Making Friends with Alice Dyson by Poppy Nwosu

Author:Poppy Nwosu [Nwosu, Poppy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781536216257
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Published: 2018-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

“I guess he’s cute. A little young if you ask me.”

“Adalina!” May’s irritation is written all over her face. “He’s only one year younger than you. We’re all only one year younger! You always act like we’re kids or something.”

Adalina just shrugs as I watch silently, my fingers curled around my coffee cup.

We’re all sitting in the empty foyer of the cinema, waiting for the last show to finish. The place is deserted.

Usually I love May’s visits to my work; usually I love sitting and drinking coffee with her. But tonight all she wants to talk about is Finn, and I think Adalina is getting frustrated.

“Look, it’s not my fault if listening to your high school crap gets boring,” she snaps. “Sometimes you all sound like kids. Once you start uni, you’ll know what real problems are.”

May’s eyes turn hard. “I don’t know what your problem is, but you don’t know anything about me.” She’s getting angry now, and I reach out a hand to try to calm her down.

I glance at Adalina as she rubs at her forehead, and I think again how tired she is tonight, how stressed she said she was about her exams. She’s already told me she thinks she might have failed at least two of her subjects, and she doesn’t even know if she wants to study pharmacy anymore.

But, of course, May doesn’t know about any of that. As far as she’s concerned, Adalina is just being difficult.

“You’re jealous,” May snaps at her. “Just because you weren’t popular in high school doesn’t mean you have to take it out on me.”

I open my mouth to say something to stop them, but Adalina interrupts me. “No, Alice. It’s fine.”

She turns back to May like I’m not even here.

“I know enough about you, May. I see you staring at that guy every time he comes in here. He has a girlfriend. Or is that not a problem for you?”

May gasps dramatically, and I quickly say, “I think everyone should just calm down.”

But no one is listening to me.

“Yeah, he does,” May says, and now her lips tremble as if she’s about to cry, “but that doesn’t mean anything. Sophia’s not even nice. He should be with someone better, someone kinder.”

Adalina scoffs. “What? Someone like you?” She rolls her eyes. “Anyway, you think this guy is so nice he deserves someone better? If that’s true, why is he with his bitchy girlfriend, then? How come this nice boy of yours is so happy spending all his time with a girl who’s horrible?” She smiles and adds, “I bet she’s hot, right?”

My heart sinks, but Adalina doesn’t stop.

She scoffs. “Yep, he sounds like a total catch!”

“You don’t know anything,” says May. She’s really upset now, fighting tears.

“Whatever,” Adalina answers with a shrug. She slides up from the table and turns to me. “I’m going outside. I’ll come back before the show finishes.”

“Okay,” I agree. I think that’s a really good idea.

When she’s gone I reach out and touch May’s hand.

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