Chapter 5

Erica

The shop door closes behind the last of the customers, and I let out a relieved sigh. I'd known it was going to be busy in Danielle's shop today, but it was a whole other level. It feels like the entirety of the Obscure Academy student body has been in and out of those doors today, even if I know that would both be impractical and impossible.

The bell rings and I'm about to put on a happy smile and attempt to sell another of my sister's dresses, when I realise it's Danielle coming back and not a customer.

"Oh good, you're back," I say.

She chuckles. "That bad?"

"It's been fine, but I wouldn't want to do this every day."

She laughs. "All right, no leaving the business with you if I go on holiday then."

"I mean, you can. Especially over summer. I'll need a job anyway," I point out.

"Consider yourself hired," she responds. "Though I have to ask what happened in here?"

I shrug. "Told you it would be busy. There are some reserved dresses in the back as well, and a couple of orders that I said you'd need to confirm. I didn't want to take the money if the dresses wouldn't arrive in time."

"Mmm, good call." She dumps her bag on the counter.

"How was your date?"

She wrinkles her nose. "Terrible. It's nothing like when I was at the academy and I could just meet people. Now I have to find them on apps or get set up by my friends..."

"Which was this?"

"Blind date. Reese promised that he was a good guy and that I'd like him, but all he did was stare at my boobs and talk about how many kids he wants."

"Isn't that the kind of thing you're supposed to talk about on first dates? The kids part, not the boob part. That's just creepy."

"I mean, yeah, I guess. I want to know whether it's worth my time to date someone, and if they don't want kids, then they're not for me. But he had a whole ten-year plan, and it was bad, Erica."

I grimace. "My ten-year plan bad?"

She snorts. "Way worse. Your plan is just what you want to do with your education and career. His included that, but also what he expected from his wife, and it was not good. I'm never going on another blind date set up by Reese again. If this is her idea of a good match for me, then I'd rather have a bad one."

I can't help but laugh. My sister has always tended toward being a little dramatic, though in this case, it does feel as if it's warranted.

"Speaking of dates, did you get one for the end-of-year ball yet?" she asks.

"No, I think I'll be going it alone," I respond. "Well, not alone, I'll be going with my friends. But I won't have a date."

"That's a shame."

I shrug. "I don't mind. Why would I want to spend the evening with a guy I barely know when I could be spending it with my friends? Especially when I'm not going to see them for most of the summer. We've got a trip to the coast planned, but that's only for a week. The ball is going to be our last night together until next year." I try not to feel too sad about that. I never would have imagined I wouldn't be looking forward to the summer holidays, but it's certainly true now that I'm faced with leaving Obscure Academy for two months. Maybe it's just because I've gotten used to living with my friends, and more importantly, by my own rules. When summer hits, I'll be moving back across town and into my parents' house, along with all of their rules.

"Mmm fair. We should lock up and go get something to eat," Danielle says. "I think I owe you dinner, and I could do with some good company."

"I'm glad you think of me like that and not as the annoying little sister I used to be."

"Oh, you're still the annoying little sister when you want to be. But I'm over the time you and your best friend kidnapped my dolls and held them for ransom until I gave you my chocolate stash."

I chuckle. "I totally forgot about that."

"What was his name again?"

"Rupert."

"Oh, yes. But then he stopped coming around. What happened?"

I sigh. "I wish I knew. He was mad at me about something, and our friendship never really recovered. Which is a mild way of putting it, anything we've said to each other since has been kind of hostile."

"Ah, well. Probably best he just remains a friend of the past then."

"Kind of. He's doing ball prep with me," I respond, packing up my books and sticking them in my bag.

"What are the chances?"

"Annoyingly small, apparently." I let out a loud sigh. "He gets under my skin really badly. Whenever I'm away from him, I promise I'm not going to do or say anything to wind him up, but then when he's there, it just..." I wave my hand in front of my mouth.

"Do you like him?"

"I don't really know him," I admit. "We haven't talked much in years."

"Then maybe that's the problem," she points out. "You're holding on from the hurt and pain from years ago instead of getting to know the real Rupert. Maybe if you gave him a chance, you'd see a different side to him."

"And I thought I was the one doing psychology," I mutter.

My sister laughs. "Some things are just easier to see from the outside, you know that."

"All right, I guess you're right on that front. So how do I get to know someone who I'm kind of on the outs with? I don't even know what he got so angry about that ended our friendship."

"Maybe start with that. Can't you ask him?"

"Probably not without making him mad," I admit, putting my bag over my shoulder.

"Why can't you do that?" Danielle asks, gesturing for us to head out of the door. "If you're not friends, you have nothing to lose."

I grimace. "Maybe, but it feels like I'm just going to be dredging up the past for no reason."

"Or for a good reason. Clearly you consider the situation unresolved or you wouldn't be so bothered by it."

"Eurgh, I hate that you got so wise," I mutter.

"It's being a grown-up," she teases. "You'll find out when you graduate."

"Why do you think I plan on doing a Masters and then a PhD?" I ask. "I'm just going to be one of those annoying people who never graduates." The street is surprisingly empty given the time and how busy it's been in the shop today, but that's okay, it should mean that it's easy for us to get a table somewhere.

Danielle snorts. "Except that I know that's your plan because you've been going on about it since you were old enough to start choosing which classes you were going to take."

"I had to make career-limiting choices at thirteen," I point out. "I had to take it seriously."

"Yes, I remember you overtaking Mum's chalkboard with your pros and cons list. Luckily for you, it worked out."

"Or I'll get to the end of it and decide I don't want anything to do with psychology ever again."

"Maybe," Danielle responds. "But what do I know? I run a dress shop."

"Pfft, please. There's loads of psychology used in that. Which dresses look good in the window, what colours do people like the most, how to interact with customers. You've always been a natural at that."

"You're not so bad yourself," she assures me. "How about this one?" She gestures to a noodle bar.

"Yeah, looks good." My stomach rumbles, reminding me that it's been a while since I last ate, and that there are other things for me to focus on besides studying and life at the academy.

Though Danielle is right about one thing. Well, realistically, about several things. But I am judging Rupert based on the past without understanding anything about what put the rift between us in the first place. So maybe it's time for us to put the past behind us and move on.

Or at least try.