Bradley slumps beside us. His navy wool coat is far too big for him, but it looks really good. He smells a bit musty, but it’s a good musty. It’s the smell of old books and antiques that you shove in your wardrobe for years and turn out to be worth a fortune.
“Hello, Bradley!” Lauren is loving this, I can tell. “This is a whole new look, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” he says really casually. “I just felt like shaking things up a bit, you know.”
“And Erin helped you?” Lauren asks. I jab her with my elbow. She knows this is a naughty thing to say. Her eyes go wide and she wiggles her fingers.
Bradley looks down and plays with his pockets. “Yeah. I felt a bit sorry for her. And she’s talented with looks stuff. That’s not my thing, but as I always say, get the experts involved. She knows jumpers and coats. I know machines.”
“And have you helped her up any escalators recently, Bradley?” Lauren asks. She’s trying to act innocent but we all know what she means.
I knock Lauren so hard that I think Bradley notices. He also knows EXACTLY what Lauren is implying.
“No. It’s just professional. I’m single and happy,” Bradley announces proudly. “It is possible, Lauren, for males and females to just be colleagues.”
Lauren looks at me with a bit of shame. I believe him. Bradley doesn’t lie. But the thought of Bradley spending even non-loved-up time with another woman makes me feel odd. It’s the same feeling I get when I see Danny chatting to another girl for too long. It feels like ants on bicycles are riding through your stomach—you’re very angry that they are using your tummy as a velodrome and you want to just push them all over and puncture their wheels.
I think this feeling might be jealousy.
At this moment, Lauren decides that she needs to go and talk to someone. She doesn’t say who. This leaves me and Bradley. Just sitting there. In silence.
This is not good. Silence feels prickly. I get up to go to class and Bradley tugs gently at my bag.
“Come on then, Millie Porter. Hashtag Help me. Tell me what’s been going on with you?”
I sit back down.