The Boyfriend Bet (2 page)

“What are you all tarted up for?” Mum asked, as I trudged
down the stairs before school. It was Monday and not only the first day back
after a week off but I’d heard something absolutely massive: the boy next door
was going to our school, and his name was Riley Jackson, how cute is that?

“Um, I’m not and anyway look at that!” I sneered in the
direction of Ella who was leaning on the breakfast bar and staring intently
into a mirror and putting on even more make-up than she was already wearing. “I
think she’s forgot to put her skirt on.” I muttered sarcastically.

“Oh for goodness sake, how long is this going to
continue?” Mum snapped as she twisted her wavy, brown, shoulder length hair up
onto her head and clipped it up out of the way so she could concentrate on
sewing Peter’s school trousers up. “But you have a point. Ella, go and put a
longer skirt on.”

I smiled triumphantly as Ella eyed me with distain. “I
don’t know what you’re grinning at? You’re not wearing those jeans for school
either.” Mum looked up at me.

“Why?” I protested, “She goes to school looking like a
slapper and I’m not allowed to bend the rules a teeny bit by wearing black
jeans.”

“I do not look like a slapper!” Ella shrieked as she
stood up. I stared at her, with her skirt that could quite easily be mistaken
for a belt, her top was so fitted and tight with only half the buttons done up
and you could quite clearly see her black lacy bra through the thin white
material of the supposed school shirt, and her hair and make-up wouldn’t look
out of place in a club (a strip club, ha ha).

“Charley!” Mum snapped, interrupting our staring match.
“Say sorry to your sister, and Ella do some of your shirt buttons up please!”

“I’m not saying sorry to her, did she say sorry to me
when she stole my boyfriend?”

“Are we still going on about that?” Mum sighed as though
sisters stealing boyfriends was perfectly normal and I should forgive and
forget. As if.

“Maybe you should look at yourself and wonder why Sam
wanted out?” Ella sneered at me.

“Ella, don’t you start.” Mum warned, “And Charley, are
you allowed to wear Converse for school?” Mum was now staring at my feet.

“Yep.” I lied.

“No you’re not.” Ella butted in.

“Take them off,” Mum continued. “And Ella take those
shoes off, six inch heels aren’t suitable for school.”

“They’re more suitable for dancing around a pole.” I
smirked.

“Charley!” Mum shouted quite loudly this time. I could
tell I was just about to get a bollocking when Peter, who had been silently
watching the spat, knocked his entire bowl of Coco Pops onto the floor.
“Peter!” Mum now bellowed in her frustration.

Peter whimpered and then ran off, locking himself in the
downstairs loo. “You two go and get changed,” Mum glared at us both and then
went to try and sweet talk Peter out of the loo.

 We both knew this was the opportunity to leave the
house straight away, before Mum managed to force us to actually get changed. I
grabbed my favourite black leather jacket and bundled out of the door just as
Ella was also trying to totter out of the house in her heels. “Get out of the
way!” Ella sort of shoved me out of the door.

“Cow,” I muttered as I steadied myself.

“Weirdo!” Ella retorted.

“I might be weird but you’re just a backstabbing bitch!”
I yelled so very loudly.

“Hi!” A voice from the other side of the wall interrupted
us. It was probably just as well as I think a full blown bitch fight might have
broken out. Ella looked as mad as I felt but then I realised the voice belonged
to none other than Riley Jackson, cringe!

Ella immediately went into ‘innocent girly’ mode and
started to twist her long bleached blonde hair around her fingers and started
giggling. I actually wanted to vomit. Riley was so gorgeous, and I had already
spoken to him yesterday, get me! He’d sort of popped his head over the wall as
I was coming home, and he told me his name and asked about school and stuff and
I actually spoke to him without doing anything silly!

“Hi Charley,” Riley put his hand up at me and I felt my
face go bright red as I realised he must have witnessed my bitchiness just a
moment ago.

“Hi...” I stuttered like a complete idiot who couldn’t
remember how to string a few basic words together. Ella stared at me in shock.

