The Friends We Keep

by Jane Green

  “It’s so great to meet you, Mrs. Hallwell,” said Evvie.

  “You can call me Mrs. H.,” she said. “That’s what Maggie’s school friends have always called me.”

  Maggie’s father then seized Evvie by the shoulders and kissed her on each cheek, Maggie’s younger brother Charlie flashing her a big grin as he shook her hand.

  Maggie was beside herself with joy at her parents visiting, meeting her friends and seeing her new life, and Evvie felt a pang. Her own mother hadn’t been there, and didn’t seem all that interested in coming. Evvie knew she loved her, that she was hugely proud of her daughter being in college, but she was just so busy with her own life now.

  Charlie came back in with a large bag, which Mrs. H. took, pulling out two identically wrapped parcels, throwing one to Maggie and the other to Evvie. Inside were soft plaid pajamas, a pair of Swiss slipper socks with leather soles, a huge bag of Liquorice Allsorts, and a small teddy bear.

  “I know the teddy bears are silly,” said Mrs. H. “And you two are far too grown-up for toys, but I couldn’t resist. And, Evvie, I have no idea whether you’ve been brought around to Liquorice Allsorts—personally, I can’t stand them—but I took a chance.”

  “I’m not as addicted as Maggie but I love them. Thank you. And now”—she looked at Maggie—“I can finally get to eat the round ones!”

  “Enjoy them while you can. Mummy! These are amazing!” Maggie pulled the slipper socks on immediately. “I love them!”

  Evvie felt tears stinging her eyes. She didn’t know what to say, unused to such generosity from anyone, let alone strangers.

  “Thank you so much,” she said, blinking back the tears. “This is the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

  “I’m sure that’s not true,” said Mrs. H., who looked surprised but delighted when Evvie immediately gave the teddy bear pride of place, propping him on her pillow.

  “So what’s the plan, Pa?” Maggie flopped down on her bed, raising her legs to admire her new slippers. “Do you want a tour of the university before a very expensive lunch at the Dinham Arms?”

  “We’d love a tour, and we’ve booked a table. We thought perhaps we could all go for a nice long walk before lunch. There’s meant to be some lovely walking trails around here. Evvie, you’re welcome to join us.”

  “Evvie won’t join us,” Maggie said. “She’s allergic to exercise.”

  “Maggie!” Evvie berated her, although it was true. “I like to walk.”

  Maggie raised an eyebrow. “How long is the trail, darling Pa? Four miles? Six?”

  “Six point six eight,” he said as Maggie shot Evvie a knowing look.

  “Okay. Point taken. That’s not a walk, that’s almost a marathon. I’m out. Anyway, I’ve got a ton of homework to do.”

  “Liar,” said Maggie, and they both laughed.

  “Look.” Maggie’s mother drew a map out of her bag, unfolding it on Maggie’s bed to show her. “We’ve got your hiking boots in the car and there are some lovely hills on the walk. We’ll all work up an appetite!”

  “Will you meet us at the Dinham Arms?” Maggie looked at Evvie hopefully. “Go on. It’s meant to be the most delicious food ever.”

  “You’re absolutely welcome,” said Mr. Hallwell. “It would be our pleasure.”

  “If I get my essay written, I would love to.”

  * * *

  • • •

  Maggie took her parents on a tour of the campus, then a quick drive through town to show off their favorite coffee bars before they all headed to a car park a couple of miles outside of town. They pulled on their hiking boots, looping their arms into backpacks filled with water bottles, maps, binoculars, and packets of chocolate digestives just in case anyone got hungry, and off they went, through the gate marked Long-Distance Footpath.

  They started off at a clip, Maggie’s father, Ted, and brother ahead, she and her mother striding behind, chatting as they walked until they went uphill and their breathing became more labored.

  Down through a huge meadow, with views of the Iron Age hill fort of Barbury Castle in the distance, they kept going until they spotted a couple of benches at the top of another hill, strategically placed to catch one’s breath and enjoy the view. There was another hiker there, drinking tea out of a thermos, looking out at the view.

