The Boyfriend Bet Read online

  I was so bored that I helped out at dance even more than normal which worked out well really, as Ella got roped into babysitting Peter twice this week, so Mum could flounce about with her very own man from next door. What a depressing thought, that my mother was having more luck next door than I was and it almost looked like she was beginning to have a better social life than I was too. The only plus side of it was Mum was so loved up, she hadn’t even noticed the crack in our bedroom window yet!

  When I got back from dance on Saturday, Ella was loudly dying of starvation on the sofa and Mum was shaking her head as she was picking up Peter’s Lego that seemed to be everywhere you looked, even though he had gone to his dad’s hours ago. I sat down as far away from Ella as possible.

  “I’m getting on really well with Simon.” Mum said, breaking the silence. I don’t know where she was going with this random statement. What was she planning to marry the guy or something? “Isn’t it great?” Mum forced the issue again. I started to get a bit worried where she was heading. She’d only known the guy for a matter of weeks, two or three I think!

  “Mmmm....” Was all I managed in response. Ella also looked totally unimpressed by the conversation. It was quite amusing because Mum obviously desperately wanted to talk about it and we were both totally unresponsive and uninterested. I just ignored her and went and made myself a crisp sandwich, more to annoy Ella I think. I pulled up a stool to the breakfast bar and crunched noisily.

  Mum was still attempting a ‘her and Simon’ conversation and Ella had started flicking through the TV channels, not even gracing Mum with a look of acknowledgement. “So, it’s nice to have someone to talk to, who actually gets ‘me’.” Mum continued her very one-sided conversation, “But it’s so difficult to actually spend any quality time together...”

  Still no reply to Mum, I carried on eating my sandwich and Mum was desperately looking at me and then at Ella and back at me again. “Well, Peter is out for the weekend, go out tonight!” I shrugged, feeling I should make a little effort and actually talk to her.

  “We are going out tonight but...” Mum was muttering now, clearly not satisfied with a date night. I rolled my eyes; ok so we are a nuisance to her and we get in the way, whatever!

  “Simon wants to take me away for a weekend.” Mum announced. So this is what she was building up to. She could have just come out with it in the first place. This immediately caught Ella’s attention and she sat up in interest.

  “So, go then?” Ella said. She’d brightened up, obviously at the thought of a parent free weekend.

  “Well, I’m not sure. I could go one weekend when Peter is at his dad’s house...but I really don’t like to leave you two.”

  “We’ll be fine!” Ella desperately tried to reassure Mum.

  “I’ve just never had the chance to do anything for myself, you two never went off at weekends. I suppose you’re old enough now, Simon said he’s going to leave his two boys... and I suppose you could all look out for each other?” Mum was trying to convince herself more than anything, out of desperation of wanting to get out of here I think!

  “You can totally trust us.” Ella prompted Mum.

  “Mmmm....maybe I will go. I should be able to trust you two by now.” Mum mumbled, I think she was trying to seek more reassurance.

  “You can!” Ella nodded, “And if I were you, I’d organise it soon or before you know it, it will be Christmas. Everything gets way more expensive at Christmas.”

  “Oh god, don’t remind me of Christmas.” Mum shuddered at the supposedly ‘best’ celebration of the year.

  “It’s not that close to Christmas?” I rolled my eyes at Ella being so dramatic, the way she always is when she’s trying to get her own way.

  “Don’t be so dumb, Charley. Peter only goes away once a fortnight and we’re already in the middle of November.” Ella glared at me. She was absolutely desperate for a ‘Mum free’ weekend. I dreaded to think what she might already be planning.

  Mum was humming to herself, in a complete daydream whilst she carried on cleaning the lounge. It looked like she had made up her mind. She was probably thinking about her weekend away with Simon (yuk).

  “Maybe we can have a house party,” I jokingly said. “You know, like the ones you hear about, where it gets put on Facebook and hundreds of ‘friends of friends’ turn up.” I stood up and walked across the room past Mum who was looking completely horrified and past Ella who looked bloody furious. Hahaha I laughed to myself as I ran up the stairs. Don’t get me wrong, Mum gone for a whole weekend would be good but I just couldn’t resist that last comment. Both Ella and Mum looked as desperate as each other, ha!

