‘Hey,’ shouted Kyle from the kitchen. ‘Don’t forget to give a final push for the library thing so we can draw in as many people as possible tomorrow – Dev just messaged me to tell me Lucy’s daughter has given a few suggestions, putting it out on social media and whatnot.’ Aleisha groaned. She knew it was what Mr P and Aidan would want too.
She looked at the big pile of leaflets for Save Our Libraries next to her, ready for the bin, usurped by the Big Library GetTogether leaflets.
She scrolled through stories on Instagram so quickly she heard a millisecond of sound for each of them, trying to fill herself in on other people’s lives. Bright lights, people in shorts jumping up, legs by the pool, legs by the beach holding up books, someone’s cat’s bum sauntering with J.Lo and Iggy Azalea’s ‘Booty’ played over the top. Big big booty. Hilarious. Her college friend pouting in front of the leaning tower of Pisa with his top off, too cool to do the standard pose of pretending to hold it up.
She was bored already, looking at other people enjoying life. Would she ever be able to post on social media without worrying what people would think of her, pigeonholing her as the ‘grieving little sister’？ Before she had time to think, she took a quick video of the library – empty – and overlaid it with text: COME GET THIS PLACE BUZZING TOMORROW 11 A.M.!
She clicked ‘post’ with a grimace.
Aidan would be shaking his head in shame at how uncool she was.
Her phone rang in her palms: Rachel.
‘What’s this about a library get-together? Tomorrow? First I’ve heard of it, why didn’t you tell us?’
‘What?’
‘Just saw your story.’
‘You’re quick!’
‘Social media is my job, it’s my job to be quick.’
‘Oh, it’s like a community morning thing. Mr P, you know from the library, he suggested doing it for Aidan.’
‘I love that idea. Do you want to tell your mum? She’s here.’
Aleisha went silent. She didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what Leilah would think. Would she laugh at it? Worse, would she say nothing at all?
‘Okay,’ Aleisha said, her heart starting to pound. She took a deep breath. ‘Mum?’
There was silence on the other end of the line. ‘Mum?’
‘Leish, sorry, your mum had to go back up to bed. I’ll tell her later, okay?’ Rachel’s voice was quivering; Aleisha could hear her nerves.
‘Sure, thanks, Rachel.’
Aleisha hadn’t been expecting anything – she’d never expected anything at all.
‘I have managed to get rid of ninety-nine flyers, Aleisha!’ Mr P gabbled down the phone.
‘Wow, that’s so great, Mr P.’ Aleisha tried to inject enthusiasm into her voice. ‘I thought you might have got bored and just chucked them in the bin.’
‘Absolutely not! I even put a flyer up in my front window – I actually kept forgetting it was there so when my old nosy neighbours come past and try to read it, I get very, very scared wondering what they are doing looking so closely through my window!’ She’d never heard him so energized before.
‘Mr P, you’re a joker.’
‘No, I’m being serious! I keep preparing myself to shout, “Get off my property!” Anyway, it must be a good advertising spot – I’m very proud! Do you have any flyers left?’
‘Some, yeah, I guess I’d better take them out tonight.’ She bit her lip.
‘Absolutely! It’s tomorrow now. There’s no time to waste.’
As Aleisha hung up, she sat back on her sofa, next to her cousin, watching her uncle Jeremy with her mum. They hadn’t mentioned the Big Library GetTogether again that afternoon. When Aleisha had come back from her shift, Rachel had muttered, ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t want to bring it up with her. You know. Didn’t want to step on any toes.’
Uncle Jeremy had made his famous lamb stew even though it was really too hot to eat it today. Aleisha had devoured it anyway, and now they were all sitting in the same room trying to digest it.
It had been so long since they had been all together in one room as a family. Aidan would have loved to be here, but if he were around he would have played it cool, maybe gone out for a drink with his friends first.
No, she told herself sharply, she was misremembering him. For Aidan, family always came first. This would have come first.
‘I’ve got to put out the last flyers,’ Aleisha said to her cousin, and tapped the pile that sat between them on the sofa. ‘Want to come?’