The Boyfriend Dilemma (10 page)

“It's just her pedicure,” I giggle.

“Quite right too,” Mum adds with a grin. “Those sparkly coral toenails really are too lovely to hide.”

 

People are leaving now, and while Mum takes Gran and Amber home, the rest of us start clearing up. “You needn't stay, son,” Dad tells Ben.

“Of course I'll help,” he says.

“Well, I appreciate it,” Dad says, grabbing a brush to sweep the floor, while the rest of us gather up all the plates and cups and glasses. Although it takes ages, it's fun with all of us mucking in together.

“There's so much money in here,” Zoe exclaims, fetching the bucket of donations for the Acorn.

“Shame there's never going to be enough,” Kyle says.

Ben frowns. “You mean to renovate the theatre?”

“Yeah. It's good of everyone to help, but the trouble is, there aren't enough people around here to raise what's needed.”

“So what'll happen?” Ben asks.

“We've got till the end of this month,” I explain. “Unless some miracle happens, it'll be put up for sale and probably turned into flats.”

“But,” he says, frowning, “surely, if everyone made a huge effort…”

“Sadly, a lot of people don't seem to care,” I tell him.

“Really?” Ben starts to tie up a huge plastic sack. “We should do something then.”

Zoe peers at him. “You mean
us
?”

“Yeah.” He looks around at me, Zoe, Kyle and Dad. “I mean, we should do something … huge.”

“We could organize a car boot sale,” I suggest.

“We've already had one at school, remember?” Kyle says. “And there was the vintage market too.” I look down, trying to forget that terrible day. “Anyway, sis,” he teases, “not everyone likes rummaging through piles of old clothes like you do…” I glance down at my purple top, which looks a bit faded now the harsh fluorescent lights have all been switched on.

“Something new would be better,” Ben adds, and for an awful moment I think he means a new top, from a proper shop. “Something that's never been done around here before,” he adds. “A completely unique event.”

“Like what?” Kyle asks, looking intrigued.

Ben bites his lip, looking deep in thought. “I don't know yet, but something amazing. Something the whole town and all the villages around will be talking about…”

We all look at him, not sure what to say. The thing is, people don't
think big
around here. They think tiny, complaining about the littlest things like a few teenagers being spotted drinking beer in the park, or a swear word painted on the bus shelter.

“Shall we all give it some thought,” I suggest, “and see what we can come up with?”

“Yeah, but we'll have to be quick,” Ben says firmly. I glance at him, realizing he likes to take charge. In a good way, I mean. We need someone like that around here, to make things happen.

Dad smiles and pulls his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans, then presses a bunch of notes into my hand. “Tell you what. You've all been such a great help today, I reckon you deserve a treat. The four of you can go to Norelli's for a smoothie and snack, or even your dinner if you like…”

Norelli's? It's the nicest – no, make that the
only
decent
– café in our town. I know it'll be expensive but I can't bring myself to turn down Dad's offer.

“Thanks,” I exclaim, grinning at Zoe and picturing huge bowls of spaghetti followed by ice-cream sundaes.

“You can discuss your save-the-Acorn ideas there,” Dad adds.

Ben nods. “Yeah, I'm sure we'll come up with something…” I glance at him, wondering if it was boarding school that turned him into a big-thinking person. I'd imagine you have to learn how to look after yourself without your parents around to help you with anything. There's definitely something about him that makes him different from us. Then his phone bleeps, and he pulls it out of his pocket. His unshakeable confidence disappears in a blink.

“What's wrong?” I ask, studying his solemn face.

“Uh, just some missed calls.” He shakes his head. “It's nothing.”

“Parents?” Zoe asks with a sympathetic smile.

Ben's mouth twists uncomfortably. “Er, yeah – listen, I'd love to come but I'd better go.”

“I'll walk with you, mate,” Kyle says.

“No, there's stuff I've got to get on with,” Ben says quickly, then rushes out of the hall.

I glance at Zoe, and she shrugs.
Weird
, her expression says. Kyle stuffs his hands into his pockets. “Guess you'd prefer to go just with Zoe, huh?”

I hesitate, not wanting to say yes, but really needing some time alone with my best friend. “Well…” I start.

“It's OK,” he says with a grin. “I'm shattered anyway. Those old people are exhausting…”

“Looks like it's just you two girls then,” Dad says, giving me quick hug. That sounds pretty perfect to me.

