Hold Me Closer

Part Eleven

Ali stretched out on the slate roof and laughed, her eyes full of mirth. "I can't believe you Olive."

I laughed and stretched up my hands to the sky, giving a little pirouette. "Don't you like it?"

We were sitting on the roof of one of the old buildings in Mowtown High, which had a flat section that was perfect for picnicking. I had brought Ali up as soon as I had discovered it and it was soon to be our lunch spot for the rest of the year.

"I love it," she said, her eyes blazing. "It's a crazy idea, but I love it."

I closed my eyes and gave a loud yoga "ummmm" while doing the tree pose. "We'll be fine! I have excellent balance. Plus if I do fall off the roof, I think it would be rather romantic."

"What? Of course it wouldn't be!" Ali was outraged.

"I could be a ghost of the young girl at Mowtown High who jumped off the building block C, haunting the halls of the school for ever more..." I made my voice go all spooky and opened my eyes to see Ali flipping me off.

"Don't joke. I couldn't survive this dead-end school without you. Even if I do think that you should leave me and go off to some genius school where you can show those rich pricks how smart you are."

"As if! I'm so the one who's keeping you from leaving me, hiding you from popularity. Gigi and her queen biatches would eat you up in no time, you model," I teased.

"I can't believe she renamed herself Gigi. She's bloody Georgia Ferrington, not 'Gigi Ferre.'"

"Well little old Georgia is going to have to do without you, Al," I said, walking over to wear she was stretched out and flopping down beside her. "Because you're my best friend and I'm not having you become Allison, or Allissia or whatever they'd call you."

Ali flipped up her pinky, looking at me earnestly. "Pink promise?"

I smiled widely. "Pinky promise."

I don't know why that particular memory came to me. Me and Ali had only been friends for a year and a half before I left, but in that time we had made plenty of funny memories. She had moved to Mowtown to study for her GCSEs there, and we had become friends almost instantaneously- bonding over our shared love of Colin the Caterpillar cakes and trashy movies.

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging had always been a particular fave, and we had even dressed up as appetisers to show our dedication. I, of course, had been the stuffed olive. Ali thought it was hilarious and nearly wet herself when I had fallen over, drunk on cheap alcopops.

Even if I wasn't sure about why it was that particular memory, I did know why I was remembering Ali.

Meg had cut me out for the past two weeks. I didn't mind. I deserved it. I had lied to her, kept secrets from her and nearly kissed her boyfriend. Involuntarily. I stared stonily at my desk in English, drawing mindless loops on my page, thinking of all the horrible things I had done with every loop I drew.

Except, the problem was that I did mind. A lot.

I hadn't realised what a big part Meg had played in making Arundel Academy so fun, so survivable. Although we had only been friends for a few months, Meg felt like a part of me, like the sister that I had never realised I was missing.

Wow, I was now talking in cliches. Brilliant. Meg would have a riot taking the piss out of me for saying that. My breathing hitched at the thought and I missed a loop in the doodle I was drawing, making the whole design seem off-kilter.

Meg. I missed her desperately, and accidentally running into her in our shared bathroom, or tensely queuing for lunch next to each other wasn't making me feel any better. But I had to give her space, so that was what I was going to do.