Cathy Hopkins - [Mates, Dates 04] Read online

  After we’d got our popcorn, Scott was still standing on his own, so we found Lucy and Izzie then made our way over to him.

  ‘Been stood up?’ asked Nesta.

  Lucy punched her arm. ‘Nesta!’

  ‘What?’ said Nesta. ‘What?’

  ‘Actually,’ said Scott, his face brightening immediately. ‘I was waiting for you.’

  ‘As if,’ said Nesta, tossing her hair.

  Scott checked downstairs then, seeing no one was coming up, he linked his arm through hers. ‘Looks like my mate has been held up, so the honour of keeping me company is yours.’

  ‘Mate or date been held up?’ asked Nesta. ‘Admit it. You’ve been stood up.’

  Lucy punched her arm again. ‘Excuse my rude friend,’ she said to Scott. ‘We don’t often let her out at night.’

  Scott grinned. ‘So, you coming then?’ he said to Nesta before turning to the rest of us. ‘Sorry, girls. Only got dosh for two tickets.’

  Nesta took his arm out of hers and came to stand behind us.

  ‘Actually,’ she said. ‘I already have plans. With people who actually bother to turn up. Come on, girls. I’m going to the ladies’.‘

  Scott looked taken aback as we walked off leaving him standing there. As I looked over my shoulder, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. I know him well enough to recognise that what we’d just witnessed was a huge act of bravado. Everything Steve said to me yesterday came flooding back. How hard it is for boys to take rejection even if they don’t show it. It still hurts. His date hadn’t shown and Nesta had made a fool of him on top of everything else.

  As we stood in front of the mirrors doing our hair and lippie and stuff, I made up my mind.

  ‘I’m going to ask if Scott would like me to go with him to a movie.’

  ‘No,’ chorused Izzie, Lucy and Nesta.

  ‘Why not? He’s been let down. He probably feels lousy.’

  ‘Who? Scott? Nah, he’s well sure of himself,’ said Nesta. ‘He thinks he’s God’s gift and could probably do with being brought down a peg or two.’

  ‘No, he’s really sweet underneath. It’s all an act,’ I said.

  ‘Ah,’ sighed Lucy. ‘Love is blind.’

  ‘Well, you don’t want to be too easy if you really like him,’ said Iz. ‘You need to play hard to get. Boys like the chase.’

  ‘But I feel sorry for him,’ I said. ‘I’m going to go and ask him.’

  ‘How can someone with so many brains be so stupid?’ asked Nesta as Lucy sighed in exasperation.

  ‘You can think what you like,’ I said, as I did a last check of my appearance. ‘But I’ve known him longer than you and this is something I have to do.’

  With that, I turned on my heel. As the loo door closed behind me, I could hear Lucy telling Nesta off for being insensitive.

  ‘Yeah. OK, then,’ said Scott, when I told him that I’d keep him company. ‘But I’m not going to see the same movie as your mates.’

  ‘But Izzie already got me a ticket.’

  ‘I’m not sitting anywhere near that lesbian.’

  ‘Lesbian?’

  ‘Nesta.’

  I laughed. Sour grapes, I thought, but I didn’t say anything. He was just lashing out because she’d humiliated him in front of the rest of us.

  There were five other films on at the complex so I let him pick what we were going to see. He chose a sci-fi film.

  ‘I’m not mad on sci-fi,‘ I said. ’Are you sure you don’t want to see the new comedy with Julia Roberts? I’ve heard it’s a real laugh. And we can sit on the other side from the girls.‘

  ‘No way,’ said Scott. ‘The sci-fi or I’m going home.’

  In the end, I gave in. I didn’t mind. What I really wanted was a chance to spend some time with Scott alone and see what happened.

  Scott loved the film, but I couldn’t concentrate. As the screen filled with manic scenes from intergalactic wars, I was only aware of the proximity of Scott. Our knees and elbows touched a couple of times and I was hoping that he would hold my hand, but he just stuffed his face with popcorn.

