Authors: J.C. Burke
Would she get to the point? My arm was beginning to ache and I was suddenly feeling overloaded with information.
âWell, I was wondering, Holly, if it's not too much trouble that is, would you be able to help me, just a bit, with the Don John profile?'
âUm.' I couldn't exactly say, âExcuse me, I just need to confer with Calypso on that matter.' And I was hardly up to trusting my own judgement. The Sarah Finch thing had me floored. And now, why was Jess being so pleasant? Perhaps the cleaning fumes had got to her too, 'cause I couldn't think straight.
âWhat do they say Don John is again?' Jess giggled. âYou see I can't even remember that, and it's the whole point of the assignment. Isn't it?'
â“A plain-dealing villain”,' I said as I threw the brush in the bucket. âThat's what he's called in the play.' I went to the window. Fresh air. That'd help.
âAnd that's what we're meant to be writing our profile on â a plain-dealing villain?' asked Jess.
I nodded.
âAre you okay, Holly?' Jess asked. âYou've gone kind of pale. It's the cleaning stuff, isn't it? It stinks. You sit down. I'll scrub the benches and you talk to me about Don John. That's fair.'
âThanks.' I really didn't want to be grateful but I couldn't help it. I stood by the window and took in slow, deep breaths while I watched the last of the students wander out the gates.
âHave you started the assignment?' I asked.
âNot yet,' Jess answered, â'cause I didn't really understand what we were meant to do.'
Discussing the Don John thing during detention was surely not breaking any rules. In fact, if anything it stopped us from having friendly chat, which was probably more against the rules.
âThe key lines Mrs Gideon wants us to look at are when Don John describes himself as not a flattering honest man but a plain-dealing villain,' I told her. âSee, Don John hates Don Pedro, his brother. Actually I think Don John hates pretty much everyone. But the one he wants to get is Don Pedro.'
âWhy? What did Don Pedro do?'
âNothing, really, except that he's powerful and popular, I s'pose.'
âYou're good at this, Holly. You even remember the lines.'
Yeah, well, when you don't have a social life there's enough time to memorise the entire works of Shakespeare. Of course I didn't say that.
âIt's just kind of obvious,' I said instead.
âBut Mrs Gideon doesn't want us to talk about Don John.'
âNo. She wants us to make up our own character.'
âDidn't she say it had to be someone who was jealous and scheming?'
âYeah, but it doesn't have to be a real person.'
âOh, I know a real person,' Jess uttered. âOne I could write a hundred pages on.'
âReally?'
I pulled down the window and locked it. My veins were pumping. We were entering dangerous territory.
âShe used to go to this school.'
âOh?'
âShe lives in Melbourne now. Actually she went to MLG after she left here.'
âReally.'
It was like we were walking slowly towards each other.
âYou two must've been together last term. Is MLG very big? Maybe you met her?'
âMaybe.'
âHer name's Calypso MacIntosh.'
âYeah.' My mouth was so dry it was hard to speak. âYeah, I met her.'
Â
âYou're home late, dear,' Mum called from the couch.
âI got a detention,' I told her. âMe and another girl.'
âWho was the other girl? A new friend?' Mum followed me into the kitchen. âWhat was it for?'
âSitting in an area I didn't know was out of bounds.' That's all Mum needed to know. âI need to ring Calypso. And no, she's not a new friend.'
âOh.'
âFar from it,' I whispered, taking an apple and the phone.
âAre you using the landline, Holly? You're not out of credit again, are you?'
âCalls to Melbourne gobble up the credit, Mum.'
âHonestly, you and Calypso should get married.'
âMum, that's off!'
âDon't be long. You know how your father loves to examine the phone bills.'
âWhy can't he be glad that I finally have a friend? A real friend.' The cleaning fumes on top of my empty tummy had made me cranky. âHe was the one who dragged us here when he knew I was happy and settled in Melbourne.'
âOf course your father's pleased you have a friend. He's relieved.'
âWell, tell him not to nag about the phone bills then.' I slammed the door of my bedroom. âOooooooh,' I moaned. I felt like I had little ants crawling inside my head. Furiously I rubbed at my hair to make them stop.