Chapter thirteen

As we're shown to a table by the window in Norelli's, I decide I'd give anything to have a family like Layla's. I don't mean actually having her parents instead of mine, although I do wish Mum would lighten up sometimes and, more importantly, that Dad and Rosalind hadn't made a baby
(eugh!).
No, I mean the
feel
of Layla's family. Their big noisy gang thing, and living in a messy, friendly house where everyone's allowed to do their own thing. I can't remember us ever having big parties, even when Dad still lived with us.

“What d'you think that was all about?” I ask, picking up a menu.

“You mean Ben rushing off like that?”

I nod. “It was like he'd just had bad news or something. Did you see how worried he looked?”

“Yeah,” she murmurs. “Maybe his parents are dead strict.”

I shrug, trying to fathom it out. “But he stayed over at your place when he'd only known Kyle for a few days. And he was only at your gran's party, in the
daytime
…”

Layla nods. “Yeah, that's a bit weird too.”

“You mean, Ben being so involved when he's only just moved here?”

“Uh-huh,” she says, and she's right: it
is
strange how quickly he's become one of the family. He stays over at her place, he's part of her gran's birthday celebrations … it's all happened so quickly. Kyle, Harris and Danny have been inseparable for years and, since he got so good on the guitar, Jude's become part of the gang too. But Ben's been around all of five minutes, and suddenly he's one of them.

“So,” I say, glancing at Layla over the top of my menu, “what if he has another reason for hanging around?”

“Who, Ben?” She keeps her eyes fixed on her own menu. “Mmm … I fancy a pepperoni pizza. How about you?”

I flick my eyes down to the list of toppings. “I was thinking, what if Ben's not really coming round to see Kyle?”

Layla gives me a baffled look. “What d'you mean?”

“What if it's
you
he wants to see?”

She laughs so loudly, an elderly lady swings round and gives us a sharp look. “You're crazy,” she says.

“Seriously. I mean, he came to your gran's party!”

“Yeah,” she says, blushing wildly, “'cause he likes being with Kyle and the others. God, imagine how Kyle would react if he even knew we were having this conversation!”

“Well, he
doesn't
know,” I reply.

Layla pulls a terrified face and pretends to check under the table. “Just making sure he hasn't stuck that stupid surveillance thingy under there.”

“Oh, God, imagine!” We're both laughing so much, we haven't even chosen what we want when the waitress comes over to take our order. She struts away impatiently.

“Or maybe,” I whisper to Layla, “he's creeping about outside, trying to lip-read our conversation—” I turn towards the window and let out a yelp.

“What
is
it?” Layla hisses.

“Look, there's Jude…” With my shoulders shaking with laughter, I nod towards the window. To be fair, he doesn't look like he's spying on us. His face breaks into a big, wide smile as Layla and I wave at him.

“Come in,” I mouth through the window, while the waitress, who's clearly becoming a bit annoyed with us now, trots back to our table with her pad.

“Have you made up your mind, girls?” she asks.

“Er…” I look down as Jude wanders in and towers above our table, a little shy now.

“Do you want anything, Jude?” Layla says. “We're getting pizzas.”

His eyes light up. “Are you sure? Don't want to interrupt anything…”

“Honestly, you're not,” she says as he takes the seat beside her and orders a Coke, same as us.

“So what were you two in hysterics about?” he asks.

“Nothing,” Layla and I exclaim, both starting to snigger again.

Jude pulls a mock-serious expression. “'Cause I thought, it can only be my hysterical face…”

I shake my head, trying to get myself under control. “It's not that weird, Jude,” I tease him.

“We were actually talking about Ben,” Layla blurts out.

No!!!
What made her say that? I stare at my best friend, barely noticing when the waitress places our Cokes on the table.

“Were you?” Jude looks interested.

“Er, yeah,” she goes on, “we were just saying … how quickly he's made friends here.”

“Oh, right.” Jude's mouth has set in a firm line.

“Why did you say it like that?” I ask, leaning towards him.

He takes a big swig of Coke. “Look … d'you both promise not to say anything to my brother about this?”

I frown, not understanding. “I don't tell Danny stuff, Jude,” I say firmly.

“Or Kyle, or Harris,” he adds. “Please don't mention it to anyone.”

“Promise,” I say, wondering if Layla only mentioned Ben in the hope of gleaning more info about him. After all, Jude spends heaps more time with him than we do.

He pauses. “Look, I shouldn't say anything – anyway I'd better go—”

“No, stay,” Layla says quickly. He smiles uncertainly.

