Peony

“Zie, please,” I beg.

“Odi, come on. You’re being unreasonable.” He runs his hands through his hair in exasperation.

“How am I? It’s your last night here. I won’t see you until Christmas!”

“Don”t be absurd. We’ll be back before then.”

“You don’t get half term,” I point out.

“But we get Reading Week on the exact same dates and I can read anywhere. I’ll come back. I promise.”

“But tonight’s still our last night.”

“Exactly. Which is why the four of us should spend it together, like we always used to. It’s Axel’s birthday tomorrow and he has to spend the whole day travelling, he should at least get to celebrate tonight.”

“I wanted tonight to be special.”

“And it will be. For Axel.”

“Just me and you, Zie. I wanted…”

“I know, Odi. But it doesn’t feel right.”

“How can it not feel right? I love you!”

“And I love you. Which is why I’m not going to do that with you. Not with me leaving. If we’d had more time together things would’ve been different.”

“So you”re punishing me for not kissing you when you asked when I was eleven?”

“I’ve asked a lot more times since then too,” Zie mutters darkly before sighing. “I’m not punishing you. Let’s see how things go when I’m home next.”

“Fine.”

“C’mon, we’ll go and meet the others.”

“You go. I feel a headache coming on.”

“Maybe we’ll see you later?” he asks, coming in to kiss me.

I turn and give him my cheek, a clear dismissal. “Maybe,” I reply noncommittally.

I doubt it though.