BooksBarbecue
Back Again, Rachel
Chapters (98)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. 82
  86. 83
  87. 84
  88. 85
  89. 86
  90. 87
  91. 88
  92. 89
  93. 90
  94. 91
  95. 92
  96. 93
  97. 94
  98. Acknowledgements

‘We were saying how cool it looked and we’d love to go, but you know, it was just…talk. So I went to sleep and woke up to discover she’d booked us flights and an Airbnb. In Seoul.’

‘Had she consulted you about getting time off work?’ I knew she hadn’t.

‘No. And when I tried, I couldn’t. And we couldn’t afford it. We were able to cancel the Airbnb but not the flight. We had to take the hit.’

Ella stood up. ‘Fuck you,’ she yelled at Jonah. Then to Naaz, ‘And you.’ And to the rest of us, ‘And all of you! I’m not staying in this fucking shithole another second!’

‘Ella.’ I bit out the words. ‘Sit. Down.’

If Ella was really set on leaving, I couldn’t stop her, so I had to channel Scary Rachel hard. ‘Everyone who cares about you wants you to be here,’ I said. ‘Not just Jonah and Naaz, but your mum and dad and brothers. And the rest of us here in the group? Right?’

‘Yeah,’ Chalkie said. ‘Yep.’ Trassa, Bronte, Giles, even Harlie made agreeing noises. Poor Dennis, still in bits after his going-over on Monday, was the only one who couldn’t muster enthusiasm.

Ella hovered, torn with indecision. I knew where she was at: utterly adamant that this was an outrageous travesty, but afraid that something strange and terrible was taking place which everyone other than her was in on.

‘At least stay for your lunch?’ Chalkie cajoled. ‘’Mon, Ella, who else will do the crossword with me?’

‘Do, good girl,’ Trassa threw in.

‘Okay,’ Ella mumbled. ‘But I’m leaving this afternoon.’

That seemed like a good place to end things. The group rose and surrounded Ella, ferrying her off for tea and chocolate biscuits. She would rant and rave over the next couple of hours, but from my past experience, I was fairly sure she would stay.

39

And she did. At two o’clock, she slunk back into the room, looking wiped out. A confrontation like the one she’d had this morning was a total head wreck. Not to mention that all her private fears and suspicions about her tablet habit had cracked open, demanding attention. The next few days would be rough for her.

My plan for the afternoon had been to focus on Dennis but something made me decide to take a punt on Bronte. ‘Bronte, tell us about your relapse.’

‘My um, relapse…’ She hadn’t been expecting this. ‘I’m writing my life story, don’t you want to wait? No? Oh. Well. It was…I didn’t plan it. It was an accident.’ She waited a moment. ‘I’d been doing so well. I never missed drugs, my life was good, then my horse threw me. Broke my ankle. First time to break a bone, the pain was much worse than I’d ever expected. I asked for painkillers.’ She paused.