Cathy Hopkins - [Mates, Dates 05] Read online

  ‘Maybe I should put on his side that he likes girls who have boobs like peanuts,’ I said.

  ‘Put: Likes petite,’ said Izzie. ‘Sounds better.’

  I added that to his side of the paper, then as Izzie instructed, I wrapped the paper in tissue and put it in my Chinese box in the drawer in the bedside cabinet.

  ‘Excellent,’ said Izzie. ‘Now let’s see when he turns up. It may even be on Friday. It’s Ben’s birthday and his parents are letting him have a party at his house. He said to invite you and Nesta and TJ. You will come, won’t you?’

  ‘Are Simon and Steve going?’ I asked.

  ‘And Lai,’ Izzie said. ‘But there’ll be loads of other boys there. It’d be amazing if perfect boy turned up.’

  I laughed. She really believed in her hocus-pocus.

  ‘Course, I’ll come,’ I said. ‘It might be fun.’ I had to admit that a part of me was secretly hoping that Izzie’s wish list would work. I had nothing to lose by going to find out.

  All the girls looked stunning at the party. Izzie was wearing a white peasant top, a denim ruffle skirt and cowboy boots, Nesta was in a blue strappy slip dress and TJ was in jeans, but she was wearing a fab turquoise halter-top.

  I wore an outfit I’d made a few weeks before. It was a tight red corset basque that laced down the back and a black tafFeta skirt. And I wore a bright red lipstick to go with the corset. I felt really good. Really in the mood for flirting.

  ‘You look amazing,’ said Izzie to me. ‘Sexy.’

  ‘Thought I’d better make an effort in case dreamboy’s here,’ I laughed.

  ‘You look like a character out of Moulin Rouge,’ said TJ. ‘Really suits you.’

  ‘Thanks,’ I said, doing a quick scan of the room. On first glance, dreamboy was nowhere to be seen. There were loads of boys there, but not one who came close to fitting the bill. There was a thin, dark-haired boy in the corner and I could see he was eyeing me up, but I turned away. Definitely not my type, though it was nice to be noticed.

  As the party got going, it soon became clear who was in a couple and who was single. In the front room, someone changed the music to a CD of love ballads and some of the couples got up to drape themselves round each other and smooch-dance. I decided to go and investigate the rest of the house and practise my flirting, but every room I went into seemed to be full of couples snogging. The front room, the hall, the little conservatory at the back of the house, everywhere. The singletons present mooched about from room to room trying to look as though they were having a great time but I could tell that some of them felt like I did. Like we had neon signs over our head saying ‘SINGLE’. The only person there who seemed to be enjoying being single was Lai. So far, I’d seen him snog two different girls, one in the hall and one on the landing.

  ‘It’s quality not quantity,’ I told him when he came up for air between girls. ‘Do those two know about each other?’

  He grinned.‘Course not.’

  ‘And don’t you ever think about their feelings?’

  ‘Oh, get off my case, Miss Prissy Knickers,’ he said. ‘Chill out. You take it all way too seriously. You should be more like me. Enjoy. We’re young, we’re free, we’re single.’

  ‘I don’t want to be like you. I do actually want to feel something for the people I snog,’ I said.

  ‘Why? You’re missing out, I tell you,’ he said, as he spotted a small dark girl who looked a bit lonely. ‘Anyway, got to go. So many girls, so little time.’

  ‘Seen anyone you like?’ asked TJ when I went into the kitchen to get a drink.

  I shook my head.

  ‘There’s a few more boys upstairs. Why don’t you go and have a look?’ she suggested.

  I traipsed up the stairs behind her. A crowd of lads were in Ben’s bedroom playing a game on his computer. I glanced over at them then shook my head.

  ‘No thanks,’ I said, and turned to go back downstairs. ‘They all look like they’re up past their bedtime. Way too young.’

  It was then that I saw him. He was coming in the front door and he was drop dead gorgeous. A tingle went through me. Dreamboy most definitely, I thought.

  It was Tony.

  I drew back and sat on the top stair so that he couldn’t see me, then watched him through the banisters. There was someone with him. A willowy girl with long blonde hair. She was very very pretty. He took her hand and led her into the kitchen. No wonder he wanted to be free for the holidays, I thought. Free to go out with her.

