She settled for a standing position in the middle of the bus, her back resting on the accordion-like rubber. At the next stop, two men got on with a dog, a pit-bull dog. Saliva fell out of its mouth and most passengers stepped back to let the gang through. A few even left the bus and others lifted their Sunday newspaper further up in front of them. The animal crouched at Katie’s feet and she spent the slow journey fearing she would stumble on its paws and anger it.

A wet patch formed on one of her shoes as the dog dribbled. The two men took no notice and ignored her when she politely asked them to move their dog so she could get off the bus. To her relief, it didn’t react when she extracted her feet from underneath it. Once on the pavement, she watched as the door closed between her and the animal and a man who had come out through the front exit nodded at her with a smile.

***

“What’s on your shoe darling?” Katie’s mum, Linda, asked.

Katie shoved her hands into the pockets of Linda’s cardigan from which she retrieved a pack of chewing-gum. She popped one into her mouth and returned the others to Linda.

“Don’t get me started on that. There was a pit-bull on the bus and the fucking dog dribbled on my shoe.”

“What? That’s awful. I would have complained.”

“You didn’t see the guys mum, not the types you wanna mess about with.”

“Take your shoe off, I’ll clean this mess.”

Matt and Charlene arrived as Linda was pulling the roast chicken out of the oven and Katie was carrying a loaf of bread to the dining room. They settled in the back corner of the kitchen and Charlene carted a pile of dusty magazines off a chair which hadn’t been used since Christmas.

“Oh, someone stayed up late last night, didn’t she?” Linda asked.

“Yes,” Charlene said.

“Were you DJing?” Katie asked.

“Not DJing, I was MCing at a new club night.”

Jim, Linda’s husband, and Peter joined them. Peter helped himself to a spoonful of gravy.

“MC? Like MC Hammer?” Jim asked.

Charlene laughed. “It means master of ceremony. It’s like being a host for a club, you entertain the audience between the DJs.”

“Oh, you were singing?”

Peter blew on his gravy to cool it down and a splash caught Charlene’s hair. Matt wiped it off with a tissue.

“No, no, just talking and stuff. I got the audience to play a beat, it was awesome.”

“She was great,” Matt said. He looked at Peter and shrugged.

“I thought you didn’t go, “ Peter said.

“I did but I left at midnight. I had a night shift the night before so I was well out of it.”

“That’s the official story. In fact, he watched the match in the afternoon and was drunk before we even got there,“ Charlene said. “What a supportive boyfriend, I’m telling you!”

“It’s not fair. I hardly ever watch the game because you always drag me out shopping. You cannot say I’m not supportive, can you?”

“It’s true, I was only teasing.” Charlene kissed Matt on the nose and they giggled.

The meal went by as it often did. Matt, Katie and Linda discussed cooking, Charlene and Jim the news and their favourite TV programs of the week and Peter remained silent and left the table after ten minutes. They exchanged pleasantries except when it came to football, from which Katie, the only neutral person at the table, stirred the conversation away. Linda finished up the broccoli, Matt accepted seconds and Katie raved about the parsnips. Afterwards, they lingered around the table while Linda and Jim tackled the washing up in the kitchen.

“Are you just back from your holidays? How was it?” Charlene asked Katie.

Katie glanced sideways at Matt, who held her stare and smiled while tipping his chin to the right then back to its central position in a swift movement.

“The usual, you know. Sunshine, nice food, hanging out with Sarah and her friends. Are you off anywhere this year?”

“We were hoping to go see my parents in Chicago but now, it seems like we can’t make it. Matt, do you want to tell her yourself?”

“Sure.” Matt leant forward. “I’ve been accepted for the course to train as a special needs nurse. I‘m starting on Tuesday.”

“Have you? Great news. Does it mean you can‘t go on holidays then?”

“Yes, but I don’t mind. Besides, Charlene has got a regular gig now.”

“I didn’t realise, I thought last night was an one off.”

“It was,” Charlene said.

“But she was so good that they offered her a contract.”

“Come around, I’ll put you on the guest list.”

Linda and Jim collected a few dishes from the table.

