boys don't cry. [h.s]

five

February

"I'm so sorry!"  

Isabel was scampering into Nell's, a small, cheap greasy spoon on the edge of campus, her hair a damp, flyaway mess and her cheeks pinched red from the cold.   She dropped into a seat next to Rory and pulled her scarf off, smiling apologetically at the girl opposite her.  

"I'm so, so sorry Mel."  

"It's okay," Mel said flatly. "You're only" - she glanced at her watch - "half an hour late."   Isabel groaned. That was bad, even for her standards.

"I'm really so sorry, I honestly didn't – I wouldn't –"

"Stop apologising," Mel interrupted. "That gets annoying."

"Yeah, I've been told." Isabel reached into her pocket and got out a tissue, dabbing her running nose while Mel looked on in disgust. "What did I miss?"

"We were just going through the finances," Rory said with a smile, his glasses slipping down his nose slightly as he did so. "My area of expertise, you didn't miss much."

Isabel fished out her notebook and sat looking at Mel expectantly, pen poised.

"I'll start again for your benefit then, shall I?" Mel sighed at Isabel, her rhetorical question hanging in the air uncomfortably until she eventually continued. "Well, the Film Soc was named over Christmas as the university's fourth largest non-departmental society."

"A change implemented by you," Rory praised, and Mel ignored him.

"We are preceded only by the Ski Soc, the Chocolate Soc and the Rowing Soc. And for this reason, it's time to Step Things Up."

Mel often spoke as if she was capitalising words. It was a thing that took some time getting used to.

"It's February now, and I know you two are surprised I called another meeting seeing as we already arranged the film schedule for this term. But I really want us to find a way to make our society The Best. So, how do we Step Things Up?" She peered at the pair of them opposite her, speaking as if she was addressing a large crowd and not two people jammed into the corner of a sub-par café. "Well, I have a lot of – Issy, are you writing this down?"

"Yes, sorry, I'm –"

"I have a lot of ideas. I also have a lot of work, and I can't do this alone."

Mel was a third year politics student with an ambition to work for the EU and a side interest in film, mostly those involving either of the Phoenix brothers.

"What I'm asking" – she paused dramatically – "is whether you are both fully committed to this society?"

She seemed to aim this directly towards Isabel, so much so that Rory didn't bother to answer but instead turned to face Isabel curiously.

"I, um –" Isabel blushed. "I mean, yes of course I am, I love being secretary –"

"You love being secretary?" Mel scoffed. "Are you not gonna stand in the leadership election in June to take over from me next year?"

"I mean, I could. I might, I just..." Isabel was unsure how to proceed. "I never really thought about it."

 "Yeah," Mel nodded, narrowing her eyes. "Oh, I know you, Isabel. You love film and you enjoy coming along on Thursday nights and helping out. You like taking notes for me every now and then, like having the title secretary, sure. Not headed for big things, though, that's not your style."

Isabel was completely taken aback. She sniffed, her nose still running, and blinked at Mel blankly. "Well I –"

"Don't worry," Mel said with a wave of her hand. "Rory here would make a good leader anyway."