Chapter 11

Rupert

I look around the room, hardly believing that we're actually almost done with ball prep. If there's anything I've learned from doing it this year, it's that I definitely want a party planner if I ever have an event like this. I don't think I'd be able to organise it myself, though Robin has done a fantastic job of getting everything ready.

"Wow, it looks amazing," a familiar voice says.

I turn to Erica and smile. "Doesn't it?"

"Hard to believe that we made a lot of that happen."

"Just us and our paws," I say, wiggling my fingers.

She snorts. "I didn't do any actual painting as a weasel. Can you imagine how long that would have taken? And you're bigger than me, it wouldn't have been so bad for you."

"How much time have you spent thinking about painting as a weasel?"

She shrugs. "More than I should. Where are Sami and D? I'd have thought they'd be here to see their handiwork too."

"They're checking out the photo booth," I say. "Which I think means they're trying to make out in there and get the perfect photo before there's a queue in a couple of days."

"I'd almost say that's genius," she responds. "But it's also helpful, I actually wanted to see you."

"Ominous."

"It's nothing bad, I don't think." She digs into her pocket. "I have something for you."

"Right?"

She brushes a strand of her copper hair behind her ear. "But now it's time to give it to you, I'm feeling like a bit of an idiot."

I raise an eyebrow. "Okay..." I have absolutely no idea what she's talking about, and I'm a little worried.

She takes a deep breath and holds out something round and glittery to me. It takes a moment for what I'm seeing to fully register, but it's a bouncy ball with black and red glitter swirls across the surface. It looks just like the one that ended up in the river and started whatever this is between me and Erica.

"You kept it the whole time?" I ask, realising as I do that it doesn't track with either my memories, or what she told me a couple of days ago.

"What? No, of course not. Your bouncy ball is at the bottom of a river somewhere, maybe even the sea." She grimaces. "That's probably not good for the fish."

"Probably not," I respond.

"I'm sorry that I lost your bouncy ball. I didn't mean to, and I'm sorry. I was thinking about it all day yesterday, and that's when I went and bought a bouncy ball that I thought looked the same. But now I think about it, that's a bit weird, isn't it?"

"No, I appreciate it." I reach out to take the ball from her, our fingers brushing against one another as I take it and causing me to think thoughts that I definitely wasn't having about her a few weeks ago. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm not even sure what you're going to do with a bouncy ball..."

"Bounce it, absolutely." I step back and let it fall to the floor, having to lower my arms in order to catch it and probably looking like an idiot in the process. I look up in time to see Erica trying to smother a laugh. "That was a bit of a fail, wasn't it?"

"It was cute," she responds. "But definitely not as impressive as when we were kids."

"I should turn into a weasel then bounce the ball, that would be more impressive," I joke.

"Now that I'd love to see."

"Maybe later," I say, pocketing the ball and smiling even as I do. It's sweet that she thought to get one for me, I'd never have expected it, especially after we cleared the air about the bouncy ball incident.

"Well, yeah. Anyway, I'm sorry that I lost your bouncy ball, I really didn't mean to."

"I know," I assure her. "And I'm sorry I spilt paint all over you."

"You don't need to be, I completely forgot."

"It was two weeks ago."

She shrugs. "That could have happened to anyone."

"So could the bouncy ball incident," I respond. "I was just young and dumb."

"As opposed to how young and dumb you are now?" she teases.

I chuckle. "Who said anything about dumb?"

"We raced to the top of the arch last week and I was almost a flat weasel instead of a least weasel."

"We can't have that, can we?" I joke.

"Preferably not. I wouldn't want to have to explain that one to my parents."

"Or to Robin," I add.

"Yes?"

We both jump at the sound of their voice and turn around to find the head of the committee behind us.

"Hey, Robin," Erica squeaks.

"You were saying about things that need explaining to me?" they ask, looking between us as if trying to work out which of us was going to break.

"Oh, we were just talking about the paint spillage the other week," Erica half-lies. "And that it could have been a lot worse."

From the expression on Robin's face, I don't think they believe us, but if we both stay quiet about the real topic of conversation, then we'll be fine.

"Look, I was actually coming to find you, Erica. I'm sorry about the incident at drinks the other day. The bar staff didn't really have a good explanation for how it happened, but you should never have been served alcohol when you said you didn't want it," Robin says.

Erica shrugs. "It's not the end of the world. Rupert helped me sober up."

"I know. But it was completely unacceptable. Though luckily for us, it has meant that they're now giving us the welcome drinks for free. So it's all ended well in the end." They smile and head further into the room to examine all of the decorations.

"So, you getting drunk was worth it because now there are free drinks," I say.

"I wasn't drunk, I was tipsy at best."

"You were definitely drunk. You told me I was cute when I smiled and then turned into a weasel while sitting at the table, you were lucky that no one was paying us much attention and that the academy doesn't really care much about shifting."

She groans and puts a hand on her forehead. "It was bad, wasn't it?"

"Not as bad as the not-really-an-apology from the bar. It wasn't a disaster because nothing bad happened, but what if they'd ignored an allergy?"

She grimaces. "Yeah, that's not good."

"And that's the real reason you getting a bit tipsy has resulted in free drinks. It was on the same form as my allergy, and if they'd ignored that, there could have been far worse consequences." I don't like thinking about it too much. My EpiPen was in my pocket, but it wouldn't have been ideal to have had to have used it.

"Well, I'm going to enjoy my free non-alcoholic drink when we arrive at the ball on Friday night," she says. "And I'll know that I put in the work so Robin didn't have to pay for it."

I chuckle. "Same."

She pulls out her phone and frowns. "I need to go. But I'll see you Friday, right?"

I nod. "Wouldn't miss it, especially after we put this much work into it."

"Can't have it all go to waste," she responds, waving as she turns and heads towards the exit.

I watch her leave, trying to ignore the sense of disappointment growing within me about the fact I don't get to talk to her for longer. It's a strange feeling, and one I never really expected to have towards Erica so I don't really know how to deal with it.

I put my hand in my pocket and touch the bouncy ball, a smile coming to my face as I do. It's a sweet gesture from her, especially when we already cleared the air, and it makes me feel as if the past can actually be put behind us, even if it turns out it should have been there long ago.

Now all I have to do is figure out how much I want to keep her in my life, and exactly what capacity that's going to be in.