  Nesta came racing up the stairs a moment later. ‘Ohmigod,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry, Lucy. I didn’t know he was coming. Do you want me to ask him to leave?’

  ‘No. No. Course not. He’d think I was pining after him,’ I said. Til keep out of his way. It’ll be fine. How long has he been seeing her?‘

  Nesta shrugged. ‘New one to me,’ she said.

  ‘Well you can’t stay up here all night hiding,’ said TJ. ‘Look he’s gone into the kitchen. Come down and go in the front room and Nesta, you go and distract Tony.’

  I followed them down, but suddenly I wasn’t in the party mood anymore. What was the point of practising my flirting on boys I definitely had no interest in? I could hear Tony talking in the kitchen and laughing. Oh hell. What was I going to do?

  ‘Get off with one of the boys,’ said TJ, coming in to the front room to join me. ‘Act like you don’t care, show him that you’ve moved on as well.’

  I looked at the assorted gangly boys on offer and shook my head. ‘Nah, I don’t want to get into playing games just to get a reaction from him. Look TJ, I’m going to go home. I’ll just slip out. Tell the others I’ve gone.’

  Izzie got up from the sofa where she’d been sitting with Ben.

  ‘You need to sort it out between you and Tony,’ she said. ‘Otherwise, it’s always going to come back and ruin your peace of mind. Lucy, for your inner happiness, you have to clear up anything unfinished.‘

  ‘Yeah right,’ I said and headed for the front door.

  When I got home, I thought about what I/ had said as I left the party. Something about finishing everything that’s left unfinished in your life. She was right. That’s exactly what I needed to do. So I finished off a tub of Ben & Jerry’s, a packet of Rolos and a packet of double chocolate chip cookies.

  Somehow I don’t think those were the sort of things she had in mind.

  C h a p t e r 6

  Family Advice

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  Mum brought me a cup of tea in bed the next day.

  ‘You all right, Lucy?’ she said, sitting down on the end of the bed.

  I nodded. ‘Sort of.’

  ‘Good party last night?’

  ‘Sort of,’ I said.

  ‘Usual crowd?’

  ‘Yeah, and a load of Ben’s mates.’ I sat up and took a sip of the tea, then decided to fill her in. ‘Everyone has got a boyfriend except me.’

  ‘So what happened to Tony? I thought he was your boyfriend. Sort of.’

  ‘He’s got someone new. He was there with her last night.’

  ‘Oh Lucy, poor you. Was it horrible?’

  ‘Sort of.’ I felt my face start to crumple. It always makes me blub when people are nice to me. I’m weird like that.

  ‘Sort of,’ said Mum. ‘Makes a change from whatever. Want to talk about it?’

  ‘It’s just… all week, TJ and Nesta and Izzie have been on a mission to find me a boy, but…’

  Mum nodded. ‘You don’t want just any boy?’

  ‘Exactly. Going out looking for one only made me more aware than ever that I don’t have one. Then last night Tony turns up with a new girlfriend and now I’m beginning to feel that I’m the only one without anyone and I’ll never meet someone new.’

  Mum put her hand on my arm and gave it a squeeze. ‘A gorgeous girl like you - course you will.’

  ‘No, I won’t. I must be doing something to put boys off. What’s wrong with me?’

  ‘Wrong with you
? Nothing.’

  ‘Or maybe I shouldn’t be so fussy. Maybe I’m aiming too high, for someone who doesn’t exist. Maybe I should just go out with whoever’s available?’

  ‘Never,’ said Mum. ‘You just haven’t met the right one yet. I remember when“ I was a teenager, I used to be quite stroppy and say exactly what I thought and that definitely seemed to frighten off the boys. A friend of mine said that I had to learn to compromise - that boys liked girls to be cute, like kittens, and that I’d have to learn to shut my mouth. Yuck, I thought. I could never be one of those whimpering girlie girls who don’t know their own mind. But there were times when I doubted myself and thought, what’s wrong with me? I thought I’d never meet the right boy or one who I could be myself with. It was rubbish. When you meet the right boy, he likes you exactly the way you are and you don’t have to put on any act. You hold out until it really feels right. For you and not your friends or anyone else.’

  ‘So how do you know if it’s right?’

