Caught Inside

by Mandi Greenwood

  'No way,' Aisley groaned. 'I'm too worn out.'

  Freya hugged her. 'You won't be when you hear about my surprise. Now, I want you guys to stay right here while I round up the others. Do not go anywhere, okay?' She turned and dashed off, a ball of energy with blonde frizzy hair.

  Lucan looked quite unperturbed but Aisley and Chandra exchanged a puzzled look.

  'Who the hell are the others?' asked Chandra.

  Aisley, Chandra, Cate, Drew, Archie, Stewart and Willa all stood in a loose circle on the dock next to the Sally May and tried to take in what Freya was suggesting. Only Lucan seemed to understand.

  'A house party!' Aisley stared at Freya, completely mystified. 'I don't understand. When?'

  'Right now!' cried Freya brimming over with excitement. 'Like I said, my parents have rented a holiday house and you guys are all invited to sleep over. It's not far away. Just up that hill.' She waved her hand vaguely to the right. 'We can walk up there in a minute. Isn't that fabulous?'

  Silence reigned supreme for approximately ten seconds until the information sunk in and then they all started talking at once.

  'A sleepover?' asked Chandra. 'Like when we were kids?'

  'Do my parents know?' Cate was wary. 'They won't let me.'

  'But I didn't bring my bunny pyjamas … wait! Did my dad know about this?' A light bulb came on over Archie's head. 'He did, didn't he? That's why he was acting so weird when he dropped us off!'

  Freya was enjoying the excitement she'd caused. 'Listen,' she said 'I've been planning this for ages. We can stay tonight and tomorrow night, and your parents know because they packed your bags which, may I add, are currently up at the house because Archie's dad dropped them there after he dropped you guys here!' She stopped to take a breath.

  Cate's blue eyes were wide. 'Freya,' she gasped. 'You sneaky thing!'

  Freya cackled. 'And yes Chandra, a sleepover like when we were kids except even more fun than that because the house is huge! There's a pool and a spa and… well, all sorts of fab things. So, are you up for it?'

  The noise they all made was answer enough.

  'Trouble is, I can't un-see any of it either,' Archie complained. 'It's right there, imprinted on my frontal lobe for all time. Pictures of Cate and Drew, getting it on. Everywhere I look, there they are! Woo hoo! Lucky me, huh?'

  Aisley was listening to Archie lament as they walked up the dirt road towards the house that Freya's parents had rented. 'Why didn't you tell her how you felt before now?' she asked logically.

  He shrugged his shoulders helplessly. 'I dunno, Ais,' he moaned. 'I guess I just thought she already knew and that one day… well anyway. Doesn't matter now. I stuffed up big time by thumping Drew so she'll probably never speak to me again.'

  'Oh please!' Aisley rolled her eyes. 'Of course she will. Drew was out of line and even Cate has to admit that.'

  'Oh wow,' said Stewart suddenly and they all stopped to stare. The house was enormous.

  Drew was dragging his feet and bringing up the rear. Aisley was kind of surprised he'd accepted the sleepover offer, all things considered, but so long as he ignored Archie and Archie ignored him, it seemed to be working for them.

  Freya pointed at one end of the house. 'Mum and dad have promised me they will stay in their bit and not cramp our style,' she said.

  'I'm sure that's the only reason my dad is letting me stay at all,' Cate grumbled. 'The fact that your parents are staying too.'

  Freya squeezed her hand. 'I don't care what the reason is,' she told her. 'So long as you're here.'

  A swimming pool took up most of the garden and they had to walk around it to get to the deck beyond. On the deck was a sunken hot-tub, large enough to accommodate a dozen bodies easily.

  'Now that's what I'm talking about!' grunted Archie when he saw the spa.

  Aisley pushed the sliding doors open and stepped into a huge lounge. Stewart followed her in.

  'Whoa, check this out!' he cried. "Who wants to play?' A full-size snooker table dominated the room. He grabbed some cues from the wall and tossed one to Lucan. Chandra and Archie took the other two and Stewart set up the balls with the precision of a surgeon performing a delicate operation. 'Just a warning,' he muttered. 'I'm a damn fine snooker player so get ready to lose.'

  'Last one in the spa has to go and hang with my parents,' cried Freya dashing madly for the pile of bags stacked in the hall so she could find her bathers. Aisley and Willa followed her but Cate hesitated. She looked back at Drew. He was perched on the edge of the long L-shaped couch looking friendless.

  'Hey Drew.' He glanced up at the sound of her voice and she went back to him. 'Do you mind?' she asked. 'If I go in the spa with the others.'

  'Why would I mind?'

  'I dunno.' She cast a sidelong glance at Archie and the other boys. She wasn't sure if Drew had any allies in the room and she felt strangely reluctant to abandon him. 'Maybe you want to come in the spa too?'

  He laced his hands behind his head and leaned back against the cushions, feigning boredom. 'No thanks.'

  She looked down at him. Even with his brooding expression, he was still hot. She hated what had happened between him and Archie earlier, and she'd really hated how he'd turned up with Troy and the others. That had not been cool at all. Nevertheless, she couldn't stay mad at him. 'Okay,' she said her voice gentle. 'Can I get you something?'

  'You can find me some weed.'

