The Boyfriend Bet Read online

  “I mean, do you actually think it was her?” I asked. And Riley just shrugged. His mates then resumed their rowdiness and I could see exactly how it was. Riley didn’t care because it didn’t involve him. It wasn’t his problem and as Riley knows all too well there are plenty more fish in the sea (another one of Mum’s crap sayings).

  Riley’s mates were now busy harassing some girl from Year Thirteen but she seemed to like it, even though she was trying her best to make out that she didn’t. Riley turned to me, “You look well fit in that,” and he stepped closer to me so that I could feel his warm breath on my face. Before I could think of a smart reply, he’d practically grabbed me and planted a huge smacker on my lips. And I had those same weird thoughts running through my head as the last time he had kissed me. I mean, he’s so sure of himself, like no girl would ever push him away, but I literally felt NOTHING! Not like I’d imagined it should be - no sparks flying or even a fluttery tummy...it was all so STRANGE!

  And then I actually did the unthinkable. I pushed him away. I bet Charley Wallis is the first girl to ever push Riley Jackson away! OMG! I heard sniggering and I saw Jay standing in the doorway, inches away from me and Riley. He had just witnessed the whole thing. Cringe!

  Chemistry

  Even Riley Jackson gets all the luck when a girl pushes him away and still manages to act all cool because just at that moment his phone started to ring and buzz loudly. “Oh, playing hard to get? I like that,” He said with a cocky grin as he casually put his arm around me as he checked his phone. “Everyone quieten it down, it’s my dad!” Riley held up his phone and everyone stopped talking and yelling and the noise dropped to a low buzz of people attempting to whisper.

  “Hey Dad, what’s up?” Riley said as he lifted his arm from my shoulder, signalling for everyone to keep it down. “...Yeah of course we’re looking after them...I’ve got one of those gorgeous girls right here next to me...” Riley said as he pulled me in closer to him, resulting in more cheers from his sad mates. “...nah just a couple of mates Dad...yeah Jay’s fine...”

  I looked up but Jay had gone. “Dad, I swear we’re all fine...” Riley loosened his grip as he began to reassure his dad that all was well at home. I wriggled away and snuck off to the kitchen. Their house is basically the same layout as ours, except that our kitchen and lounge are open plan and this still had the wall between rooms, which at this moment I was bloody grateful for, as I needed some space. I grabbed a glass and filled it up with water from the tap.

  “What no alcohol?”

  I turned round to see Jay was standing behind me. I hadn’t realised he was in here in my rush to escape the others.

  “I’ve got a dance show tomorrow,” I said, as I actually realised there was no way I could turn up to the show tomorrow with a hangover.

  “You surprise me,” Jay muttered.

  “I know you don’t think a lot of me but you don’t know me.” I snapped as I turned around to face Jay.

  “I don’t think any worse of you than anyone else. Actually a bit better of you after you gave wonderboy the brush off.” Jay said with a hint of sarcasm. “I thought you were into him?”

  I shrugged because I didn’t know anymore. Come to think of it I wasn’t sure I was ever that ‘into him’. Sure he was a pretty face but that’s about it. I made my mind up right there and then to tell Ella tomorrow that the bet’s off, I want out (I think).

  “It just wasn’t what I thought.”

  “It?” Jay looked confused.

  “The kiss,” I tried to explain.

  “Huh?” Jay looked even more confused than before.

  “I mean, I thought he was all that but when it came to it, there was nothing ,” I babbled. I took a much needed swig of my water. Those couple of drinks I’d had earlier were obviously responsible for too much honesty in front of one of the people I dislike the most.

  “What?”

  “There was nothing there when he kissed me, like I felt NOTHING!” God I wished my mouth would slow down and let my brain catch up.

  “Well, what should you feel then?” Jay stepped even closer to me, he had a hint of a cheeky smile on his face and I wondered if he was going to take the piss out of me as usual. This was getting embarrassing.

  “Um...like, some chemistry or something?” I just couldn’t shut up!

  “Chemistry?” Jay played dumb.