  The smile was soon wiped off of my face though. No sooner had I flopped down on my bed, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I assumed it was either Bex or Sarah. I was supposed to be meeting up with them in a while. It wasn’t Sarah or Bex. I had a very short message from Sam Smith: ‘how r u?’

  I couldn’t believe that he had sent me a very random message just asking how I was. I felt totally sick and annoyed because once again, Sam Smith was at the forefront of my mind. Ok, I know what I should really do is totally ignore him. I don’t want him to think he can click his fingers and then I will come running. But I know I won’t be able to ignore him forever because the curiosity of wanting to know what he really wants was killing me. I didn’t have to think of a smart witty reply because my phone vibrated again: ‘I want us 2 b friends’.

  So, here I am again lying on my bed. It’s Saturday. I should be out doing something fun and I all I can do is think about Sam. My thoughts all over the place. We’ve been here before and now it’s happening all over again.

  Half of me felt angry, angry because he had the power to do this to me. I’d done a good job of ignoring him at school but I’m not going to be able to avoid him forever, and he wants to be friends. I don’t think I can be that to him, ever.

  Ella burst into the room and I quickly slid my phone under my pillow. It wouldn’t be good if she had any idea Sam had been texting me. “Don’t you dare put Mum off of this weekend away, you freak!” Ella hissed at me. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “I dunno, it was just a joke.” I shrugged.

  “We could throw a huge party,” Ella whispered. “Although, I’ve just been reassuring Mum that we would never do anything like that, thanks to your stupid comment.”

  “Great,” I muttered.

  “Or even better, we could persuade Riley to have the party next door. They haven’t even decorated properly yet, so a bit of mess wouldn’t matter. Or better still a joint party! I mean, we are next door....” Ella was running away with herself and her party plans.

  “Is Amelia invited?” I asked, spoiling Ella’s excited babble.

  “I’ll think of something to get rid of her, no problem. And then Riley will be a free agent.” Ella smiled slowly, “And as for you, you won’t even stand a chance!”

  “What makes you so sure he’s going to pick you?” I questioned her. She had that funny look in her eye.

  “Well none of us will stand a chance unless you get your butt downstairs and tell Mum we can both be trusted here alone for a weekend.” Ella demanded and I suppose she had a point.

  So, it was all arranged - in a fortnight Mum was going away with Simon. Ella was already planning a party, completely unknown to Riley at this point. I was already starting to regret agreeing to this crazy idea, especially as Ella had waited until I was about to drop off to sleep that night when she turned to me and said, “I still haven’t forgotten about what you did to my shoes.”

  “Don’t bother trying to get me back in some horrifically embarrassing way,” I snapped at her, “I lied to Mum for you.”

  “Too late,” Ella whispered. “Operation ‘Destroy Charley’ already in progress.” And then she turned over and went to sleep, while I was left wide awake, dreading what on earth she was going to do to me.

  Friends, who needs ‘em?

  “We’re
gonna get the bus to town after school, you coming?” Sarah sort of demanded rather than asked me at lunch on Monday.

  “I can’t, I’ve got to help out at dance tonight.” I glared at her because she knew what the day was and what I do on a Monday night.

  “Whatever, but you need to find something for Saturday. We’re only trying to help!” Sarah looked really put out as she took a seat on a table right at the back of the dining room. I sat down next to her and Bex was raising her eyebrows at me.

  Another week had passed and now the impending party was this coming Saturday - it seemed like it was all that mattered. Saturday the 30th of November was obviously now the most important day of the year. I had heard nothing else from Bex and Sarah for the last week. Ella was buzzing with it and I was still looking for any clue about what she might be planning to do to me. I had a bad feeling that perhaps she was leaving it for the party, which I had to admit filled me with dread and was the reason that I’d felt on edge most of the week. Even a moment of escapism was interrupted with that familiar feeling of worry reappearing in the pit of my stomach every five minutes.

