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☾ 𝑇𝐻𝐼𝑅𝑇𝑌 𝑂𝑁𝐸
"Never thought my high fucking heels from Paris would be stepping through the horse shit of Small Heath ever again," Polly said, her voice cutting through the thick air as loud and as grating as the clangs of metal in the near distance. Polly glanced to her right, to her daughter who walked beside Ada, smiling through her glare slightly. She was still rather standoffish after they visited with Michael. "Much less with my Anna."
"Temporary Polly," Ada chimed, setting her eyes in front.
"Yeah, until hell freezes over," Lizzy said with a laugh. Anna had barely spoken to the woman.
As they neared the centre of Charlie's yard, the place that Finn and Isaiah were going to take her the other day, she realised, Polly diverged from the group, splitting off to the side, reaching for the cigarette box that hid in her deep pockets. Anna went to follow her mother, her own hands tucked within her coat, hidden from the cold. But as she did do, Ada swooped in smoothly, slipping her arm through the loop of her elbow.
"No, you're coming to sit with us. Can't have Polly making you sit out," she said as she led them to the table.
The seats surrounding the table were already close to being full. Lizzy went straight to the end, shuffling into the seat beside Tommy. Ada pulled Anna toward spaces only two seats down.
"Have a drink."
Anna eyed the numerous bottles that covered the surface, their necks sticky and contents half empty. "What is it?"
"You've never had a drink before?" Ada exclaimed. "You're seventeen."
"Eighteen in three weeks."
"Even worse."
Anna frowned defensively. "I've had a drink before. Just not often," she said with a shrug, taking the glass from Ada and peering down inside. "Before Australia, if we wanted anything other than basics it had to be stolen. My friends like to swipe a bottle for special occasions. The last one I remember was my birthday actually."
That was a lie. The last one she could actually remember was Will celebrating being free of his father. It was fun- it was the drunkest Anna had ever been. But it was the following day that made the sweet memory so sour.
Ada's face twisted curiously. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I never imagined you having a life before here."
"Well, life didn't just start when I returned home," Anna said.
They smiled as Lizzy shuffled to sit by them, noticing the conversation.
"No that's not what I mean. It was the same for Michael. You had friends, family in Michael's case. It's just..."
"Bizarre," Anna finished for her.
"Do you ever miss anyone?" Lizzy asked.
"We always miss people, whether they were wanted in our lives or not," Anna said, letting out a breath. "But yes. I miss my friends."
