About a Girl by Joanne Horniman Read Free Book Online

of cat food into the bowl and left it outside on the wall. Something came and ate it.
    My mother rang to remind me that she and Molly were driving up the following weekend. Towards the day of their arrival, I stirred myself. I cleaned every surface in the flat and laid in a stock of food. I went to a chain store and bought a pile of cheap, cheerful cushions and threw them onto the old sofa so that they appeared charmingly disarrayed. On Saturday afternoon after work, the day they were due to arrive, I brought home a big bunch of lilies, a cake from the bakery and a sketchbook and crayons for my little sister. I sat on the sofa with a cushion hugged to my chest, waiting.

Chapter Nine
    T HE CAR CREPT into the driveway without me noticing. And they were suddenly there, standing at the door like people I’d dreamed about and forgotten. The hereness of them was a shock for me, because I had been so tied up with thoughts of Flynn.
    Here was Molly’s pale little face; here my sister’s arms round my neck. Here my mother holding me close as if she did not want to let me go. She said,‘Hey, you’re not crying, are you? Oh – come here, you silly girl …’
    Their things dumped in the middle of the floor. My mother’s exclamations at the view. Molly bouncing on the sofa. The whole flurry of arrival.
    â€˜I should get a teapot,’ I said, half to myself, as I dangled teabags in two cups. I should get a teapot and call it a crazy name.
    Flynn was everywhere and nowhere. She had sat on that chair, the one my mother now pulled out and was sitting in with her chin propped on her hand, her elbow on the table. Flynn had sat on that sofa where Molly sprawled, her face suffused in smiles …
    â€˜It’s so funny, Annie, seeing you here in your own place.’
    I think I flashed a wary smile.
    â€˜And are you okay? I mean, really?’
    â€˜Yes,’ I said. ‘I am.’
    â€˜And you’ve made friends?’
    â€˜Well, not really …’
    â€˜But someone arrived that time I called …’
    I shrugged. ‘More of an acquaintance, really.’ I wondered exactly what Flynn and I were to each other. If she decided she didn’t want to be with me, I didn’t see how we could ever be just friends.
    At least I wouldn’t have to explain her to my mother.
    The cat came in through the open door. Molly jumped up and cried out, ‘A kitty! Anna, there’s a lovely little kitty!’ Just as if it lived there, the cat rolled over to have its belly scratched.
    â€˜Oh! Do you have a cat?’ My mother put down her cup and craned her neck to see.
    â€˜No. It’s a stray … at least …’ I didn’t want to explain the on again-off again nature of my relationship with the cat, and edged it with my foot towards the door.
    â€˜Don’t make it leave, Anna! I love it! And it loves me!’ Molly seized the cat and dragged it up off the floor so that it dangled in her arms.
    So I relented and let it stay. Molly put it down and it rushed at once to the place where its bowl had been and looked expectantly up at me, purring. So I went to the cupboard and opened the tin of cat food I’d bought while I was stocking up on everything else.
    While the cat ate, I went to Molly, and took her face between my hands. It was such a pretty face, but her eyes were almost expressionless. ‘Molly,’ I said. ‘Did you have a good trip?’
    She nodded.
    â€˜We stayed in a motel last night, didn’t we?’ said my mother. ‘That was fun! Wasn’t it, Molly? Tell Anna about breakfast.’
    Molly looked blank, then remembered. ‘On a tray!’
    â€˜Yes. Little packets of cereal … what did you have, Molly?’
    â€˜Cornflakes.’ She allowed her head to loll to the side. I stroked the side of her face. I could hardly see the scars now, on her forehead and chin. They were just fine lines on the clear skin.