“
You’re here! You’re really here! I thought you wouldn’t come,” she said ecstatically. She threw her arms around Honesty’s shoulders. “You said you wouldn’t come anymore, Honesty. You said you were going to get a job.”
“I need to get fed, don’t I. I’m a growing man,” said Honesty, who had gone red staring at Camilla, who loitered in the foyer a little way away from them. “Get out of it, Nona, stop being in love with me.”
But she was already hugging Beautiful Ruby, who coped better with it, saying: “Nona, you crim! Did you really sneak off to the—” and for his pains was jabbed in the ribs by Honesty and Nona, so he said at the top of his voice, “Toilet,” and they all dissolved together into a huddle of whispers, with Kevin right at the bottom.
“She doesn’t know! Don’t tell her,” hissed Nona.
“Whew, lad, good save there,” said Honesty.
“Don’t be sarcastic at me,” hissed Ruby. “It’s not my fault, I just wanted to know how Nona was, you know they could’ve still been getting her off the road with a spatula. I walk past that road and they’re cremating people, like, right there, I saw somebody’s arm.”
“Ew,” said Kevin.
”
”