The Boyfriend Bet Page 16

  “I did!” Jay grinned, “Come on!” He pulled me out of the door as we both laughed uncontrollably.

  The perfect alibi

  I had the best Saturday night ever and not because I was at a wild party that everyone would probably be talking about for the next year but because I was with the right person. Not that we had a lot of money to do anything but we both just wanted to get away from the big fakes at the party.

  It turns out that not only does Jay have the ‘chemistry thing’ I kept going on about but we had a lot to talk (and laugh) about. Funny really, because I never knew what to say to Sam. I was always worried what he’d think about me. It only had to take someone who suits me so much better to make me realise that Sam didn’t really suit me at all.

  We walked down to the river and then followed it into the town. Some of the boats had cute fairy lights on them and the town was lit up with Christmas lights that reminded me that it was December tomorrow. I wondered if Mum would still be seeing Simon at Christmas which also made me cringe at the fact that Mum was seeing Jay’s dad, yuk.

  We laughed at the people staggering out of bars, those that had drunk far too much too early on in the evening and laughed about how they reminded us of Ella and wondered if she was having a repeat of last night already.

  We scraped our money together and bought some chips from one of those places that stay open all night, making a fortune out of the drunk clubbers getting the munchies after they’d had enough to drink. We wandered back towards home eating our chips as we walked. I wondered if Jay would even want me to be his girlfriend after everything that had gone on; maybe he would just want to be friends. But I didn’t ask him because I didn’t want to ruin my perfect night.

  “So you kind of forfeited the bet then?” Jay asked in between a mouthful of chips.

  “Uh huh.” I nodded. “Guess I’m just gonna have to go through with what we shook on.”

  “Really? You don’t have to go through with anything!”

  “I do, I really do. We shook on it and she’ll never ever let me forget it if I don’t. Anyway, I would have made her go through with it.” I shrugged.

  “What exactly have you got to do?” Jay stopped and looked at me.

  “You’ll see.” I smiled. “You’ll definitely see!”

  Jay looked confused and slightly worried and I knew he was about to start hassling me to tell him but we’d reached the end of Astley street and there was a lot of commotion outside our end of the street with the unmistakeable bright blue flashing lights of a police car.

  “Oh my god!” I looked at Jay but we both knew we had to carry on in the direction of home. Mum and Simon were standing outside in the middle of the road next to two police cars and to say they looked pissed off was an understatement.

  “I’m so sorry about all of this! I can assure you that we came rushing back as soon as our neighbours rang us....” Mum was being extremely apologetic towards the policeman. “It took us just over an hour and a half to get here, but we left the hotel as soon as we got the call.” Mum was still trying to reassure the policeman that she was a responsible parent but he didn’t look too chuffed about the situation.

  I couldn’t hear everything the policeman said to her but I did hear him say “wastes valuable police time” and “underage drinking” and something else about being extremely busy on a Saturday night.

  “I can assure you that nobody is as disgusted and furious as me!” Mum was fuming.

  There was now a huge crowd of people outside and way too many people were still filtering out of our houses. I noticed a couple of Riley’s dumb mates in the back of a police car. They didn’t look too pleased and sure of themselves as they usually did. Actually I think one of them was crying like a baby.

  “Dad, what’s going on?” Jay shouted as he put his arm around me protectively.

  “Oh, so you two aren’t involved in this mess then?” Simon was shaking his head in that parent way of disbelief and disgust all rolled into one look.

  “Charley!” Mum balled at me, “What the hell is all this?”

  “She’s got nothing to do with it. She’s been with me. We went out.” Jay interrupted.

  “Well, where is Ella then!” Mum was almost hysterical. I shot Jay a grin, Riley and Ella were in so much trouble and we had an alibi, we hadn’t been there and I was totally going to play dumb about the whole party.

  It was a very eventful night with plenty of neighbour interaction and a very mortified Mum. Apparently Ella had been chucking up in the toilet again and (get this) Zoe had been cosying up with Riley in his bedroom. Meanwhile the neighbours had called Mum because the party was getting way out of hand but could no longer wait for Mum to come home because two of Riley’s mates had set fire to Mrs Jones’ bin and Tinkerbell had been ‘terribly frightened’ (apparently) and then the police had been called!

  Simon dragged Riley out of his room - he was only wearing his boxers and a t-shirt, ha! Zoe was hurriedly putting her jacket back on but her skirt was on back to front and Sam who had turned up to find Zoe had witnessed the whole thing! The look on Sam’s face was hilarious (I wish I’d have taken a picture).

