We ended the all-day-long-call and I whipped my head round to face my sister.

"Joe, what is it...?" Netty asked, slightly warily.

"Nothing, nothing. Anyway, they seem very nice, don't they?" I replied innocently, with a nearly-ridiculous-but-not-quite-there-yet grin on my face.

"Yeah, they're really sweet and funny."

"Especially Tom."

"Yes, he was so cute and adorable!" As soon as what she said sunk in, she slapped her hand across her face, which was transforming into a purpley-red sphere.

"HA! HA! I knew you liked him! HA!"

"Joe, I do not!" She said pleadingly.

I replied in a sarcastic, sly tone, "Yeah, yeah, I know. It's just one of those things, isn't it? When you call a guy sweet, funny, cute and adorable, it's not because you like them, and that's what everyone assumes, isn't it?"

The look I got could have curdled milk.

"I don't like him, OK?"

"Agree to disagree."

"Fuck of, Joe."

"But this is my room, dear Annette, you should be the one leaving because of your offensive language!"

Netty scowled at me, then got up and slunk out of my room.

The best type of food you could have on the last day of the summer was Chinese food. I love it. A lot.

My favourite is definitely sweat and sour chicken with rice. I don't really like thinks with lots of flavours all mixed together, like curry and pies.

But sweet and sour, yum.

Netty was having beef curry. The steaming substance smelled horrific to me, but she loved, and I didn't want to argue with her. Well actually, that was a lie, I loved to wind her up and argue with her.

"I don't know how you eat that, it's revolting!" I teased.

"No it's not, beef curry is really really nice!" Netty said defensively.

"Ok, ok, no need to bite my head off!"

"I'm not Joe!"

"Yes you are! You're snapping at me!"

"I'm not snapping at you!"

"You're being so immature and childish Annette, grow up!" I tried to keep a straight face, but failed heroically. I burst out laughing. Netty'so face went from determination to shock to mischievousness.

"I hate you Joseph!"

"I love you too Annette."

She sprung to her feet and chased me round the table, giggling despite herself.

"I really hate you!"

"So you've said!"

I felt I hand land on my shoulder, then something crash into my back. Netty collapsed on the floor in fits of giggles. She rolled around for a few minutes, so I went back to my food as if nothing had happened.

Then a phone started to ring. The purple and white one on the table flashed and vibrated. I leaned over and saw "Kat" appear on the screen. Oh no. Kat was one of Netty's friends, but she hated me. I don't know why. She was funny, creative, sarcastic, witty and just generally likeable. She was quite pretty, with long blonde hair and glittering emerald eyes.

Netty was lucky, see, because she had loads of friends and was one of the "popular"ones. Lucky little shit.

I pretended no one was calling, but having redeemed herself, Netty reached up and grabbed her phone off the table, answering it as she did.

"Hey Kat, how ya doing?"

I listened to the conversation, well as much of it as I could because I could only hear my sister.

"Good, good, same!"

Her voice usually goes a bit higher when she speaks on the phone.

"Are you free?"

Oh shit, I don't like where this is going.

"Seeing as it's early, do you, want to come round?"

I thought this day was going well.

"Yeah great idea! Remember to bring clothes for tomorrow, Ok?"

I was very wrong.

"K, see you in 30?"

Yay! She'll be here in 30 minutes!

"K see you then! Bye!"

I heard a beep, beep, beep. "I take back what is said earlier, I hate you."

"Joe don't be like that! Don't be all snappy and rude like you always are around Kat, she's so sweet!"

"Of course, sorry, I'm the one who's rude, my most sincere apologies Annette." And with that, I got up and walked, not lightly, to my room, and collapsed in my pit.

I grabbed my phone out of my pocket, and found a number of texts, such as,

Hey Joe it's Rosie :) or

Hey it's squid! And

Sup Joe it's Lee ;)

I added them all to a group chat, and started texting them. (Right this will be confusing! Joe=🐱, David=🐙, Tom=🍪, Beth=🐥, Lee=🐻, Nicole=🕷, Amy=🌹, Ash=🧀, Salem=🕊, Rosie=🐧, Finn=👑. Is that everyone? I hope so!)

🐱 hey everyone ;)

🧀 hi

🕷 wud guys?

🐧 just had a snack it's only 3:30 herehere

👑 same

🍪 it's 7:30 here

🐱 my sisters bitchy friend is coming over soon, she hates me!

🐙 haha

🌹don't be mean David!

🐻 yeah David

🕊 yeah David

🕷 yeah David

🐧 don't start that again!

🧀 mieh

🐱 we had a Chinese for dinner it was yum!

🐙 we wanted to get one but our parents got 🍕🍝🍕🍝 instead

🕊 r u complaining!?!?

🐙 oh god no!

🐻 has anyone else every thought about how much 🍑 Looks like a butt?

🍪 I can't say that I have Lee!

👑 nope neither!

🕷 maybe...

🌹 really? it looks like a lovely love heart to me!

🕊 of course it does Amy

🌹 loves it!

🧀 I haven't had dinner yet

🧀 I'm starving

🐧 could we Skype again?

🕷 yes yes yes!

🌹 loves it yes!

I got up and grabbed my laptop from its spot on my cluttered desk, and plonked myself down again on my bed. As I opened up Skype, a thought flashed through my head.

Will Beth be there? She wasn't texting in the group chat. I definetely added her. Oh well.

I joined the new Skype call, and started to laugh. Everyone but David joined in. He just sat and started to blush.

"You've got a bit of... Of... " Lee obviously couldn't handle the thought of speaking, and started crying because of how much he was laughing.

Finn took over, "On your chin... David, spaghetti."

"Oh... Um..." David rubbed his chin, embarrassed.

We talked about random things, like if England or America were "better places to live", who we thought would win the Rugby World Cup then somehow they got me to tell then some Russian. I learned Russian when I was at school for some reason, and it has stuck in my head.

Then I heard some squeals and giggles coming from the living room.

"Shit Kat is here."

"She's Netty's friend right? The one who hates you?"

"They all hate me Ash. And yes it is. Oh boy!" The end was overly enthusiastic and sarcastic, and made them laugh.

"Do you need to go or can you stay for a bit longer?" Nicole asked. Wow. People actually want to be with me. Wow.

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