For the Missing by Lina Bengtsdotter

Author:Lina Bengtsdotter [Bengtsdotter, Lina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781409179368
Publisher: Orion
Published: 2018-12-12T16:00:00+00:00

That day

It was a double history class. Annabelle felt she might die if she had to stay there. She got up as carefully as she could and mimed ‘bathroom’ to the teacher.

In the bathroom, she had a text from Rebecka. The delivery had arrived, she wrote. Svante was waiting in the car park behind the gym. Could she go and pick it up? They hadn’t spoken since Rebecka told her about William; just sat next to each other in class, in silence, so the message felt like an attempt at making contact more than anything. Rebecka wasn’t exactly the type to worry about leaving class to sort out something as important as this.

Annabelle heaved a sigh and wrote OK back. The last thing she wanted right now was to deal with Svante, but on the other hand they did need the booze. She needed both the booze and her best friend.

She went out to the parking lot. The orange BMW was waiting there, engine running and music thumping from its speakers. Svante smiled at her through the rolled-down window.

‘Long time no see.’

She nodded.

‘Nice shirt,’ he said with a grin.

Annabelle looked down at the T-shirt she had slept in and told him to stop being an ass.

‘But you look good in everything,’ Svante continued.

Annabelle thought to herself that he was the only person she knew who could make a compliment sound like an insult.

‘Do you have the booze?’ she said.

‘How about a thank you?’

‘Do you have the booze, thanks.’

‘I meant for what I said about you looking good.’

‘I’m in a bit of a hurry. I have class.’

‘I forgot you’re such a good girl.’

‘Well, I wouldn’t mind getting a job in the future.’

Svante said she didn’t have to worry about that. He would set her up with something at the factory the day she graduated, before then even, if she wanted.

‘Great,’ Annabelle replied, because she didn’t want to piss Svante off by telling him she would never in a million years agree to have her forearms shredded on the factory floor.

Svante leaned over to the passenger side.

‘Here,’ he said, handing her a clinking carrier bag. Just as she was about to grab it, he pulled his hand away.

‘What?’ Annabelle said.

‘Rebecka hasn’t paid.’

‘We’ll pay you later.’

‘Or I might just accept a kiss instead.’ Svante grinned. ‘What?’ he said when she shook her head. ‘Do you know how much this would cost you in the shops?’

‘I’d rather pay.’

‘Hey, Bella, if I were you, I’d fucking watch myself.’ He put the bag back down on the passenger seat.

‘Neither one of my parents work for your dad,’ Annabelle said, ‘so your threats don’t work on me. I don’t need you.’

‘Sure you do. You need me more than you even realise.’

‘You’re wrong.’

Annabelle turned around and started walking away.

‘So you don’t want it?’ she heard Svante calling after her. ‘Rebecka already bloody paid. I was just playing around.’

Annabelle didn’t bother answering.

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