  “Morning!” bellowed her father cheerfully, the first to reach the bench. “Lovely day for a walk!” He slipped off his backpack and opened it to get out his own water bottle as the other hiker turned to him with a nod, before catching Maggie’s eye.

  “Evil Ben,” she whispered in horror, and her mother turned to her.

  “What was that, darling?”

  “Nothing.” Maggie turned beet red as her father immediately engaged Evil Ben in a conversation about the best walks in the area.

  “Do you know my daughter, Maggie?” she heard her father say. “She’s a first year here. Maggie? Come and meet Ben!”

  “Hi.” Maggie shuffled forward, wishing her blush would go down.

  “We know each other, don’t we?” said Ben. “The King’s Head, right?”

  “Right,” said Maggie, flashing him what she hoped he would read as a warning look. The last thing she wanted was her parents knowing about the other night, and how she had been treated. “I didn’t know you were a hiker,” she said lamely, hoping to change the subject.

  “My whole life,” said Ben. “I walk when I need to clear my head.”

  “Nothing like it,” agreed Ted. “Our Maggie’s a huge walker. If you ever need company, she’ll join you.”

  “Dad!” Maggie burst out, wishing he would keep quiet.

  “What? It’s true!”

  “I’ll definitely bear that in mind.” Ben laughed, before looking at Maggie a few seconds longer than was altogether comfortable. Maggie blushed again as Ben smiled to himself and Maggie’s mother nudged her.

  Ben passed his thermos over to Ted. “It’s Irish coffee.” He grinned. “It’s excellent to keep the chill out.”

  “Well thank you,” Ted said, taking the thermos, then reaching into his pocket and pulling out Liquorice Allsorts, proffering them as Ben leaned forward to take two round ones. “My daughter and I share a not-so-secret love for them. Good job you took a round one. That’s usually reserved for her.” He winked at Ben as Maggie inwardly groaned. “It’s a bit early for me,” Ted said, looking at the thermos in his hand before letting out an easy shrug and a grin. “But why not? It’s the weekend. Cheers!” He took a swig, nodding with pleasure as it slipped down smoothly. “Delicious. I wish I’d had it when we climbed Ben Nevis.”

  “I did have it when I climbed Ben.” Ben laughed as Maggie’s father’s face lit up.

  “You did it too? Wasn’t it marvelous climbing the highest mountain in the British Isles? Young thing like you probably took no time at all. We took five hours, didn’t we, Kathy?”

  “That’s pretty good,” said Ben. “I did it in ten!”

  “Ten? Aha. You didn’t do the easy walk, did you? You must have done that ridge climb.” Ben nodded as Ted smiled. “I wanted to do it but those days have long gone.”

  “It was hard, and I’m pretty fit, but it was worth it. Spectacular views from the north face. Bloody freezing at the peak though. That’s where I learned about the Irish coffee!”

  Ted was clearly delighted at having found a kindred spirit. “We had hailstones at about three miles. You too?”

  Ben nodded. “And terrible ice as we got higher. It looked like snow but it was packed ice. I’ve never been so cold in my life. It’s a miracle I finished it.”

  “I remember that weather. Awful. The wife and I want to go trekking in the Himalayas next. Ever been?”

  “Not yet, but it’s on my list.” Ben stood then, tucking his thermos away. “I’d better get on.” He shook hands with Maggi
e’s parents and Charlie before nodding at Maggie. “It was lovely to meet you all. I hope you have a great weekend and a wonderful time when you make it to the Himalayas.”

  “The pleasure was all mine,” said Ted truthfully. “I hope we see you again. You never know, we might run into you in Nepal.”

  “I hope so.” Ben smiled. “Nice to see you, Maggie.” He reached out and rubbed her back lightly, a gesture that felt intimate and solicitous; a gesture that was so gentle, so unexpected, it made Maggie’s heart lurch ever so slightly as she stood, stunned. Who knew Ben had this soft side, not to mention that Ben and her father would have so much in common? It was a disquieting feeling, which only served to heighten her crush.

