What's a Girl Gotta Do? Read Free Page B

up and pushed my way out to the corridor, looking both ways to see where she’d gone.
    I found her in the nearby ladies’ toilets, washing her hands under the tap. Crying.
    â€œOh, hi, Lottie,” she said, like nothing had happened. Even though her hands were shaking and tears rolled down her face. She stood upright, hastily wiping the evidence of distress from her cheeks.
    â€œHey. I just wanted to see if you were all right?”
    I didn’t know Megan hugely well. It sounds awful, but I knew her more as “Max’s girlfriend”. She’d gone out all through Year Twelve with this guy, Max, from a band we knew called The Imposters. She was in mine and Amber’s art class but never spoke much. She and Max had seemed so in love – I hardly ever saw her without him. So we were all surprised when he’d broken up with her over the summer. Even more so when she’d joined FemSoc, as she’d never expressed an interest when they were together.
    Megan still had her hands under the water, even though all the soap was off them. Her dark hair hung over her face.
    I stepped closer, seeing that all of her was shaking – not just her hands.
    â€œI’m fine.”
    â€œMegan?” I stepped closer again. “Did something in the meeting upset you? The advert?”
    She stood up straight then, looked me right in the eye. Her cheeks were all blotchy and her eyelashes were clumped together with wet mascara. She turned the tap off, shaking her head slightly.
    â€œI’m fine…I’m fine… It’s just…well…that advert… Max…it kind of brought something back.” Her voice broke on the word “Max”, stuttering over his name. “He…he…” She trailed off, shaking harder.
    What?!
    â€œMegan, did Max, do someth—”
    â€œSorry, I didn’t mean to cause a fuss,” she interrupted suddenly – her voice strong again. “I must be getting my period or something.”
    She yanked a towel out of the towel dispenser, dabbed at her face, dried her hands and chucked it roughly into the bin. It bounced back out again. What was she saying? What had happened to her?
    â€œMegan? I’m sorry if the meeting triggered something…something that happened between you and Max?”
    Megan shook her head. “No, you didn’t. It didn’t, I mean. I’m fine. Fine.” She must’ve seen the doubt on my face. “Honestly!”
    â€œMegan?” I found all I could do was just repeat her name. “You can tell me…”
    â€œNobody will ever believe me anyway,” she said, almost to herself. Then she looked up at me and smiled. She actually smiled. “I might not come to the rest of the meeting, if that’s okay?” she asked, like she needed my permission. “See you in art tomorrow?”
    And before I could stop her, or say something, or hug her, or do anything other than stand there feeling confused and sick, she’d breezed out of the toilets – leaving only the sweet smell of the college apple soap behind her.

four
    The FemSoc meeting was almost over when I slipped back inside. I’d spent a while sitting on one of the toilets, my face in my hands, trying to digest what had just happened.
    Evie was just wrapping things up while Amber scribbled down people’s ideas on the whiteboard.
    â€œThanks for all your great ideas,” Evie said. “It sounds like we’ve narrowed down what we want to do. We can go through a shortlist at next week’s meeting and vote then. I’m really excited, guys.”
    Everyone descended into talking and laughing and there was a fizzing in the air of good ideas.
    I stood, still helpless. Amber noticed from across the room and mouthed, “Are you okay?” and I nodded…then shook my head. Amber held up her hand to say give me a minute and I gave her a small smile. Part of me felt broken. I’d