I’m so glad you decided to stay in Manchester and not bugger off to Brighton or wherever it was,’ Alex yelled in my ear. ‘I didn’t have much choice in the matter did I? What with dad going downhill, and then Luke…kissing me.’ ‘I know, I know, but it’s nice isn’t it, knowing your way around, knowing where to go,’ she answered. It was true; I did love Manchester, and since starting university we’d quickly found the best bars and clubs, with the best happy hours, and already knew the safest back streets to take short cuts down. We felt free and safe. We were foolish and naïve. While my friends all jumped around, Alex and I fought our way through the crowds to the bar. ‘Yey! It’s still happy hour. If we get two each now, we won’t have to queue for a while,’ Alex shouted in my ear. ‘Quit doing that will you! You nearly perforated my ear drum!’ I said flinching, as the awful tickling subsided in my ear.
