Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan

Author:Sarah Crossan
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2014-07-07T16:00:00+00:00

At lunchtime I leave Del in the playground with a soggy sandwich from the canteen and go to orchestra. I sit in my normal seat and practise scales to warm up my clarinet while I wait for Mr Rowls and the rest of the band to come to practice. After a couple of minutes, Egan Winters, carrying his flute case, pushes open the music room doors.

‘All right, Apple,’ he says. ‘It’s Apple, isn’t it?’

I nod.

‘I love Macs. And iPhones. I always think it’s funny when someone’s got a mobile that isn’t an iPhone. You know?’

I nod again.

He pulls a chair next to me and sits down. ‘Your mum’s nice. She seems really young.’

‘She’s thirty-one,’ I tell him.

‘Really? My parents are old, man. Mum is almost sixty and Dad’s sixty-five.’

‘I think my nan’s sixty-five,’ I tell him, though I’m not sure why.

He looks at me and smiles. I can’t tell whether it’s one of those pitying smiles or a real one. ‘Right,’ he says. He takes out his flute and taps the keys.

‘Mum is always having parties,’ I tell him. ‘She’s having one on Saturday.’

‘Is it someone’s birthday?’

‘No. It’s a Saturday night party with dancing and drinks,’ I say.

‘Doesn’t your dad mind?’

‘My dad lives with my stepmum in London,’ I tell him.

Egan smiles. ‘I can’t believe a Year Eight has a better Saturday night than me.’ He blows some scales through his flute. They’re clear and smooth and his breath through the holes makes my hair stir.

I try to think about what Mum would do.

‘You can come over for a drink. If you want.’ Even though I’ve spent the last few minutes carefully piecing my clarinet together and tuning it up, I pull the head joint off and polish it against my skirt.

Egan’s eyes are on me. ‘Shouldn’t you ask first?’

‘It would be OK.’

‘Really? Could I bring a mate?’ he asks.

My heart thunders. ‘’Course. If you want. The more the merrier. The flat’s a bit of a tip at the moment though ’cos we just moved in.’ I know I don’t sound like myself. I’m not pronouncing all my letters. Nana would be horrified.

Egan doesn’t notice. ‘All right then, you’re on.’

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