BooksBarbecue
Back When We Were Friends
Chapters (52)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Dedication
  4. About the Author
  5. 31
  6. 14
  7. 31
  8. 14
  9. 31
  10. 14
  11. 31
  12. 14
  13. 31
  14. 15
  15. 31
  16. 16
  17. 32
  18. 16
  19. 32
  20. 17
  21. 32
  22. 17
  23. 32
  24. 17
  25. 32
  26. 17
  27. 32
  28. 18
  29. 32
  30. 18
  31. 32
  32. 18
  33. 32
  34. 18
  35. 32
  36. 18
  37. 32
  38. 18
  39. 32
  40. 18
  41. 32
  42. 18
  43. 32
  44. 18
  45. 32
  46. 32
  47. 33
  48. 33
  49. 33
  50. Acknowledgments
  51. Discussion Questions
  52. Booklist

“Yeah, but I tried really hard for them.”

She laughed again. Picked up a section of my hair and started plaiting it.

“We’ll see. I just... Couples who go to uni never end up staying together. And Liam’s band has a real chance, you know. I’m going to be the next Courtney Love! I’m going to sit on the side of the stage, wearing amazing outfits...like Penny Lane in Almost Famous.”

“I mean, she does try to kill herself in that movie.”

“But her outfits, Fern. Her outfits.”

After the band’s encore, there was endless cheering and whooping. Reading Festival was over. A vast stampede of shivering people started filtering back to their tents, ready for “riot night” as we’d been told it was called. Mike had promised to look after us, as apparently loads of girls got raped on the final night. Jessica and I stayed put for a while, watching it all pass, still detached and in our own little bubble. Eventually, when the arena was almost empty, she stood up, held out her hand to get me out of the dust.

“Come on, let’s go find the others...go back to the stage,” she said, and I was buzzing so much I missed the subtext of what she’d just said.

When we got back to our camp, everyone cheered as if we were returning vets.

“Here come the defectors,” Mike said, with a sleepy Jade on his shoulder, smiling like a cat who’d snorted condensed milk.

Out of the side of my eye, I saw Jessica physically push her face into her Jessica glaze. Flirty grin, relaxed attitude, ready for quips and cool-girlness.

“Weren’t Metallica TERRIBLE?” she said, raising her arms. “Worst band I’ve ever fucking SEEN.”

The circle went mad, laughing, collecting her in with their arms, putting her crown back on. I watched as she found Liam, sunk in a camping chair with a drunken smile across his face, hardly able to hold himself up.

“What are these?” Jessica asked, taking in her boyfriend’s unexpected fancy dress. The boys collapsed in on themselves and let out shrieks of laughter, while Jessica, frowning, held out a giant pair of novelty fairy wings Liam had on his back. Liam shrugged, playing innocent, as Jessica bent closer to read what had been scribbled all over them in black marker pen. The words “Brown Wings” over and over across the pink netting.