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Finn’s nose wrinkles as he takes his phone back. ‘I dunno, for that one I was thinking of just taking the train to the coast somewhere. I assumed Ava wouldn’t wanna join in with something like that.’
I’m thankful I’ve spent our entire friendship demonstrating a lack of desire to partake in any activity that the average person may constitute as exercise. And yet, a voice that sounds suspiciously like my own says, ‘Have you been to any of the lidos?’
‘The what-nows?’ Finn asks, his arm brushing mine as he moves from his seated position to lie on his stomach next to me.
‘The lidos. You know.’
‘Repeating it doesn’t make me understand it, Ava,’ he replies patiently, eyes zeroing in on the grass graveyard I’m creating at the edge of the blanket.
‘They’re outdoor swimming pools,’ Josie offers. ‘London has a few.’
Finn looks up in surprise. ‘London has outdoor pools?’
‘I believe that’s what Josie just said, yes,’ I reply.
‘Huh.’ He is, as expected, unrattled. ‘Then let’s go.’
‘We can’t “just go”,’ I explain. ‘It’s a whole mission; making sure you’re there before the rush, especially on hot days.’ I’ve never actually been to any of them, but I’ve heard Josie and Alina talk about it.
‘I’ve always wanted to go,’ Julien says, grabbing a crisp from the centre of our picnic shrine.
‘Then let’s do it! Next Saturday, Finn, if you’re free?’ Josie’s buzzing. I, on the other hand, am suddenly regretting bringing the lidos up.
‘I’m free. Julien, are you?’
‘Me too. Ava?’
I grunt in agreement.
‘Brockwell Lido is closer but Tooting is way better,’ Alina says, sifting through our stash to find another can to pass to Josie.
‘Tooting it is, then,’ Finn says with a nod. ‘Toot toot.’
‘Don’t do that,’ I mutter.
We’re all still eating and drinking our way through our stash when I rememberI have something for Finn.
‘There. All corrected.’ I place the stack of his printed presentation and handouts between us on the blanket as the others chat amongst themselves. ‘When I used to help Max with his homework he always found it easiest to read from yellow paper. I know you said you weren’t sure if you were dyslexic too, but I figured I’d try a few colours for you just in case it helps.’
‘You printed all of this for me?’ His eyes are bright as he leans closer to grab the pile.
It’s only when he starts flipping through the thick wad of pages that I realise I may have gone slightly overboard at the printing shop, and embarrassment threatens to take over. ‘It was nothing. We’re one of approximately seven millennial households in the UK that has a printer.’ Josie’s head snaps up from her conversation with Alina and Julien, and she opens her mouth to refute my lie but I scramble to my feet before she can say anything. ‘Does anyone want an ice cream? I’m gonna get us ice cream.’
‘I’ll come,’ Finn says, starting to get up too.
‘I’ll be fine. Ninety-nines for everyone alright? And a Calippo for you, Alina?’ I don’t even wait to hear the replies before I grab my purse and scurry away from the group towards the ice cream van that I know is waiting by the entrance of the park.
As I stride across the grass my eyes are almost closed with how much I have to squint against the brightness.
‘Ava,’ Finn calls, catching me up easily. ‘Can you stop for a sec?’ I slow down and he hands me the sunglasses I left on the blanket, which I reconcile with my face immediately. ‘The pages you printed for me. Even if it was no effort, I really appreciate it.’ He steps forward and lifts my glasses so he can look directly into my eyes for a second. ‘Thank you.’
25
I am, in a word, whipped
F I N N
Somehow, even though theentirety of South London congregates on Clapham Common on sunny days, I didn’t expect to see Ava here. As much as I’d intended to avoid her until Monday, the second I saw her it felt like stepping into the shade on a hot day. Which, incidentally, is exactly what I did. Maybe that wasn’t as poetic as it sounded in my head.
