by Melody James
I stare into her eyes, hoping she believes me.
Treacle takes a crisp and pops it in her mouth. ‘OK,’ she says briskly. ‘If you say so.’
Thursday night, Dad drops me off at City Bowl. ‘I’ll pick you up at ten,’ he says.
‘I’ll be waiting,’ I promise.
I get out of the car and slam the door shut. A warm evening breeze lifts my hair as I wave him off. I head inside. It feels weird to be going in alone. Normally, I’d have my family with me, or Treacle and Savannah. I feel naked without them.
Hi, Sam. Have you had a good week? I run through conversations in my head. I loved your webzine article. How did you find out that Boogie Machine were gigging at the prom? What did you think of my article?
I’m flashing hot then cold. Perhaps I’ll just ignore him. He hasn’t made eye contact for a week. It should be easy enough.
I pass the arcade and head for the lanes.
Barbara spots me first. ‘Gemma!’ She waves me over.
Mr Harris, Mr Chapman and Miss Davis are huddled at the bar while Cindy and Barbara sit at the end of a lane. I spot Will pacing the floor behind them, while Phil and David check out the scoring machine. Jeff’s lounging with his feet on a stool, his earbuds in, flicking through his iPod.
‘Isn’t Sam here yet?’ I stop beside Barbara, scanning the hall.
‘He’s not coming,’ Cindy says curtly. ‘Apparently, bowling’s not his sport.’
‘Oh.’ I try to sound casual even though thoughts are scrolling through my head like Twitterfeed.
Have they argued?
She looked pretty upset on Monday.
Perhaps he’s avoiding her.
Perhaps he’s avoiding me.
Perhaps he’s embarrassed about being Prince Charming.
Oh God, let me die.
I’m glad he’s not here.
At least I won’t have to talk to him.
‘Drinks!’ Mr Harris weaves towards us, his hands clutching cans and bottles. He manages to land them safely on a table, only slopping a few drops onto the floor. ‘Who ordered Coke?’
‘Me.’ Jeff lifts his hand.
‘Orange juice?’ Mr Harris starts handing out drinks.
Miss Davis’s voice sounds behind me. ‘Gemma, you’re here. I think Mr Harris got you lemonade. Is that OK?’ She’s clutching a huge bucket of popcorn.
Mr Chapman follows her, a tray of hot dogs in his hands. ‘I hope none of you are vegetarian.’ He slides the tray beside the drinks while Miss Davis parks the popcorn on a chair.
Barbara claps her hands together. ‘Mr Harris, Miss Davis, you shouldn’t have. This is so kind!’
Miss Davis beams. ‘It’s a kind of celebration for us as well.’
‘Celebration?’ Barbara leans forward curiously.
Mr Chapman slides his arm round Miss Davis’s waist. It’s odd seeing teachers act like real people.
Jeff sniffs. ‘What are you celebrating?’
But Cindy’s already spotted the diamond sparkling on Miss Davis’s finger. ‘Oh, Miss Davis.’ She grabs Miss Davis’s hand and starts admiring.
Miss Davis looks coy. ‘Mr Chapman and I are engaged,’ she announces proudly.
My mouth drops open. ‘Engaged?’ Happiness thrills through me. I helped Savannah bring Miss Davis and Mr Chapman together on our Paris trip. While Savannah pimped Miss Davis’s dowdy look, I steered them onto a ride at Parc Astérix. The stars did the rest. At least that’s what Savannah likes to believe. I think they were always destined to be together, stars or no stars.
‘Congratulations!’ I grin.
Will stops pacing and stares. ‘Are we going to start bowling any time soon?’ He’s clearly not impressed by romance. I wonder if he remembers his horoscope.
I try to jog his memory with a quote. ‘Let’s work up a sweat doing something fun.’
He stares at me like I’ve gone nuts. So does everyone else.
Jeff hops to his feet and puts his arm round my shoulder. ‘Great idea, Gemma. You’re on my team.’
‘I hope you don’t mind if we sit this game out.’ Smiling, Mr Chapman leads Miss Davis away from the alley.
Mr Harris claps his hands together enthusiastically. ‘Which team wants me?’ he asks brightly. ‘I’m afraid I’m not a great bowler.’
‘We’ll have you, Mr Harris,’ Barbara pipes up.
‘Who’s we?’ Will asks warily.
