Never a Perfect Moment Read Free Page B

with that,” said Rhi, shaking her head. “It’s her lies . They’ve destroyed any feelings of friendship I used to have for her. She stole Max from me, Polly. She broke my heart. And then the next minute she says she’s gay! How can someone do that? Wreck a person’s life by taking their boyfriend, when they don’t even like boys? Why did she do it? Just to hurt me? Just to prove she could?”
    â€œIt doesn’t make much sense,” Polly agreed. “But Eve’s never followed the rules, has she? She’ll be hurting over Ryan, just like we are. She needs us too.”
    Rhi sighed and started walking towards the classroom. “Are you coming or not?”
    More students were pouring through the corridors now, making their way to afternoon classes. Polly dodged through the crowd, trying to catch up with Rhi.
    â€œHow are things with you and Max anyway?”
    Rhi teetered her hand from side to side. “We’re sort of dating again.”
    â€œThat’s what you want,” Polly said. “Isn’t it?”
    â€œI don’t know,” Rhi said with a shrug. “He wants to pick up where we left off, like the whole thing with Eve never happened. Like it didn’t matter. But I’m not so sure. The whole business with Ryan has reminded me that we only have one life, you know? Lila keeps telling me I can do better than Max.” She looked at Polly questioningly. “What do you think?”
    Polly had never much liked Max. He was too … charming was the word she wanted. Like all he had to do was smile and the world would fall into place, just the way he wanted it to. He’d so easily cheated on Rhi with Eve, and then just as easily persuaded Rhi to take him back. It was like there were no consequences for him, like he didn’t even feel any guilt about what he’d done.
    â€œIt doesn’t matter what I think,” she said diplomatically. “I’m not the one going out with him. But you can’t avoid the fact that he cheated on you, Rhi. Who’s to say he won’t do it again?”
    Rhi rubbed her hands through her hair. “I’ve dated him for so long,” she sighed. “We have all these shared memories, and he knows me so well. What if he’s the one, Polly? How do you know if the risk is worth it?”
    â€œThat,” said Polly, “is an excellent question.”
    And I wish I knew the answer , she thought.

FOUR
    Polly didn’t have a good night. The gloom at school hung over her like a cloud, and she found it almost impossible to think all the peaceful, calming things she needed to think about in order to fall asleep. She’d tried everything – having a bath, drinking hot chocolate, spraying her pillow with lavender mist. But every time she got close to drifting off, Josh’s horrified cry on discovering Ryan’s body came into her mind, a piercing howl of horror that brought her out in a cold sweat. The situation with Ollie didn’t help either. The more she thought about it, the more she felt anxious about their date on Friday. She had liked him for so long, but they were so different – physically and mentally. How would it ever work?
    Morning took a long time to arrive. Polly found herself getting up early, having breakfast before her mum was awake, and taking herself down the hill to school with almost half an hour to spare.
    She texted Eve and Lila as she walked.
    Everything OK? Worried about you.
    As she tapped send, she wondered uneasily if she’d hear from either of them before she saw them in class. She’d phoned them both the night before, and again before breakfast. Her calls had gone to voicemail. Four texts later and she still hadn’t had a reply. It was very unlike them both to leave a message unanswered. She didn’t like to think about what might have happened. Polly couldn’t help imagining worst-case scenarios, and tried not to let