Amelia Westlake Was Never Here by Erin Gough

Author:Erin Gough
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2019-05-20T16:00:00+00:00

chapter 18

HARRIET

On Saturday night I shower early and dress by six. Arthur has sound check at seven, and I have offered to drive him to the venue. That way I can park, find some dinner nearby, and return in time for their set.

It is usually Dad who goes to Arthur’s shows—venues won’t normally let him in without an accompanying adult, even when his band is the lead act—and anyway, Dad rather enjoys it. In his predentist days he had his own band. He likes to boast they almost made it big. How truthful this is, given they mainly played Doors covers, I don’t know. But tonight Mum and Dad have a teeth-related function to attend.

I have a couple of essays due that I should be working on instead. I have already missed a recent biology essay deadline because of Amelia Westlake. But I have no option other than to attend Arthur’s show to ensure the success of Operation Newsroom. My presence at Deep Fryer will mean that if and when Natasha Nguyen shows up, I can let Will know the coast is clear.

A little after six I am in the kitchen preparing a preouting snack of balsamic-glazed pecans with rosemary and sea salt when Mum comes in.

“Goodness, Harriet. What on earth are you wearing?”

I look up from the stove. “You’ve seen this shirt before.” It is black with a few deliberate tears in the lower stomach region held together by oversized safety pins. “Arthur loaned it to me. I’m going to his concert tonight, remember? I need to blend in.”

Mum frowns and opens the fridge door. She takes out a tub of hummus and a carrot. “That friend of yours. The one I met on Thursday. Will she be there?”

I shift the pecans in the pan with my wooden spoon. “Will Everhart? No.”

Mum lays the carrot on the chopping board and slices it down the middle. “I haven’t seen Edie for a while,” she says.

“She’s been very busy.”

“Edie is a lovely girl, Harriet. And she’s a perfect friend for you while you’re finishing school.”

“We’re a little more than friends, obviously.”

“Mmm,” says Mum, chopping the carrot carefully. “Being a teenager is a very intense time. And experimentation is a healthy part of the maturity process.” She dips a sliver of carrot into the hummus. “Edie is such a good role model for you. Not to mention your best chance to win Tawney. It’s not like you have the talent to win the singles event. Really, you are lucky she chose you to be her partner. Very lucky. Which is why I wouldn’t want to see you taking your experimentation in another… direction.” She looks at me intently. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

To be honest, I am not 100 percent sure. Is she talking about experimentation in the bedroom? How embarrassing! She has no cause for concern, though. Edie and I have already agreed to keep things at second base until the Tawney Shield and exams are over. We are both

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