  “That’s my girlfriend!” Sam had lunged at Riley but he didn’t get anywhere as it was right in front of the parents and the policemen. I just watched the whole ordeal with a very satisfied grin on my face. What a great end to a great night (for me), especially when Mum dragged in a very intoxicated Ella (with make-up down her face, one fake eyelash stuck to her cheek, her clip in extensions hanging out of her matted hair and to top it off – vomit down her dress) brilliant, bloody brilliant!

  “What about that kiss?” Jay asked with a cheeky grin. Mum and Simon had forgotten about us as they’d dragged Riley and Ella in for a bollocking and we’d watched every last person disappear.

  “What?” I asked in surprise.

  “That kiss you wanted, last night.”

  “Me?” I said in mock outrage, Jay had wanted to kiss me just as much as I had.

  “Don’t you want to be my girl?” Jay laughed, I knew he was half mocking Riley but he was serious too.

  “Yeah but you might not want to be with me when you see me at school on Monday.”

  “We’ll see.” Jay muttered as he pulled me in close.

  “Oi! You two, in here now!” Mum shouted from the door just as we were about to kiss. “Don’t think you’ve got away with it. You’re all in big trouble!”

  I laughed, as we made our way into my house. I knew Mum was mad and we were all in so much trouble but I didn’t care, not as long as I had Jay by my side, I couldn’t believe I had fallen for the last person on earth I ever imagined I would. Just goes to show how wrong you can be about someone....

  As the world should be...

  Ella and Riley are grounded for a very long time, Mum said she wasn’t happy with me because I should have told her about the party but she wasn’t as angry at me as she was at Ella. She’d been furious about Ella drinking so much. Mum hates it when people binge drink (she’s always going on about it) and she says it’s ten times worse when you’re underage but I personally just thought she was mega pissed off as Ella had stolen every last drop of the alcohol Mum had hidden in the cupboards. I didn’t say that though (I’m not that stupid)!

  Mum in her fury had confiscated Ella’s phone and unluckily for Ella, Mum had gone through it and embarrassingly read every text message. We all know Ella is good at boasting and hilariously she’d been texting Aimie all about her plan to frame Amelia. Even though I thought it was quite impossible, Mum was even more furious and let’s just say Amelia was soon to be off the hook and Ella was going to be in a lot of trouble at school as well as at home.

  While Ella was forced to stay in all Sunday and catch up with her homework, I was not and I enlisted the help of my friends to bury this bet thing once and for all. Mum was still fuming that her weekend had been ruined and Simon had come over to take Mum out for Sunday lunch. She’d then given strict instructio
ns to Ella that she would ring the house phone randomly and she’d better answer it if she knew what her life was worth!

  “Are you sure about this?” Sarah had asked after she had told me in great detail all about Luke and how great he is and what a good kisser he is etc etc.

  “Never been surer.” I grinned, “And don’t worry, I’ve got my hat at the ready!”

  Sarah shrugged at Bex and then they both agreed to do what I’d asked. I didn’t see Mum anymore that day, probably because I’d avoided her and Ella had been fast asleep when I’d gone up to bed. I lay in bed wondering about tomorrow, even though I knew I was going to be in big trouble - but there are some things in life you just have to do.

  I waited till Ella had gone and Mum was bellowing at me to be leaving for school, I ran down the stairs in my hat, grabbed my jacket and bundled out of the door past Mum, who was too busy muttering about how rude we all are and how we don’t respect her as she manhandled Peter. Don’t know if she even looked up at me - she didn’t say any snarky comments about the hat.

  I made sure I was late enough for school to miss registration but I could not believe it when Mr Harrison had caught me signing in late again and made me join assembly!

  “Please Sir, Mrs Davenport doesn’t like people interrupting her assembly!” I protested as he’d marched me to the double doors and I could see clearly that Mrs Davenport was standing in front of the assembly and she was having one of her legendary rants. You could tell just by her face and her finger pointing!

  “No excuses, Charley. Get here on time next time.” Mr Harrison opened the heavy door for me and I crept in as quietly as possible and sat at the back, which I did really well until those bloody doors slammed shut echoing through the hall again. I really should have learnt by now!

  “Charley Wallis! Come up here now.” Mrs Davenport stopped her apparent rant and started on me. This was like a serious case of déjà vu.

  “What?” I said in surprise. Why was she picking on me again? What had I actually done to warrant her even calling me up in front of assembly? She bloody well hated me! That was the only logical explanation and I had a good mind to tell her that the feeling was mutual.

