"Hello" came a tentative voice, Gin's. Why was she whispering?
"Gin?" I say also whispering "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Look, my mum threatened to take Tommy back to the pound if I didn't. I didn't really mean it."
"Right ok, whatever" I say "why are you whispering?"
Gin replied "if mum hears me, Tommy will be sent back to the pound, and I really don't want that to happen."
"Ok.... you wanna go and get a coffee?"
"Sure I'll just say I am going out with another friend"
"What friends?" I ask "you don't have any other friends."
"Rude"
As I entered Costa the strong smell of cheap coffee blasted my nose and I inhaled deeply, shutting my eyes and tilting my head slightly at the smell. I spotted Gin and headed towards her.
For the next hour or so we sat and chatted.
"I think I might change my name to Charlene" Gin said "you know how much I hate name. I sound like a beverage."
"Technically you are named after a beverage so of course you sound like a drink."
"Hurrump." was Gins reply
We drank our coffee and then, out of the blue Gins mum walked in.
"Errrmmm Gin" I say "I think that's our cue to leave sneakily now." I elbow her and wiggle my eyebrows "Ninja style" I jump of my seat and roll behind a table and do a hand signal which says "move it"
Gin gets up and jogs out me, following close behind banging into the door on the way out. Once we were out I said
"Phew that was close"
"Park" Gin grunts and she walks away.
Once we were at the park we sat on the swings and swung slowly neither of us talking until Gin broke the silence by saying "she was with a man. Not my dad. In fact thinking about it she must be having an affair. I caught her the other night with him. She told me not to tell anyone or Tommy would go to the pound." Gin sat there in awed silence at her realisation.
"Oh Gin" I said "don't worry your mum will get over it, it'll just be a blip" I assured her.
"I hope so"
"Gin, I need to get home" I say cautiously. I neglected to tell her I was feeling faint.
"Okay let's get you home."
And Gin took me home.
