The Boyfriend Bet (3 page)

Jay was staring wide eyed and looked totally horrified at
the situation he had found himself in. “What a complete nut,” Jay muttered,
shaking his head. “I wouldn’t be in this...erm...weird situation if it wasn’t
for your mouthy rant.”

“I wouldn’t have been in such a bad mood if it wasn’t for
you, hanging around, taking the piss and generally being a complete moron!” I
snapped and narrowed my eyes at him. We were both staring at each other now,
not wanting to be the one to break eye contact, equally showing as much
contempt as the other. Seriously, I wanted to slap him or something. So, my
luck was in with landing Riley as our new neighbour but obviously I couldn’t
have it all, so I had to settle with having the totally annoying Jay living
there as well. Great.

And just when I thought (well, more like hoped) there
wouldn’t be many witnesses to see me arrive in Mrs Davenports car, I was wrong.
Worse still, as if arriving in the Head Teacher’s car wasn’t bad enough, being
seen with Jay was just as bad. I do not want to be associated by any means with
Jay Jackson. Well, if in the future he would become my brother in-law, this
association would be absolutely fine, but for now he can totally do one.

No such luck. Mrs Davenport made us go into her office
and gave us one of her legendary lectures, and then she said she may be old but
she wasn’t deaf and had heard every word I yelled and also she had heard Jay
call her a nut in the car (haha). Then she said as punishment...wait for it...I
had to do litter picking duties at lunch time for a whole week and worse still,
I had company...Jay Jackson.

It was typically wet nearly every lunch time that week
and by Friday I was not surprised to find myself outside, litter picking in
torrential rain. Honestly, it was horrific weather and it was not particularly
warm either. “You can borrow my delightful yellow and pink striped, waterproof
mac,” Mrs Davenport had told me brightly when she’d heard me grumbling about
the bad weather. I mean, she is such a sly witch. Of course I wouldn’t be seen
dead in her bloody horrendous rain mac. I’d rather get my hair wet, seriously!

I’d spent rather too much time with Jay, when all I
really wanted to do was spend a little more time with the other Jackson
brother. Unfortunately Jay just happens to be in Year Eleven which is just
bloody typical. I think it’s safe to say we actually hate each other; he is so
full of himself and I’m sure he thinks he’s so much better than me. Oh well,
after today I wouldn’t need to spend anymore unnecessary time with him.

“You look like a drowned rat,” Bex informed me when I‘d
finally finished the last day of litter picking.

“Thanks,” I muttered. I probably looked a damn sight
worse than a rat. My hair was drenched, water was dripping off the end of my
nose and I’m sure my mascara had smudged half way down my cheeks.

“You’re right Charley, he is so fit!” Sarah was gawping
at Riley Jackson, who I’d found out was in year thirteen, his eighteenth
birthday is in June, and his favourite colour is blue. Not bad stalkerish work
for less than a week!

“I know, right! But I did see him first.” I reminded
Sarah. The advantage of him being new was the most popular girls didn’t already
have their eyes on him (no doubt they would soon) and Riley didn’t know
anything about any of us, so in theory this increased my chances greatly. On
the down side of things, when I’d pointed him out to Sarah on Monday morning
she had kind of approved of him a little too much and I’m sure she wants him
for herself.

“Did you hear the news?” Bex looked at me. “Sam’s on the
market again.”

“What?” This made me tear my eyes away from Riley. I
didn’t know how I felt about this. I wondered if he actually had come to his
senses and dumped Ella or had she discarded him just as she did to everyone
else as soon as she’d got bored? Every time I saw Sam I still had that little
flutter in my stomach. I still missed him and as much as I tried to hate him,
I’m pretty sure part of me still loves him.

“Just a heads up,” Sarah said looking at me sternly. “You
don’t want to go there again, do you!” This wasn’t a question because Sarah was
telling me in no uncertain terms could I be an item with Sam Smith ever again.

“No,” I barely whispered.

“Trust me you don’t.” Sarah added. “He’s complete scum. I
know you sort of love him in a weird way but there is no way this could end
well if you go after Sam again.”

“I won’t!” I protested, but I wasn’t even convincing
myself.

“There are too many reasons not to.” Sarah reminded me.
“He cheated on you...”

“With your sister,” Bex interrupted. Like I needed to be
reminded of that - it’s not like I don’t think of it every day.

“And you’re not the same when you’re with him: you’re all
dependant and girly and stupid and...and...well, not you.” Bex might as well
have just punched me in the mouth because she was bloody well going over the
top with the insults now.