“So you were saying…” I prompt him.

“It's just…” He stops as our pizzas arrive and I offer him a slice. “I know he comes across as really cool…”

“Uh-huh,” Layla says eagerly.

“But I can't help wondering if he's not all he seems.”

“Why do you say that?” I ask, frowning.

Jude pauses. “It's just … me and Kyle were talking about the first time we met him – you know, at that drop-in music session at the Acorn?”

Layla and I nod.

“He was full of all the stuff he likes,” Jude goes on. “Music, films – and all the amazing things he's done…”

“I don't see what's odd about that,” Layla remarks. “I mean, he lived in Brighton. I bet there was loads going on there…”

“He was at boarding school, though,” Jude points out.

“They do go home for holidays,” I remind him.

Jude nods. “I know, but it seemed weird when he's so secretive about other stuff, like where he lives…”

“He's probably just trying to make a good impression,” Layla says with a shrug.

“Yeah, maybe,” Jude replies.

“What do Danny and Harris think?” I ask.

Jude shrugs. “They think he's great.”

“So it's just you and Kyle who are a bit suspicious?” Layla chuckles and places a hand on his arm. “Sounds like you're a teeny bit jealous, Jude.”

His cheeks flush red. “Of course I'm not.”

“C'mon,” she teases. “You can tell us. We're all friends…”

He shakes his head firmly. “Look, I should go and leave you girls to it.”

“I was only joking,” Layla says quickly. “Here, have another slice…”

Jude stares down at Layla's pizza. “You only want me to stay so you can quiz me about Ben.”

Layla and I gawp at him in amazement. Jude's usually so laid-back. In all the years I've known him, I've never seen him upset or hurt or angry, and now he seems to be a mixture of all three.

“No, we don't,” I murmur, my stomach twisting uncomfortably. But it's no good. Hurt shines from his eyes as he gets up from his chair. He marches across the café, nearly colliding with the waitress carrying a tray laden with glasses.

“Excuse me!” she barks as Jude leaves.

Layla stares at me. “What's got into him? I was only joking!”

“No idea,” I say. “He's
never
touchy like that…” I watch him through the window, hurrying away down the street. Layla obviously still feels bad, even when we're tucking into bowls of chocolate ice cream.

“Layla,” I say, trying to lighten the mood, “what would you do if Ben asked you out?”

“What?” she gasps. “That's not gonna happen, is it?”

“But what if it did?”

She laughs and fiddles with her hair, but her eyes are suddenly guarded. I've noticed her looking uncomfortable if I bring up the subject of Ben. I know she likes him, and I do too: how could we not? But I don't want him causing tension between us. “You mean in a parallel universe where impossible things happen?” she asks.

I nod.

“Er … let's talk about something else,” she mutters. “I still feel awful about upsetting Jude… I didn't mean to embarrass him like that.”

“Well,” I suggest, “maybe he just wishes things were like they were before.”

“Before Ben, you mean?”

“Yeah.” Her phone bleeps with a text. She fishes it out of her pocket, saying nothing as she reads it and puts the phone away again, but her cheeks slowly turn rosy pink.

“Who is it?” I ask.

“Er, no one.”

“Layla?” I study her face and, because I know her so well, I just know. “Who is it?”

She forces an awkward smile. “It's Ben.”

“Ben's
texted
you?”

“Yes, it's nothing – just about that fund-raising idea for the Acorn. Look.” She delves into her pocket and thrusts her phone towards me. I take it from her and stare at the screen:

Have idea about theatre thing xx

“See, it's nothing,” Layla says firmly.

I look up at her and hand back her phone. “
Two
kisses?”

“Yeah,” she says with a nervous laugh, “I s'pose he's just like that.”

“Like the kind of boy who puts kisses on texts?”

“It's no big deal,” she says, pulling out her dad's money to pay. But it obviously is as she has to count it out twice, and when the waitress brings our change, Layla misses her pocket as she tries to put it away. The whole café seems to fall silent as coins cascade on to the floor.

The mood still feels strange as we leave. I wish we could rewind to when we were giggling hysterically, or further back, at her gran's party, when it was all about laughter and fun. “So Ben has your mobile number?” I say lightly.

“Um, yeah.” She gives me a quick glance.

“Did he ask you for it?”

She shoves her hands into her pockets as we head down the street. “Yes, he did.” She looks at me, and I can't ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach. Not because he obviously likes her, but because she never told me. Layla kept a secret from me, and I'd bet my life that that's never happened before.