When evening rolled in Lenny drove them home, Kyle and Juliet sharing the back seat. They weren’t touching but she could sense how close he was. It felt weird and kind of electric. The hair was rising on her arms. What’s this?

When they arrived at her house she asked Kyle if he wanted to come inside for a while. He looked to Lenny for his permission. He nodded.

‘Till Davey gets home,’ he said.

Lenny heated up some lasagna and left them in the kitchen to eat while he sat watching a match on the telly.

Juliet picked at her food. She hadn’t really eaten in days; her stomach felt tight and sore and her throat felt narrower than before. Kyle devoured his.

‘This is lovely, did Grace make it?’

‘Someone dropped it over to me gran’s. Her freezer is full.’

‘I wish my ma cooked Italian. She only cooks Irish.’

‘What’s Irish?’

‘Spuds, veg and meat.’

‘Oh.’

‘Yeah, it’s either spuds, veg and lamb, pork chops or bacon, mincemeat, turkey, ham or if it’s a special occasion a well-done steak.’

‘That sounds terrible.’

‘It’s shite all right. Da says it’s like living in the eighties.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘Dunno,’ he said. ‘I think life was just a little bit more shite back then.’

‘My ma loved the eighties,’ Juliet said.

‘Yeah, but she was cool.’

Juliet smiled. ‘Yeah, she was totally cool.’

After that Juliet and Kyle went into the sitting room and played a game on Juliet’s Xbox. They didn’t really talk, just made the odd comment on the game.

‘You’re tired. I should go,’ he said.

She didn’t argue. ‘Thanks for being there.’

‘That’s OK.’

She walked him to the front door. She opened it and he stood close to her and then he moved in for a hug and her skin burned. She pulled away.

‘Do you really have to go?’ he said.

‘Yeah.’

‘Why?’

‘Just ’cause.’

He looked like he was going to cry.

‘I’ll really miss ya.’

‘I’ll miss you too.’

He was crying. He was crying, and the only thing she could think to do to stop him was kiss his lips.

‘Oh,’ he said.

Juliet was shocked. She briefly wondered if she was still drugged. What am I doing? What is wrong with me?

‘Sorry,’ she said.

‘Don’t be. I think that’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.’

She could feel the panic rising within her. ‘You need to go.’

‘I’ll see ya tomorrow, then?’