The Boyfriend Bet (16 page)

“It had better not be my Sam you like!”

“
Your
Sam?” I asked. I couldn’t believe her
sometimes.

“Yeah that’s right, he’s mine. We’ve been seeing each
other for two weeks! Admit it you’re after my Sam, aren’t you?” Zoe was
shrieking.  I wanted to laugh so hard. So Sam was up to his old tricks
already! He was seeing Zoe and all along he’d been sending me flirty texts.

“I promise you it definitely is not him! In fact you’re
welcome to him. I’ve never met two people so well suited!” I said as I roughly
pulled my arm away from her grasp. Zoe gasped as I pushed past them and strode
towards the door.

I was so close when someone else had grabbed my arm, “Hey
wait up!”

“What?” I sighed as I began to wonder if I’d ever be
allowed to escape the madness but when I turned around, I was shocked to see it
was Jay smiling at me.

“Take it this aint really your thing?” Jay laughed.

“You could say that!” I grinned. I just felt a huge wave
of relief that Jay wasn’t annoyed with me anymore. “Where’s Sarah?” I asked.

“Erm...last time I checked she had her tongue stuck down
Luke’s throat.”

“Ewwww!” I giggled and I even surprised myself with how
relieved I felt that Sarah was snogging the face off Luke and not Jay.

“Well, thank god for that. Luke’s been pestering me all
day about getting Sarah round here. He’s well into her.” Jay shook his head.
Well that explained earlier then. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” Jay grabbed
my hand as he opened the front door.

“Better not let Molly Andrews see me sneaking out with
you!” I teased.

“Yeah....I don’t think she’ll be too bothered.” Jay
smirked as he pointed back towards the lounge. I took a step back and peered
through the door. Molly Andrews was on one end of the sofa and practically
eating some poor boy’s face.

“Oh!” I whispered and I couldn’t tear my eyes away, “Who
is the lucky guy?” I asked and I watched until Molly finally let the poor boy
up for air. William Sheldon-Harvey sat there, firmly held by Molly’s man eating
claws. He looked dazed (like he’d been hit by a bus) and I wasn’t sure if he
was a willing part in this or a victim!

“Oh my god!” I said in disbelief. “Who the hell invited
him?”

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

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....

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 instructions 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...