  “You know, chemistry....it’s like no one else exists for that moment, like you’re totally unaware of everyone else....I don’t know how to explain it, it’s just there.” I stepped even closer to Jay. What the hell was I doing?

  “Like a spark?” Jay whispered. He was so close to my face, he must have only been centimetres away.

  “Uh huh,” I barely nodded.

  I don’t know if he kissed me or I kissed him but it took me by complete and utter surprise – not the kiss but the fact that it was all there - that damn spark, chemistry or whatever it was called but it was everything I was trying to describe. The butterflies in my stomach, the goosebumps, it was electric and it felt AMAZING!

  I was completely SHOCKED! When we finally broke away, we just stared at each other. He looked as equally shocked (or horrified) as I was. Oh my god! Why did I just kiss Jay Jackson? Of all the people I could have kissed, he was the stupidest one of all. And why did I want to kiss him again? That chemistry bullshit I was going on and on about - it wasn’t really there, surely not with Jay Jackson!

  “Is that what you were talking about?” Jay finally broke the awkward silence.

  “Dunno...” I whispered. “Can’t be,” I shook my head.

  “Nah....I mean us two?” Jay agreed although he didn’t look too convinced either.

  “Maybe... we should try it again?” I found myself saying. It was almost as if someone else was controlling what I was saying. Why would I say that? I knew exactly what it was. I would kiss him again and prove that there was nothing there and reconfirm that snogging Jay was gross and not to be repeated and then I could carry on being a bitch to him and he could carry on behaving like a complete idiot.

  “Ok.”

  We were only about a millimetre apart when I heard Ella’s voice screech, “Charley!” And as her annoying voice rang through the air, we jumped apart. I turned to see her practically using the doorframe to hold herself up,

  “How long have you been there?” I demanded. I felt totally embarrassed.

  “Ages.” Ella giggled. She was swaying as she tried to keep eye contact with me.

  “I didn’t realise you were there,” I snapped, but then I felt my face flush red as I remembered the crap I’d said about being totally unaware of anyone else. Why did I open my mouth about rubbish theories? A kiss is just a kiss (or a mistake), right?

  “Now, snogging the face off his brother aint gonna win you that bet, is it?” Ella slurred at me and then shrieked with laughter. Even in that drunken state she was managing to laugh at me.

  “What?” Jay took a huge step back away from me. “Bet?”

  “Yeah Charley, tell him about our little wager. Charley thought she could take me on,” Ella smirked.

  “You two have got some sad pathetic bet going on over my brother, haven’t you?” Jay asked.

  “No!” I protested, looking at Jay.

  “How low is that? I mean, don’t get me wrong, he treats girls like shit and gets away with it. I don’t care about him, but for a minute I stupidly thought better of you.” Jay never took his eyes from me.

  “Oh my god, you sound like our mum,” Ella cackled.

  “Shut up!” I glared at Ella.

  “No, tell me about this bet.” Jay faced Ella, “Go on spit it out!”

  And Ella did spit it out, all over the hall carpet. She officially could not hold her drink. We both just seemed to be staring at her in disbelief as she somehow staggered to the toilet to finish off the job. Yuk.

  “You’ve already won the bet anyway.” Jay turned back to face me, his eyes were cold.

  “Wh
at?”

  “I can hear everything in here, Riley and his mates.” Jay continued. “They all thought you were fit apparently, so that’s all Riley needs - his mates to approve.”

  “What are you talking about?” I didn’t know what else to say and I hated the way Jay was looking at me,

  “Riley’s mates want you, that stupid idiot Sam wants you back and so now Riley wants you. He’s just like you really, he wants to win.” Jay said bitterly as if I was nothing more than a stupid waste of space.

  “What? I don’t even want him anymore, I’m nothing like him. I wasn’t even going to go through with this stupid bet!” I protested. I had tears in my eyes and I desperately tried to blink them away.

  “Whatever....I don’t even know you at all. I thought I might have, but I was wrong, completely wrong.”