  “Do you even care? Have you given up?” Sarah was still huffing as she was pulling varying items of food out of her giant bag and slamming them on the table. “I mean, you’re practically going to be late for your own party!”

  “I have to do the dance show, you know that.” I was getting bored with this over and over again.

  “Well, have fun at a show on a measly school stage when we’re all getting ready.” Sarah sneered. Ok, so maybe it did sound lame that I would be helping the kids do their show to promote the dance school but I couldn’t let Stella down again. That would most definitely be the end of my dancing.

  “I was gonna go and support Charley.” Bex muttered, much to Sarah’s annoyance.

  “What? Why!” Sarah was visibly fuming.

  “Yeah, that’s not necessary,” I shook my head at Bex. “You don’t really need to see me dressed as monkey, jumping around with five year olds.” I smiled. I hadn’t told her about the dance where we dressed as elves. I would rather keep that one to myself - it was bad enough as it was.

  “Actually, that sounds brilliant!” Bex grinned.

  I shrugged. I was about to think of a hundred more reasons why Bex really didn’t need to ‘support’ me on Saturday when I was distracted. Riley had just entered the dining room with Amelia in tow - I watched as she giggled at everything Riley said to her, she twisted her hair around her finger and cocked her head to the side, listening to every word. Wow, Riley has the ability to make even the cleverest of girls act like dumb bimbos.

  “Are those two actually together?” Bex nodded in their direction.

  “Dunno,” I shrugged. I was feeling very defeated. “Ella’s on the warpath anyway, so whatever there is between those two, I wouldn’t think it will last much longer.”

  “Really? Is she that good?” Sarah snapped. She was aware I wasn’t paying attention because just at that moment Sam walked past our table. She followed my gaze. Sam looked right in my eyes as if I was the only one in the room and then smiled, one of those cheeky grins that always made my tummy flip. It was only when Sarah nudged me in the ribs sharply I realised I was smiling, as I watched him walk out of the dining room.

  “Well she stole Sam from me, didn’t she!” I snapped back, rejoining the conversation.

  “I don’t mean to be rude Charley, but maybe Sam wasn’t the guy you thought he was, maybe it didn’t take much for him to stray.” Sarah stared at me.

  “It really wasn’t all his fault. Ella was really persistent, and she told him all sorts of stuff about me....” I realised I’d said too much in my defence of Sam.

  “And how do you know that?” Sarah looked mad, “You’ve been seeing him again haven’t you?” She was nearly shouting now. I widened my eyes at her. I wanted her to quieten it down. I looked around to see who might be in earshot - some girls from Year Ten were looking over from the table next to us, some silly Year Nine boys who had no interest in our spat whatsoever as they were watching something on a phone. I saw a couple of girls from our year a few tables away but they seemed not to have noticed yet. Jay Jackson was not far away with Luke London (he’s an equally annoying boy from his form) but they were too busy passing headphones to each other and listening to some sort of shit music I imagine.

  “Oh my god, you are as well!” Sarah jumped to her own conclusions. Bex was just watching on, looking as embarrassed as me. I don’t think Sarah quite knew how loud she could be. Sarah looked to Bex for back up and when she didn’t get it, she yelled louder, “God, you’re so easy Charley!”

  I swear even Riley and Amelia were looking over from the lunch queue. Sarah had just practically announced that Charley Wallis was easy in front of the whole dining room. I looked around - the Year Ten girls were sniggering in my direction, even the teachers who sit on their own table up the corner were looking over in disgust and Jay Jackson was shaking his head and smirking.

  “No I have not!” I yelled back in defence. “We’ve just been texting each other” I then mumbled. I don’t know why I added that so quietly. Maybe I thought that slight detail would be overlooked. No chance of that!

  “What!” Sarah shrieked. I don’t know why she was so worried about me? Did she think she was my mother or something? “That’s where it all starts. First you’re texting and next thing we’ll know, you’ll be in his bed!”

