The door to the dormitory slid open and Lily groaned inwardly, pulling the duvet over her head. She had come straight here after the dispute with James yesterday and hidden away. By lunch time Emmeline and Dorcas and noticed her missing and they'd come straight up to see what was going on. Lily told them she wasn't in a talking mood and like the good friends they were, they left her alone. But twenty-four hours later she knew they'd be after answers.
"Is she still in bed?"
"Christ, there's no air in here. Open a window."
Lily heard the curtains being opened and light flooded the dorm. A cool breeze made the hangings around her bed flutter and she felt it on her toes, sticking out the end of the covers.
"You might be very cosy in this sticking pit of misery you've turned our dorm into, but some of us would like to breathe!" she heard Dorcas huff as her hangings were drawn back. "Enough already; what's going on?"
"We told everyone you were sick," Emmeline added as she felt the bed dip on either side of her. "Now Madame Pomfrey's expecting you for a check up. Suzie Mathers is telling everyone your pregnant."
Lily groaned aloud this time from under her blankets. "Too bad, I'm staying here."
"No you're not," Dorcas scoffed, yanking the duvet out of Lily's weak grasp and exposing her in all her messy-haired, pink-faced, bloodshot-eyed glory. "You look like shit."
"Yeah well," she huffed, snatching back the covers and pulling them up to her chin. "I feel like shit too."
Emmeline sighed. "Come on Lily, just tell us what's going on already. James didn't show up for lessons yesterday either and he's been in a foul mood all morning; we know something went on between you two."
"What happened? Did you try and get frisky with him again?"
Lily felt the tears welling in her eyes again. If only it was that simple.
"Oh don't," Emmeline said hastily, reaching out and stroking the stray hair from her face. "She's just joking, she didn't mean it."
"Unless of course that is the problem," Dorcas added warily. The two girls shared an uncertain look before tuning back to Lily. "You didn't...did you?"
Lily found herself snorting at their serious expressions and wiped her eyes, sitting up a little against her pillows. The last thing she really wanted to do was talk about it but she knew the girls could not be left in the dark. "I don't want to kiss James at the party tonight."
The girls shared another look, this time of surprise. "That's it?" Emmeline asked. "That's why you two are acting all depressed?"
"I don't get it," Dorcas added. "We've been planning this for weeks? Why the change of heart?"
"I heard John talking about me," Lily admitted, looking at her hands. "He regrets the thing with Judy and he wants me to meet his parents. I feel like a bitch for planning all this behind his back. I don't want it to end that way, you know? I just want to break up with him and be done with it."
"Well I'm not going to pretend I'm not disappointed," Dorcas said with a slight frown. "But if that's what you want, I guess...well that's just it then, isn't it?"
Lily smiled at her. She could tell both girls were disappointed but was glad they were being so good about it.
"But what about James?" Emmeline added. "Does he not want to give the money back or something?"
"No," Lily groaned. "He's just – he's angry 'cause he thinks I'm letting John off lightly. He's worried that I'm planning on going back to him, I think, and that-"
