I laughed, embarrassed, and secretly hoped he would.
Then the door opened. I sat up with a start. It was Cassie, a look of complete horror on her face. Within seconds the horror had been replaced by a condescending smile.
‘Haven’t you heard of knocking?’ Ryan asked.
‘I’ve never had to before,’ she said, arching her eyebrows, her eyes running over the two of us.
From where she stood, it would be impossible for her to tell whether or not I was dressed beneath the duvet.
‘Eden and I are in the middle of something,’ Ryan said.
‘So I see.’ She stayed there, staring at us, clearly enjoying my discomfort.
‘What do you want?’
‘Dad needs your help with something. So, when you finish whatever it is you’re in the middle of, perhaps you would come downstairs and lend him a hand.’
‘Tell him I’ll be down in a couple of minutes.’
‘Really? Just a couple? You are quick.’ She let the door slam shut behind her.
‘Um, that was awkward,’ I said.
He laughed. ‘It could have been worse. We could have been naked.’
‘Is Cassie really your sister?’
‘No. We’re not related. Just part of the same mission.’
I swallowed. ‘Have you and Cassie ever . . .’
‘No!’ Ryan responded before I had the chance to finish the question. ‘She’s light years from the type of girl I like.’
‘So what sort of girls do you like?’ I asked.
‘Are you flirting with me?’ he grinned.
‘No, why would I do that?’ I asked, embarrassed. ‘Please! You’re young enough to be my great- grandson.’
Chapter 10
‘Look at you!’ said Mrs Penrose, opening the front door. She looked me up and down. ‘Where’s the party?’
Cringing, I realised maybe I had overdone it a bit. I usually just threw on jeans and a T-shirt when I went to Connor’s house. Today I was in the shortest skirt I owned and knee-length boots. I had leave-in conditioner and shine serum on my hair, and had sprayed myself from head to toe with perfume. I was wearing practically every item of jewellery I owned. Ryan was meeting us later and I was all too aware that the last couple of times I’d seen him I’d either been windswept or drenched. I wanted him to see that I could scrub up well.
‘Come in,’ said Mrs Penrose. ‘He’s upstairs. There’s a plate of cheese scones up there. You’d better hurry though if you don’t want him to scoff the lot.’
I ran up the stairs.
‘Knock knock,’ I said, pushing the door open.
Connor was sprawled across his bed, a skywatching magazine opened at a page about telescopes. His eyes widened as I walked in.
‘Whoa.’
He ran his eyes over my outfit, lingering just a fraction too long at my hemline. For a horrible moment I wondered if Ryan might be right about Connor’s feelings for me.
‘You look amazing,’ he said, his eyes moving back up my body to meet mine.
‘My jeans are all in the wash,’ I lied.
‘You should wash your jeans more often.’
Ryan was
‘Don’t panic,’ he interrupted, curling his top lip into a sneer. ‘I know it’s not for my benefit. I assume Westland is meeting us at the arcade later?’
‘I’ve no idea,’ I lied again.
I sat down on the floor and regretted wearing my short skirt, which made it almost impossible to sit with any dignity.
‘So, I was thinking –’ said Connor.
‘Stop the press!’
‘I don’t suppose you’ve reconsidered going to the ball?’ he asked, shutting his magazine.
Actually, I had. Now that I knew about Ryan’s mission, I realised he would have to go to the ball. And as I was the only person who knew about his mission, surely I was the obvious choice for his date? I didn’t want to open up that can of worms with Connor though.
I stood up again, pulled at the hem of my skirt and took a cheese scone from the plate on his desk. ‘I’m not going to the ball and I don’t want to discuss it any more.’
‘You’ll regret it if you don’t go.’
‘So I’ll regret it,’ I said, with a shrug. ‘But don’t let that stop you – you should definitely go. You should take Megan.’
‘Nah,’ he said. ‘I’d go if you were going. But if you’re not going, I won’t bother.’
‘You have to go,’ I said. ‘It’s a rite of passage.’
Connor laughed.
‘So, is it just me and you today?’
He nodded. ‘Megan said she’ll catch up with us later, at the arcade.’
‘What do you want to do?’ I asked, biting into the warm, crumbly scone.
‘What’s on the menu?’ he asked, raising his eyebrows.
I made a mental note to never again dress up when going to his house.
I shrugged. ‘French, as the exam is tomorrow.’
‘French first,’ he said. ‘Then Scrabble.’
Connor and I spent an hour and a half testing each other on vocab and trying out our French conversation before ditching revision for a game of Scrabble.
‘What are you going to do for your birthday?’ I asked, as I grabbed seven tiles from the bag.
Connor was turning sixteen that weekend.
‘Nothing.’
I stopped staring at my letters. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. It’s your sixteenth. You have to do something.’
Connor snorted. ‘I don’t want a party if that’s what you mean. I hate parties.’
‘You don’t have to have a party, but you have to do something.’
Connor laid down all of his tiles. ‘Excited.’
‘Oh, the irony,’ I groaned. ‘You just scored a huge amount and you’re about the least excitable person I know.’
‘Remind me what you did for your sixteenth.’
I sighed. ‘Not my fault. Miranda wouldn’t let me have a party. But you have to admit Amy’s beach party was fun.’
‘Remind me what you did for your sixteenth,’ he repeated.
‘Me, you, Megan and Matt at the pizza parlour. Probably the lamest sixteenth-birthday party in the history of the universe. But you have a choice.’
‘I choose understated.’
I took my turn on the board. ‘Here’s the deal,’ I explained. ‘It’s not just about you. Your friends will feel uncomfortable if they can’t do something to acknowledge your birthday. You have to do something for their sake, if not your own.’
‘Eden. I hate parties.’