‘Me and Cindy of course,’ Barbara chirps.
David looks at Jeff. ‘Phil and I will join you and Gemma, if that’s acceptable?’
Jeff grins. ‘Very acceptable.’
Will glances at Cindy unenthusiastically. ‘Which means that you’re stuck with me.’
‘I guess we are.’ Cindy looks him up and down. ‘We play to win, right?’ He’s a head taller than her but, judging from the steely look in her eyes, she’ll have no trouble keeping him on message.
‘Sure.’ Will runs his hand through his hair. ‘Otherwise, what’s the point?’
Mr Harris bowls first. His ball rumbles halfway before dropping into the gutter. ‘I’ll get the hang of it soon,’ he promises.
Jeff’s up next. He gets a strike of course. Give Jeff a ball, any size, any colour, and he’ll know exactly what to do with it.
Will spends an age choosing his.
‘Just pick one,’ Cindy snaps.
‘I need the right weight,’ Will tells her without taking his eyes from the rack. ‘I thought you said we were playing to win.’
Jeff laughs. ‘I thought we came to have fun.’
‘Think again.’ Will picks a ball and swings thoughtfully.
‘You’d better get a strike after all this fuss,’ Cindy warns him.
Will meets her eye steadily. ‘I’m stuck with two girls and an English teacher,’ he growls. ‘I’m our only hope.’
Cindy puts her hands on her hips. ‘Oh, really?’
Barbara dips her hand into the popcorn bucket. ‘Don’t underestimate us girls,’ she tells Will.
Will’s experimenting with his stance at the head of the lane.
I roll my eyes and lean closer to Jeff. ‘It looks like Will’s taking bowling as seriously as he does everything else,’ I whisper.
‘He’ll loosen up,’ Jeff promises cheerily.
I’m not so sure. I can feel Jessica shaking her head in despair. Didn’t he read his own horoscope?
He launches the ball down the lane. It rolls fast, curving at the end, and knocks the pins down with a clatter. He turns to Cindy and nods.
She narrows her eyes. ‘Not bad,’ she concedes.
Phil hits six and Barbara knocks down eight. After David scores nine, it’s Cindy’s turn.
Will’s lounging on the seat, picking at the popcorn with Barbara.
‘Just watch her, Will,’ Barbara enthuses. ‘She’s a natural bowler.’
Cindy’s limbering up, swinging a pink bowling ball. I wonder if she’s chosen it for its weight or because it matches her cashmere polo neck. She launches it elegantly and it rolls down the lane, moving slowly, but with pinpoint accuracy. As it takes out every pin, she flings her arms in the air. ‘Yesss!’
Will slow-claps her. ‘Not bad, Cinders.’
‘Not bad?’ She gives him freeze-beams. ‘It was great.’
My stomach flutters as I realize it’s my turn. I’ll be happy to stay out of the gutter. Cindy and Will have given the evening a competitive edge that I’m not used to. This should be an evening of fun; it feels more like a bowling exam. I try to ignore Will and Cindy’s gaze as they watch me like terriers watching a rabbit.
Steadying my breath, I heave the ball down the lane.
Relief sweeps over me as it stays on track and smashes through the middle of the pins.
I hear Jeff sucking air through his teeth. ‘You’ve left yourself a tricky split, Gemma.’
My momentary happiness dissolves. I have to bowl again. I aim for the three pins on the left. My heart jumps into my throat as my ball veers dan
gerously towards the gutter. It holds its line though, knocking down two more pins.
Barbara records my score. ‘Well done, Gemma.’
Will rubs the side of his nose. ‘Perhaps we should play with the bumpers up.’
‘Too easy,’ Jeff complains.
Mr Harris shrugs apologetically. ‘It might be for the best.’
‘No.’ Cindy puts her foot down so sharply her bob trembles. ‘We’ll all just have to try harder.’
It’s OK for you, I think furiously. You’re good at this.
We carry on with the gutters yawning either side of the lane like mini runways to hell.
Mr Harris finds his technique and manages to stay clear of them. I hit them twice. By the last frame, the scores are fairly even. David and Jeff’s scores are making up for mine and Phil’s. While Barbara and Mr Harris flounder, happy to knock down anything, Will and Cindy are bowling like machines. I’m not sure who they’re competing against more, our team or each other.