“See you at school today, maybe?” Riley smiled at me.
Wow, he had an amazing smile, and he looked cuter than ever. And his dark eyes,
did I mention how gorgeous they were? Did I mention how fit he is? Did he just
say he would see me at school? Oh my god! What does that mean? Is that like a
general saying or does he actually want to see me at school?

“Charley?” Riley interrupted my thoughts. I realised I
was actually just staring at him, my brain seemed to have lost the ability to
make my mouth work and I just sort of nodded while forcing a deranged smile
onto my face. Ella was gawping at us, ha!

Then I heard sniggering. I glared at Riley’s brother who I
now realised had been standing on his doorstep all along. What the hell was his
problem? What is it with annoying siblings...I had Ella, and Riley obviously
had him, so irritating. Just the way he was staring at me, like I was a stupid
little girl or something, I couldn’t tell how old he was - he was slightly
taller than Riley but he looked younger, he also had dark hair but his was a
bit shorter and a total mess, what an idiot!

“Bye.” I called out in an abnormally high pitched voice,
in my desperation to make myself say something and the fact that Riley had
started walking off towards school. I didn’t want him to think I was a moron
and couldn’t speak, but I wished I had remained silent now.

Riley turned around and let us in for another dazzling
smile. Phew, he didn’t seem to have noticed my squeaky, desperado voice. Ella
was waving in the most pathetic, girly way possible, and fluttering her
eyelashes. I nudged her really hard as soon as Riley had turned around again.

“Ow!” Ella shrieked and shoved me right back.

“Byeee!” Riley’s annoying brother was mimicking my
stupid, high-pitched, love-struck voice whilst doing his best impression of
Ella’s theatrical waving and eyelash fluttering display.

I could feel my cheeks burning as I
had
really sounded
that pathetic. He was still laughing at us. I could feel Ella bristling with
rage next to me - she’s not used to boys not immediately falling at her feet
and obeying her every command. He really did look like her though, ha! In the
desperate need for a ‘come-back’ and still feeling speechless, I put my middle
finger up in the air at him, which I might add is totally uncharacteristic of
me. I hadn’t done that to anyone since I was...like twelve or something.

“Charley!” I heard Mum call out from behind me which made
me jump. “You two, get in here and change now, I’m fed up with you both just
ignoring me!”

I was already at the gate. I looked up the road, Riley
was way ahead, unaware of what was going on (thank god); Riley’s brother was
dawdling - now half way up the road, he was practically walking backwards so he
could witness the whole thing. He obviously thought it was highly amusing. I
looked back at Mum. Ella was between me and Mum. I could so run away right now.

“Don’t even think about doing a runner!” Mum shouted as
both Ella and I seemed to have the same idea but unfortunately for Ella,
Converse was totally going to win over six inch heels in a getaway sprint. I
saw Mum sort of grab Ella as I legged it. I could hear Ella protesting and
saying, “It’s not fair!” and then the door shut. Mum knew she didn’t have a
hope in hell of catching me and had given up.

Do you know, I think the tables may have turned and it’s
my turn for the luck now. I’d woken up highly optimistic this morning, hence my
greater effort in my appearance - more like the old me, before Sam and Ella. I
was tired of being the victim. I was back and this time I was going to be me,
whether people liked it or not and I was going to be stronger than ever. And
nobody was going to stop me, not Mum, not Ella and certainly not Riley’s
annoying brother!

Speaking of Riley’s brother, he was still watching, his
eyebrows raised, a smirk plastered across his face and I swear he was shaking
his head as I stopped running and tried to look normal and not like a crazy
person at all. I narrowed my eyes at him in my new found attitude. I was about
to open my mouth and ask him what the hell his problem was, when a car just
coasted through the one and only muddy puddle on the entire road, splashing me.
Well my change in luck lasted long, not! Seriously, it wasn’t even raining. It
hadn’t rained since yesterday evening.

“Are you blind?” I yelled at the car. “Bloody hell, old
people shouldn’t be allowed on the road!” I was really going for it now and was
lost in a stream of verbal abuse. I wasn’t entirely sure if it was an old
person but who else would drive such a small car, so badly? Plus, it was a
quite a few years old and was still in immaculate condition. Reeks of old
person if you ask me...oh shit, the driver had pulled over!

