The Boyfriend Bet Page 11

  “Who knows, but it doesn’t look good?” I shook my head. I had no idea what Ella had up her sleeve but I knew it would end in tears and I knew they wouldn’t belong to Ella. I felt even more uneasy than ever. Maybe I couldn’t compete with her - she was a complete psycho and what the hell did she have in store for me?

  I watched as Ella laughed and joined in the conversation between Riley, Amelia and a couple of Amelia’s mates. They all looked totally taken by Ella, who was giggling as she wound her hair around her fingers. She relaxed back in her chair and generally looked totally comfortable in the company of her new ‘friends’.

  “Let’s just get out of here.” I said in almost desperation. I had to get out, I was suffocating and it felt like there was a strong chance I might vomit all over the floor for the second time in my school life.

  Best day ever!

  I didn’t know what happened to Ella’s confident mood and I had no idea what Ella’s plans were for getting rid of Amelia but maybe she wasn’t as good as she (or I) thought she was because come Wednesday, Amelia was very much still around. Nobody knew exactly what was going on between Riley and Amelia but it was obvious for anyone to see that she was completely besotted with him. They had the same group of friends and the same classes, so wherever Riley was, Amelia was sure to follow.

  Ella was obviously feeling it because since Monday night her diet had been upped to literally not eating anything at all. I mean how dumb is that? And she totally got away with it because Mum was actually completely oblivious to our existence. However if anyone mentioned her weekend away, then her face lit up and she came to life. Mum had been frantically packing, unpacking and then repacking all week. We didn’t have to worry about hiding any details of the party that might slip out because I’m sure Mum wouldn’t have noticed if we’d started walking around the house naked.

  This competition between me and Ella was getting way out of hand and if I’m completely honest, it was probably making us both feel miserable. She would hide my hair straighteners, my nice clothes or anything that she thought was obviously a necessity. I was just grateful that I had been helping out at dancing more often than not because life here was borderline unbearable.

  With only a few more days to go to the party, the word had spread that the new fit boy from Year Thirteen and Ella Wallis were having a house party. No mention of me, not that I lived here or anything! Most of the people who seemed to be coming I didn’t like and when I confronted Ella about why she’d invited the likes of Zoe Ryan, her crew and similar, she’d retorted “Because it’s going to be a good party. How shit would it be with just the sad acts you like to hang around with?”

  That is typical Ella - she assumes the ‘good’ people are the most popular at school, she doesn’t care about how awful they really are because they’re the people who get talked about and she certainly wants her party to be talked about.

  “You’ve got like two and a half days to find something to wear for the party,” was how Sarah greeted me on Wednesday lunchtime. I took a seat next to Sarah in the dining room. I had plenty of food today. I think just the fact that I knew that Ella was practically desperate for food made it all the more satisfying to eat it. That’s the only thing I am blessed with - being a little more skinny than perhaps I would prefer, but I never ever have to worry about what I eat.

  “Not too much point in choosing what I’m wearing before Saturday anyway,” I muttered, about to stuff a huge tuna baguette into my mouth.

  “What?” Sarah looked mortified at the thought that anyone could pick an outfit the night that they wanted to wear it.

  I shrugged. “Ella would probably only take it or ‘accidently’ ruin it.”

  “Speaking of Ella, look.” Sarah nodded at a miserable looking Ella, sitting a few tables away, staring miserably into a tub of salad. She slowly balanced the salad on her fork, lifting it up to her mouth. She was screwing her face up, probably because it’s the best meal she was about to have in weeks and it didn’t amount to much.

  Aimie (who I like to jokingly call Ella’s BFF) was nodding encouragingly and Ella looked as though she was about to punch her in the mouth - I could see why when I saw what was on Aimie’s tray: she had two of the greasy school sausage rolls, a packet of salt and vinegar crisps, a Mars Bar and an almighty big chocolate doughnut (complete with chocolate sprinkles)! Ella looked as if she was about to crack and I wasn’t going to miss it for the world. I nudged Sarah and she followed me to the one remaining empty table next to Ella’s.