  “Hey you!” Sarah came bounding into the kitchen, “Me and Bex are gonna watch Luke and some of the other boys play football tomorrow afternoon. Do you want to come?”

  “No, I hate football.” I lied.

  “Charley, you used to watch them play all the time or did you just go to watch Sam?” Sarah wouldn’t stop her embarrassing tirade of questions, even Bex who had followed her into the room was giving her a warning look, as she had clocked my teary eyes but Sarah was totally oblivious. “And since you’re such good friends with Jay now...”

  “What?” I tried to give her the shut-the-hell-up look but it wasn’t working.

  “Jay plays too, don’t you?” Sarah smiled at him and then me. So that figured how Jay knew Sam so well.

  “I can’t, I’ll be at the dance show,” I snapped at Sarah and her stupidity.

  “Oh, and just a heads up, I heard Ella’s got loads of people from school going to your dance show tomorrow.” Jay warned me but he still looked completely cold towards me.

  “I knew she was planning something!” Bex looked furious. “It’s going to be a disaster, she’ll make sure of it!”

  “Why do you care anyway?” I snapped at Jay. I couldn’t help it, I was hurt.

  “Just thought I’d let you know. You can get out of it now and save yourself the embarrassment. You know, Riley won’t wanna know you anymore if everyone’s laughing at you.”

  I couldn’t help but think that the last comment from Jay was low. He was being so mean. Bex was staring at me, looking for clues because she knew something was going on and Sarah just looked confused as usual.

  “You don’t know me very well at all, do you?” I half shouted. “I’ve made a promise to a bunch of kids that I‘ll be there tomorrow and I never ever break a promise. I couldn’t care less if the entire school is going to laugh at me for being there for those kids.” I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer as Bex made her way over to me.

  “Come on, let’s get you home.” She said as she put her arm around me. I shrugged it off, not because I wasn’t grateful but because I felt like I could and should stick up for myself.

  “You’re right what you said earlier Jay Jackson, you don’t know me at all!” And then I turned and left without giving anyone the chance to say anything more and I marched straight out of the front door and into the cold, crisp November air with tears streaming down my face.

  I am ME!

  “What are you doing back here?” I was in the middle of trying to remove a monkey tail from the back of one of the five year olds. I wasn’t expecting to see Bex here already. Hadn’t she said she was going to watch the lads play football? I was glad about that. I’d given her express permission to go to football, as I really didn’t need her here watching me prance around with the kids. I glanced at my watch - there would be at least a good fifteen minutes left of the football and that’s if it had started on time.

  It was weird being at school on a Saturday, but Stella had booked our school hall out and I just do what I’m told (mostly)! The show had just finished and nothing embarrassing had happened to me yet. Ella had had her head down the toilet all morning, so I guess she really wasn’t up to much and when I‘d mentioned it to Stella she’d given strict instructions for those at the door to not let anyone in without a ticket. She wasn’t going to have her mini dance show ruined. I suppose I had Jay to thank but I really didn’t want to be thinking about him today and I’d managed to push him out of my mind.

  “I need to ask you something.” Bex said. She looked a little confused, which was odd because Bex was never confused. She is the one who is always so clued up.

  “I thought you were gonna watch the boys play football.” I ignored her previous comment.

  “I did....Something happened at football.” Bex looked more confused.

  “Did you realise how cold and boring it is.” I laughed. I didn’t think Bex would be one to appreciate football very much.

  “Um no....there was a massive fight.”

  “Really? Oh, I missed it!” I signalled for the next five year old to come and have her costume sorted.

  “Jay got sent off...” Bex wasn’t laughing about it or even smiling. Normally she would have made a good joke or a sarcastic comment about it that would leave me in hysterics.

  “Oh,” I said, wondering why Bex seemed to think that this concerned me all of a sudden. “And I’m supposed to be the pathetic one, apparently,” I muttered. I couldn’t get the look out of my head that Jay had given me last night when he’d found out about that stupid bet.

