“What? What’s going on?”
Josh points to my left, and I rush to the side of the pool in the indicated direction. Hoisting myself up onto the side, my head whips in all directions, trying to pinpoint the location of my missing friend. Almost immediately I find her, held at arms-length by a furious Joey, sobbing in a way that makes my heart feel like it’s a fish, flopping and drowning in the empty air..
“Kate!” I call, leaving Will in the pool and running over to her. “Kate, what’s wrong?”
Kate sniffs and lets out a hoarse sob, falling away from Joey and into my arms. Somehow in the midst of sorrow she has forgotten to care that the water from my skin is soaking through her dress. She buries her face into my neck and I hope to goodness that the liquid running down my skin is water from the pool and not snot from her nose. My poor friend is shaking, and her face is almost at a feverish heat.
“Joey,” I demand, “tell me what’s going on.”
“Sid found her in the bloody cupboard under the stairs, making out with that asswipe Rob. And then she comes crawling back to me and she expects me to just grin and bear it? She can bloody well think again!”
He raises his voice at the end of his explanation and lunges towards her. I know that he would not hit her, but the anger pools and bubbles within him like liquid poison, turning him into something frightening. I block Kate’s body with my own, putting a firm hand against his chest.
“Joey, back off. She’s not sober. You know that. We can sort all this out tomorrow.”
“I don’t bloody care if she’s sober!” he snaps. For a moment he is all clenched fists and danger. And then his voice softens and his face falls, and he says “Look, Chloe, this isn’t your fault. I’m sorry. But you let her know that we’re done. Done. You hear?”
Tears spring to my own eyes as Kate continues to howl.
“Please, Joey, just cool off and give her a chance to explain herself. You don’t have to change your decision, but you owe it to her to hear her out.”
He sighs. Now his eyes have diluted of most of the anger, he just looks broken. What have you done, Kate?
“Fine,” says Joey, and then he storms off into the night beyond the florescence of the pool.
Gently, I guide Kate over to a swing chair that sits poolside. There I unsuccessfully attempt to get her to speak to me and she continues to cry for far longer than I thought was possible. Soon, Josh and Will come over, wondering what’s going on.
“Will, can you do something for me?” I ask, almost in tears myself.
“Anything,” he says. Josh rolls his eyes.
“Go after Joey? He’s pissed and pissed off and he might do something stupid and I think he needs someone to vent to.”
Will nods. He looks from me, to Kate, and back to me again. There’s still an element of irritation to his posture, but now his face consists of mainly worry. I must look a mess, I realise.
“Uh, I don’t know if I’ll be able to pick that guy out of the crowd. I mean, I’ve met him once,” he reminds me. “Maybe John here could come help me?”
Josh narrows his eyes. “It’s Josh, mate,” he scowls. “And I’m staying right here with them whether you like it or not. Joey’s pretty damn big- you’ll know him when you see him.”
Picking up on some form of tension that tightens my stomach uncomfortably, but unable to do anything to weaken it, I swallow.
“Okay, Josh can stay. I need someone to talk sense into Kate, and I don’t think-” I hiccup, “-I don’t think I can do that right now. Will, it’s okay. Please go find Joey.”
YOU ARE READING
Her List of Kisses
Teen FictionWhen she was thirteen, Chloe Golding wrote a list. On this list was every type of kiss she hoped to experience in her teenage years. They ranged from an innocent peck on the back of the hand, to passionate make-out sessions and kisses on the private...
