Free It Would Be Wrong to Steal My Sister's Boyfriend by Sophie Ranald Page B

the pine needles and whisked a duster around in a half-hearted way, then went out to the corner shop and stocked up on bread, milk and – randomly – a cabbage, because I vaguely felt we should have something healthy in the fridge to make up for all the chocolateI’d eaten over the past couple of days. When I got back I flipped through the channels on the telly, called Ben and left a message for him, called Claire and left a message for her, and then of course I caved in and called Rose. I should have known I would – I have no willpower in these things and absolutely no ability to sustain any kind of cold war. Whenever I’ve had rows with boyfriends and stormed out into the night in a huff, I’m always back knocking on their door apologising within a few minutes. If I have a disagreement with someone at work, I literally have to sit on my hands to stop myself sending conciliatory emails and end up sending them anyway. I’m a complete sucker that way. Peace-loving, I suppose you could say if you were being kind.
    Anyway Rose answered her phone before I even heard it ring, so I suspected she’d been waiting for my call as anxiously as I’d been waiting for the moment when I’d give in and call her.
    “Hey,” she said.
    “Hey,” I said.
    “Are you home?” she asked, and I said yes, I’d got back a couple of hours before.
    Then I said, “Rose, listen…”
    “No, Ellie,” she said. “I’m not going to listen and I’m not going to talk about it. I’m just not, okay?”
    I think I’ve mentioned that Rose is ridiculously stubborn. I didn’t say anything, and thought for a bit. I could try and talk sense into her and convince her that she was being childish, bratty and cruel, but then we’d end up rowing about it and there’d be a fug of tension in the flat that could last for weeks. Or she might decide to stay where she was and not come home and that would be just as bad.
    So I said, “Where are you?”
    “I’m at Vanessa’s,” she said surprisingly. “I’ve been staying here for the last few days – Ollie had stuff on. We’re planning our outfits for New Year’s. Did you see the update on the Facebook page?”
    “No,” I said, rather sullenly if I’m being honest.
    “We’ve decided to make it an eighties theme,” she said. “You’ll need to find a costume – I’m going as Madonna, with a pointy bra and everything, and Ness is going as Tina Turner.”
    “What?” I said, well and truly distracted from my original point. “But I hate fancy dress. You know I do.”
    “Oh come on, Ellie, don’t be a spoil-sport,” Rose said. “It’s going to be brilliant. We’re going to have disco music and lights and retro food and everything. Ness wanted a prawn ring but I said no because we have our standards, but I’m thinking miniature chicken kievs and devilled eggs and stuff.”
    “Cheese and pineapple hedgehog?” In spite of myself, I was entering into the spirit of the thing.
    “Exactly!” said Rose. “See, there’s no need to be so prickly.”
    “As long as you promise the prawn ring idea’s going to be spiked,” I said, starting to giggle. Rose and I love playing this game.
    “Don’t worry, I talked Ness out if it,” Rose said. “She’s quite spineless really.” I could hear the smile in her voice too.
    “Did you have sharp words?” I asked.
    “Nah,” Rose said, “Ness lacks the quillpower.” I could hear Vanessa groan loudly in the background. She just doesn’t get it.
    “Know what I don’t understand about them?” I asked.
    “What?” said Rose.
    “Why they can’t just share the hedge.” I heard Rose dissolve into laughter, and ended the call, feeling much better. I didn’t know what was going to happen with Oliver, or with Dad and Serena, but for now I had my sister back. I sat down at my laptop and started Googling 1980s fashion, and when Rose walked in a couple of hours later I was feeling quite enthusiastic about the idea and had decided to go as