  ‘You just do. You can’t stop thinking about him. You’re happy around him. But mainly because you can be yourself with him. More yourself than with anyone.’

  I nodded. I knew what she meant. I felt like that when I was with Tony.

  ‘I’m off now,’ said Mum, getting up. ‘You have a lie-in, you lucky thing. Holidays. I wish. And Dad told me to tell you that the offer’s still open for you to go with him next weekend to that workshop if you want. You never know, you might enjoy it.’

  I shook my head. ‘No thanks.’ Being stuck with a load of adults straining to contort themselves into yoga postures wasn’t my idea of fun. ‘But thanks for the tea and sympathy, Mum.’

  ‘Any time.’ Mum smiled, then began singing as she went out the door. ‘Some day Lucy’s prince will come.’

  ‘Mu-um,’ I groaned. ‘Let the whole house know, why don’t you?’ Honestly. She could be really lovely and sensitive one minute, then completely blow it the next.

  Steve was slumped over a cup of tea at the kitchen table when I got downstairs.

  ‘What’s up with you?’ I said, looking at his long face.

  ‘TJ’s off today,’ he said. ‘Scotland. She wants you to call her before she goes.’

  Of course. She was going on holiday with her mum and dad. Poor Steve. He looked really down in the dumps about it.

  ‘It’s only for a week,’ I said. ‘You’ll live.’

  ‘Uh,’ he said, then glanced up at me. ‘You all right after last night?’

  ‘Uh,’ I answered, making an effort to speak his language.

  That was as close as Steve and I ever got to a heart-to-heart. He’s not very good at talking about his feelings, but maybe that’s just because he’s my brother and he’s different with other people. Sometimes I wonder what he talks to TJ about. Or maybe he doesn’t. Maybe she likes the silent types or men of few words, like ‘uh’ or ‘nah’.

  Lai, on the other hand, is different altogether. He’s like Nesta - says what he thinks, asks what he wants to know.

  A thumping on the stairs announced his arrival and he burst into the kitchen and helped himself to a large bowl of Shreddies.

  ‘So, Lucy,’ he said, sitting opposite me at the table. ‘I heard you left Ben’s party early last night. What was all that about?’

  ‘And who are you?’ I asked. ‘The Spanish Inquisition?’

  He took no notice. ‘You and Tony? Or not you and Tony? Have you broken up? Gone off you, has he?’

  Tactful as ever, my brother. ‘We were never really together together,’ I said. ‘And no, he hasn’t gone off me, he…’

  ‘Want me to beat him up?’

  I laughed. I knew he didn’t mean it. ‘Yeah. Like you could.’

  ‘No one messes with my sister,’ he said. ‘Are you upset?’

  ‘I’ll live.’

  ‘That means you are.’

  ‘Leave off her,’ said Steve.

  ‘Boys are only after one thing,’ said Lai. ‘Did he finish with you because you wouldn’t… you know… put out?’

  ‘Lai,’ said Steve. ‘It’s none of your business.’

  ‘He never said anything about that,’ I said, ‘but it probably had something to do with it.’

  ‘So put out,’ said Lai. ‘Then he’ll have you back.’

  ‘And when did you become the expert on relationships?’ I asked.

  Lai shrugged. ‘Boys like girls who put out. Everyone knows that.’

  I felt myself starting to get really miffed with him. ‘And what about your treat-’em-mean-to-keep-‘em-keen philosophy?’ I asked. ‘Last month that’s what you told me. You can’t follow two different sets of rules. I can’t put out and treat ’em mean to keep ‘em keen, can I? Can I?’

  Lai looked confused for a moment.

  ‘And since when did your angle win the girls?’ I went on. ‘I know you might have snogged a lot but how many of them have hung around to go out on proper dates? You’ve never even had a proper girlfriend, so you can’t talk.’

  ‘Don’t want a committed girlfriend,’ said Lai sulkily. ‘Girls are nothing but trouble when you get to know them properly.’

  ‘Not all boys are like Lai,’ said Steve. ‘Some boys like girls for their company.’

  ‘Who are you kidding?’ asked Lai. ‘I’m just being honest here.’

  ‘So am I,’ said Steve. ‘I want to be with a girl who’s got a good personality. Who I like being with. You just want to snog as many as you can so that you can boast to your mates about it.’