  Just when I think the moment has come and Ella has lost it and looks like she’s about to assault her best friend in the entire world, she drops her fork and makes a grab for Aimie’s Mars Bar. She opens it in some sort of desperation and stuffs it in her mouth as though she hasn’t eaten for months.

  “What do you think you’re eating?” Aimie shrieked when she not only realised that Ella had pinched her Mars Bar but had already crammed the entire bar into her wide open mouth. “What about your diet?” Aimie stuttered, “You were doing so well!”

  “I have had enough!” Ella smacked her hand on Aimie’s tray like the food deprived loon she was. Unbeknown to Ella, Riley was about to come over to her but was now loitering to watch Ella’s apparent tantrum.

  “I will eat what I bloody well like!” Ella screamed as she grabbed Aimie’s sausage roll in one hand and the giant doughnut in the other and then shockingly proceeded to stuff them manically into her big fat gob at the same time - chewing frantically, there was food everywhere.

  “What the hell has got into her?” Bex had finally joined us. She was lowering herself into the seat next to me without being able to tear her eyes away from the human dustbin in front of us.

  “Aimie told her not to eat a Mars Bar ‘cos of her diet and...and she’s lost it.” I laughed.

  “Brilliant,” Bex replied still staring at the crazy scene that was continuing.

  Bex was right - this was brilliant. Everybody was staring (including Riley) at my perfect sister, who was being far from perfect. In fact she was acting like a complete idiot! This was currently the best day of my life so far.

  Plotting and planning!

  After the hilarious incident with Ella and her sudden need for food, I didn’t see her for the rest of the afternoon. I dreaded going home after school, as you never knew what Ella was capable of, but now she’d had a complete meltdown in front of everyone, who knew what she was going to be like. There was only one person she was going to take it out on and we all know that’s always going to be me.

  After dawdling back from Bex’s house and realising I could not put off going home any longer, I actually saw Riley, Jay and Simon transporting something else they’d just bought for their house in a huge cardboard box.

  “Looking forward to freedom for the weekend, eh Charley?” Simon nodded at me as if he was trying to let me know he was one of us or a ‘cool’ parent. I cringed. It’s bad enough that he’s shagging my mum but now he’s trying to be our mate or something? Just sad!

  I smiled but I think I over did the smiling as I couldn’t bring myself to speak. What was I supposed to say, ‘Looking forward to a dirty weekend with my mother?’ I think not! It was all wrong...wrong I tell you!

  “Not too much partying I hope?” Simon winked. Oh my god.

  “No parties, no absolutely not,” I said as if I had suddenly transformed into a responsible teacher or someone equally as boring. I didn’t know if Simon was thinking he was really clever by dropping me a trick question, pretending to be all chummy and then wham...down with the seriousness and telling Mum that they couldn’t go away at the weekend as we were having an irresponsible alcohol and drug fuelled party at home. Ok, a bit over the top but still, you never knew.

  “Oh come on, lighten up a bit,” Simon continued. “I don’t mind a few people round,” he grinned. He really was showing off now. Even Jay raised his eyebrows at him.

  “Oh,” was all I could manage in reply, I think Simon expected me t
o announce he was ‘cool’ or ‘so down with the kids’ or whatever crappy sayings a forty-something-year-old man would come out with, thinking he was ‘it’. Hahaha I had started to make myself laugh now at the jokes I was making in my head, totally forgetting that Simon, Jay and of course Riley were staring at me.

  “Not too many people though,” Simon made himself clear while still grinning at me. Jay was smirking at me now. I don’t know why - this stupid party was by no means my idea. I would have been happy just to laze about at home, enjoying not being told what to do and just relishing the freedom.

  “Of course.” I replied. “But how many is too many?” I said more chirpily this time. “You know, just so we’re clear.”

  “Erm...well let’s say a few, shall we?” Simon replied. He was leaning on the box and Jay who had been pulling the box, trying to get it indoors during the entire conversation, had just realised why he couldn’t move it. My turn to smirk at him!

