AS SOON AS Jill sat down on the bus, she realised how exhausted she was. She sunk into her seat, all the muscles in her back releasing. The bus slowly filled up. Jill’s thighs stuck to the vinyl seating as she tried to slide across, making space for a woman to sit down. Jill slowly exhaled, leaning her head against the shaking window as the woman spoke loudly into her phone.
‘Darl, I’m so glad you picked up. I’ve got a situation. No don’t freak-out, it’s not that serious. So, you remember that night a while ago that you came around, I think it was for the long weekend? Yeah, and Scott was there, yeah. Well the day after that, Sam called and said he’d left his glasses at mine. Sam had like nice Rayband ones, like real expensive ones. I had a look and couldn’t find them anywhere so we decided that he’d probably dropped them, pissed, on his way home. So last night I stayed at Scott’s, this morning he was having a shower and I was stuffing around getting all my stuff together and I found Sam’s glasses like kind of hidden in between some books. I know. I didn’t know what to do so took them, yeah, I put them in my bag. I’m on the bus now. I’ve got them with me. Well I guess I’ll show them to Sam to see if they’re his. But hang on, there’s a second part to this story. When I left this morning I realised I’d left my wallet at Scott’s and I was like “Oh no, what if he goes on a shopping spree with my cards,” so I called the bank and cancelled everything, then Scott just sent me a message saying he’s dropped my wallet off in my letterbox. I know—I’m such an idiot. I don’t know, I guess if they’re not Sam’s I’ll just have to put them back. I just keep imagining bumping into Scott and he’s wearing Sam’s glasses; he’d see me and try and hide them. God, he’s such a slimy little prick, I should really stop sleeping with him.’
Jill tried to concentrate on the humming of the bus and the wind coming through the open window.