“And it would look pathetic after he went out with your
sister. You don’t want to be sloppy seconds.” Sarah added.

“I think I actually went out with him first!” I snapped.
God, Sarah was pissing me off. Who needed best friends like her? I looked to
Bex but she seemed to be nodding in agreement. Great, was I really that
pathetic?

“And I heard Zoe Ryan has him in her sights,” Bex added.

“Are you saying I can’t compete with Zoe Ryan?” I huffed.
Ok I probably couldn’t compete with Zoe but my mates shouldn’t be telling me that,
should they? Zoe was indeed little Miss Popularity, with her beautiful tanned
skin and stunningly thick, long brunette hair and then there were her very
full, pouty lips. Actually there was a rumour going around last year that she’d
had lip fillers - I’m not sure, but either way it makes you sick and the
thought of Sam with her was making me feel a bit queasy, just like the thought
of what he had potentially been getting up to with my sister.

“Anyway, that’s why we need to help you get with him,”
Sarah nodded in Riley’s direction. He was now leaving the dining room as lunch
was over. I wiped my smudged mascara on the back of my hand and I watched Riley
walk out of the door towards the Sixth Form block. Just the way he walked was
pretty mesmerising. There was just something about him, and maybe...just maybe
he would be the one to get me over Sam.

“You mean you don’t want him all for yourself,” I faced
Sarah. I could feel Bex smirking beside me.

“No, you need him more than me,” Sarah said as though she
was sacrificing her life for me. “And I’m not like your sister!”

“Yeah yeah, I’m sorry. You’re nothing like and never will
be anything like my sister.” I laughed.

“That’s a good look, Charley.” Zoe Ryan screwed her face
up at my dripping hair and smudged make-up and then she practically shoved me
out of her way. “God knows what Sam ever saw in you.”  And then she just
carried on walking, her friends giggling and following her like small, lost,
little puppies.

I raised my eyebrows to Sarah and Bex. “Looks like you
were right about Zoe,” I nodded to Bex. “Unbelievable!”

“That’s what we meant about her having her eye on Sam. Do
you really want to have to suffer that kind of crap everyday when he so isn’t
right for you anyway?” Bex smiled tactfully.

“Anyway, I think you rock that look,” Sarah nudged me.

“What look is that, exactly?” I muttered but I was easily
distracted as Sam was walking in our direction and it took me a second to
realise that he was actually approaching me. Oh no, I think I’d forgotten how to
breathe. “Quick, get me out of here.” I hissed as I elbowed Sarah discreetly
and nodded in Sam’s direction.

Sarah pulled on my arm and she and Bex just sort of
bundled me into the nearest loos. “There you go, safe. No chance of bumping in
to him in the girls’ toilets.”

“Wow, at least she’s seen sense, not even giving Sam the
time of day!” Bex was nodding in respect at our quick getaway.

“I didn’t want to see him because I look like this!” I
pointed at myself as if it was obvious.

“Shit, she has it bad.” Bex shook her head. And she was
right because it wasn’t just that I didn’t want him to see me looking so
unattractive. It was the fact that I knew Sarah and Bex were right. I could
never go there with Sam again, however much I wanted to. The worst part of it
was that even though I am normally a strong person, Sam makes me weak and I
know that I wouldn’t be able to say no to him.

“That’s why we need to get her with Riley. He’s the first
boy she’s even shown any interest in since the wonderful Sam.” Sarah said
sarcastically.

“You’re right,” I nodded. “I’ll see you later.” I made my
way out of the girls’ loos, praying I wouldn’t bump into Sam or Riley for that
matter. It would be much more fortunate if I were to run into Riley later on. I
just needed to find out what his plans were for tonight, where he was going and
what he liked doing and then I could ‘accidently’ bump in to him when I was
looking as decent as I could manage. Now that was an idea...

*****

Spying on Riley is of course easier said than done; the
fact that I have to share a room with Ella and I don’t want her to realise what
we are up to only makes it harder. Our only hope was that as it was Friday,
Ella would hopefully be going out and now that she was single again she would
surely be on the prowl for her next victim. And I was going to make damn sure
it wasn’t going to be Riley Jackson.

“So what’s the plan for tonight?” Bex asked as we walked
home. I had successfully managed to avoid Sam for the rest of the afternoon.

“Um...I’ve got dancing.” I said.

“What? I thought you’d quit! How are we going to find out
stuff about Riley now?” Sarah didn’t look happy that their plans were ruined.

