Sam in the Spotlight (15 page)

“It's such a relief to talk about it,” I said after a bit, hugging my pillow and trying not to cry.

“And your mum's got no idea?”

I stared up into the darkness. “No, she doesn't know about them getting married or that it's on the same day as Sophia Malone's wedding. Something happened between my mum and Crystal on the night of Crystal's eighteenth birthday. Crystal told Mum that she was giving up her place at uni and it sparked off this massive row and my mum said something and now Crystal's waiting for her to say sorry. The thing is, my mum's in such a state about Crystal living with Tyler and giving up her place at uni that I don't think she even realizes how hurt Crystal is.”

“So what
did
your mum say to Crystal that night?”

“I don't know. That's what's so frustrating. No one will tell me. And that's not all – I just found out yesterday that my dad used to be in a band.”

“Whoa! You're really starting to worry me now, Sam!
Your
dad,
in a band?
”

“I know it sounds crazy, but I've seen the newspaper cuttings. It's true, Ellie. He used to play guitar in a band called Stevie and the Stingrays. They were really big, like twenty years ago.”

“But
your dad?
” said Ellie weakly.

“I know; I can't believe it either. Anyway, all this stuff's been happening, and I've been trying to work out what to do about Crystal and Mum, but it's all such a mess and I haven't been able to tell anyone…”

The words hung in the dark between us.

“I mean, you know, because it was a secret…”

“No it's okay,” said Ellie quietly. She climbed into my bed and cuddled up close. “I know I've been a terrible friend. I don't know what was wrong with me. Eddie said all these awful things about you and I just believed him. It's like he reprogrammed my brain or something. I am
never
going to put a boy in front of my friends again.”

“He didn't reprogram your brain, Ellie,” I said, giggling. “It's called hormones. Oh, and talking of hormones, that reminds me. Arthur isn't interested in Mandy at all – it's Mrs. Beagle he's in love with.”

“No way!” Ellie snorted. “
Mrs. Beagle?
”

“I know, it's hilarious, isn't it?”

“Oh, my darling Mrs. Beagle! I cannot keep my feelings trapped inside me for one moment longer!” Ellie squealed, throwing the covers off and leaping on top of me.

“Oi, get off!” I shrieked, pushing her away.

We sat up, out of breath and laughing.

“Seriously though, Sam,” said Ellie, when she'd got her breath back, “this stuff about Crystal and her wedding… You have
got
to tell your mum. Like, straight away. Imagine if Crystal went ahead with the wedding and then your mum found out that you'd known about it all along.”

I knew Ellie was right. It was only three weeks until the wedding and no matter how angry Mum was with Crystal, it would break her heart for ever if Crystal got married without telling her – and even though Crystal would never admit it, I think it would break her heart as well. She might say that Tyler was her family now, but I bet if she got married without Mum knowing she'd end up regretting it for the rest of her life.

I walked home the next morning after breakfast determined to tell Mum and Dad everything. I wasn't exactly looking forward to it. When Mum found out about the wedding she'd probably go off like the biggest firework of all time – I could literally imagine her pinging off the walls – but it had to be done. I let myself in and stood for a second in the hall.

“
Bonjour!
” I called out. “Is anyone here?”

“Sam?”

It was Mum. I looked up. She was standing at the top of the stairs, clutching something in her hand.

“What's the matter?” I said.

She didn't say anything. She just stood there, frozen.

“What's the matter?” I said again. “Why are you standing there like that? You're freaking me out…”

“What's this?” she said in the end.

I couldn't
see
what it was, she was too far up the stairs, but suddenly I knew. My heart started to bang against my ribs.

It was the invitation to Crystal's wedding.

I raced up the stairs three at a time and snatched the invitation out of Mum's hand. I felt like I'd betrayed Crystal
and
Mum all at the same time.

“I was going to tell you today, I swear. I know you won't believe me but it's true – you can ask Ellie…”

“I don't understand,” said Mum. Big tears started to roll down her face. “Crystal can't be getting married. She's only known Tyler for five minutes. You don't get married when you're eighteen…”

I pulled a tissue out of my pocket. “Mum, stop crying. You've just got to sort things out. I mean,
you
got married young, didn't you?”

“
Dave!
” Mum shouted out to Dad.

“Hang on,” he called back, “I'm on the phone.”

She sank down onto the top stair. “I know why she's doing this,” she said weakly. “It's to punish me. It's not because she loves Tyler or anything. She's only doing it because she knows it's the one thing that would—”

“No, she really loves Tyler,” I interrupted. “You should see how she talks about him. How proud she is. He's about to get a recording contract and everything…”

Mum snorted into her tissue. “Do me a favour…”

“What's going on?” said Dad, coming out of their bedroom.

Mum took the invitation out of my hand and held it up to him. The tears started to run down her face again.

“Do something, Dave. Go and talk to her – she won't listen to me. Go round there and bring her home,
please.
”

Dad was staring at the invitation, his mouth tight.

“I knew something like this would happen,” he said, getting angry. “I can't just go round there and drag her back. I told you to sort things out months ago, Rosy. Why have you let things get
so
out of hand?”

Mum jumped up and pulled his arm. She was desperate. “I did try and sort it out. I called and called but she wouldn't speak to me or see me. Just go round there,” she sobbed. “Go round there and say we're sorry and that we want her back with us. That she can start her course next year.”

