‘It’s me and Sloane. You know what we’re like.’
‘What did she get you for your birthday?’ her mum asked, ignoring Holly’s excuses.
‘She didn’t give me anything, yet. I guess she’ll give me something at the party?’
‘Right…’ she replied as she stepped further into the room. Whatever she’d been about to say was cut off as she took in the ripped dress on the bed.
‘Oh no, what happened?’
‘Too forceful putting it on,’ she lied.
‘Want me to try and fix it?’ Her mum offered as she ran the ripped seam through her fingers, ‘I might be able to?’
‘No. I’m just going to find something in my wardrobe. I’m sure there will be something in there I can wear.’
‘OK, love.’ Her mum put the dress back on the bed and then bent to kiss Holly on her cheek before leaving her alone to get ready, shutting her bedroom door behind her.
Holly knew there was nothing in her wardrobe that would be suitable. That was the whole reason she’d gone shopping with Hannah. So instead of looking through her clothes, she curled up on the bed and sobbed.
*
Forty-five minutes later, there was a timid knock on her door.
‘Holly, can I come in?’ Hannah’s voice carried softly through the wooden barrier between them.
Her unexpected visit caused Holly to sit up. She’d long finished crying and had instead plugged in her Discman and was listening to her NOW 65 album. She paused the CD player.
‘Sure, come in.’
The door opened, and Hannah’s face peered in. ‘Your Mum mentioned about the mishap with the dress. I come bearing options.’
She stepped in, like the angel she was, with an array of clothes draped over her arm and a bag of donuts in her hand.
‘Clothes and donuts? Can I marry you?’
‘She’s taken,’ Luke’s gruff voice came from somewhere behind Hannah, who laughed, pushing the donuts towards Holly.
‘Happy birthday. This isn’t your present, by the way.’
Holly laughed, happily taking the donuts. ‘Thanks, and thank you for trying to come to my rescue. But I don’t think your stuff will fit me.’ Sloane’s words from earlier filling her thoughts.
‘Don’t be silly. We’re hardly that different.’
Holly doubted that, but with no other options, it was all she could do but try.