‘The scores are close,’ Jeff announces as Mr Harris prepares to bowl his final ball. I’m going to have to bowl my best game yet if we have any chance of winning.
Jeff makes a strike. So does Will. As Cindy comes up for her final ball, Will’s watching her intently.
‘Come on, Cindy,’ he mutters.
Her gaze is fixed on the end of the lane. She bowls and the ball hurtles down the middle. It knocks the pins flying.
‘Yes,’ Will hisses through gritted teeth.
Cindy spins triumphantly and flashes Will a wide smile. For a moment, it’s like they only see each other. The rest of us disappear. Then Barbara rushes forward and gives Cindy a hug. ‘You’re brilliant, Cindy!’ she squeaks.
Jeff nudges me. ‘It’s not over yet.’
I swallow. ‘But I need a strike for us to win,’ I breathe. My heart’s turning somersaults. Hands trembling, I choose a ball. It nearly slides out of my sweaty fingers. I grip tightly and focus on the pins. With a long swing, I hurl it forward. It blasts down the lane, curving to one side before smashing through the pins.
I gasp. Did I do it?
As the ball disappears, I see two pins standing: one either side of the lane.
‘Bad luck, Gem.’ Jeff rests his hand on my shoulder.
There’s no way I’ll knock both pins down. They’re too far apart.
He turns to Will. ‘You win!’
Will throws a fist into the air. Cindy shrieks and leaps at him. She flings her arms round his neck and hugs him hard.
Will freezes.
His face has the look of an eight-year-old on a roller coaster.
Then he wraps his arms round Cindy and hugs her back. I don’t think I’ve seen him smile before – not to show happiness anyway.
And he looks happy.
Really happy.
I wait for her to realize she’s hugging Will and tear herself free. But she doesn’t; she just loosens her grip and looks up at him. ‘Nicely played, Will.’
He grins down at her. ‘You too, Cindy.’
OMG. Jessica’s prediction came true. Will got his hug! But from Cindy? It’s the last person I expected.
I suddenly realize I’m not the only one waiting awkwardly for the moment to end.
‘Popcorn, anyone?’ Mr Harris is the one to break the spell.
Cindy lets go of Will and faces Mr Harris with a smile. ‘That would be lovely.’ She’s glowing.
I head for the table and grab my lemonade. There’s only one warm mouthful left. As I swallow, Barbara bounces up beside me.
‘Did you see that?’ she gasps.
Jeff’s voice sounds beside me. ‘We all saw that.’
I glance over my shoulder. Mr Harris has collapsed on the chairs beside Mr Chapman and Miss Davis. David and Phil are checking the scores. Will’s leading Cindy away from the bright lights.
‘Where are they going?’ I ask.
Barbara’s too busy hyperventilating to answer. ‘It was a moment, right? Like a real moment?’
‘About time,’ Jeff grunts.
Barbara turns on him, eyes wide. ‘What do you mean?’
‘You must have noticed,’ Jeff shrugs. ‘Will’s either staring at her legs or pulling her pigtails. And Cindy never misses a chance to push his buttons.’
I frown, puzzled. ‘But I thought that’s because they hated each other.’
Jeff ruffles my hair like a patronizing big brother. ‘Poor Gemma,’ he teases. ‘You’ll be a Year Ten in September. Then you’ll understand.’
I knock away his hand. ‘I’m not a total numbskull,’ I snap. ‘But what about Sam? Isn’t he dating Cindy?’
Barbara leans close and whispers in my ear. ‘Sam turned her down,’ she confides. ‘She asked him to the prom and he said no.’
The planet rocks beneath my feet. ‘But—’
‘I know,’ Barbara sighs. ‘They would have made such a sweet couple.’
‘I thought they already were a couple,’ I exclaim.
Barbara tips her head. ‘Why would you think that?’
‘The bracelet.’ Suddenly nothing’s making sense. ‘He bought her a bracelet in Paris. She told me.’
‘Oh, no,’ Barbara says briskly. ‘He didn’t buy her the bracelet, he just lent her the euros so she could buy it. She was so in love with it, but she’d no money left. So Sam offered to lend her enough until she got home and could pay him back.’
‘Oh.’ I stare at Barbara. She’s deconstructed my world. ‘Sam and Cindy never dated?’ I mumble thickly.