  Maybe real life isn’t like the movies, I thought, as another alien got his three heads ripped off, squirting green blood all over the hero. Maybe in real life, romance isn’t beautiful sunsets and gentle kisses. Maybe in real life, romance is sitting in the dark wondering if the boy you’re with is ever going to make a move that isn’t him merely shifting position in his seat. Maybe romance is all fantasy. For the last few days, that’s all I’d done. Every night before I went to sleep, I imagined my first kiss with Scott. First he’d push a lock of hair behind my ear, then look deeply into my eyes, then softly press his lips on mine and…

  A phwt noise beside me disturbed my thoughts.

  Scott had farted.

  ‘Oops,’ he said with a grin. ‘Popcorn-flavoured.’

  After the movie, we made our way out back into the foyer and Scott was a few steps in front of me. Suddenly, he spotted a few of his mates who had been with him in Hampstead on the day of the photo shoot. One of them came over.

  ‘You’re the girl who was having her photo taken the other day, aren’t you?’ he asked. I nodded.

  ‘You looked really good,’ he said. ‘Thanks.’

  Suddenly, Scott took my hand.

  ‘Yeah, this is TJ,’ he said, as he introduced the group of boys.

  Then he put his arm round me. ‘Just been to see Alien Mutants in Cyberspace’ he said, then winked at them. ‘Didn’t get to see much of the film, though, if ya know what I mean…’

  The boys sniggered knowingly.

  ‘Anyway, got to go,’ said Scott and looked at me fondly. ‘The night is young.’

  ‘Yeah, right,’ said one of the boys as Scott pulled me away.

  What was going on? I wondered. Did he fancy me after all and, as Steve said, had been acting cool? Or was this all a big act to make his mates think we were on a date? He still had hold of my hand as we went down the escalator and out the foyer but, unlike the day in Hampstead, I wasn’t feeling all fluttery inside. I felt muddled. I didn’t want to take my hand away though, as I remembered what he’d said about the night being young. Things could only get better.

  When we got outside, I suggested we go and have a cappuccino.

  ‘Got no money left,’ he said.

  ‘No prob. My treat.’

  Scott shrugged. ‘OK, then. And a hot dog?’

  ‘Fine,’ I said.

  ‘With onions.’

  ‘Fine.’

  For the next half hour, he talked. I listened.

  He talked.

  He talked.

  I listened.

  I was bursting to tell him all about my last few weeks. Emails from Hannah and Paul. The magazine. My new mates. So much had happened, but I couldn’t get a word in edgeways. He talked, I listened. That was the deal and always has been since I’d known him. I’d just never been bothered about it before. As I tried to appear interested, I thought that even Mojo was more interested in what I had to say. And he’s a dog.

  ‘So, enough about me. What about you?’ he said, finally pausing for breath. ‘What do you think of me?’

  Then he laughed like he’d said the funniest thing ever.

  I couldn’t help but think how easy Steve had been to talk to. We’d never shut up the other day in the park. But with him, it had been equal. I talked, he listened. He talked, I listened. He’d seemed interested in what I had to say and what my opinions were.

  I took a long look at Scott. No doubt he was mucho cute to look at. A lovely curly mouth and deep-brown eyes. But as I stared into them, I thought, Scott Harris, I’ve never realised this before but you are boring. As in B. O. R. üing.

  I had a sudden urge to go home, talk to Mojo, email Hannah and even maybe catch up with Steve. He had promised to start work on his article for the magazine and I could call to see how it was coming along.

  We got the bus home together and when we got to our houses, Scott did a
quick check up and down the street, then up at the windows. I was about to go in, when he suddenly pushed me against the wall and the next thing I knew I was being snogged.

  My first snog.

  Ugh. Agh, I thought as his mouth crashed into mine. And erlack, onions. His mouth tasted ukky. It was a really wet, slimy kiss, not how I’d imagined it at all.

  When he’d finished cleaning my teeth with his tongue, he stood back, looking really pleased with himself.

  ‘Catcha later,’ he said, pointing his index finger at me. Then he turned and went inside.

  ‘Not if I see you first,’ I thought as I wiped my mouth on my arm.

  A couple of hours later, I was up in my room working on some ideas for the magazine when the phone went.

  ‘TJ, it’s Nesta.’

