When You Know

47. Moving on

'Is Megan alright?' Harry asked once he'd dropped himself in Cal's car. He tried to phrase it like it was just a passing question, giving Cal an out if he needed it.

'She's...' he trailed off. 'She's worrying. She's starting this big project and some parts of it aren't going well at the moment.'

'Right,' Harry nodded. 'What project?'

Cal glanced over, then back at the road. 'If I tell you, you've gotta keep it to yourself, yeah?'

'Who am I going to tell?'

'I mean it,' he half-laughed. 'If she finds out anyone else knows, she'll kill you, then me,' he pointed. 'She started this thing a few months back, she's planning on pairing big bands with smaller bands or something and putting on live shows. I know she's got the venue sorted, and she's got a lot of other small stuff done. Plus, with Murphy back, she's got somebody that can help once the shows actually start.'

'That sounds pretty good,' Harry stared out of the window. They were passing through some housing estate he barely recognised. Each one of them stood three stories tall with a huge front garden and walls that segregated each one from the rest. There was an overwhelming palate of green and grey, the colours blending into one another as they drove and Cal mulled over what he'd say next.

'It is, she's put a lot of work into it,' he hesitated. 'But none of the big bands are agreeing at the moment, and if they don't then the whole thing isn't going ahead.'

'Right,' Harry nodded again. 'Has she spoke to JJ?'

'She doesn't want to,' he added. 'Won't even let me help most of the time. Not a fucking word, though.'

'Promise,' Harry held his hands up. In his pocket, his phone buzzed.

EMERGENCIES ONLY

13:06

She's fine, just stressed

Enjoy golf!

You too

Shit

Top 10 Wroetoshaw Stupidest Moments

All of Megan's efforts, stress and the few tears she cried into Murphy's chest had been worth it in the end. None of the bands she had originally reached out to had replied, but at Cal's suggestion she'd made a TikTok on the matter and now she was inundated with people wanting to help her project come to fruition.

Harry hadn't really kept up with what was going on, and he was banned from asking about it anyway, he just was invited along to the celebration drinks as soon as Megan had announced them in a group chat she'd made. Just a few drinks in a pub, nothing "fancy" as Megan coined it, yet she still showed up in a dress that was fit for the club. It was her celebration after all. He ended up getting an unplanned seat next to Murphy, who spent the first half an hour helping Megan share their plans for heading to Manchester in a month before Megan got so wrapped up in details that she had no choice but to check out. When that happened, she turned to Harry.

Neither of them said anything of note, but it felt nice just to be able to talk. He spoke passively about his next holiday plans and she nodded with a genuine, uninvested interest. He learnt that she was still looking for her own place.

'I just feel sorry for Cal,' she shrugged, turning her body to face him properly. 'He got rid of one flat mate just to earn another.'

'I'm sure he doesn't mind,' Harry tried. As the conversations carried on, he'd steal a glance every now and again, one time realising that the phone she was using to check the time wasn't her old one.