Dad pulled his arm away. “No, Rosy! I'll go round there but I'm not going to start a row. Crystal needs to know we love her no matter what she decides to do with her life.”

He grabbed a jacket from his room and ran downstairs. I raced down after him. “Tell her it wasn't my fault,” I said. “I don't want her to think I told you. She
trusted
me.”

“Why
didn't
you tell us?” Mum shouted down. “Don't you realize how serious this is?”

I trailed back up to my room and lay on my bed. I could've called Crystal to warn her Dad was on his way but I was scared she might do a runner. I wanted Dad to talk to her. I didn't care if she was mad at me afterwards – I just wanted things to go back to the way they were before.

Dad was gone for ages. It was awful, waiting. I could hear Mum pacing around, working herself up into a terrible state. After a bit, she came into my room. “How
could
you go behind my back?” she wailed, wringing her hands. “How long have you two been plotting this together? You're just as bad as her – you'll both end up throwing your lives away!”

It was awful; like she thought me and Crystal were one person and if Crystal messed up then I was going to mess up as well. Not that Crystal
had
messed up – not in my eyes anyway.

By the time Dad got back, Mum had driven herself into a total frenzy, going on and on about opportunities and the future and how we only get one chance to make something of ourselves. I felt like shaking her and shouting
I am Sam! Sam I am!
like when I was a little girl, but I knew it wouldn't make the slightest difference. Mum had decided I was some sort of
CRYSTAL CLONE
and that was that.

“The wedding's off,” said Dad. We were sitting round the kitchen table – desperate to hear what had happened. “It's got nothing to do with me,” he went on before Mum could get a word in. “She said they'd had to postpone it for other reasons.”

“Well, thank heavens for that,” said Mum, her voice shaky. She reached over and put her hand over Dad's. “When's she coming home?”

“She's not coming home,” said Dad. “She doesn't even want to see us at the moment.”

“But I don't understand,” said Mum. Her eyes filled with tears again and Dad squeezed her hand.

“Look, Rosy, I don't understand exactly what went on between the two of you, but Crystal's very hurt and unless you go and talk to her yourself it's just going to get worse.”

“But why's the wedding off? She's bought me a dress and everything,” I cried, totally confused. “Mum, why can't you just go round there and say sorry? I know Crystal's eighteen and she can live where she wants, but I can't bear it any more, the way things are between you two. It's not just you who's suffering!”

Mum's shoulder's sagged.

“What is it, Rosy?” said Dad. “Sam's right. Why can't you just go round there and say sorry? You're her mother, for goodness' sake. It's up to you to sort this out.”

“But don't you see?” said Mum. “If I say sorry she'll think everything's okay. All those years of hard work, all that effort, and for what? She was the top of her class.
The brightest girl they'd ever had in the school,
one teacher said to me. And now she's selling jewellery at markets. She could be doing anything with her life.
Anything!
Don't you get it? If I go round there and say sorry, I'll
never
get her back! Never!” Mum scraped back her chair and ran out of the room.

Dad sat there with his head in his hands. “What a nightmare,” he muttered. “I've always tried to do the right thing but it's all turned out to be such a mess.”

I went round to give him a hug. I knew it was the wrong moment, but I was dying to ask him about the band. He looked so tired and worn out, it was difficult to imagine it was actually
him
in those newspaper cuttings. If only I could turn back time – even for a day – just to see what he was really like.

“I'll talk to Crystal,” I said. “I'll try to make her understand that Mum
is
sorry – she just doesn't know how to say it.”

But it looked as if Crystal wasn't talking to
me
either. Every time I called her it went straight to voicemail and she obviously had no intention of ringing me back. I didn't even know if the wedding really was off or if she'd just said that to get rid of Dad.

“I've
got
to find out what's going on.” It was Monday morning and I was outside school with Ellie. “I don't know if the wedding's cancelled or when Crystal's going to call me. Mum's moping around the house like the world's about to come to an end and Crystal probably feels like she can't trust me any more anyway.”

“And what about drama? Does your mum know you're Laura yet? You don't want her to stop you doing it at the last minute.”

I shook my head. “She doesn't know and there's no way I could tell her – not now.”

“Don't tell me you two are talking again,” said Phoebe, walking over. “This is like the best news ever.”

“Yeah, well Sam was right about Eddie all along,” said Ellie, pulling a face. “He's history as far as I'm concerned.”

“Best place for him,” I said. But it was going to take a miracle to sort out everything else.

I didn't hear anything from Crystal over the next few days. She obviously thought I'd blabbed to Mum and betrayed her and that's why she wasn't returning my calls. I hated not knowing where she was or how to get in touch with her. I swore that the second I heard from her I was going to force her to tell me where she lived so at least I'd know where to find her the next time she gave me the silent treatment.

On Thursday morning I was sitting in French when Ellie burst in late. I could see straight away that something was up. She was trying to mouth something to me across the room but I couldn't make out what it was. Madame Blanc gave me a look, so I shook my head at Ellie and went back to the exercise I was doing. She was easily one of the strictest teachers in the school and getting into trouble was the last thing I needed right then if I was going to keep Mum off my back.

A few minutes later Tara Perkins passed me a note. I didn't even have time to see what it said before Madame Blanc whipped it out of my hand.

“Passing notes in class,” she snapped, tearing the grubby piece of paper into tiny pieces. “Detention for both of you, after school tomorrow, my room.”