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Jeremy woke Ella up at 10:30am, offering her breakfast. “I’m sorry for ignoring you yesterday,” he apologised. “Darcy was right, I let myself turn into a total asshole.”
“That you did,” she conceded graciously, getting up and chugging half a jug of orange juice in one hit without stopping to pour a glass.
A slight pang of guilt assailed Jeremy like the pounding of his headache. “So, last night was pretty wild, huh? Wanna talk about what happened with Cassidy?”
Ella glared at him. “So now you want to hear it?”
“Yeah, I do. Tell me.”
She sighed heavily, the hostility leaving her. “Well, I went to go get us drinks , basically, and when I came back they were on top of each other on the couch. Simple as that.”
Jeremy watched her face. She seemed impassive at first glance, but there was a sadness behind her gaze. “That’s a pretty shitty way to find out.”
“Yeah, shows how much she cares about my feelings.” Ella shook her head, staring dejectedly at her plate.
“You’re better off without that bitch anyway,” Jeremy said.
Ella gave him a look. “Wow, that’s real comforting,” she said sarcastically. “I’m sure I’ll be over her by tomorrow.”
Jeremy winced. “Sorry. I’m not the best person to talk to right now.”
Jeremy saw her turn to him, her eyes narrowing as though she were searching his face for something. “Yeah, what’s going on with you anyway? I’ve never seen you cry like that, even when you were a little kid.”
He swallowed. “Um, well…” Jeremy wasn’t sure what to say. Oh yeah, I got kissed by my best friend, told him to fuck off, then got drunk and kissed him last night. Yeah. That’d go down just fine.
“It’s to do with Ashad, isn’t it?” Ella asked.
Jeremy gaped at her. “What is with the people in this family? Honestly, how can you tell?”
Ella raised an eyebrow. “Jeremy, you wear your heart on your sleeve. You’re the most obvious person I know.”
He sat at the breakfast bar and let his head slump to the table. “I just… I don’t know how I feel about him.”
“So you are gay,” Ella said triumphantly, punching the air and smirking. “I knew it.” Taking in his unimpressed frown, she lowered her fist and apologised. “Sorry, go on.”
Jeremy slapped his hands on his cheeks and left them there. “I don’t know what I am. All I know is that he kissed me and I told him to get lost. And then I kissed him last night—”
“You kissed him?” Ella interrupted, surprised.
“Yeah,” Jeremy confirmed, his cheeks growing hot. “I was drunk.”
“Was that the only reason?”
Jeremy was lost for words.
“Then what?”
“Well… Toby picked that opportune moment to walk past.”
“…Oh.”
“Mmhmm, great timing. Now I’m gonna get fucking ostracised at school again because everyone’s gonna know about it.”
Ella looked sceptically at him. “Do you really think Toby would tell?”
“Of course he would,” Jeremy returned, confused.
“I don’t think so.”
“Why not?”
She stared at him like he was an idiot. “Because friends don’t tell on each other.”
Jeremy thought this over while she piled bacon into her mouth. At least she seemed to have her appetite back.
“Hey, have something to eat, Jer. You have less colour in your face than Toby, and he practically looks like a vampire.”
He waved a hand dismissively. “I’ll puke if I try to eat anything.”
Ella slapped him on the shoulder. He recoiled, unsure whether it was supposed to be friendly or disapproving. “Don’t you go and develop an eating disorder on me, Jer. You’d better eat lunch then.” He made a noncommittal noise in response.
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