  “Did you ever sleep with Sam?” Bex asked me, totally out of the blue. I felt winded by this sudden question that seemed so unrelated to what she had been talking about.

  “Ssshhh!” I glared at Bex and signalled to the little girl whose tail I seemed to be having such a hard job of unpinning.

  “Well?” Bex demanded.

  “Well what?” I stared at her, “What’s that got to do with a fight at football?” I huffed.

  “Have you or haven’t you?” Bex was relentless.

  “Yes!” I blurted out, “But just once, it only happened once. It was just before we split up, that’s why I never mentioned it.” I tried to explain myself. Bex looked more than furious. “Don’t be angry with me! I’m sorry I didn’t tell you!” I did a weak apologetic smile at her.

  “I’m not angry at you, I’m bloody furious at him!” Bex spat.

  “What?”

  “Wait till I get my hands on him!” Bex ranted and then turned and started to march off towards the door. I was completely confused. Why the hell was she so angry with Sam and what the hell was she going to do?

  “Bex, wait!” I called but she didn’t look around. “Bex, he didn’t make me sleep with him or anything, BEX!” I yelled because she just wasn’t listening. Half a dozen parents who had come to congratulate their kids were staring at me disapprovingly. I could almost sense their pity for my mother and imagined them bringing it up in their conversations later on.

  “Charley!” Stella was almost running over to me, “Whatever is going on? First I’ve had people at the door to keep your sister and her friends from ruining the show and now you’re shouting your mouth off about your sex life in front of the parents who I might add, pay a lot of money for their children to be taught by us!” Stella glared at me.

  “I’m sorry,” I mumbled. I felt totally stupid, I was a complete liability to her. I had jeopardised her dance school. Who would want to pay for their daughters to be taught by a teenage slut? Come on, that’s what they were all thinking.

  “Is there somewhere you need to be?” Stella’s face had softened into a look of concern and maybe a slight hint of amusement. “Go on, you’re done here for today. You’ve done well, apart from the end.” Stella smiled.

  “Don’t you need me to help clean up?” I asked, shocked.

  “Go on, I’ve been there. I was your age once, you know,” Stella winked at me.

  “Thanks!” I made sure I had no tails or anything monkey like attached to me, grabbed my jacket and bag and practically ran out of the school. I wondered if any of the boys were still about. I used to come and watch
Sam play the home games because his team always played them at our school. Our school field is massive and it rents out the pitches at the weekend to all sorts of teams - younger boys, a few men’s teams and occasionally a ladies match would all be playing at the same time.

  All the matches seemed to be finishing and a group of men came clattering noisily around the corner, their studs smacking the concrete.

  “Did you see that punch up on the pitch next to us?” One of the men said to another.

  “I’ve never seen a team fight each other before,” The other one laughed.

  So they’d all been fighting each other. The story was just getting weirder and weirder. I could see Sarah still standing on the sidelines even though most of the team had already wandered off to the changing rooms. “Charley!” Sarah spotted me and began to run over. “You’ve missed one helluva fight!”

  “I heard.”

  “I think that Jay’s got a bit of a thing for you. All that pretending you don’t like each other,” Sarah nudged me.

  “What are you talking about?” I wish someone would just tell me what was going on.

  “I heard everything. It all kicked off right in front of where I was standing.” Sarah was almost excited by this fact.

  “What exactly happened?” I was desperate to know how any of this concerned me.

  “Well, it was half time and Luke was giving Jay some sort of banter about you.”

  “Oh?” I prompted her to carry on.

  “He seemed to think there is something going on between you and Jay. I was about to march over there and tell him he’d got the wrong brother,” Sarah babbled. “There’s nothing going on is there?” Sarah’s bubbly voice had become a bit more serious and I think my face was giving me away.

  “No, well....no,” I stuttered. “Carry on.”

  “Then Sam got jealous....I think...”

  “Really? I butted in. It annoyed me that this excited me so much.

  “Yeah but then after a bit of pointless bickering over you... Sam said something really nasty.” Sarah enjoyed the suspense she thought she was creating.