One Hundred Names (Special Edition)

the same time. Finally Kitty found herself embracing Steve.
    Their eyes locked.
    ‘Yes,’ she said.
    ‘Yes, what?’
    ‘Yes I’ll be your girlfriend,’ she said softly.
    ‘Oh,’ he frowned. ‘I don’t want to any more. That was so twenty minutes ago.’
    She slapped him playfully and he pulled her close. And finally, they kissed.
    The cheers increased again, and while Kitty imagined they were for her and Steve, behind them Achar and Jedrek were hoisted up onto Archie and Sam’s now very wet shoulders and were being paraded around.
    ‘We’d really better get a move on,’ Molly said, looking at her watch, worried. ‘I have to get this bus back this evening.’
    ‘Don’t worry, we’ve plenty of time, we can do it,’ Edward said, placing a hand protectively on Molly’s shoulder, and she softened and smiled.
    ‘Thanks.’
    ‘We’d better make it.’ Kitty looked at Steve, worried. ‘I have a presentation at the office at six.’
    ‘Can you delay it?’
    ‘I’ve delayed it a week already. I’m supposed to make a presentation about Constance’s story,’ Kitty said, sweat breaking out all over her body at the thought.
    They were waiting for George and Eva to finish their private conversation, everyone was on the bus celebrating Jedrek and Achar’s record attempt, and nobody but Molly and Kitty were starting to get nervous.
    ‘You really know how to leave things last minute, don’t you?’ Steve smiled. ‘So, do you know what it’s about yet? The thing that links them all? Because personally I’ve had a hard time trying to put it all together.’ He looked at the gang around him from all walks of life.
    Kitty nodded, proudly. ‘I sure do.’
    ‘Well then, you’ve nothing to worry about,’ he said encouragingly.
    ‘Apart from our driver,’ she said, her voice low.
    When Eva finally joined them on the bus, her face was white as though she’d seen a ghost. It didn’t go unnoticed by the others but they gave her time to herself as she sat by the window alone in a row.
    Shortly after they’d set off Kitty left Steve’s side and went over to Eva. ‘Mind if I join you?’
    ‘Sure.’ Eva gave her a quick smile, but one that didn’t reach her eyes.
    ‘Congratulations, you should be really proud about how today went. The gift for Seamus was so beautiful, you even managed to touch an old cynic like me,’ Kitty joked.
    ‘Hmm? Oh, yes, that was great. A success,’ she smiled.
    ‘Are you okay?’
    ‘Me? Yes, of course, why?’ She gave that big pretty smile that did manage to reach her eyes but which Kitty was no longer believing.
    ‘Because you look like you’ve seen a ghost and you seem … down. Did something happen with George?’
    ‘You’re ever the romantic, aren’t you?’ Eva smiled. ‘Archie and Regina, Ambrose and Eugene, Mary-Rose and Sam, Molly and Edward – has this just been one big ploy to get everyone together?’
    Kitty laughed. ‘No, not at all. They all did that by themselves, I assure you, though Sam and Mary-Rose is a work in progress, I think.’ They both looked to the two best friends lost in deep serious conversation. ‘I think you could give them a gift to help move that along.’
    Eva smiled and fingered the bag in her hand. She looked at Kitty and then sighed. ‘God, you’re impossible.’
    Kitty laughed. ‘Good.’
    ‘George gave me a gift.’
    ‘Oh? A gift for the giver – I wouldn’t be brave enough to pull that one off.’
    ‘This trip has been one of the best, you know,’ she said, and Kitty believed her.
    ‘Thank you. What did he give you?’
    ‘A box.’ She opened the bag and retrieved a small Chinese lacquered box. Her eyes filled just looking at it.
    ‘I take it that box means something to you.’
    ‘Yes.’ She wiped her eyes before her tears fell. ‘He remembered me telling him about a gift that I’d received, a gift that meant something to me. And he found quite the imitation.’
    ‘Has anyone ever given you something that’s moved you so much?’
    ‘Not really,’ she said, and the tears fell steadily now. ‘Not since I received the original version.’
    Aha, she was getting somewhere.
    ‘So you weren’t exactly telling the truth about the My Little Pony being the best gift you’d ever received,’ Kitty said gently.
    Eva laughed and shook her head. ‘Sorry. But I think we both knew that.’ She sniffed and looked at her intently. ‘You can’t write all of this, Kitty, because there are other people