Diary of a Crush: Kiss and Make Up by Sarra Manning Read Free Book Online Page B

asked him, but it wasn’t in a bitchy way, I was just curious.
    ‘It’s too cold to wait outside,’ he murmured, pulling his jumper closer around him. ‘Thought you might need something to warm you up.’ The annoying thing was he didn’t even sound remotely leery.
    ‘Thanks,’ I said. I took a sip of coffee and tried not to pull a face. Dylan makes terrible coffee. He can never get the right ratio of Kenco, hot water and milk.
    ‘Did you get my email?’ he demanded after an awkward pause that seemed to last several millennia.
    I nodded.
    ‘So…’ Dylan prompted.
    I took another sip of coffee, mainly for something to do with my mouth that didn’t involve speaking. ‘It sort of knocked me for six,’ I said eventually. ‘I’m still deciding what I think about it.’
    Dylan got quite agitated then. Started shuffling his feet and moving closer to me, like he was going to touch me. I stepped out of his reach. ‘But did you…?’
    God! What was his problem? ‘I’ll get back to you, Dylan,’ I snapped. Really snapped. Even
I’d
never heard that kind of edge to my voice before. ‘Just leave it, will you?’
    He turned and walked back into Rhythm without saying another word. And slammed the door just for good measure.
    I got Poppy to return the empty mug.
     
7th December
    I’ve been the busiest of little bees. I’ve volunteered to help out at the local hospital’s children’s ward Christmas Party thing. It wasn’t even Mum’s idea. And I’m not doing it because it will look good on my UCAS form. There was a notice up at college and Nat and I decided we should ‘give something back’. And possibly meet some good-looking medical students. Which is just me being glib because actually hanging out with some ill kids who might not even make it through to Christmas puts everything in perspective. And keeps me occupied.
     
12th December
    I’ve spent all day making Christmas decorations with the kids. It was actually very cool. They think I’m, like, a proper adult. One of them asked me if I was thirty. Note to self: Look into anti- ageing creams.
    But it’s also kind of depressing. One of the kids, Asha, is so poorly she just lies in bed and hardly moves. I went and sat with her and made her a little angel to put on her medical chart.
    Nat and I are going to do a collection at college to raise some money to buy them all a Christmas present. I think I’m finally getting a social conscience.
     
14th December
    I bumped into Shona and Dylan in town. On a scale of one to ten of sheer awfulness, it was only about an eleven.
    ‘Hello stranger,’ was Shona’s greeting when I collided with them as I was going into Paperchase and they were coming out.
    ‘Oh, hi,’ I muttered. ‘Um, hey Dylan.’
    ‘Edie,’ he said, shoving his hands into the pocket of his coat. He had a really cool Big Black Records hat on and his face was pink with the cold.
    ‘Where you been hiding?’ Shona asked as we stepped to one side so we weren’t getting in the way.
    I started telling them about helping out at the hospital. God, I talked for England. Then when I got on to the subject of Asha, I began to cry. I just couldn’t help it. ’Cause it’s Christmas and she’s just a little kid and she’s got cancer which sucks beyond the telling of it.
    ‘I’m sorry,’ I spluttered. ‘Just ignore me.’
    ‘Do you want to get a coffee?’ Shona squeezed my hand. ‘We’re just done, aren’t we, Dylan?’
    Dylan nodded. ‘Don’t cry, Edie,’ he murmured, stroking my wet cheeks with the back of his hand, which just made me cry harder. ‘Maybe you should give the hospital a miss today.’
    They were both giving me concerned looks and tilting their heads to the side. I dug in my coat pockets for a slightly grubby tissue and wiped my eyes. ‘No, I have to go. I’m just, y’know, Christmas and PMS and sick children. Not a good combination.’
    ‘Well, I don’t…’ Shona began to say but I gave her a quick hug and