Lots of things were making me cross this arvo. Like why hadn't Calypso answered any of my texts, and how come she got the story with Sarah Finch so wrong?
I dialled Calypso's home number. I wasn't going to try her mobile for the sixty-sixth time this afternoon. I did have some pride.
Â
âHello?'
âIs that Tiffany?' Tiffany was Calypso's painful little sister.
âNo, it's Chazzy.'
âChazzy?'
Chazzy, or Charlotte, was a girl from MLG. âYeah. Who's this?'
âIt's Holly. Holly Hankinson. Remember me?'
âOh yeah. Hi, Holly.'
âIs Calypso there?'
âShe's out.'
âOh?'
âShe's getting stuff for the party.'
Suddenly the ants in my head stopped in their tracks. Calypso's party. I had forgotten all about it.
âOh yeah,' I faked. âThat's tonight, isn't it?'
âIt's going to be so great.'
âWhat are you doing there?'
âHelping.'
âWhen will she be back?' I asked. âI have to speak to her.'
âDunno,' Chazzy sighed. âSoon.' She paused. âHey, are you coming to the party?'
âI live in Sydney now.'
âOh.'
âYeah.'
âThe party's a come-as-your-dream-occupation party.'
âReally?'
Chazzy began to giggle. âCalypso's going as Rachel Bilson. You know, from
The OC
. Like that's her dream occupation â to be on TV, I mean.'
âShe looks a bit like her.'
âSo what's it like living in Sydney?'
âLook, Chazzy, I really need to speak to Calypso.'
âGot it the first time,' she groaned. âI'll tell her, but I think she'll be way too busy to call you back tonight.'
Now the ants had turned into elephants. They were thumping and thundering through my brain. How come Calypso and Chazzy and whoever else got to have a great night? Actually it was even better than a great night for Calypso. It was her own party. Her own come-as-your-dream-occupation party and I SHOULD'VE BEEN THERE!
Dear Me,
I've got sinusitis and I feel like blugghhh. I can hardly breathe. I'm sure the stuff I cleaned the Science lab with has burnt the inside of my nose.
I'm stuck at home. At least I've done heaps of my English and given myself a French manicure PLUS waxed my legs with Mum's dodgy home-kit (hope she doesn't notice!) and put on a face mask.
Scott came over for a while but I didn't feel like talking so he said I was boring and left. But a guy hanging around when you're waxing your legs is YUCK!
I know Holly and Calypso went to the same school and everything but I still can't get over that Holly knows Calypso. That has completely blown me out. I haven't mentioned it again to Scott. He figured out who Holly was when I introduced them at Spotti.
I gotta admit I've been thinking about Calypso all day. Double now coz of the English assignment. It makes me feel yucky all that stuff with her. I don't like remembering any of it.
I'm sure Holly knows nothing about Scott. Holly probably just knows who Calypso is, like by sight and stuff. If I know Calypso then I know she wouldn't touch someone like Holly with a ten foot pole. Unless of course she wanted something from her. Holly's just not her type. She's sweet. But she's very intense. I guess Calypso ended up being pretty intense too. Maybe that's an understatement.
I worked it out in detention. Holly either stares at you, like seriously does not even blink, or she doesn't even look at you. Nothing in between. She's probably really shy. I'd hate to be a new girl but I'm NOT falling into that trap again, no way! Besides Saskia and Isabelle wouldn't let me.
Holly said she's going to help me with my assignment but I reckon I'll have it finished by tomorrow. Yee haa-aren't I a good girl.
Now if I could just get to Holly's forehead. In detention I got close enough to see they're just little break-outs-it's just that there's a ton of them. That's why it looks so bad. Saskia reckons she wouldn't be able to eat if Holly was around. She said she should be used in a Weight Watchers program. That's pretty mean even if it is true.
Saskia's still spewing about her foundations smashing. âThat idiot new girl should be paying me to replace them,' she said a trillion times. I didn't remind Saskia that she'd nicked four of them.
Hi Me, I'm back again.
You'd be proud of me. I've just finished my character profile. Two whole pages! I wonder if anyone in the class will recognise who my plain-dealing villain is.