  “How many is a few, Dad?” Jay asked. I don’t know if he was mocking my stupid questions or just generally mocking his dad.

  “Erm... I don’t know Jay, look up the definition of ‘few’ in the dictionary, it doesn’t say hundreds!” Simon was getting a bit snappy at Jay. “Anyway, must get this inside,” Simon signalled to the box. “Say hi to your mum for me!”

  I was muttering under my breath that he would have all weekend to say ‘hi’ to my Mum when Riley said, “Is Ella ok? Bit of a crazy moment today, eh?”

  I’d noticed that Jay and Simon had already lifted the box inside and Riley had once again got out of helping. “Erm....yeah, not sure what’s got into her,” I said. I didn’t want to say anything too bitchy as I remembered that boys don’t really go for bitchy, Ella’s got that one down to a tee. She is with no doubt the bitchiest girl in the world but to a potential boyfriend’s face she is the sweetest thing.

  “Looking forward to the weekend?” Riley was grinning.

  “Yeah, can’t wait,” I said, with as much excitement as I could muster because the truth of it was I am starting to feel completely petrified about the upcoming weekend.

  I’m worried because obviously I’m going to be left alone in the house with the crazy one and that’s before the party even starts. Sam had texted me and told me he was coming; Sarah and Bex have been doing a pretty good job of steering me away from him at school but if he is coming to the party, then there is nothing that they can do. He keeps texting me. I‘m not entirely sure what he wants. It’s all just slightly flirty but nothing to the point and certainly nothing deep - so yeah I suppose he’s messing with my head all over again!

  Ella was stretched out on the sofa when I got in. She was lying flat on her back and staring at the ceiling. I smiled to myself. “Riley was just asking after you?” I couldn’t resist it.

  “Really?” Ella turned her head to look at me, her eyes flickered with sudden interest.

  “Yeah he thinks you’ve gone a little...you know?” I said making a funny cuckooing sound and pointing at my head.

  “No I do not know!” Ella snapped.

  “You know...crazy!” I carried on. Ella huffed and went back to staring at the ceiling.

  “Just a blip,” Ella sort of half whispered. I wasn’t sure if she was talking to me or trying to reassure herself. “I have everything under complete control, so don’t you worry, you’re still gonna be dying that hair pink!”

  “Really, I don’t think any of us are going to be winning this bet,” I snapped “Amelia seems pretty smitten with him.”

  “Getting rid of her is already under way. All I have to do is up my plan to the next stage,” Ella said with a hint of a slightly psychotic smile forming on her lips. Ella sat up slowly so she could wriggle something out of the pocket of her way too tight trousers! I realised it was a phone as Ella sat there tapping on it in concentration.

  I shook my head. If it wasn’t so weird and concerning I’d be laughing! It looked as though Ella was giving the word to have Amelia bumped off or something. Ella’s grin was widening as she typed out an apparent message and she looked almost ecstatic as I heard the ‘sent’ tone tinkle on the phone.

  “There you go, sorted. Amelia Hargreaves, who the hell is she?” Ella grinned and then she actually started laughing hysterically and wouldn’t stop.

  I left the room because I cannot stand Ella at the best of times but I was beginning to wonder if she was psychotic, genuinely evil or if she was indeed having a mental breakdown. I couldn’t help wondering what on earth she had just done that had made her so confident that Amelia would no longer be a threat to her. Just from one text message or whatever Ella had just sent on that phone.

  I couldn’t even sleep, thinking about Ella and Amelia and Riley. I kept going over and over different scenarios in my head and kept coming to the conclusion that Ella must have seriously lost the plot and nothing was going to come of it. It was almost as though Ella could read my mind because out of nowhere in the middle night she whispered, “Don’t underestimate me Charley!”

  I’m well and truly freaked out now. I don’t even know if I want to go to school tomorrow and find out what she’s done to Amelia Hargreaves...

  I felt a bit better when I woke up in the morning. It’s always the way, everything seems so serious and problems seem massive in the loneliness of the middle of the night. Of course Ella was winding me up. She is my horrible, bitch of a sister! What do I think she is, invincible or something?

