reticent

3

• AMALIA •

"Amalia!" My dad exclaims from downstairs. "Your friends are here!"

     I furrow my eyebrows as I close my laptop. Petal sits up, but I stroke her back. "Stay here." I say, and she puffs before laying back down.

I smile. Petal hasn't grown prettier with age, but she's still adorable. I let the thought loose as I walk out of my bedroom and down the stairs.

     "Hey, Amalia!" Gracie exclaims.

     Edie grins at me from where she stands next to her. Mia is still climbing out of her mothers car, bags in hand. She waves at as she walks up the path to my house.

     My dad watches them warily.

     "What're you guys doing here?" I ask.

     "We came to work on our project?"

     The confusion is probably written all over my face, so Edie explains: "remember, our art project?"

     Edie doesn't even take art.

Gracie's eyes widen. Understanding fills me before I look up at my dad. "Oh, right, I forgot to ask you. Can my friends and I go to my room and work on our project?"

He lets out a heavy breath. "Sure. Not for too long, though."

I smile. "Thanks Dad."

He walks back to his study as Mia walks into the house, closing the door behind her as we all make our way up the stairs. When we're in my bedroom and Gracie is playing with Petal, I ask: "so why are you all really here?"

     Edie grins at me as Mia begins to put her bags on my bed. "We're going to a party!"

I furrow my eyebrows. "What?"

"Everyone from the first year of sixth form is gonna be there." Mia tells me. "We have to go."

"My dad is never going to let me go to a party. And anyway, I'm doing homework."

     "It's the first day of school," Gracie says. "They gave you homework already?"

     "No. I assigned it to myself."

     Mia sighs. "I love you, Amalia, but you're a nerd."

     Edie snorts.

     I roll my eyes. "You guys can just go without me."

     "Absolutely not!" Gracie exclaims. "You need to come, Amalia. Why don't you tell your dad it's a revision group or something?"

     "I could say it's something organised by the school to meet other people?"

     "Sure, go with that." Mia says. "I'll look in your wardrobe for something for you to wear."

     "Okay!" I say, suddenly excited. I don't know why I am, though. I've never been to a party, and I doubt my father will say yes to my lie anyway. It's late, and he doesn't like me going out when it gets dark, despite how many times I've assured him that I'll be alright.

     I leave my room and walk down the stairs slowly, preparing what I'm going to say. I check for my dad in his study first, but when I don't find him I look in the living room. He's sitting on the couch, watching TV.

     "Hi dad." I say.

     He smiles. "Hi baby. Are you guys okay?"

     "Yeah." I reply, sitting down beside him. He tilts his head. "So.. there's this thing on tonight. A bunch of people in my classes are getting together—"