Bridie

Her social media was going off. Now, of all times, when she really needed to focus on her biology project. She and Fitz were chatting, going back and forth for the last hour. Her phone was still slow, even though she’d done the latest update and deleted heaps of videos and photos. Each time she deleted a video of Lily, a memory was obliterated: another strike through their friendship.

Deleting stuff seemed to help her phone a little but it was still slow as anything. At least it stopped her from responding to Fitz too eagerly. Their chat had veered from homework to plans for the weekend – he was going to the Coldplay concert too! Now they were discussing Emmet, which was tricky because Bridie was conflicted.

Fitzboy_Fit: Does he like his new job?

BridieSull: Yeah, I think so.

Fitzboy_Fit: Has he asked if he can practise on you yet?

BridieSull: LOL. He has to practise on banana skins and grapefruit before being allowed near a human.

Fitzboy_Fit: He’s ghosting us. I deserve it, but it’s dog on Danny and Alex.

Bridie had to think before she replied. On the one hand, of course she wanted to see Emmet reunited with his friends. Her brother seemed lonely, depressed; he didn’t go anywhere other than work. On the other hand, if something were to develop between her and Fitz, it would be less complicated if he and Emmet weren’t close.

Her phone pinged while she was considering her response.

Booke_lad: I can’t decide if I love Sam or hate Sam.

BridieSull: Me too. The same can be said for Sadie. She is so frustrating, and so relatable.

The other distracting thing was that Fitz wasn’t the only boy messaging her tonight. There was also Booke_lad – aka AJ, who was in Year Eleven at Hale Christian School. His profile picture was hot: broody eyes, square jaw, almost too good-looking to be true. Like her, he was raving about Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. The wider book club was having a Zoom discussion in two weeks’ time but some members had instigated private chats because they couldn’t wait until then.

Bridie reopened the chat with Fitz. What insight could she constructively offer about Emmet’s reluctance to see his old friends? She could always thump on his bedroom door and ask him outright instead of trying to read his mind. Would Fitz be grateful and see her as someone mature enough to intervene and facilitate a reconciliation? If the friendship was reinstated, would she be relegated to the role of ‘Younger Sister – DO NOT TOUCH’?

Bridie was still deliberating when she heard loud knocking on the front door. She glanced at the time: 9 pm, pretty late for someone to be calling to the house. Next she heard a familiar booming voice: Uncle Sean. This merited an investigation. Her uncle never called on weeknights: too much time on public transport to warrant the journey.

She opened her bedroom door at the same time Emmet opened his. Together, they leaned over the balustrade, to see what was happening down in the hall. Sean, one rucksack at his feet and another that he was unstrapping from his back, was delivering a monologue.

‘No notice, mate. No warning. Had nowhere else to go. Sorry, Rach. Promise it won’t be for long … Couple of weeks at most.’

Bridie and Emmet glanced at each other, wide-eyed. This had happened before, years ago; Bridie was eleven the last time he’d stayed. She remembered his dark stubble on the enamel of the bathroom sink. The lashings of tomato sauce with every meal. She remembered Mum’s strained expression and Dad’s temper. ‘It’s not a fucking hotel, Sean. Wash your bedsheets, for fuck’s sake.’ It was the first time she’d heard Dad use the ‘F’ word. He’d got into trouble with Mum.

Now Bridie and Emmet shared another wordless glance. Her brother looked as dismayed as she did. They were old enough now to see beyond the novelty of their uncle coming to stay. Sean was noisy, intrusive and annoying at best. At worst he was a leech, who’d eat all the food and get drunk every night and make everyone feel tense and miserable.

Bridie followed Emmet downstairs, to find out more. She temporarily forgot about Fitz, AJ, her slow phone and her barely started biology project.