What about myself? Taking out an old rugby-style shirt I usedto wear on days when I was bumming around the flat, I closed the door again andtook a good look at myself in the mirror.
Did I look any younger compared to when this started? It washard to tell. How much did people change in three years? Perhaps they did notchange much in their thirties because I still couldn’t make out any discernibledifferences. If I was Lily it would have been obvious from the ever-changinghairstyles, and presence or otherwise of tattoos, but I had none.
I cupped my breasts in my hands – was it my imagination ordid they feel a little firmer? Once I had taken a few more years off they wouldrival Phoebe’s for defying gravity, but then in those few years I would have noPhoebe to compare against – because she wouldn’t have arrived in my life yet.
2021 was the year we had all moved into the flat so thiswould be our last two days together. I felt a pang of impending loss wash overme about this. It was something I was going to have to get used to. People weregoing to come in and out of my life pretty rapidly in the weeks ahead and Ihave to make the most of whatever time I had with the people who mattered tome.
For the next two days that meant Phoebe and Lily, and thisrealisation reminded me of why I had gone for the bag in the first place. Itwas so easy to get distracted with all the diversions my new life had broughtTurning my attention back to the matter in hand, I reached into one of the manypockets on the inside of my bag to retrieve my work diary.
That was another thing that would change each year. Thisdiary had a picture of ladybirds and butterflies on it. It was just a cheap,pound shop diary, but I bought most things like that from those sorts ofplaces. I couldn’t see the point of spending four quid on something that waspractically identical from WHSmith.
The diary looked brand new so it must have been for the yearahead, not the one just ending. Hopefully I had started filling it in already.Thumbing through to find the first week, I discovered that it actual began fromthe start of the current week, five days ago, and all my shifts were neatlywritten in.
It came as no surprise to discover I was pencilled in to beworking nights again over New Year, starting from tonight. Well, it was time totake an executive decision – there was no way I was going in to work tonight –or any other night, come to that. The expression “life’s too short” had neverbeen more apt than it was for me right now.
Yes, I was conscientious about my work, but only up to apoint. Not turning up tonight wasn’t going to affect my non-existent future inthis world.
I didn’t want to leave the hospital in the lurch, though,and did feel a certain responsibility to whatever patients might be counting ona fully staffed ward. Whatever the shortcomings of the NHS might be, I didn’twant to be the one to let the patients down, so as a compromise I decided Iwould phone in sick. That would give them time to arrange some cover for me.Then I would go out with Phoebe and Lily to get sloshed and have a good time.
Speaking of my flatmates, just as I was formulating theseplans I heard an annoyed shout from the kitchen.
“Hey, Phoebe – did you use all the milk?”
I was so going to miss these two. Eagerly I pulled on therugby shirt and headed out into the flat, clad in just that and my knickers. Iheard the welcome rumble of the coffee percolator on the go which meant thatLily was preparing her daily caffeine fix and I wanted in.
Sure enough, there she was in the kitchen. Her hair hadchanged again. There were no dreads now, just long, straight hair which wasdyed a brilliant purple. And she certainly looked much younger than before.
“Ugh – too much flesh, pet,” was her first remark onclocking my scantily clad lower regions. “You’re getting as bad as Phoebe – goand get some clothes on.”
“What is it with you and naked flesh?” I asked playfully.
“I don’t mind it on a fella,” replied Lily, “but I’m notinto girls – even though the way everyone goes on about it you would think wewere all bisexual these days.”
I laughed and replied, “No worries, I’ll go and stick mydressing gown on. By the way – what are you up to tonight?”
“We’ve got tickets for Fever, remember?” she replied.“It’s going to be awesome. I wish you were coming.”
“Well, you’re in luck – because I am,” I replied.
“I thought you were supposed to be working?” she queried.
“Not anymore,” I replied. “I managed to swap a shift. So thethree amigos can ride again!”
“Cool,” said Lily. “I assume you’ve got a ticket, then?Because when you said you weren’t coming, I did only get the two for me andPhoebe – and they were hard enough to come by.”
I hadn’t got a ticket. But that wasn’t going to stop me fromgetting one. This was an opportunity to make the most of my alteredcircumstances to disregard the normal rules and push the boat out.
“How much did you pay for them?” I asked.
“£25 each,” she replied. “But they won’t have any left now –they sold out weeks ago.”
“Everyone has their price.” I grinned. “I’ll get one –you’ll see.”
I poured myself a coffee from the large pot that Lily hadbrewed.
“You’ll have to use Coffee-mate,” said Lily. “Phoebe’s hadall the milk again.”
“That’s not a problem,” I said. “I like Coffee-mate.”
“I don’t,” replied Lily. “But it looks like I’m going tohave to make do with it because Miss Piggy’s in the shower and I can’t facegoing out to the shop without having a coffee first.”
I could hear the shower going. It had been on the whole timeI
