Clear boundaries.

I woke to the sound of someone moving around the room and the smell of coffee. For a few seconds, I had no idea where I was. Then I felt the movement of someone settling down beside me and remembered.

Carla had gotten dressed and was sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling her hair back into a loose ponytail. She glanced over her shoulder when she noticed I was awake.

“Morning, sleepyhead.”

I rubbed my eyes and looked at the clock. It was nearly 12.

“Jesus. What time did we get to sleep?”

“Late. Very late.” She grinned. “You were the one who insisted on staying up talking.”

“I thought you were the one who insisted I stay, and it wasn’t all talking.”

“That too.” She leaned over and kissed me briefly on the forehead before standing up. “Coffee?”

“Please.”

While she disappeared into the next room, I sat up and looked around for my clothes. My phone was on the bedside table, and I had a couple of messages waiting. I ignored them for the moment. Whatever was waiting for me at home could wait another five minutes. Carla returned with two mugs and handed one to me before settling beside me again. For a little while, we just drank our coffee and talked about the party, laughing about different little bits and pieces that had seemed so funny at the time.

Eventually, Carla put her mug down. “So,” she said, “we should probably establish a few things.”

I looked at her. “That sounds serious.”

“It isn't. But I don't want any misunderstandings.”

“Okay.”

She turned towards me, tucking one leg beneath herself on the bed. “I like you. I like spending time with you, and last night was fun. I wouldn't mind doing it again.”

I smiled. “I wouldn't either.”

“Good. But I'm not looking for a boyfriend.”

“I didn't think you were.”

“Just making sure.” She nudged my knee with hers. “And I'm not interested in getting involved in some complicated situation with you and Rebecca, or you and Kat, or whoever else you've got going on.”

“There's nothing going on with Rebecca.”

Carla gave me a look that suggested she wasn't entirely convinced. “Fine. Whatever. My point is, I don't want drama. If we do this again, it's because we both want to. No expectations, no promises, and no pretending we're in a relationship.”

“Sounds fair.”

“And one other thing.” Her expression became a little more serious. “You don't tell anyone about us. Not Michael, not your friends, and definitely not Heather.”

“I wouldn't.”

“I mean it. I don't want people at school gossiping about my private life. What happens between us stays between us.”

“Okay. I can do that.”

She studied me for a moment, apparently deciding whether she believed me.

“Then we're good.”

She smiled and leaned over; this time Carla kissed me on the lips.

When she pulled away, she laughed. “See? No strings.”

“Right.”

“Now get dressed. You can't spend the entire day in my bedroom.”

I glanced at the clock again. “I suppose I'd better go home before Heather sends out a search party.”

“Probably wise.”

We got dressed, and Carla walked me to the front door. Before I left, she caught my arm.

“And seriously, don't tell anyone. No bragging, and this can happen again.”

“I won't.”

“Good.” She kissed me once more and then sent me on my way. “Message me sometime.”

I stepped outside feeling surprisingly cheerful. Last night had been exactly what I needed. Carla had been completely upfront about what she wanted, and I respected that. There was no awkward conversation about what we were or where things were going. We both knew the deal.

I headed home, thinking that perhaps my life was finally becoming a little less complicated. If only I could keep it that way.

When I arrived home, it was just Mum and Dad. Heather, and by extension Trish, weren't around. Mum tried pestering me about staying out all night, but I took little notice. Compared to my sister, I was a saint.

I headed to my room to unwind and try to make sense of everything that had happened. It felt like I'd lived a month's worth of experiences in the space of a few days. I flopped back onto my bed and stared at the ceiling. A lot had happened in a very short space of time. And for the moment, at least, I was quite happy to leave it all alone.

I broke out my PlayStation controller and played a few rounds of Call of Duty. Michael and Lyndsay hopped on, and just as Carla had asked, I stayed tight-lipped about what had happened after the party. Michael and I did get to make fun of Lyndsay for his performance last night. He was still feeling queasy, and us making vomiting noises into our mics was helping him.

After that, I got around to checking my messages on my phone.

There were a couple from Rebecca, both sent around 1 am last night.

I frowned at the screen. That was helpful. I considered asking her what she meant, but decided I really couldn't be bothered getting into another conversation with Rebecca today.

There was also a message from Kat. That had come through this morning while I’d been asleep next to Carla.

I smiled. At least that was something. I typed out a quick reply, telling her I was glad she'd had a good time too, then put my phone down.

For the rest of the afternoon, I managed to forget about everything. I played more games, grabbed something to eat, and spent the evening watching television with Mum and Dad. By the time I finally went to bed, I was ready for a decent night's sleep.

I pulled back the covers and reached for my pillow, only to feel something underneath it. A folded piece of paper. I sat up and opened it.

It was good to see you tonight.

T

I read it twice, then looked towards my bedroom door as if Trish might somehow still be standing there.

She'd been in my room. At some point, while I was still at Carla’s and she was here with Heather, she'd slipped the note beneath my pillow.

I picked up my phone. Her message from the other night was still sitting there, unanswered. I opened our conversation and stared at the screen for a moment, trying to think of something that didn't sound stupid. In the end, I just typed what I meant.

I hesitated, then added

For the first time all day, I found myself smiling at my phone, waiting to see if she would reply.