"Oliver, I was just…" Kirsty stammered.
"Just snooping round my room. Don't touch what you can't afford mate, now get out!"
"Wait." Kirsty wasn't going to be pushed around just because this guy had money. "I've seen what's in these bears. What are you doing, are you selling this stuff? You know it's illegal."
"Just keep out of my business." Oliver was close to her now, staring her in the eyes. His stare was cold, harsh. "Or else."
"Or else what?" What could he do to her? Kirsty didn't let anyone walk all over her that easily.
"Or else your boyfriend may get a nasty surprise. I've got friends. Friends who could be your worst nightmare. They owe me a favour. If you tell anyone, Kane might just get a visit."
Kirsty was hesitant. She knew the types of circles people like Oliver could hang around in. She'd almost been part of it. She didn't want Kane to come to harm. "Fine, I'll keep out of your stupid business. It's your funeral." Kirsty went back to Edwina, slightly stunned. Perhaps flower arranging would take her mind off things. Edwina had a new venture, floristry, for her retirement years. "It lets me be creative. I can't work in showbiz anymore, so I might as well try to create something beautiful." Edwina carried on chattering about her life, pausing to let Kirsty speak about hers. Kirsty filled these pauses with short monosyllabic answers, still preoccupied with the threat from Oliver. Then, as if Edwina were reading Kirsty's mind, she started to talk about Oliver.
"I'm sure he's calmed down now, he used to be such a wild child. He's doing much better in school now; I hear he actually turns up now."
"Are you sure he's not hiding anything?" Kirsty asked. Edwina couldn't be psychic if she couldn't pick up on what he was really getting up to.
"I think we all hide things and they say that ignorance is bliss. For me it's more of a peaceful, noiseless bliss. I do wish he'd confide in me, but what can I expect at his age." Kirsty nodded. She hadn't really confided about anyone with Kane. She had begun to with Shauna, but then she went away. Even Kirsty could sense her disapproval. And now she couldn't confide in Kane about Oliver. She hated his presence, she couldn't understand it. There was something about him that made her skin crawl.
***
Later that day, Kirsty was washing up. Although Edwina had a dishwasher, it used up more time to wash dishes. Kirsty hated to think it, but she was bored. Edwina didn't want her to find a job for some reason; she preferred her running errands at home. Kirsty enjoyed Edwina's company, but relished something more to do, like exploring or working. She couldn't walk into town; she didn't know how long it would take and she didn't know where it was. After washing up, she decided to wait in the vast front garden for Kane. She'd taken one of Edwina's novels to read, which sounded pretty much like the stuff she would have been reading at school. It was set in the Edwardian era or something, boy meets girl, girl hates boy, girls has no money, man takes pity, girl still hates man but in the end they all get married. She was just getting to a vaguely interesting part when two burly men confronted her.
"Hey chick. You seen Oliver?" Kirsty hadn't since that morning. He'd left soon after.
"No, can I take some sort of message or something?"
"What are you? His girlfriend?" One of the men leered at her. Kirsty stood up, trying to take away their advantage of height.
"He is not my boyfriend. I'm taken by somebody else."
"Well can you tell your non-boyfriend that he owes us a lot of money, and we'd like it back. Preferably soon. He knows what will happen if he pays no attention."
"Fine." Kirsty sat back down, expecting them to go. One of them leaned and put his hand on her shoulder, and whispered into her ear.
"So why are you here then?" Kirsty edged away from him.
"I'm staying with a friend, not that that's any of your business. You came here for Oliver, he's not here so would you just leave me alone!"
"Well, well, well. I think you just got yourself involved. See ya later." They left, leaving Kirsty shaken. Why did she have to be involved in Oliver's business? All she was doing was minding her own business. Now they were going to hassle her. Kirsty left the garden and went into the house. How could Oliver owe money? His gran was loaded; he would have had no problem. Why did she have to talk to them? Kirsty collapsed on the bed, overwhelmed by her troubles.