  My thoughts were confirmed when I got to school. I was about to voice my concerns to Sarah and Bex that I thought Ella had done something really bad to Amelia Hargreaves, when Amelia walked straight past us and into the school gates, giggling with her friends. She didn’t look like anything was bothering her. In fact, she was full of it.

  “She’s wearing ‘that’ really short skirt again!” Sarah whispered when she caught sight of her.

  “And she really doesn’t have the legs for it,” Bex shook her head. I gave Bex and Sarah a glance because although they had a point (because Amelia is just too skinny and her legs are a bit scrawny) it was a bit bitchy and Sarah was only saying the other day that bitchiness isn’t attractive. She was the one telling me!

  “You’ve got nice legs,” Sarah continued. “Maybe you should wear a nice short skirt, instead of those jeans you always wear.”

  “What’s wrong with my jeans?” I muttered, “Would you rather me totter about the place like that?” I tilted my head towards the gate because I had just caught sight of my sister, attempting to run in her heels and call over to Riley (who had then joined Amelia and her group of friends). Ella might as well have not bothered to put a skirt on today, it was that short!

  “Anyway just before Sam asked me out he said my bum looked really nice in these jeans,” I snapped defensively, forgetting that I shouldn’t mention Sam, EVER!

  “Yeah and then he copped off with that!” Bex said really dryly and pointed over at Ella.

  “That was nasty,” I muttered.

  “Did Ella just put something in Amelia’s bag?” Sarah had left our conversation and was staring intently at Ella and Amelia. “What is she up to?”

  “Sure she put something in her bag or did she take something out of it?” Bex was now interested as well. I was still in a mood about the jeans comment.

  “I have no idea and I’m not getting involved.” I said in a very high-and-mighty voice and then marched off because I was still fuming. I don’t know what my supposedly ‘best friends’ were trying to say - that I had to dress like a slut for anyone to fancy me? Was I that awful that the only thing I would have going for me was if I were to dress like I was giving it away? Even if that were the case, best mates should not say things like that! After a couple of minutes of fuming, I regretted walking off because of course I was really interested in what Ella had been up to. It must have all been part of this so called ‘plan’ of hers, although I thought she’d said it was all done last night?

  Underestimating the enemy!

&n
bsp; When we went into Registration we were told to head straight down to the Assembly Hall after the register had been taken. I didn’t think too much of it until we reached the hall. We couldn’t sit on our normal seats because there were already people sitting on them. They were from Years Twelve and Thirteen.

  “Sit anywhere, it doesn’t matter for today.” Mr Harrison shouted over to the back of the hall. This really was odd. I remember once when Molly Andrews sat in Form T’s row because Zoe Ryan had asked her to sit next to her. Mr Harrison had spotted her straight away and made a right old fuss about it. Apparently if everybody just did what the hell they liked and there were no rules, then everything would become chaotic, dysfunctional and the whole working day of the school would become some mad, panicked frenzy -where nobody would learn a single thing (according to Mr Harrison). I personally couldn’t see how Molly Andrews, sitting one row in front of the one she normally sits in, could possibly cause such an extreme scenario. I sat on the first seat I could find, as far back in the hall as I could manage. Sarah and Bex sat down next to me, not that I really had much to say to them!

  “Something quite serious has come to our attention.” Mr Harrison said when everyone was finally seated and had stopped fidgeting. “It is not a laughing matter and I hope you can all be mature enough to see just how serious it is.” Mr Harrison was fiddling around with his tie awkwardly. I looked at Sarah and Bex. We all just seemed to be looking at each other and shrugging.

  “It’s been going on for about a couple of weeks now but suddenly it’s become quite disturbing. Mr Huntley has been receiving some highly explicit letters from someone at this school.” Mr Harrison’s face was now a beetroot colour - this was clearly the last place on earth he wanted to be, discussing dirty letters with a hall packed full of sniggering teenagers! My eyes shifted to Mr Huntley who was standing against the wall to the side of the hall. He also looked like he would rather be anywhere else but here.