Sometimes

Chapter eleven

The sound of Cassie singing down the phone made me chuckle; if I had a dog, it would have probably started sympathy howling. 

    “Okay,” I said, sinking down onto my bed.  “I get it.”

Cassie laughed.  “And that,” she said.  “Is what it would sound like if I entered one of those talent shows.”

    I couldn’t even remember what had gotten us onto the topic of singing, I was just glad Cassie was being her usual self.  I’d been worried that there might have been an awkward spell between us, because of what had happened at Retro Shack yesterday.  My heart jolted at the memory of how sad she’d been.  Thankfully, everything seemed to be okay now.

    I glanced up at my bedroom clock to see the big hand just landing on the twelve, signalling that it was one’ o clock; I’d phoned Cassie over an hour ago.

    “So what was it you rang to tell me?” she asked.  I could hear her chewing and the thought of food made my stomach rumble.

    “I wanted to ask your advice.”

I heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line.  “Shoot!”

I smiled to myself.  “Sonny’s downstairs.”

    “Then why are you in your room?”

    “The rest of the band are here too.”

    “So?  Get Sonny on his own.  Get to know him.”

The thought of getting Sonny on his own made my spine tingle and I picked at a thread on my duvet to distract myself from dreaming about being alone with Sonny any further.  “And how am I supposed to do that?” I asked, raising my eyebrows at my poster of ‘Haunted Vegas.’  The lead singer started back at me with a moody rock face. 

    “I don’t know,” she replied and I heard her huff.  “Ask him to help carry drinks from the kitchen to the lounge.”

    “What drinks?”

Cassie sighed.  “The ones you so kindly made for the band.  He’ll think you’re kind and thoughtful.  It should score a few points.”

    “I want him to think I’m fun, not thoughtful.”

There was silence for a moment and I guessed Cassie was thinking.  I could imagine the cogs in her head turning to the sound of the music from Countdown, the program my parents watched most evenings.  I laughed.

    “Well, he’s not going to think you’re very fun if you stay up in your room all afternoon.  You need to socialise!”  She sounded like she was eating again and my thoughts flickered back to food for a second.  I swore I could smell bacon wafting up from the kitchen.  “I take it your parents are out?”

    “Yep.  Gone to help my nan pick out sofa covers.”

    “Fun,” Cassie replied.

    “That’s why I stayed home,” I replied. 

    “I bet you’re having the time of your life in your room.  Alone.”

I rolled my eyes.  “I’m talking to you, aren’t I?  So I’m not alone.”

    “Basically.  Seeing as there’s people in your house and you’re practically hiding from them.”

    “I’m not hiding from anyone,” I insisted.  “I’m just trying to decide the best way to get involved with them all.”  I bit my lip, feeling a little anxious. “I mean, I don’t want to go down there and invite myself into the conversation.”