Free to be

23

Boxing day lunch is magnificent, her family and my own get on well enough and after stuffing ourselves with food the parents shoo us all off to take Sophie on a walk before dessert. I am not complaining as we throw endless balls for her in the park and Lizzy and Max run around the swings. Our cheeks are all red and rosy from the cold as we joke around.

"Hey, Tori look there is Eloise!" Jenny points and sure enough Eloise is approaching's from the other side of the park, jogging. I smile, turning to hand the ball over to Sienna who is already eyeing me.

"What?" I ask catching the weird look and she merely shakers her head, taking the ball silently and turning to throw it before I can question her further. I am almost too late to get Eloise's attention but luckily Jenny calls her over. She comes jogging over with a wide smile.

"Fancy seeing you here." She engulfs me before stepping away. "My parents thought I was crazy, going to exercise today but it seems I was not the only one."

"Well," I smirk gesturing to her workout outfit "You are the only one that committed, we are just walking off a full lunch." Eloise smiles turning to Sienna who is now watching the exchange, ignoring Sophie's pleading look as she clutches the ball to her chest.

"So I heard you went on holiday?" She asks Sienna who merely nods, eyes closed off in a way they haven't been the whole day. I have no idea what she is feeling or thinking. Eloise pauses, caught off guard by her rudeness, but I am surprised she is surprised. After all Sienna never hangs around with us. She rarely engages with anyone outside her small posse.

"Did you have a good christmas?"I ask instead, breaking the silence.

"I did, I got a new net which is great since the old one was almost falling apart, you should come over and we can shoot some hoops."

"I would love that."I say, having greatly enjoyed all the time I spent with Eloise, she is easy to get one with.

She smiles, looking between Sienna and I before smiling and nodding towards the path. "I should continue, message me when you want to come over."

I nod and she waves goodbye before jogging off, I watch her go as our group descends in silence. Jenny sends me a weird look which has me shrugging as we both turn to face Sienna who merely raises an eyebrow.

"What?"

Jenny, having known her a little more today scoffs "Are you always that friendly or is it a practiced art?" I think Sienna is not used to be taken to task as her cheeks colour, jaw almost dropping as she examines Jenny.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Jenny rolls her eyes but I can tell she is not truly bothered while I round on Sienna myself.

"El is really nice, you would like her."

"And why should I ?"I frown at her response but do not get a chance to rebate as Max and Lizzy come running up. "We should head back." We nod, following her in silence. The atmosphere turned from friendly and warm to as icy cold as it is outside. We approach the house and once inside Sienna mutters something about helping her father and disappears into the kitchen. I settle to play a game of UNO with Max and Lizzy, feeling a little whiplashed from following all Sienna's moods. I do not get her at the best of times. Just when I thought we were getting on she turns into the ice queen she is known for. I do not understand.

Later that day I am lying in bed when Jenny heads into my room. "Tori do you think Sienna would help me with a fashion choice?" I frown. looking up from a basketball magazine I got for Christmas.