  ‘And what’s wrong with that? No, you take my advice, Lucy. Put out.’

  ‘What? So that he can put me on his conquest chart?’ I asked. ‘There’s more to relationships than scoring points, you know.’

  Lai has a chart on the back of his door — The Snog Chart. He and his mate Harry are having a competition to see who can snog the most girls per week. When they get off with one, they come home and mark it on the chart. Like when Lai was at the party, they’re not at all choosy about who they kiss or even if they like the girl, only that it’s another conquest for the chart. Lai’s winning by two this week.

  ‘You should be more like me,’ said Lai. ‘Don’t get hung up on one person and get your heart broken. Play the field. You need more experience. Snog loads of boys and boost your confidence.’

  I’d had enough. ‘I think I’ll go and call TJ,’ I said, getting up. ‘Thanks so much for the advice, boys. I’m so lucky to have brothers like you. “Uh” from Steve and “put out” from you, Lai. Thanks, it’s really helped.’

  I couldn’t believe it. Lai looked chuffed. Maybe he actually thought I meant it and was genuinely thanking him!

  After I’d called TJ to wish her a happy holiday, Nesta rang to check I was OK after last night.

  ‘I’m fine,’ I assured her. ‘It would be no biggie if all of you didn’t keep going on about it. So first, I want you to stop trying to find boys for me. And second, don’t worry.’

  ‘So, don’t you want to know about Tony?’

  ‘Um, maybe.’

  ‘He says he’s tried your mobile a hundred times but you keep it switched off these days so he asked me to ask you to call him.’

  ‘I’ve got nothing to say to him,’ I said. ‘Anyway he’s got a new girlfriend now, so why does he want to speak to me?’

  Part of me was hoping that she’d say because he realised that he’d made a terrible mistake and wanted to go out with me after all.

  ‘He says he still wants to be friends,’ said Nesta.

  ‘And we all know what that means, don’t we?’

  ‘I guess,’ said Nesta.

  ‘So who is the blonde he was with?’

  ‘Name’s Georgia. He met her at the bowling alley.’

  ‘Are they going out?’

  Nesta was quiet for a few moments. ‘Looks like it. I am sorry, Lucy.’

  ‘Did you tell him I was there and left last night?’

  ‘No. Course not. His ego’s inflated enough as it is.
Anyway, the other reason I rang is, do you want to come over?’

  ‘Oh Nesta, not yet. I’m not ready to face him yet. Give me a few more days or call me when you know he’s not going to be there.’

  ‘OK, well, phone me later, OK?’

  ‘Nesta, I’m fine. You don’t have to check up on me every five minutes.’

  ‘How about every hour, then?’

  ‘Fine,’ I said. ‘But don’t worry, I’ve got loads to do.’

  I put the phone down and wondered, loads of what, exactly? It was only the first week of the holidays and I’m so desperate for stuff to do that even the thought of school seemed appealing. It wasn’t meant to be like this, I thought, as I gazed out of the window.

  Five minutes later, Izzie phoned.

  ‘You’ll never guess what,’ she said.

  ‘What?’ I asked, fearing the worst.That she’d found some boy for me and was going to fix me up on a blind date.

  ‘My mum saw this advertisement in your dad’s shop. For a workshop in Devon. To get back to basics, aid relaxation and find balance in this hectic world, it says. Anyway, she wants to go. We’re talking about my mum here, Lucy! My straighter-than-straight mum. She wants to go and chill out…Your dad’s going, isn’t he?’

  ‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘It’s run by a friend of his. He asked me to go, but I said no way.’

  ‘But Mum’s just booked for both of us, so I’m going to be there,’ said Izzie. ‘Oh please come as well. It’ll be brilliant. We’ll have a laugh if we both go.’

  Suddenly, the idea had appeal. A few days hanging out with Izzie and no Ben and no boys. We wouldn’t have to do all the classes. It could be fun.

  ‘Well, I suppose…’ I began.

  ‘Excellent,’ said Izzie. ‘So that’s settled then. Pack your things.

  C h a p t e r 7

  Workshop Weirdos

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  The workshop was being held at an old farmhouse manor on top of a hill near Bigbury in Devon. Dad and I drove down on Friday afternoon and Izzie and her mum arrived soon after. The view from the car park was stunning, and in the distance we could see the sea.