“Sorry, I’m helping out with the kids’ class.” I
muttered, “I’ve promised Stella.” Bex and Sarah started pulling faces at me.
They vaguely knew Stella - she runs the Stella Digby Dance Academy.

“Tell her you’re ill,” Sarah suggested. “How come she let
you go back anyway?”

“I told her I was sorry,” I muttered. “And she said this
was my very last chance.”

“Just because she doesn’t make you pay all the stupidly
expensive fees doesn’t mean she owns you.” Sarah huffed.

“I’ll see you later.” I waved them off before they could
have a go at me anymore.

Stella was in fact a very generous woman really but I hadn’t
been in her best books lately. When I’d been so stupidly in love with Sam, I’d
kind of given my dancing a back seat. Stella had rightly said that I couldn’t
pick and choose when I was going to turn up and that a lot of the girls would
kill to be invited to join the advanced group. The advanced girls was an invite
only class - they practise quite a lot, meaning the fees were a lot more
expensive than the one class a week my mum had agreed to pay, but Stella still
let me go.

Me and my temper had got me into trouble again. I’d
walked out, convinced she was always trying to make me feel guilty because I
didn’t have to pay as much as the others and I told her I had a life as well as
dancing. It was completely typical that it was the week that Sam and Ella had
fallen onto the stage and I basically had nothing left in my life that I
enjoyed.

Anyway, since this week I have decided I am going to be
‘me’ again. I went to see Stella to practically beg her to let me come back -
you wouldn’t believe how much I’ve missed dancing. At least I can forget about
the rest of the world there, well nearly. The only downside about the Stella
Digby Dance Academy is that Zoe Ryan goes there, and she’s good, really good.
Stella said I could come back on one condition: she needed some help teaching
the younger classes and her payment was my fees.

So, I actually went and helped out at the little kids’
class. I did two classes and I actually enjoyed it, even though it was Friday
night and I normally find something else to do with my mates.  When all
the kids had finally been picked up, I sighed at the mirrored wall of the dance
studio. I still hadn’t had time to sort my hair out. “See you Monday night?”
Stella said as I could see her reflection in the mirror, walking towards me.
Now there was one reason to keep dancing, Stella must be in her fifties but her
figure was amazing. I nodded at her. “Go on then, go and have fun.”Stella waved
me out of the studio.

“Hey!” Bex called from across the road, as soon as I’d
stepped out of the door.

“Bloody hell you scared me!”

“Come on let’s go!” Sarah and Bex practically marched me
home. It wasn’t like I was knackered or anything! Just as we were almost back
at mine I walked straight into Riley. I have no idea where he had been and I
cannot believe after all the planning that I would indeed look stunning when I
‘bumped’ into him, I was actually wearing my pineapple dance trousers, black
dance trainers and a matching hoody. Let’s not even mention the hair or lack of
make-up!

“Hi Charley,” Riley said casually. I just sort of stared
at him. He looked great as usual and I looked shit (as usual).

“Hi!” Sarah said as she nudged me forward. I still didn’t
say anything. I was just sort of smiling in that creepy way again.

“See you later. Have fun.” Riley said as he opened his
front door just as Jay was coming out of it. Great, I just had to see him as
well, didn’t I! Jay didn’t say a word to Riley and they sort of pushed past
each other - looked like they had the same sort of relationship as me and Ella.

“Oh my god, he has a cute brother too.” Sarah whispered
in my ear.

“He’s an idiot!” I hissed at her just as Jay was
sarcastically smiling at me.

“Hi!” Sarah waved again and this time it was my turn to
nudge her in the ribs.

“Trying to impress Riley again?” Jay said in a stupid
voice trying to embarrass us, I stared at him in my best pissed-off face.

“Um... no, but hypothetically if we were, which we’re
not, what sort of girl does he go for?” Sarah continued. I stared wide eyed at
her. For god’s sake, if she could just hear herself! I could hear Bex
sniggering already. CRINGE!

“Um... let me see.” Jay said as he was having a good look
at me. “He likes girls with long blonde hair.”

“How original.” Bex muttered.

“That’s been brushed!” Jay laughed and I felt myself
getting really angry. He was just taking the piss out of me. “And he hates
trackies and trainers.” Jay gave me and exaggerated smile and then carried on
walking.

“I’ve been dancing!” I yelled after him. “What the hell
am I supposed to wear, stilettos?”

“Very true,” Sarah whispered.