“Did you know that, mum? Matt has been accepted on the course.”

“I know. Isn’t it wonderful?” She turned to her husband. “Have you still got that bottle of bubbly?”

“Yes, unless you’ve drunk it behind my back.” Jim winked at Linda.

“I would not!”

He turned to Matt. “No, she wouldn’t. She only steals my whisky. If it’s not Glenfiddish, she won’t drink it. Your old lady has taste, you know.”

“I never drank that.”

“All I know is it was there then it wasn’t. Who else could have drunk it?”

“You’re forgetting the most likely offender.”

“Who?”

Katie shifted in her seat and cracked her knuckles.

“The lazy boy you call your son. Where is he by the way?”

“Napping,” Jim said.

“And snoring like a bear,” Matt said.

“So, does anyone fancy sparkling wine then?” Linda asked.

“It would be silly to refuse,“ Charlene said.

Katie covered with her hand the empty glass in front of her so her mother moved on to the next. No one else noticed as they chatted about the merits of adult learning and professional development.

“Your education system is so good,” Charlene said. “Back at home, you need loaded parents or you have huge debts. It’s an all or nothing deal. If you’re not bright enough to get a scholarship, they don’t educate you at all.”

“It’s shocking. I mean, surely, the future of a country depends on education,” Matt said.

“You’d think so.” Charlene picked up the bottle and turned to Katie “Want a refill?”

“No, thanks, I’ve got a bit of a cold.”

“Come on, it’s a special day. Drink to Matt’s success.”

Between Charlene’s big brown eyes and Matt’s small blue eyes, Katie received too many signals. One did not understand why she would not join in the celebrations and the other dared her not to. She ignored them both and followed her instincts. By the end of the afternoon, she had drunk the same amount of alcohol as the others. Two glasses of bubbly, one glass of white wine and one Irish coffee.

Before going to bed that night, Katie cried then wrote down contact Dr Hays-Smith on the Monday page of her diary.

***

A couple walked past her and she waited until they disappeared around the corner. The hostel did have all the amenities it boasted about on its website but none of them met Aurélie’s standards. The fridge hadn’t been defrosted for at least a year and stank, the internet connection belonged to the dial-up era, the lockers needed repairing and the phone in the hall offered no privacy. The previous night, a Polish man had slumped to the floor and cried and kicked his head with the receiver. Aurélie had averted her eyes but other residents had laughed and joked.

She leant on the wall, tapping her right foot against the cardboard box that had been left there.

“Katie’s phone, Mel speaking. Who’s there?”

“Ah, hello. May I speak to Katie please?”

“She’s not here right now, can I take a message?”

“Please tell her it’s Aurélie.”

“Amélie?”

“O - Ray - Lee.”

“How do you spell it?”

“A-U-R–”

“Oh fuck, this pen doesn’t work. Hang on.”

“That’s A-U–”

“Never mind, I’ll write it how it sounds.”

“Please tell her that I got offered both jobs and-”

“Both jobs? I’m sure she’ll be chuffed to hear the news. Great, that’s what she needs, a loaded friend.”

“Pardon?”

“Never mind.”

Mel hung up before Aurélie could add that she’d like to meet Katie for dinner. Was this woman Katie’s girlfriend? She didn’t sound nice enough. Maybe her flatmate. Did Katie live on her own? Aurélie couldn’t remember, the wine had washed away most of her memories of Katie, except for the warmth where their arms had brushed.

***

Matt woke up as the man sitting next to him rose from his seat. The blue and yellow signs of the shops followed one another in a bid to attract the passer-by’s attention but Matt knew them so well that he didn’t bother reading them anymore. The bus stopped and Matt joined the people standing in front of him as the doors opened. They all walked underneath a railway bridge and past the discount supermarket. Then, the crowd dispersed and spilled onto various side roads.

“There you are. Charlene is waiting for you upstairs,” Linda said.

“Why?”

“Weren’t you expecting her?”

“No. I hope everything is alright.” Matt sat down at the diner table, took his shoes off and pressed his hand along the arch of his right foot. “What are we having for tea?”

