There was a lot for the two girls to emotionally unpack when they arrived back at Bethany’s. While it had not been Maya’s intention to tell Bethany of the thoughts and feelings she had felt for Tyler at the party, she had found herself doing just that.

"Psst... have you heard about Benny's party? It's going to be next week."

"Yes," Maya giggled quietly. "But obviously I won't be attending.”

Maya was full of nerves after the call with Brittany, the other girl had been so comforting and had just listened without judgement. A silent bastion of strength as Maya bared her soul. When Maya had been finished Bethany had been nothing but supportive and soothing. If their previous conversations in class had been stilted and faltering it was quickly proven that it was purely down to boy that Maya portrayed. With Maya unshackled from her Mason persona they quickly bonded as and began conversing with each other as two teen girls.

Maya sat on the edge of her bed in the quiet of her bedroom. The only light in the room came from the soft glow of a small lamp on the bedside table, its warm yellow circle dancing gently across the walls. Her legs were bare in comfy blue shorts, and her pink top felt too bright against the dimness around her. She held the football jersey delicately in her hands, her fingers tracing the embroidered letters of MASON across the back.

"Hey bro, you headed back to that dress shop tomorrow?” Jessica asked innocently the snicker only audible in her voice if Alex chose to hear it.

Looking up from his phone, Alex decided to ignore it and pretend he had not heard the implied levity levelled at his expense.

"Yeah, Tracy and Lilly want me back to help out again there's still a lot of work to do. I can't believe mum stuck me with this though instead of you. "

“Well, that's easy, she probably knew which one of us would be more interested in hanging around a dress shop.” Jessica quipped smugly.

"Mum I can't possibly do this. " Alex she told her quietly, horror evident in his voice. His mother standing next to him in their little combined kitchen and dinning room, snorted in rye amusement.

Macy stood hovering over her clothes-covered bed presiding over organised chaos like a monarch over her unruly subjects, she was putting forth as much consideration as she could to her potential outfit choices. It was the day after the BBQ and she was considering a blue glittery top her mother had bought her a couple of weeks ago. Even then she had been unable to figure out what it went with now looking at it again she was still at a complete loss. Sighing she set it down on the bed again and pulled out yet more skirts and pants in a vein hope it might work with one of them.