Forget Me Never

think he’s just a little tense; we all are, with the trial results for the new drug coming back any day now. Aiden’s team have worked so hard. If they’ve got it right, this drug’ll have a huge impact.’
    This was the first relevant thing I’d heard all morning. I almost couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Everyone else was so tight-lipped. Lottie was either careless or a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic. ‘New drug?’
    Lottie looked suddenly uncomfortable. ‘It’s nothing.’
    Cherie touched my arm. ‘Come on, back to work,’ she said, then, in an undertone, ‘Lottie’s a terrible gossip; don’t listen to a thing she says. Once she gets talking there’s no escape.’
    ‘Back to work’ turned out to be Cherie dumping four different trade periodicals in front of me and asking me to highlight any articles about research. Not what I wanted to be doing on a hot afternoon. Still, I’d asked for this. I had plenty to think about anyway.

SOPHIE
    I kept checking my phone, hoping for news, but Reece didn’t text. It was so mean – he’d promised! I messed around with my sewing kit, feeling increasingly annoyed.
    ‘Where’s Mr “Alternative to Prozac” today then?’ Julie asked when I went downstairs for a drink.
    I shrugged. Then, because that seemed rude, I said, ‘Reece is doing work experience this week.’
    ‘Smart boy.’ Julie handed me a cup. ‘We could look into something for you, if you were interested. Summer’s not over yet.’
    ‘What would the point be? I don’t even know what I want to do.’
    ‘Who says you need to? Just because Reece might have everything figured out doesn’t mean you have to. Very few people really know what they want to do at sixteen. No need to be so hard on yourself.’
    Julie had got the wrong end of the stick about Reece’s work experience, but somehow the conversation made me feel more positive, and we even spent an hour together online looking up jobs and university courses. It didn’t make me feel any less annoyed with Reece though. By the time I set off to the meeting place we’d agreed – McDonald’s in the retail park ten minutes from Vaughan-Bayard – I was all set to lay into him. If he was trying to build my sense of anticipation or something, it wasn’t funny – or fair. After all, I was the one who’d fixed this up. I’d sent Cherie a Facebook message and she’d given me a ring. We’d chatted a bit about Dani before I’d brought up work experience.
    ‘It’s such a shame she’s gone,’ Cherie had said. ‘There were so many things she wanted to do.’
    This made me feel uncomfortable. Dani had never mentioned ambitions to me. ‘I sometimes think I didn’t know her that well,’ I admitted. ‘Like, if someone asked me what her hobbies were, I’m not sure I could answer.’
    ‘Oh, Dani had loads,’ Cherie said breezily. ‘Shopping, cinema, soaps, dowsing crystals . . .’
    Crikey, I thought. Dowsing crystals? Dani had always been scathing to me about that kind of thing. Evidently I really didn’t know her at all. But then, people could surprise you.
    It was ironic – I’d been hoping there was more to Dani’s death. There had certainly been more to her life than she’d ever let on.
    Reece was late. I was starting to wonder if he’d stood me up. There was only so long I could sit by myself in McDonald’s before it started getting embarrassing.
    ‘Hey,’ he called as he came through the door. ‘With you in a sec. Need fuel.’
    Impatiently I watched him go to the till and pick up a large pack of fries and a Kit Kat McFlurry.
    ‘So much for keeping me up to speed!’ I said as he sat down. ‘I’ve been dying for details! I suppose you were having such a great time I slipped your mind?’
    ‘Gimme a break!’ Reece replied. ‘They took my phone – top-secret research facility. Only got it back when I left.’
    ‘Oh.’ I felt a little silly for getting so worked up – and for convincing myself that Reece would let me down.
    ‘If you’re wondering why I’m late,’ he said, dipping one of the fries in ice cream, then in ketchup, ‘Cherie kept me talking. I was all set to make my getaway, but then she made me a cuppa and started chatting about my supposed interest in pharmacy. Couldn’t really scoot. She asked tricky questions – maybe she was trying to check I wasn’t spying on them for a rival company or something. My brilliant blagging skills got a proper grilling.’
    ‘Sorry,’ I