“Pea and ham soup, and I got that lovely bread from the Greek bakery in Camberwell.”

“What time?”

“Half an hour. I need to empty the dishwasher first.” Linda left him on his own in the room.

“I’m hungry mum,” Matt shouted.

“Have a slice of bread.”

He went to the kitchen, opened a cupboard, slammed it shut, checked out the fridge and picked up a yogurt. Linda handed him out a spoon and he lifted himself up on the worktop.

“Shouldn’t you call Charlene down?”

“Charlene! I totally forgot she was here.”

“Go and see her, I’ll bring you a cuppa in five minutes.”

He swallowed the food he had just put into his mouth, slid off his position and ran up the steps two at a time. Charlene greeted him at the top of the stairs. She still wore her nurse blouse but she had slipped into her green tracksuit bottoms. She hugged him, spreading her warmth into his body.

“What are you doing here?”

“What do you mean?”

“I didn’t know you were coming.”

“I wanted to surprise you. I thought you’d like to see me after your first day on your course, it must have been tough.”

“I can handle it.” Matt picked at a spot on his neck.

“Of course you can, that’s why they sent you on it.”

“Sorry, I’m tired. I don’t really feel like talking.” He opened his bedroom door and sat on his bed. Charlene snuggled up to him and blew into his ear.

“That’s OK baby, you don’t have to. We can watch TV.”

“I want to sleep.”

“OK. Well, I’ll go help your mom with dinner, shall I?”

“That would be great. What I need right now is silence.” He closed his eyes and massaged his temples.

“I understand you’re tired but a thank you wouldn’t go amiss.”

Matt turned towards Charlene and laid his hand on his pulsing Adam’s apple. “A thank you for what? For invading my space?”

“Is this how you feel when you see me?”

“Yes. You can never leave me alone, can you?”

“Oh yeah? Who insisted on coming to the DJ workshop with me last week?”

“Those guys were chatting you up, I had to be there.” Matt got up.

“No they weren’t.”

“Yes they were. They totally ignored me as well.”

“You’re paranoid man.”

“Be careful-”

“I can look after myself, thank you very much. Don’t forget I grew up in Chicago. This girl can take care of herself.”

Charlene left the room.

“Where are you going?”

“To the loo. Do you mind?”

“Don’t walk away from the argument like that. I’m not finished.” He kicked the wall with his fist.

“There’s nothing left to say. You’re jealous. I think you’ve got no reason to be. Period.”

“If I have no reason to be, then why do you always wear a short skirt when you go there. You don’t go to work like that.”

“Don’t you start telling me what I should wear. It’s my decision.”

Linda walked up the stairs with a tray.

“Will you keep quiet please, I can hear you from the kitchen.”

“That’s it. I’m fed up with you both. Fed up with your constant nagging,” Matt said.

“That’s nonsense,” Linda said.

“You always want me to do this and do that, or to keep your secrets.”

“What secrets?”

“Yours. Charlene’s. Katie’s.”

“I’ve never asked you to keep any secret for me.”

“Oh yeah? And what about the day you broke Peter’s special mug?”

“That was three years ago, everybody knows about it now.”

“I don’t care Mum. When it’s not you, it’s Katie.”

“Tell her if you don’t like what she asks of you. Don’t blame us.”

“I wish I could. But she begged and begged. Made me feel guilty if I told you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“She’s drinking. Katie is drinking again, Mum. There, I‘ve said it.”

Linda dropped the tray. One mug rolled all the way down the stairs and the other one smashed against the all, staining it at the bottom. “Is this true?” Linda asked.

“I’m afraid it is.”

“When? How?”

“A few months I think. I’m not sure, she didn’t tell me all the details.”

Charlene picked up the broken pieces, careful not to hurt herself. They slipped off her hands once and Matt kneeled down to help her. Linda went back to the kitchen.

“Poor Linda,” Charlene said.

“Yes. Poor her.”

“Are we OK?”

“Yes, of course we are. I’m sorry for losing my temper.”

“I’ll call you next time I come here. I hadn’t realised how difficult it was for you to still be living at home.”

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