Luke is coming home from the drama class he takes on a Wednesday evening in Leamington Spa. The class is a long bus ride away but it’s worth it to be with other kids who love acting; sometimes they just do improvisation and character studies, but soon the teachers are planning to get them working on a play.
Luke had told Alice about the class at Savvy’s on Saturday, and she’d said it sounded great. He’d told her the date, the time, the place; asked if she’d come along. Alice said she might just do that.
He’d tapped her number into his mobile at the party, but although he’s texted her a few times since Saturday (OK, more than a few), she still hasn’t replied. He half hoped she might show up at tonight’s drama class, but of course she didn’t.
He takes out his mobile to check again, because he is a sucker for punishment and he can’t quite believe, after what happened at Savvy’s, that Alice can be blanking him now. Predictably, there are no new messages. It doesn’t make sense. Was she playing games? He expects that kind of thing from girls like Savvy – the popular, confident, princessy kind of girls; but he’d been sure Alice was different.
Then again, he’d given her his landline number back when drama club ended and waited for her to call; she never did.
Suddenly, his mobile begins to buzz with an incoming call; the name Lainey flashes up on the screen. Luke presses the screen to take the call.
‘Hello, Luke,’ Lainey says. ‘I thought I should ring. The thing is – well, it’s about Alice …’
‘What about Alice?’ he asks.
‘Look, I can’t really explain over the phone,’ Lainey says. ‘We need to talk; I could meet you tonight, if you’re not busy, or tomorrow. At the Copper Kettle Cafe, or the park – anywhere, really. And I can explain properly.’
Luke frowns, his mind working overtime.
‘Has she changed her mind?’ he asks. ‘I wondered why she wasn’t returning my texts or answering my calls. If she doesn’t want to talk to me, she just has to say; she doesn’t have to send a go-between!’
‘It’s not quite that simple,’ Lainey whispers. ‘I’m not her go-between. I can’t explain over the phone. Will you meet me?’
‘Look, I don’t like game-playing,’ he says. ‘This is ridiculous. Why can’t Alice talk to me herself?’
‘She can’t,’ Lainey insists. ‘You’ll understand when I see you and explain. It’s important, Luke, I promise. I need to talk to you. Tomorrow?’
‘I guess,’ Luke says with a sigh. ‘Ten o’clock at the cafe, then?’
‘Perfect,’ Lainey says. ‘I’ll tell you everything then; I swear.’
Luke doesn’t understand what’s going on, but he doesn’t have Alice’s address or home phone number. He wants some answers, and right now Lainey is his only chance of getting them.