"What the hell is going on with you Lilly?" Sheridan demanded. "We haven't seen you in ages!"

"Yeah," Tanya chimed in, "what's the deal?"

"I've just been busy." I shrugged, wishing now that I hadn't come.

Tanya and Sheridan had turned up at my house only seconds after Laura drove away, so at least I didn't have to explain her presence to them. Anne however had taken it into her hands to make jokes about us which, thankfully, neither picked up on.

"Come on, we all know that's a lie, there's nothing for you to be busy with." I drew in a deep breath and prepared myself to tell them.

"I've been... seeing someone."

"He's not another Antony is he?" Tanya asked, referring to my ex who was now one of my friends.

"No." I said my hands shaking. "He's... not exactly a... he."

There was a silence during which I turned bright red and they both gaped at me.

"So you're, uh, seeing a... girl?" Sheridan spluttered.

"Yes."

"Does that make you gay?" Tanya asked and I nodded. "So do we know her?"

I hadn't thought I could get any redder but was swiftly proven wrong.

"Oh this should be good." Sheridan laughed, "who is it?"

"It's... oh god, I don't want to tell you!"

"Come on!" Tanya urged, "how bad can it be?"

"Well, uh, she's... Miss Hart." I blurted and promptly covered my face.

"Seriously!" Tanya half shouted and I shushed her. "Sorry." She muttered, staring at her hands.

"How did that happen?" Sheridan asked and I shrugged.

"Not sure." I said, "we just got talking and when she dropped me off after that end of the year party mum forced her to leave her number."

"Your mum knows?" Tanya asked, looking surprised.

"No."

"When are you going to tell her?"

"I don't know, there's a lot going on right now." I sighed and Tanya frowned.

"Like what?"

"Anne got pregnant but-"

"That's great Lilly!" Sheridan said, everyone knew how much Anne had wanted a baby.

"No, it's not... she-" I ran a hand over my forehead, the beginnings of a headache gnawing at my skull. "She lost it."

"What- how?" Tanya asked.

"How do you think? She miscarried."

"Oh god."

"That's awful." They chorused.

We sat in silence for a minute, me studying the cup which had held my hot chocolate. It had a small chip on the handle and I touched it gently.

"How is she?" Tanya eventually asked.

"She's not great. She's snapping at everyone, but we have to put up with it, you know? It's just so hard sometimes when- when she blows up at you."

"I can imagine, god." Tanya breathed.

"I still can't quite believe it happened." I admitted and Sheridan rubbed my arm.

"I know babe, it must be so hard."

"Not as hard as it is for Anne."

"Yeah." Sheridan mumbled. "Can we see her?"

"I don't know, she's not in the best of moods just now."

"Of course not but I'd still like to see her."

"Yeah, so would I." Tanya added. I was a bit surprised but agreed anyway.

We paid and got into Sheridan's car.

"So how far have you got?" Tanya twisted round in her seat to ask me.

"What?"

"With Miss Hart. How far have you got?"

"Tanya!" Sheridan squealed, "you can't ask that!"

"Why not?" Tanya asked. "If it was a guy we would've had all the details by now, what's the difference?"

"The fact that she was your teacher!" Sheridan replied.

"Whatever." Tanya dismissed her with a wave of her hand then turned to me with huge eyes. "So?"

"We've not done anything." I said then, after a moments hesitation added. "Yet."

"So you want to do something?" Sheridan asked.

"Well, yeah, of course I do." I said, turning red.

"Have you made a move?" Tanya asked.

"No!" I exclaimed.

"Has she?"

"Uh..."

"She has, hasn't she?" Tanya demanded.

"Yes but we kind of got... interrupted."

"And has she tried again?"

"The first time she stop-"

"The first time?" Sheridan shrieked.

"She tried twice." I admitted.

"When did all this happen?"

"Uh, yesterday." I said and Sheridan started to laugh. "What?"

"Poor woman!" Tanya said, "did you, you know, let her know that you... wanted it?" I thought I had but now that I thought back over the day before I realized that I hadn't.

"Not really." I admitted.

"When are you next seeing her?" Sheridan asked as we pulled up outside my house.

"I don't know." I said as we began to walk up the path to my front door.

"The next time you see her you need to make a move." Tanya said.

"What? Why?" I demanded.

"Because if you don't she'll think you're not interested." Tanya said.

"Trust me she doesn't think I'm not interested." I muttered under my breath as we stepped through the door.

"What did you say?" Tanya asked.

"Nothing." I said and led them through into the sitting room. My mum was in there, with Tara who was sitting next to Laura, holding her hand.

"Hi honey." Mum said and I replied absentmindedly.

"Hi. What are you doing here?" I asked and Laura looked up at me. Even though she smiled I could see the tear tracks on her cheeks. "Are you okay?" I asked, running over to her.

She shook her head and pulled me into a hug.

"What's wrong?" I whispered and her reply made my whole body fizz with anger.

"Caitlin."