Page 38 of Ask Another Day

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.’