“Oh, you know when you get a name stuck in your head on a loop?” Sophie deflected so neatly that Georgia was nodding already.
“Yes! Like an earworm…” And Georgia was off talking with enthusiasm about the Danger Mouse theme tune because her sister had been watching it over breakfast. As she burst into song, Sophie sent Win a reply.
Think he used to work with Freya. Something that gave the impression it was Sophie who’d done the thinking.
Up at Rabscuttle Hall?
Sophie replied with a tick. Of course Win would know where her neighbour worked. Once she’d started work at the restaurant, Freya had been happy to tell anyone who’d listen all her hilarious/gross/outrageous anecdotes, but the harder Sophie pushed to try and recall any mention of a Lucas among them, the faster the fog rolled into her brain.
Another message popped up from Win.
Right. Guess I’m driving up there to deliver it.
She could drive? That was news.
Now?
As soon as I stop messaging you and actually leave the car park.
Sophie glanced back the way they’d come. The only route from Buckthorn to Rabscuttle would take Win straight past the end of this road. Without hesitation, she hammered out a message.
If you stop by the end of Fell Avenue, you can pick me up on the way.
Her friends were sympathetic about her saying she’d rather hitch a lift than wait for the bus, though a bit ruffled by how insistent Sophie was that if they hurried they could catch up with the crowd who were walking. She needed them gone so that there was no one to ask any awkward questions about who Win was or how Sophie knew her.
They were far enough away that Sophie was alone, sitting on someone’s garden wall, when a small silver car pulled over and a Chinese girl – all limbs and long hair, broad smile studded with braces – flung herself out of the passenger side.
Most Year 10s weren’t memorable enough to leave an impression, but Sophie recognised this one. She belonged to a clique that always looked like they were having fun, whether they were messing around in the queue for lunch or being shushed on the way into the hall for school-wide assemblies.
“Hi. I’m Sunny – Win’s sister.”
“I’m Sophie.”
The two measured each other with a similar look, then Sunny said, “Apparently we’re giving you a lift.” She held a fist up. “Rock, paper, scissors for who goes in the back.”
Before Sophie could respond, Win called out from inside the car, “Whoever wins, Sunny loses. Sophie, you’re in the front!”
Sunny gave a good-natured eye roll and clambered into the back, scooting all the way across until she was behind the driver. As Sophie got in and shut the door, Sunny was saying, “Oh no. So little leg room. I shall just see if I can get comfortable,” while kicking the back of Win’s seat.
When Sophie glanced across, Win pressed her lips together in a secretive smile. The next second, her seat ratcheted back as far as it would go, squashing Sunny with a squeal.
“Don’t test me, sunshine.” Win directed the comment to her rear-view mirror and Sophie smiled her approval into her own lap. Before her brother left for university, the two of them had fought for the front seat on every school journey. The stunt Sunny pulled was exactly the sort of thing Christopher would do.
“So is Sunny short for Sunshine?” Sophie asked.
“Absolutely not,” Sunny said as she rubbed her knees.
“Her English name is actually—”
“Don’t you dare,” Sunny hissed, thumping the back of Win’s seat before turning to Sophie. “You get a choice between Sunny or Xiaohui and there is literally no one outside my family who uses my Chinese name, so…”
Being squashed didn’t have any effect on Sunny’s mood as she lunged forward between the seats.
“Anyway. Enough about me. We’ll find our mystery man up at Rabscuttle. That right?”
Win’s eyebrows twitched in apology as she met Sophie’s eye. “I could make her walk home if you want?”
“No need.” Being in the passenger seat of a car had lifted Sophie’s concerns about saving her energy for the next few hours, and the less she had to worry about her lupus, the more brain space she had for other people. Even ones with as much relentless energy as Win’s sister. “Do you have the parcel?”
Win took it from the side pocket of the driver’s door and handed it over. Same brown paper, same bold black writing, different name.
“Nothing else? No clue? No note?” No gift? But Win was already shaking her head saying there was only another layer. Relief needled at the edges of Sophie’s heart as her hand went to the bracelet around her wrist.
Maybe it was selfish, but it felt good to feel special. Good enough to blow away the clouds of jealousy that had been gathering on the horizon at the thought of sharing Freya’s parcel with another stranger.
WIN
They’d merged with the traffic when Sunny started up again. That she’d been quiet for so long was a personal record.
“I have some questions.”
“When do you not?” But when Win looked across at Sophie, expecting to share an exasperated smile, her passenger was frowning down at her phone in her lap.
“So,” Sunny carried on, “talk to me about this Lucas.”
“Not much to say,” Sophie said. “He worked with Freya up at Rabscuttle. That’s all I’ve got.”
“Well … why don’t you ask her for more intel?” Sunny persisted. “Have you tried messaging her? Win said she wrote you a note and you still talk to her, right?”
“Right.” Sophie’s reply was quiet and she was still looking at her phone. “She’s not replying to any today though – kind of busy celebrating the end of school.”
“Shouldn’t you be doing the same?”
“You’d think.”
“Maybe if you just called her—”
But Sophie had the measure of her and was already holding up her phone so that Win caught a flash of Freya laughing on the screen before the car filled with her voice.
“Hey there, it’s me. Not answering right now. Don’t bother with a message, I never check them.”
As Freya finished with a kiss, Sophie arched her eyebrows at Sunny and ended the call.
“I already tried,” Sophie said. “She’s set this up as a game and if you want to play, you’re going to have to get over the fact that all we’ve got to go on is a name and a vague promise of treasure.”
Win bit her lips together to hide how much she wanted to smile at the idea of Sunny getting over anything that didn’t suit her.
It was strange, hearing Freya’s voice through the phone when all Win’s interaction with her had been in person. Considering how much time she spent messaging her other friends, leaving them voice notes or having FaceTime on so she could chat to Felix while she coloured up her webcomic, Win could easily have kept up with Freya once she’d moved.
Clearly that wasn’t what Freya had wanted. Back in January, Win had sent her a message saying that she hoped Manchester was treating her well and she looked forward to catching up next time Freya was back at her mum’s, but Freya never replied. Win had figured that was that. She’d been ghosted the same as everyone else.