  “What a lovely chap!” Ted said when Ben was—thankfully—out of earshot. “That’s the sort of fellow I’d like to see you with. Clever as well, bringing that Irish coffee along. I’ll have to do that next time.”

  “He was rather handsome,” said her mum. “And ever so charming.” She looked at Maggie. “I think he might like you.”

  “Don’t be daft,” said Maggie, scuffing the ground with her foot and looking down so her mother wouldn’t see how her heart had jumped at the possibility. “He wouldn’t even look at a first year.”

  “I don’t know,” said her mother. “What do you think, Charlie?”

  “Definitely fancied you,” said Charlie.

  “Right. And I would definitely listen to a sixteen-year-old.” Maggie rolled her eyes, but inside, she couldn’t stop smiling. What if they were right?

  eight

  - 1986–1987 -

  Long after her parents left, Maggie kept thinking about their walk, bumping into Ben, his hand on her back, her mother and younger brother thinking he might have been interested in her. Mostly, she couldn’t stop thinking about how different he had been then than the times she had seen him in the King’s Head. There he was sullen and stern, whereas he had been warm and easy with her family, charming her parents.

  She had a fantasy that he might get in touch with her, even if only as a walking partner. But she didn’t hear from him, and barely saw him after that weekend.

  They didn’t go back to the King’s Head much after that terrible night. Evvie got the job at the Golden Lion, which became their regular, and by the time they did go back to the King’s Head, some months later, Evil Ben was no longer working there.

  Maggie still saw him around town from time to time, but always at a distance, and he always seemed to be with other people. When Topher spotted him, he would dash back to tell Maggie where he was so the pair of them could run back out and see if there actually had been chemistry between them, to give Maggie a chance to work her magic on him and make him fall in love with her. But he was usually gone, and when he wasn’t, she had always lost her nerve, so they never actually spoke after that first night.

  The year passed quickly, and once exams were over, the three of them started looking at houses to live in together in their second year.

  They saw two houses off the high street that were so dingy and depressing, Maggie and Topher both said they would rather be homeless than live there.

  Evvie eventually found the perfect house. She overheard someone in the pub saying they were moving, and she interrupted, asking about the house. The next day the three of them walked to Castle Street with no expectations, to a terraced house that was filled with light, with large square rooms and an eat-in kitchen that had Maggie sighing with delight.

  “I can cook again!” she exclaimed, hugging herself as she whirled around the kitchen. “No more pot noodles! No more crappy food! If we take this house, I promise I will cook for all of us every night.”

  “If we take this house?” Topher said. “There is no ‘if.’ This is by far the nicest house we’ve seen. It might be the nicest house in the whole town.” He turned, taking in the spotless carpets, the simple Ikea furniture, the clean paint. “Who was it again that lived here before?”

  “A couple of postgrad students,” said the landlord. “One of them is leaving this year so the other decided to move to something smaller by himself. They were great tenants. Kept the place immaculate.” He peered at them. “You know you can’t have any parties here?”

  “The only parties we’ll be having are dinner parties.” Topher shot Maggie a look. “We have our mother hen here to stop us from anything more raucous. Not that I would be having parties anyway,” he quickly reassured the landlord. “We will be model students, won’t we, girls?”

  “We will!” squealed Maggie, in her excitement throwing her arms around Topher, who allowed it but shrank back, ever so slightly.

  “Sorry, sorry!” she babbled. “I forgot you don’t like to be touched.”

  “It’s okay.” Topher attempted to laugh it off before turning to the landlord. “See? We don’t even like touching other people. We’re all very dull indeed.”

  * * *

  • • •

  They weren’t very dull, but they kept their word about parties in their house. Anyway, it was far too nice for parties, Maggie said. Even if they were allowed, she wouldn’t have wanted to risk messing up the carpets.

  Instead, Evvie would make her Jamaican breakfast on the weekends, with Maggie cooking sumptuous cakes and comfort food suppers the rest of the week. Other friends would come over and spend evenings sitting around their kitchen table, talking long into the night.

