Somewhere Else

Chapter 22: Everything I've Ever Let Go (i)

"Where are we going tonight?" Zuzi asks, stashing her books into her messenger bag. I watch her papers catch and crinkle, but she makes no move to smooth them out. Once they're all crammed in, she draws the zipper closed and gives the bag a self-satisfied pat.

I look away and catch sight of Frederik's slightly horrified look. He's still staring at Zuzi's bag. I stifle a grin.

"What about coming over to my place for kiwi film night?" Priscilla suggests. There's a hopeful light in her eyes that I cringe at the thought of dousing.

I open my mouth to say something, but Ludo beats me to it. "Are you going to cook?" he asks.

Priscilla grimaces. "We could order something on Wolt," she says hopefully.

"I haven't downloaded the app," Zuzi says. "Is it any good?"

"I've tried it a couple times," Priscilla says. "It's good. I always get my food on time."

I've never ordered any food with Wolt, either, but delivery staff with the big purple food bag are not an unfamiliar sight in the streets. Having seen them around so much, I've always been curious about ordering food through their delivery service.

Priscilla turns to me. "What do you think, Emi?"

"I can't tonight," I say. I try to pull my face into a grimace, but it comes out feeling more like a grin, even to myself. "I have dinner plans tonight. Could we do this another time? I don't want to miss it."

Zuzi makes it a point to look around. "Dinner plans?" she asks. "With who? All your friends are here."

"Hey!" I exclaim, mock affronted.

Even Priscilla is laughing.

"So who are you having dinner with?" Zuzi is like a dog in search of a bone it is sure it has buried – right in this spot. "Did you finally get on Tinder?"

I make a face. "Tinder? No, thanks."

"Who is it, then?"

I don't want to tell her. She's been talking about me and Aksel so much, finding out that we are meeting for dinner would be extra fodder for her.

"Just a friend," I say. "I do have friends outside of this group, you know."

Zuzi frowns.

"Well," says Priscilla, nudging the conversation back on track, "we should do movie night another time, then, when all of us can make it. You're not allowed to miss it, Emi."

"I promise," I say. "I definitely want to be there. I want to see what a kiwi film looks like."

"So," Zuzi says, "where are we going tonight?"

I tune them out as the others start throwing out suggestions, swiping on my phone instead. There's a message from Aksel – I'm here. Just two words, but they're enough to make my heart skip.

I stand up, scraping the chair legs against the floor as it shifts behind me. "I should go," I announce, abruptly cutting into Frederik's flat-out refusal for Thai food.

"Too spicy," he is saying. "And too many soups."

Zuzi breaks off her glare at Frederik to eye me suspiciously, but Priscilla gets up to hugs me goodbye. "Have fun!" she chirps.

"Wait," Zuzi says.

I know she's going to start interrogating me again, so I grab my bag and make a hasty escape. "Have fun at dinner! I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Isn't that suspicious?" I hear Zuzi asking as I let the door close behind me. "Isn't she acting suspicious?"

Breathing out a long sigh, I head for the exit. I'm feeling a sense of urgency – I don't want them to come out and see Aksel standing outside, waiting. That would be too reminiscent of the last time he was here.