  Well, obviously this was all really good gossip, either that or just very entertaining because I swear everyone was looking (more like staring) at me and Sarah and I was livid that she would embarrass me like this. I didn’t move. I should have grabbed my stuff and made a run for it but I couldn’t resist looking around to see just who was staring at me.

  Mr Harrison was looking down his nose at me, probably pitied my poor mum because who would want a mess of a daughter like me, what with my ‘behaviour problems’ and now Sarah had made out I was like the school bike or something. People slowly started to return to what they were doing, I picked my bag up, “Thanks a lot Sarah,” I hissed as I threw my bag over my shoulder.

  “I’m only trying to look out for you.” Sarah looked a bit sorry now and she must have noticed that she had spoken way too loudly, as she had turned it down completely and actually looked as though she was feeling a bit silly. Well good, I hoped she did!

  “You coming?” I looked at Bex. She looked mortified by the whole situation and barely managed a shrug. “Whatever,” I snapped and continued to walk away from them.

  I had to walk past the group of Year Ten girls who were whispering and giggling and predictably they all stopped and stared as I walked past. “And what are you all looking at?” I yelled. How stupid of me. Why oh why did I keep attracting unwanted attention to myself? I really don’t enjoy people staring at me as though I have lost the plot, or the sarcastic head shaking and I certainly don’t need to keep seeing ‘the Jay Jackson smirk’!

  I could hear sniggering behind me. I would have been big enough to not feel the need to turn around and see who else was laughing at me but I could hear Bex calling me. I turned around. I was about to give Bex a piece of mind over the Sarah incident when I walked straight into Jay. Luke was following and then a very apologetic looking Bex.

  “Can there not be a day where I don’t have to bump into you!” I could feel the redness in my face. I was seriously losing it.

  “Calm down, princess,” was Jay’s sarcastic answer.

  “What?!” I was fuming now! Did he actually just call me princess? I could quite easily slap him. “Seriously, if I had a stalker I don’t think I’d see him quite as much as I have to see you!” I spat.

  Jay raised his eyebrows in disbelief and he was about to think of some smart ass reply when Luke London interrupted, “Speaking of stalkers, did you hear about Mr Huntley?”

  “No, what?” Bex suddenly came to life at the sound of some potentially interesting school gossip.

  “The l
ucky bloke has got himself a stalker,” Luke nodded at Jay.

  “Lucky?” I sneered at the pair of them. Just how pathetic were they? “How would you know that anyway?”

  “I overheard him speaking to Mr Harrison about it. I had to wait outside of Harrison’s office for him and I heard the whole thing.” Luke tried to justify his outrageous comment.

  “Don’t know if he’s lucky mate?” Jay nudged Luke, “Imagine if it turns out to be some nut like this one here.” Jay signalled to me and before I could even retaliate they were walking off laughing at Jay’s crap comment.

  Bex was opening her mouth. God knows what she was about to offer but I didn’t find out because someone had just slapped me a little too hard on the back. “Embarrassing yourself again, sis?” Ella smiled at me. “Keep going! I don’t even have to do anything, as you do a good enough job of making a scene all by yourself!”

  “What do you want?” I sneered. Normally Ella would not be seen dead anywhere near me. She was now waving at Riley and Amelia. I had to do a double take because she was actually waving at Amelia.

  “I can’t stop, Riley and Amelia are saving me a seat at their table.” Ella smiled at my confused and shocked face. Sometimes she was just too hard to keep up with and it was all too fake and complicated that I couldn’t even be bothered with attempting to.

  “Ella, I’ve booked those tickets for us!” Amelia was calling over in our direction. She looked so excited that I don’t think she even noticed the fixed expression of horror on my face. I didn’t like the look of this.

  “Since when have you been such good friends with Amelia Hargreaves?” I said through my teeth, without tearing my gaze away from the delighted looking Amelia.

  “Well, you know what they say Charley, keep your friends close but your enemies closer! Ella laughed, flicked her hair over her shoulder and strutted towards Riley and Amelia’s table.

  “What was that all about?” Bex snapped her fingers in front of my face and I realised I was still staring.