Oli, A Very New Moon

by Carl Derham

  *

  “Who is it?” asked Ed, as the buzzer sounded.

  “It’s me you knob. Let me in, I’ve lost my key.”

  They explained that they’d missed the plane and would have to catch the afternoon flight. Ed, of course was delighted to see Oli, and even more delighted to see Roberta. The chill-out music was playing at a low, early morning volume and the girls were currently tangled together on a Twister mat, whilst Jay spun the needle. As Oli walked through the door, he chuckled at the all-to-familiar sight.

  Oli and Ed’s flat was very sparsely furnished. There was a brown leather sofa that was so old and soft that if you sat in it, it was likely to be your final resting place for the remainder of the day, or until you could be hauled out of it by a rescue party. The rest of the living room was dotted with beanbags that surrounded the central feature of an old wooden cable drum that they’d rescued from a local building site. It was painted black and served as a table. The music was provided by a rack of ancient Technics stack equipment lying on the floor in the corner of the room. The floor area around the stereo looked as though a small explosive device had detonated in Ed’s CD collection. He had bought an MP3 player but, being the Luddite that he was, didn’t realise that he would also need a computer to make it work. In the opposite corner of the room, stood Oli and Ed’s beloved surfboards, Oli’s seven foot two Gun and Ed’s eight foot Mini-Mal. The conversation in the room had deteriorated into after-club nonsense. Oli found himself thinking; ah, sweet, sweet nonsense. He so loved to talk utter rubbish following a night out and he was a master of it. The topic for the morning was the new moon. Was it a rock, a spaceship or a giant turd from a space-dwelling monster that had been caught short and had decided to snap one off next to Earth?

  “No,” interjected Roberta, “it is a two hundred and fifty five kilometre wide asteroid comprising mainly rock, with twenty one percent iron and traces of Nickel. Fairly unremarkable as asteroids go.”

  There was an uncomfortable silence as everyone digested this commendable piece of drivel. Oli grimaced at Roberta, waiting for the onslaught of impossible questions. Then after a few seconds Ed reiterated his feelings and everyone laughed.

  “I need to talk to you Oli,” said Roberta, raising herself to her feet without the use of her arms.

  Oli gestured to the kitchen and they left the room. Sara sniggered, giving a little wink across the room to Julie. Ed looked on jealously and Jason shook his head, his mouth open in disbelief.