If I were wearing plimsolls and badly fitting shorts under a totally bizarre but mandated skirt, this would be just like school sports all over again. Always awkwardly last to get picked. Less and less hopeful that my luck will change. And wearing clothes that aren’t cool.

CHAPTER 6

Games ‘Night’ has arrived and I’ve been at Peter’s flat since 10 a.m. prepping all the dips. It shouldn’t be taking as long as it is, but Peter has a unique way of helping.

‘Leave it alone.’

‘But it’s fun.’

‘No, it’s not fun, it’s going to spill all over the counter. Stop stirring it.’

‘It’s like a mini whirlpool.’

I know he’s doing it on purpose – he’s smiling the same smile he uses when he knows he’s doing something he shouldn’t. Like that time I caught him secretly swapping dust jackets in a random bookshop. I try not to find it charming.

I ignore him in the hope he’ll stop if I don’t pay him any attention, and go back to wiping the board so I can start chopping the coriander.

‘Oops.’ I look over and see that the counter is now splattered with blobs of refried bean.

I probably should get mad at him, but he smiles and instead I decide to simply clean it up, cloth already in hand.

Peter leans across the breakfast bar to watch me chop the coriander. ‘So what are we playing today then?’

After squishing his massive sofa to the side, we managed to squeeze in four playing stations. Any game is allowed, except Twister, which we had to stop playing because too many of us were getting injured in our old age. Personally, I normally steer away from games like Monopoly and Risk, and steer towards games like Scrabble and Pairs, or if I’m feeling particularly unadversarial, a calming puzzle. Some people are good at dealing with confrontation or taking risks, endangering their prawns or queens. But not me.

‘Well, I thought we’d go with Scrabble, Snakes and Ladders for Jess –’ who has recently had a baby, and requested a mindless game that is still fun, but will allow her some peace so she can breastfeed – ‘Shithead and Cranium.’ I have also bought extra play-dough as that’s everyone’s favourite part of the game.

‘A well-rounded selection. I like it.’

The doorbell rings. I’m still chopping, so Peter goes to open it. I can hear Mia and Mark before I see them, looking fresh-faced from their mini-moon, followed by the usual gang of regulars. At the back of the group I can see a timid-looking Isla peeking through. She doesn’t often come, which is sad as she’s also an advocate of the quieter games.

I take a fortifying breath, stop chopping, wash my hands and start hugging everyone. I’m smiling on the outside, but on the inside I worry I didn’t order enough food.

‘You can’t do that! That’s cheating!’ Someone slams their hand on a table and I jump, just a smidge, from the safety of the kitchen. Shithead has proved to be quite popular today, so after Jess left with the baby in tow, we converted a second table to the enemy-making card game.