  ‘Oh, hi… Nes…’

  ‘Listen,’ interrupted Nesta. ‘I’ve got something to say to you and I hope you won’t take it the wrong way, but, well, that boy Scott… he’s not the one for you. Don’t ask me how I know, I just do. He thinks too much of himself and I know boys like that look pretty, but all they are interested in is themselves. You deserve better. You mustn’t be a doormat. You can do better, believe me. It’s just you’re suffering from low self-esteem, but someone will come along who you’ll have a better time with. Who really wants to be with you. Because you are a babe. With brains. Lethal combination as I’ve said before. And I know you like Scott and now you’re probably going to hate me and not speak to me, but as a friend I felt I had to tell you. TJ, are you there? Do you hate me now? Please say something? Oh, hell bells and poo. Lucy said I shouldn’t phone but Izzie said I should. TJ,TJ…?’

  I couldn’t say anything because I was too busy laughing and I’d put my hand over the phone so she couldn’t hear.

  ‘Nesta. I agree.’

  ‘You… you what’?‘

  ‘Yeah, you’re right. Scott Harris. Cute but dull. Dull as dishwater. And… he’s a bad snogger.’

  ‘He snogged you!’ exclaimed Nesta. ‘Ohmigod. Details.’

  We spent the next half-hour yabbering about snogs and Nesta told me all about some of her early disasters.

  ‘It’s not always like that,’ she said in the end.

  ‘Phewww,’ I said. ‘So there’s hope.’

  ‘Mucho mucho,’ said Nesta. ‘It can be just how you imagined it and better.’

  When I put down the phone, I felt really happy. That night, as I fell asleep, a different boy seemed to have taken Scott’s place in my snogging fantasy.

  email: Outbox (1)

  From: [email protected]

  To: [email protected]

  Date: 29 June

  Subject: new email

  Note new email address. Whatdoyathink ?

  TJ

  email: Inbox (2)

  From: [email protected]

  To: [email protected]

  Date: 29 June

  Subject: new email

  Bootylicious. See you tomorrow pm at Lucy’s for the magazine finale.

  Nesta

  From: [email protected]

  To: [email protected]

  Date: 29 June

  Subject: hol

  Hi TJ

  Holiday really not going as planned- Monsoons have hit the resort. Torrential rain so impossible to sleep on beach. Am crashing in a hut with four other travellers, but caught head lice after I borrowed a sleeping bag (mine was nicked), Oh, and to top it all, Saskia has run away with the holy man from Kilburn. I have the runs and mosquito bites as big as golf balls.

  Hope all well your end.

  Love

  Paul

  PS Please ask Dad to send very strong medical supplies. Anything and everything.

  C h a p t e r 1 3

  The Mad House

  Contents - Prev / Next

  The next afternoon, I had half of North London employed as my editorial staff.

  At home, I’d asked Mum and Dad each to write something.

  ‘We’re theming the magazine towards summer,’ I said to Dad, ‘so I’d like you to do some handy hints for travelling abroad from a doctor’s point of view. Make it relevant. A mini medical cabinet that you could pack in a suitcase. Stuff for sunburn, mosquitoes, the runs and so on.’

  ‘Will do,’ he said with a grin.

  I think he was really chuffed to have been asked.

  And Mum was doing an article on how to deal with exam stress.

  ‘Ten handy hints,’ I said. ‘It has to be accessible.’

  I left them listening to Radio 4 and sipping Earl Grey tea as they worked.

  Over at Nesta’s, Tony was working on a cartoon for a competition. We were going to invite readers to send in captions and print the best in the next edition. If there was a next edition.

  At Lucy’s, Steve and I worked en the computer in his and Lal’s bedroom.

  Lucy and Nesta were finishing their articles in the living-room.

  Izzie was on the computer in Lucy’s bedroom, working out horoscopes for the coming month.

  Mrs Lovering kept bringing us herbie drinks with ginseng and some icky-tasting stuff called Guryana.

  ‘Keeps you alert’, she said.

  And Mr Lovering sat in the kitchen playing his guitar.

  ‘Music to inspire the workers,’ he said, when I went down to ask for a new ink cartridge for the printer. How a rendition of You Ain’t Nothing But a Hound Dog was supposed to motivate us, I have no idea, but Ben and Jerry seemed to like it as they joined in, howling away with great gusto.

  ‘This place is a mad house,’ sais Lal, looking at his dad with disapproval. ‘I’m off somewhere normal. Where I can think in peace!’

  ‘Go to my house, then,’ I said. ‘It’s like a morgue.’

