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car. I liked that I

    didn’t have to give out, correct people on their pronunciation or

    make threats. I liked laughing at a joke without my sleeve being

    tugged at and being asked to explain. I liked having adult conversa-

    tions without being interrupted to cheer and applaud a silly dance

    or the learning of a new word. I liked that I was just me, Rosie, not

    mummy, thinking just about me, talking about things I liked, going

    places I liked to go without having to worry about nappy changes,

    bottle feeding or sleepy-head tantrums. Isn’t that awful?
    Steph:
    It’s not awful Rosie. It’s good to have time to yourself but it’s good

    to be back with Katie, isn’t it? And if things were so great then why

    did you come home so early? You weren’t supposed to be home for

    another week. Did something happen?
    Rosie:

    Steph:
    Uuuugh not really worth mentioning.

    Oh come on, Rosie, I know when something is bothering you, and

    you can tell me. It’s obviously worth mentioning if you had to come

    home early because of it.
    Rosie:

    Steph:

    Rosie:

    Steph:

    Rosie:

    Steph:
    It was just time to go, Steph.

    Did you and Alex have a fight or anything?

    Ha! I wish.

    What?? What happened?

    No too embarrassing to explain.

    Why what do you mean?

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    Rosie:

    Steph:

    Rosie:
    Oh I just made a show of myself one night.

    Oh don’t be silly I’m sure Alex didn’t mind! He’s seen you make a

    show of yourself in your lifetime.

    No Steph, this was a different kind of making a show of myself.

    Trust me. Not the usual kind of Alex and Rosie thing to do. I kind

    of threw myself at him and the next day I was mortified.
    Steph:
    WHAT?? Do you mean that . . . ? Did you and Alex . . . ???

chapter 8
    k
    Rosie:

    Steph:

    Rosie:

    Steph:

    Rosie:

    Steph:

    Rosie:

    Steph:

    Rosie:

    Steph:

    Rosie:

    Steph:
    Calm down Stephanie!

    I can’t! This is too bizarre! You two are like brother and sister! Alex

    is like my little brother! You can’t have!

    STEPHANIE! WE DIDN’T!

    Oh. Then what happened?

    OK I realize that this was a very silly thing for me to do and I am

    extremely embarrassed so don’t go mental at me . . .

    OK go on . . .

    Well it’s really far more innocent than you think but equally embar-

    rassing. I kissed Alex.

    I knew it!!! And what happened???

    He didn’t kiss me back.

    Oh and do you mind that?

    The unsettling thing is that yes I do.

    Oh Rosie I’m so sorry . . . but I’m sure Alex will come around, he

    was probably just shocked, oh I’m sure he feels the same!! This is so

    exciting! I always knew something would happen between you two

    someday.
    Rosie:
    I honestly don’t know what happened to me. I’ve been lying on

    my bed, staring at the ceiling ever since I got home trying to

love, rosie
    57
    figure out what came over me. Was it something I ate that

    made me feel light-headed? Was it something he said that I

    could have misunderstood? I’m trying to convince myself that it

    was more than just the silence of the moment that changed my

    heart.

    At first we had so much to catch up on we were talking a hun-

    dred words a second, barely even listening to the ends of each

    other’s sentences before moving on to the next. And there was

    laughing. Lots of laughing. Then the laughing stopped and there

    was this silence. This weird comfortable silence. What the hell

    was it?

    It was like the world stopped turning in that instant. Like every-

    one around us was wiped out. Like everything at home was for-

    gotten about. It was like those few minutes on this world were

    created just for us and all we could do was look at each other. It

    was like he was seeing my face for the very first time. He looked

    confused but kind of amused. Exactly how I felt. Because I was

    sitting on the grass with my best friend Alex, and that was my

    best friend Alex’s face and nose and eyes and lips but they

    seemed different. So who was this man that was sending