  “Now!” Mrs Davenport half shouted. My god she was super stressed today. Well, there was no time like the present to get in trouble and I had been expecting it, so for once I stood up and walked as confidently towards the front of assembly as I’d ever walked before.

  “Don’t tell me you’ve got a note for that hat again?” Mrs Davenport huffed. “What are you hiding under it today?”

  I could hear sniggering as people began to sit up straighter and become more interested in what had obviously been a very boring assembly before I’d come in to provide the entertainment. I looked at Bex and Sarah who were sitting in our normal row. They smiled at me encouragingly. Mrs Davenport opened her mouth - I know she was about to demand that I took the hat off - but I didn’t even give her the satisfaction of bellowing out her orders.

  I pulled the hat off and let my new very bright and dazzling magenta hair tumble out of the hat and fall onto my shoulders. Ella had never specified which shade of pink and I’d chosen the one labelled ‘magenta’. Now that was what I called a tolerable pink (with a hint of purple)! Mrs Davenport’s face was a picture. I don’t know if she was more peed off that I hadn’t let her bawl her orders out at me and then eventually her authority would win or the fact that I was standing in front of her with very non-regulation hair.

  “Get out!” Mrs Davenport screeched. “You’re excluded!”

  I walked past the rows of students all watching me walk the walk of shame: some were laughing, some were nodding in appreciation because obviously pink hair was way more cooler than the orange mess and black eye look I so obviously couldn’t pull off. Mrs Davenport was getting agitated that she couldn’t quieten down the students and when I walked past Jay’s row he was just staring at me in shock. I started getting all paranoid and thinking he’d gone off me because I looked so stupid with my outrageous hair.

  I waited until lunch to ask the covering teacher if I could go to the toilet and I couldn’t believe my luck when I was allowed to go. How dumb are the teachers? I legged it round the school until I found my mates and Jay in the canteen. I thought it was just too lucky that they all seemed to be together and then I saw why. Sarah was practically stuck to Luke London!

  “Oh my god Charley!” Bex was waving me over.

  “Hey, I haven’t got long,” I managed to say even though I was out of breath.

  “Guess why the old battleaxe was doing assembly? Sarah interrupted. “She’d heard all about how half the students at her school had attended an out of control party and were involved in underage drinking and then lectured us about social media and how things can get out of hand!”

  “No way?” I looked around at the others but they were all nodding. How funny was that? Ella would be pleased - she was finally famous.

  “Do you wanna hear something else funny?” Jay looked like he couldn’t wait to tell me something utterly hilarious so I let him go on. “Ella asked Riley out last night and he said no. Apparently he doesn’t want a girlfriend and if he did, he wouldn’t choose her because she’s so embarrassing and can’t handle her drink!”

  “No!” I said in disbelief - he was so making it up. “And how do you know that?”

  “Dad took his phone away from him last night as he’s grounded and I had a look at his messages.” Jay said smugly and I laughed as I smacked his arm and tutted at him. My god, that is hilarious. “So technically Ella lost the bet too!”

  “Oh my god, you are so right! I’m totally making her aware of this.” I said as my mind ran away with the thought of her having to carry out the task I’d set her if she lost the bet.

  “Please Sam, listen....I didn’t do anything!” I looked up to see Sam walking away from a very distraught Zoe as she was desperately trying to grab his arm right in the middle of the dining hall!

  “Anyway do you like my hair?” I asked Jay after I’d finished laughing. “Do you still want me to be your girl?” I mocked his choice of words he’d used last night. I could see in the corner of my eye that Sarah’s eyes were nearly bulging out of her head but Jay didn’t say anything. He just grabbed me and planted a massive kiss on my lips and yes it felt amazing and I still carried on kissing him even when I could hear a lot of ‘ooooooohs’ from all the nosey people around us. How rude!

  “Charley Wallis, it’s bad enough you’re walking around the school with that ridiculous hair colour, but now you’re swapping saliva with another student! Get back to Isolation!” Mrs Davenport was standing right behind me. I wondered if she had me on radar and she was the only person who would use such a phrase as ‘swapping saliva’ in a serious statement!

  “I’ll see you in Isolation later!” Jay called after me as Mrs Davenport marched me back. I grinned. I wondered just how far Jay would go to be sent to Isolation but I didn’t care. And I didn’t care how much trouble I was in because right now, I was the happiest I’d ever been...

  Other books by Josie Eccles:

  The prom, the date and a whole lot of laxatives!

  The break up, the make up and a whole lot of pants!