  No one’s ever happy with their lot, I thought, as I watched his storm off in a huff. I’m sure Mum and Dad would agree with Lal if they came over but I loved it. Mr L (as Izzie calls him) is a real laugh and as opposite to my dad as anyone you could meet. He’s an old hippie who’s losing his hair, yet has a ponytail. And he wears very bright Hawaiian shirts and Indian sandals. Mrs L is hippie-dippie too, today wearing a Peruvian skirt with mirrors round the hern and a rather strange crocheted top.

  ‘You OK, TJ?’ asked Steve, when I went back upstairs. ‘You’re kind of quiet today.’

  ‘Yuh, yunewee,’ I muttered.

  A lot had happened in the last twenty-four hours. Mainly in my head. I’d had my eyes opened to what a user Scott was and I was experiencing an almighty twinge of conscience that I’d treated Steve the same way. Someone to earbash with my problems. Only last week I’d been on about how much I fancied Scott and how he never noticed me and treated me like a mate and nothing more. That was exactly how I’d treated Steve. And he’d been so sweet, reassuring me that I was fanciable and telling me how boys really felt about girls.

  As I sat next to him at the desk, I felt the warmth of his arm against mine and caught the scent of soap on his skin. Back came the old fluttery feeling, only this time, I was with Steve, not Scott. How had I not noticed what nice eyes he had? Kind. Hazel-brown with honey flecks around the iris. And good hands, I thought, as he pressed keys on the computer keyboard, long fingers, elegant.

  And it was too late. If I said anything, he’d think I was a complete airhead. Fickle and a half. In love with Scott one week, fancying him the next.

  ‘So have you decided what to do about Wendy Roberts and her dentures?’ asked Steve, leaning over me to see what I’d written.

  ‘Er, yu … MM… wee… Wendy, yes. I’ve decided I’m not going to stoop to her level. I’ll save stuff like that for my secret notebook and use it later when I write novels.’

  ‘Good for you,’ said Steve. ‘So do you reckon we’ll be ready to hand the mag in on Monday?’

  ‘Nih… ing… yah …’ I said, cursing Alien Girl who had taken over my vocal chords. ‘Umost. I mean, almost.’

  Steve was looking at me as though I
had two heads.

  ‘Gottask Luceand Nestasomething. Backinaminute,’ I said, jumping up.

  I stumbled downstairs to find Lucy and Nesta. I needed help.

  I sat on the floor and put my head in my hands. ‘Ag. Agh. Agherama.’

  ‘Hey, it’ll be all right. We’re almost there,’ said Nesta. ‘We’ll do it on time.’

  ‘Do what?’ I said, looking up.

  ‘The mag.’

  ‘Oh it’s not that. It’s…“ I looked at Lucy. Steve was her brother. What would she jthink if she knew I’d been fantasising about him? She knew how I felt about Scott. She’d think I was a complete tart for changing my mind so fast.

  ‘So what is it?’ asked Lucy.

  ‘Nothing,’ I said.

  ‘Yeah, looks like it,’ said Nesta. ‘Come on, spill.’

  I sighed. Then looked at the two of them waiting expectantly. Then I sighed again.

  Nesta and Lucy started doing big sighs as well. Then really exaggerating them, heaving huge extended breaths until I had to laugh.

  ‘OK. Lie out on the sofa,’ said Lucy.

  I did as I was told and Lucy sat at the other end.

  ‘So Miss Vatts. Vat seems to be ze problem?’

  I couldn’t say. Silence. Big silence. It grew and filled the room.

  ‘Ah. Boy trouble,’ said Lucy.

  ‘But which boy?’ said Nesta. ‘You’re over Scott n’est-ce pas?’

  I nodded. ‘It’s another boy who I’ve only just realised I like. Much nicer than Scott. And now I’m all tongue-tied and stupid around him. And I think I’ve blown it. And it’s probably too late.’

  ‘Oh, you mean Steve?’ asked Lucy.

  ‘How did you know?’

  ‘Kind of obvious from the start,’ said Lucy.

  ‘Obvious? To who? I’ve only just realised. And who knows what’s going on in his head. If he likes me.’

  ‘Er, hello?’ said Lucy. ‘What planet are you on exactly?’