Free Never Forget (Memories) by Emma Hart Page A

party.
    ''Six days, and we can party properly,'' she says, pulling clothes from her wardrobe.
    ''Oh yes. Where are we going?'' I flick through the music channels absently.
    ''Barnstaple. It's easy enough to get a taxi back.'' She shakes her head at one dress and hangs it back up. Guess she's going for the red dress then.
    Cobra Starship start singing from the TV and I sigh.
    ''I make them good girls go bad!'' Jen sings loudly and twirls dramatically across her room.
    I laugh and she pulls me up with her.
    ''You heard that I was trouble but you couldn't resist,'' I wink at her.
    ''Good girls go bad.'' She moves her head side to side.
    ''Boy you're dangerous, yeah you're that guy I'd be stupid to trust, but just one night couldn't be so wrong..''
    ''You make me wanna lose control!'' We both sing at the same time.
    I sigh happily and pull my make-up from the side.
    ''I think that's your problem,'' Jen brushes her hair, still dancing.
    ''What's my problem?''
    ''Alec is the guy you'd be stupid to trust, right? But you're totally losing control where he's concerned, and that's why you're keeping him at arms length.'' Oh, Jen, if only you knew. ''But one night couldn't be that bad...''
    ''I'm not having a one-nighter, Jen.''
    ''You don't want a summer romance, so just one night with him wouldn't be bad.. I mean..''
    ''I'm a virgin!'' I interrupt her.
    ''Well fuck a duck, I wasn't expecting that.'' She stops twirling and looks at me. ''Are you actually?''
    ''Yes.'' I go back to my make-up.
    ''Okay, veto the one night idea. Hmm.'' She gets a thoughtful expression. ''A date?''
    ''No.''
    ''Vetoed. Okay. Just let things run its course?''
    ''I don't think I have much choice on that,'' I sigh.
    She tilts her head to the side. ''I knew you liked him.''
    ''I..'' I begin to protest and stop. ''A little.''
    ''I knew ittt!'' she sings. ''I absolutely knew it, absolutely..''
    ''Can we just get ready?'' I interrupt her again. Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if she has batteries or something. She's always on the go.
    ''Good thinkin' catwoman.''

    ~

    There's only so much I can take of my brother. Sometimes, I can tolerate him. Sometimes, I want to whack him over the head with the nearest heavy object.
    Tonight is a heavy object night.
    He's taken the role of my protector. Unnecessarily.
    ''Bing, really, you don't need to stick to my side like glue. I promise I won't run off. I even promise with a cherry on top,'' I say sarcastically.
    ''You're my baby sister, you're in a strange place where you hardly know anyone. Of course I'm going to protect you,'' Bing replies, leaning against a rock.
    ''I'm hardly a baby anymore,'' I huff.
    ''Lex, I'm always gonna protect you, you get me? No one will touch you while I'm around.''
    ''No one touches me anyway!''
    ''Except lover boy.''
    ''Gram's been recruiting you to her side, hasn't she?''
    ''Dunno what you mean, sis.'' He grins cheekily at me and I shake my head.
    ''Is that buffoon still here?'' Jen groans and passes me a drink. Bing frowns at me.
    ''It's come from Alec's car,'' I grind out.
    ''I opened it.'' Jen smiles sweetly.
    Bing grunts and folds his arms across his chest.
    ''You're such a fucking toddler,'' I snap at him. ''Do me a favour and go and entertain Bianca.''
    ''Who's Bianca?'' He perks up.
    ''She's making moves on her man.'' Jen waggles her eyebrows. I roll my eyes. There's no use correcting her - she'll just tell me I'm in denial. Again.
    ''Where is she?''
    Jen skirts around me and links her arm through Bing's. She points her out in the crowd - her bleach blonde bob isn't exactly hard to miss - and I see him nod appreciatively.
    Honestly, if it has boobs, a pair of legs and a pulse, Bing will be straight onto it.
    Figuratively and literally.
    He nods again and starts moving in Bianca's direction.
    ''How?'' I look at Jen in amazement.
    ''I told him she'd been eyeing him up all night and she's up for anything.'' She sips her drink and the emphasis on 'anything' makes me choke on my