Sometimes it still feels like she's following me. I'm never going to be rid of Calypso, am I? Is it coz of what I did?
Good night
Jess xxxxxxx
From: [email protected]
Subject: Please explain!!!
Calypso
I had a really awful day yesterday and part of it was getting a detention for sitting out on the ledge outside the Science lab. And guess who I got it with? Jess! And she told me that Sarah Finch, the girl who broke both her arms, was NOT the stunt princess but a quiet girl in the year below. So how did you get your story so wrong??? You made me sound like a complete idiot!
Anyway I spent the hour with Jess and she was actually quite nice and wants me to help her with our English assignment. So I guess if you're doing a project with âthe skankface' then it's okay for me to help âthe liar' with her thing too.
By the way she asked if I knew you and I said yes.
Well I hope your âcome as your dream occupation' party was fun. Chazzy told me all about it. Since when have you been friends with her?
I stayed at home with Mum and watched a DVD. Don't I have a fun life?
Bye
Holly
From: [email protected]
Subject: RE: Please explain!!!
Hol
Why are you so hostile? It's 2am and I can't sleep coz your email's really upset me. I'm so sorry about Sarah Finch. She fell the day after I left St Clemmie's so I guess I didn't hear the proper story.
I don't even know who Sarah Finch is! Someone told me it was some daredevil girl, that's all I remember. I'm so so so sorry and I'm so sorry you got busted up there and got a detention.
Please don't say anything else to Jess. It's too risky. We don't want her getting suss. I don't think you should help with her assignment either. My Biology project with Miranda is finished. Thank god! I seriously thought I was going to smack her.
Don't take any notice of what Chazzy said on the phone about my party. She was seriously so excited about it you woulda thought it was hers. Mum made me invite her coz she's become besties with her mum.
Yes, how embarrassing a âcome as your dream occupation' party! That was Mum's idea too. I just dressed normally. Was Chazzy crapping on that I looked like Rachel Bilson? Everyone was!
I couldn't believe how many of the girls took the theme as an excuse to look like skanks. There were at least three policewomen and four nurses. Six of the guys turned up as tennis pros. They looked hot, though! But really it was NOT a big deal so don't feel like you missed out.
This is the week for some âplanting' experience Hol. I've had a really good idea. Start small. That way you won't get scared. I promise.
This is what I reckon. After school when they all go to the newsagency at the station, slip a few chocolate bars into Jess's bag. Easy! No security tags, no shop detectives â easy peasy. Promise honey!!! Would I lie to you??
Remember Lipstix has no security tags or anything so this is perfect training. I should've thought of it earlier instead of getting all complicated with that techno plan of mine. No wonder you were spun out!!!!!
Soooooooo sorrrrrrrrrry.
5 things to remember.
1. don't say any more to Jess
2. don't answer ANY questions about me
3. don't help her with her assignment
4. slip choccies, lollies, tic tacs even, whatever into her bag
5. and remember love ya, you're my bestie
Cxxxxxxxx
Number 6. Forgot that one. Don't believe ANYTHING Jess says about me.
It was hard to stay mad with Calypso; even when she was being bossy and obsessing over her revenge plan and all the dumb details. And it was hard to stay mad with her even when she'd had a party without me.
I crawled back into bed and finished reading Mum's
New Idea
mag I'd pinched from her last night. Page seven had a story I was interested in: âThe Downside of Being a Celebrity: our favourite stars reveal their secrets to long-distance relationships'.
What all the stars said you needed in a long-distance relationship was âtrust'. Trust was the only thing that made lengthy separations possible.
I read the article three times 'cause they described exactly the same things Calypso and I had to deal with. Calypso was in Melbourne and I was in Sydney. I couldn't see what she was doing 24-7 and she couldn't see me either. Trust: that was all we had.
I cut out the article and stuck it on some cardboard. The next time I was feeling pissed off with Calypso and thinking she was having a great time while I was stuck here doing her dirty work, I'd look at it. It would remind me what separated a real friendship from the plastic ones: trust. I propped the story next to the computer and immediately started to feel better. Besides, Calypso and I would have plenty more parties.