I listened, stumped, taking a moment to figure out what he meant.
‘You’re OK with – with just being friends?’ I asked.
He smiled and took my hand again. ‘“Just friends” makes it sound like being friends is worse. I think this is better, personally, considering how terrible that kiss was.’
I squeezed his hand. ‘I agree.’
We reached the end of the bridge, crossing back into a cobbled alleyway. Jason’s face ducked in and out of darkness as we passed the streetlamps. When his face came into the light again, he was smiling, and I thought, possibly, I was forgiven.
Sunil peered at Jason’s framed photo of Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr for a solid few seconds before tapping it and asking, ‘Would somebody like to explain this, please?’
‘It’s a really long story,’ said Jason, who was sitting on his bed.
‘It’s a good story, though,’ I added. Me and Rooney were on the floor with Jason’s pillows as back rests, though Rooney was having a small power nap.
‘Well, now I’m even more intrigued.’
Jason sighed. ‘How about I explain once we’ve actually decided what we’re doing about Pip?’
It was a week after our Scooby-Doo outing. With Jason back in the Shakespeare Soc, things were looking up, and we’d actually been able to have a proper rehearsal.
But we couldn’t do the show without Pip.
And it wasn’t just about that, anyway. The society was important to all of us, but our friendship with Pip was more important. That was what needed saving.
I just didn’t know exactly how I was going to do that.
‘We’re talking about Pip?’ said Rooney, who had apparently just woken up.
Rooney was still going out most nights and returning in the early hours. I didn’t know whether I could stop her, or if I even should. She wasn’t doing anything wrong, technically.
I just got the sense that she only did it to numb everything else.
‘I thought we were rehearsing,’ I said.
‘There’s no point carrying on with rehearsals if Pip isn’t coming back,’ Jason stated, and there was silence as we all realised that he was right.
Sunil perched on Jason’s desk and folded his arms. ‘So … do you have any suggestions?’
‘Well, I’ve been talking to her, and –’
‘Wait, you’ve been talking to her?’ Rooney said, sitting upright.
‘It’s not me she has a feud with. We’re still friends. We’re at the same college.’
‘You can get her to come back, then. She’ll listen to you.’
‘I’ve tried.’ Jason shook his head. ‘She is angry. And Pip doesn’t forgive easily.’ He looked at me and Rooney. ‘I mean … I sort of understand why. What you both did was incredibly idiotic.’
Jason knew about the kiss. Of course he did – Pip probably told him everything. I felt myself go red out of sheer embarrassment.
‘What did you do?’ Sunil asked curiously.
‘They kissed and Pip saw,’ said Jason.
‘Oh.’
‘Um … can we explain our side of the story about that?’ Rooney asked.
‘I mean my guess is that you were drunk and it was Rooney’s idea,’ said Jason. ‘And you both instantly regretted it.’
‘OK, that’s … that’s fairly accurate.’
‘So what should we do?’ asked Sunil.
‘I think Georgia and Rooney are just going to have to keep trying to talk to her until she’s willing to listen. Maybe one at a time, so she doesn’t feel like you’re ganging up on her.’
‘When?’ I said. ‘How?’
‘Now,’ said Jason. ‘I think one of you should go to her room and just apologise to her face. You haven’t actually tried apologising in person yet, have you?’
Neither Rooney nor I said anything.
‘That’s what I thought.’
An idea flashed into my mind. ‘Pip’s jacket. One of us should go and give her back her jacket.’
Rooney snapped her head round to me. ‘Yes. That’s been in our room for, like, months.’
‘Want me to run back and get it?’
But Rooney was already getting to her feet.
Once she returned from St John’s with Pip’s denim jacket in hand, Rooney demanded that she be the one to go to talk to Pip. She didn’t even let me argue with her – she just swung the door open, stepped outside, and said, ‘Which way is her room?’