And then I remembered all too well who has a bright red,
old-style, Nissan Micra which just happens to be in immaculate condition. Mrs
Davenport, our very posh, very strict and also very deranged Headmistress
emerged from the driver’s side of the biddy car. I recognised her as soon as I
saw the hair: not one piece out of place as it defied the laws of gravity,
curled on top of her head. It was coloured this gross copper colour, all apart
from a pure white streak at the front. I mean, who would do that? She was
wearing her trademark cord blazer and matching thigh length skirt with some
disgusting burgundy heels, not higher than an inch  and they were now clip
clopping up the road towards me with purpose. Shit!

I was actually speechless, my gobby rant could not be
taken back and Riley’s brother was watching silently. I’m sure he could tell by
the look on my face that the woman I had just verbally abused was not just a
random driver.

“Charley Wallis, do you have something to say to me?” Mrs
Davenport asked me quietly as she finally stopped right in front of me.

“No.” I muttered, as I couldn’t help thinking that this
was the calm before the storm. Mrs Davenport didn’t always shout but she was
scary in the way that she was so crazy you never quite knew what she would say,
or do, or worse still, what weird and embarrassing punishments she would dream
up for you.

“So, you don’t think that I’m a crazy, deranged, old bag
that shouldn’t have a driving licence?” Mrs Davenport quoted me. Did I really say
that? Actually I can remember something along those lines when I had been in
full swing, rant mode.

“Um...no.” I answered, wondering where this was going and
I was fully aware that Riley’s brother was nearly peeing himself, silently
laughing.

“Good, then I’d better escort you to school, so you can’t
get into any more trouble.” Mrs Davenport smiled at me. I probably looked
completely mortified as muddy water dripped off the bottom of my shoulder
length and previously straightened hair.

“School?” I whispered. I had water and mud splashed all
over me, and she wanted me to go to school looking like that?

“Unless you’d rather me take you home?” Mrs Davenport
smiled even more sweetly. She is so evil. Mum would not be too chuffed if I was
taken home by the Headmistress.

“No, school, is fine.” I muttered. Riley’s brother was
stifling a hysterical laugh which could now be heard.

“Do you find this funny?” Mrs Davenport turned away from
me. “I’m not familiar with you young man, but I can see you have a Hadley school
uniform on. What’s your name?”

“Jay,” Riley’s brother (I mean Jay) answered. “Jay
Jackson.”

“Well Mr Jackson, what exactly do you find funny?” Mrs
Davenport asked, her eyebrows raised and waiting expectantly for the answer.

“Erm, the bit when she shouted that her half blind, great
nan could probably drive better,” Jay smirked. I just stared at him with my
mouth wide open. I’m not sure Jay was entirely sure who he’d just insulted but
I was sure this wasn’t going to end well for him.

“Don’t be cheeky! I can see I’m going to have trouble
with you, young man.” Mrs Davenport snapped. “Now get in the car, NOW!”

I didn’t dare argue - it’s best to just do what you’re
told where Mrs Davenport is concerned. I got in the back of the car quickly. I
dreaded people seeing me arrive at school with Mrs Davenport. Please don’t let
there be too many witnesses.

“And you,” Mrs Davenport turned to Jay.

“What? I haven’t done anything!” Jay protested.

“You were just rude to your new Headmistress and we can’t
have that can we?” Mrs Davenport smiled one of her weird, unnerving smiles. Jay
looked like he wanted to kick himself. Now it was my turn to smirk at his sorry
face as he unwillingly got in the back of the car.

“Mr Jackson, you will soon learn that one thing I cannot
stand at this school is rudeness. Call me old fashioned but I will not tolerate
it.” Mrs Davenport said in a sing song sort of voice and then turned the radio
up and started singing in the most horrendously chirpy way to a song that must
have been recorded like fifty years ago or something. I vaguely remembered my
Nanna dancing to it (embarrassingly) at a family party.