‘No.’ Barbara looks curious. ‘Why? Is it important?’
Yes!
I don’t answer her. I’m caught in a thought-storm. So, when Sam said he liked curly hair more than straight hair, he wasn’t being a sleaze. Or a fake. Or a phony. He meant it!
And I totally blew him off.
He must think I’m psycho.
I check the floor for holes to swallow me. There aren’t any. I have to stand here while my new reality sinks in.
‘Barbie!’ Cindy’s racing towards us. She skids to a halt. ‘Will asked me to the prom.’
‘Ohmygodohmygod!’ Barbara grasps her hands. Cindy nods like a jack-in-the-box.
Barbara’s smile is a mile wide. ‘I knew it!’ she breathes. ‘I told you he liked you.’
Cindy gives her a look. ‘But he was so mean to me.’
Jeff snorts beside me. ‘That’s just Will. It’s how he shows he cares.’
Cindy’s eyebrows arch. ‘Not for much longer.’ Her face sets into Ice Queen determination.
Will may just have signed up for some serious reprogramming.
Savannah’s tiny pink rucksack bounces on her shoulders as she skips round me and Treacle like an excited puppy. ‘I can’t believe we’re going to see Jessica Jupiter for real!’
We’re walking to school. My backpack is bulging with my Jessica Jupiter costume. It digs into my shoulders and I shrug to shift the weight. The dressage hat is wrapped in a thousand plastic bags and dangling from my hand.
‘Why aren’t you excited?’ Savannah asks.
Treacle winks at me. ‘I’m very excited. It’s going to be an interesting speech.’
I would glare at her, but Savannah’s already suspicious. The first thing she asked me when we met her at the corner was, ‘Why are you taking so much stuff to school on the last day?’
I lied and told her I was returning my books late.
She didn’t question further. She wants to talk about Jessica.
‘Do you think I’ll get a chance to actually speak to her?’ Savannah falls in beside Treacle and stares dreamily into the blue sky. ‘I want to thank her for getting me and Marcus together. I might never have realized how wonderful he was if she hadn’t kept reminding me. Do you think I’ll get the chance to have a word with her face to face?’
Savannah’s innocent question terrifies me. I’m glad I skipped breakfast. It saves me throwing up. Even if I can fool the school from the safety of the stage, if Sav sees Jessica Jupiter c
lose up, she’ll know it’s me. She’s not a total ditz.
I change the subject. ‘Miss Davis and Mr Chapman announced their engagement at bowling last night.’
Savannah screeches to a halt and turns on me. ‘Why are you telling us now? You have a phone. You can tweet. This news should’ve been all over my Facebook page by breakfast time.’
‘Why?’ I ask. ‘Did you want to plan a wedding shower?’
‘Duh.’ Savannah looks at me like I’m beyond stupid. ‘You do realize that being First to Know is my school mission statement, don’t you?’
‘Then what’s Sally’s mission statement?’ I ask.
‘First to Hear it From Savannah.’ Savannah flicks her hair over her shoulder.
Treacle sniffs. ‘I don’t think teachers should be allowed to marry.’
‘Why not?’ Savannah’s stunned.
‘Think of their kids. Nothing but teacher genes.’ Treacle shudders.
I laugh. ‘Imagine the homework. Teachers 24/7.’
‘I think it’s cute,’ Savannah coos. ‘They’ll be able to see each other at work and at home. They’ll never have to be apart.’
I throw my arm round her shoulder as we reach the school gate. ‘You are a hopeless romantic, Savannah.’
‘And you’re not?’ she demands.
‘No,’ I lie while my heart whimpers pitifully. Last night, when I wasn’t lying awake, stiff with terror about today’s assembly, I was thinking about Sam. Between one and four am, I forced myself to relive every sweet thing he’d ever said or done. For a moment around dawn, it actually seemed possible that he’d liked me all along.
What’s the point? I’ve been so horrible to him, I’ve crushed any feelings he might have had. He’ll probably never speak to me again.
I shall grow old and die unkissed by Sam.
‘What’s wrong?’ Savannah peers into my eyes. ‘You look like you’re about to cry.’
I swallow and distract her. ‘Can you tell Miss Davis that I can’t make registration because I’ve got webzine business?’ I have to put on my Jessica costume in time for assembly.
The horror of my coming ordeal sweeps away my heartache.