Hare Moon

Don't Play With Sharp Objects

Previously in Ocean's Three...the mastermind of the group came up with the perfect heist.

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I don't see much of Milton aside from in maths. He doesn't hang around often anyway but this time I get the feeling he's avoiding me altogether. I think he's distancing himself so that he can flirt with other girls in peace. Hence part one of Erin's plan: Attention.

Nope. Don't even think like that. That plan is a cruel misuse of my feminine wiles and I refuse to participate.

Thursday is pancake day at my house and Sunny always invites himself but it isn't at all awkward. He gets along great with Mum, Dad and pixelized Kitty. We overdo it on the food in a heated competition to make each other the best pancake faces.

Of course Sunny has sieve brain and when we enter the school gates one second he is chatting me deaf, divulging the reason he is not allowed to drive, the next he's racing off toward Kareem without a backwards look.

Fortunately Erin is there and she leaves her group of friends to walk with me. I hope she genuinely wanted to and didn't feel forced to Bunnysit me. Before I can ask how Sunny's tractor story ends she speaks.

"You haven't eaten for three days, you look like a zombie!"

I frown down at myself, poking my stomach. Nope. A juicy little roll of fat still dips under my finger. In fact, I think I've gained weight. Must be the stress. Or water retention. I look up at her, mouth open to protest but she winks. There are a few unwritten rules and one of them is when your best friend says something weird and makes a follow along gesture you just do it.

"Yep. I'm..." Sick? On a diet? Where is this going, Erin? I try to look around discreetly to see if someone is listening.

"You must be starving."

"Yep. I'm starving." I agree despite being stuffed with pancakes. I may have over eaten. Does she want to eat? If she wants us to go to the canteen she should just say and I'll buy her a panini.

"It's not healthy, Bunny. You're going to end up hospitalised if you keep this up."

I furrow my brow. What the fuck? I mouth. Now she's insulting my basic ability to keep myself alive?

Erin shakes her head. "You are a normal healthy weight. Stop this nonsense. One guy doesn't like the way you look and you feel the need to change?"

My cheeks flame. He's nearby, isn't he? She's saying this to get a rise out of him. Dammit, Erin! Why you gotta drag me into a lie? I shake my head, shooting her a warning look and speed away.

When lunch rolls around I buy my usual sandwich and fruit pot, but as soon as I unwrap it Erin slides into the chair beside me and hisses at me, "Don't." She grabs my arm.

"Huh?"

Has it gone off? Is there a bug in it? Oh no, are the werewolves serving human flesh? I poke at the meat.

"You can't eat anything, remember?"

"What do you mean I can't eat?" I pout. What kind of friend withholds food? Absolute Judas.

"He's watching."

"What? Who?"

"Milton, duh."

I frown. Oh right. Honestly I'd kind of forgotten he existed. He wasn't even in Maths. But I didn't know he wasn't coming...so I moved the chair and sat at the side of the desk anyway. By the time I realized he wasn't coming it was too late and I had to sit at the side of an empty desk in front of everyone because moving back would draw too much attention.