  Toward the end of their second year, they were adopted by a cat. He showed up one morning, meowing in the garden. Maggie opened the back door and the cat came running in, straight to the kitchen, where he kept on meowing until Maggie found a can of tuna lurking in a cupboard and opened it for him. And then, much to Topher’s disgust (he was definitely not a cat person), they appeared to have a cat. Maggie adored him. She named him Colin, and he often jumped up on the sofa when she was sitting there, although he didn’t like to be stroked.

  It was a Saturday night when Maggie realized they hadn’t seen Colin in days.

  “Thank the lord,” said Topher, before seeing Maggie’s stricken face. “He’s probably gone back to his original family,” he said quickly, relieved the cat had gone, not least because he had been bitten by something a week ago and was convinced Colin had fleas.

  “You never liked him.”

  “I could lie, but . . . you’re right. Cats don’t just turn up out of nowhere. He wasn’t ours to keep.”

  “We didn’t exactly lock him in.”

  “No, but you made it very comfortable for him.”

  “I’m so sad. What if something’s happened to him?”

  “He’ll be fine. He’s a feisty one. You need something to take your mind off the cat. Aren’t you going to that party tonight?”

  “I am. Evvie’s meeting me there later with Julian.”

  “Julian? I thought that was all over. She said she was dumping him for good after she heard he slept with that frosh.” He rolled his eyes. “She deserves so much better. Why does she put up with someone who treats her so badly?”

  “I don’t know. She said Julian wanted to talk, so she might bring him. I don’t know that they’re definitely back together. Please come. I know you said you had work but can’t it wait?”

  “Nope. Essay’s due on Monday. Go and get ready and snog someone gorgeous. That’ll stop you from thinking about the cat.”

  * * *

  • • •

  The house was dark and packed, the Housemartins and Prefab Sprout blaring from the boom box as Maggie pushed her way through. She had bought a green wrap dress at Warehouse the week before, which showed off both her legs and her cleavage. It was not the sort of dress she usually wore, but she felt sophisticated and sexy, as if she could conquer the world.

  Growing up with three brothers, Maggie hadn’t ever learned how to be a girl. She had never gravitated toward dolls, or pink, or flounces, but instead had
climbed trees with her brothers and tumbled with them as they wrestled. She was, she told Topher, finally discovering her inner girl. Topher immediately shot back that she was actually discovering her inner middle-aged woman, for it was true, there was something mature about Maggie.

  It was her maternal instinct. She was a natural nurturer, never happier than when in the kitchen, experimenting with recipes for her housemates and all their friends. Like her mother, she eschewed makeup and fancy clothes, but Evvie was trying to influence her, to inspire her to look a little more fun, a little more young. That night, Evvie helped her with makeup and hair, lending her huge dangly earrings, making her look at least a little like the young woman she was.

  Maggie headed for the kitchen, sucking her stomach in. The problem with cooking so much was all the tasting. She had just made a carrot cake that afternoon, and her stomach was still bloated from licking the bowl.

  There were a couple of familiar faces she passed on the way to the kitchen, but no one she knew well. She needed a drink to relax, and there, on the kitchen table, were half-empty bottles of vodka, gin, and tequila, and dozens of cans of beer on every surface. Maggie poured a liberal slug of vodka and downed it in one gulp, before pouring it again.

  “I would never have pegged you for a drinker,” said a voice in her ear.

  She turned and found herself looking at Evil Ben, inches from her face. Her heart fluttered as she blushed.

  “There’s probably a lot about me you don’t know.” It came out sounding more flirtatious than she had meant it to, but Evil Ben raised an eyebrow and smiled, those dimples coming out.

  “Cheers,” he said, finishing his beer and reaching for the tequila. “Join me?”

  She nodded, aware that he was a little drunk, but not caring. He was the diametric opposite of the person she had thought him to be when she first met him. In fact, he was much more like the man she met on the bench during that walk with her parents. He looked happy, and relaxed. He was smiling, and, was she imagining it, or was he actually—oh please God, let that be the case—flirting with her? Could her mother have been right when she said he liked her?