  She grinned hesitantly, unsure if he was joking or not. 'I was thinking more along the lines of a drink or something.'

  'There's no alcohol here!' He snorted. 'Unless you go and pinch a flagon of sherry from Freya's mum and I'm not that desperate.'

  'You know I didn't mean alcohol,' she answered tightly.

  He studied her. 'Are you still pissed off with me about earlier?'

  'N…o,' she replied hesitantly. 'We're good.'

  'Okay then.' He leaned forward, she leaned down, and they kissed. 'Go have your spa,' he said. 'I'm just going to hang here for a while.'

  She thought about saying more then decided against it. Walking away, she felt Archie's eyes boring into her back. She didn't look at him.

  It didn't take long for the girls to find the bedrooms. They were two enormous dormitory style bunkrooms, one on each side of the hallway and Freya marched into the room on the left, dubbing it the girls' room.

  'This is like being on school camp,' said Aisley tossing her backpack onto the nearest bed as Willa edged past her and made her way to the bunk in the far corner.

  'I get a top bunk!' cried Cate, kicking off her stilettos and scaling the nearest ladder like she was back on the monkey bars at primary school.

  'Duh!' Aisley reasoned from below. 'There are four of us girls and there are four sets of bunks, hence, we all get top bunks, Einstein.'

  'Hey, yeah! How about that!' Cate started rummaging inside her bag for her bathers. 'Oh typical!' she cried holding up a piece of flimsy orange Lycra. 'Mum packed the poopy one. Great!'

  'What's wrong with it?' Aisley folded the pretty sari up and stowed it carefully in the bottom of her bag.

  'You know how bathers get all floppy after a while? Well, this one makes me look like an elephant.'

  'What?' Freya grinned. 'Huge, you mean?'

  'No! Saggy, baggy!' Cate frowned.

  'Saggy, baggy,' Freya snorted.

  'Screw you,' Cate said good-naturedly as she changed out of her clothes. 'And oh hey! Great! I also have cactus legs!'

  Aisley cackled and Cate glared.

  'Well, I didn't know I was going to be swimming tonight!' she ranted.

  Still smiling, Aisley looked in the mirror. Her hair decoration was still in place, with its diamond lying against her forehead and sparkling when the light caught it. 'I'm going to be a rebel and leave this on,' she declared. 'It's too nice to take off.'

  Freya beamed. 'What if you lose it in the spa and it gets stuck in the filter or something.'

  'And then the filter blows up!' Cate threw her ha
nds wide and made an explosive sound.

  Willa didn't join in the conversation. She hadn't budged since sitting on the bunk-bed and she also wasn't getting changed.

  'Aren't you coming in the spa with us?' Aisley asked her.

  The other two glanced around as well and Willa looked uncomfortable. 'No,' she said.

  'Why not?' Cate demanded pulling at the saggy bits on her bathers.

  'I've still got a headache.'

  'Oh, really?' Freya wrapped a towel firmly around her body. 'You have a headache? That's no good. I'll go ask mum for some painkillers.'

  'Never mind.' Willa shook her head. 'I'll be alright. I'll just lie down for a while.'

  'It's no trouble.'

  'No, really. It's okay.'

  Aisley draped her towel around her waist, sarong style. 'Can we do anything else for you then?'

  'No…' Willa shrugged. 'Well actually … yes. Kind of.'

  'Name it.'

  'Can you let Stewart know I'm in here,' Willa said. 'Tell him I don't feel well and he can come and keep me company if he wants to.'

  'He's playing snooker at the moment.' Aisley gestured vaguely at the door behind her.

  'That's because he doesn't know I'm feeling blah,' Willa said patiently. 'Once he knows, he won't want to play snooker anymore.'

  'Alright,' Aisley promised she'd let Stewart know. She wasn't as certain as Willa seemed to be that he'd drop his cue and come running, but she could pass on the message anyway.

  Punchline

  The steam was rising from the spa into the cool night air and Aisley could barely wait to drop her towel and sink into the warm water. She slowly submerged until just her head was sticking out from the nose up. A fleeting thought crossed her mind … so much for the hair Aasha straightened so beautifully. Welcome back, curls!

  Just as she'd suspected, when she'd told Stewart about going to see Willa he'd looked as miserable as if she'd told him he had to go back to school right now and skip the rest of his holidays.

  'I guess,' he'd mumbled leaning on the end of his snooker cue and sighing heavily.

  'Or maybe go later,' she'd said, feeling sorry for him. 'I'm sure Willa will understand if you don't go right now. I mean, it's not like she's leaving.'

  'Yeah, good point.' His spirits obviously lifting, Stewart had lined up his shot on the green felt. 'Thanks for letting me know, Ais. I'll make sure I check in on her.'

  Now, sitting in the spa, Aisley could see him through the window. He was thoroughly wrapped up in the game of snooker, laughing and mucking around with his friends, and she knew for sure that sitting in a dark room with a gloomy Willa was the last thing on his mind.

  'Sorry Drew and Archie had that dumb fight.' Cate was apologizing to Freya. 'I hope it didn't spoil your party too much.'

  Freya flapped a hand. 'Of course not,' she said. 'Besides, it wasn't your fault. You don't have to say sorry on their behalf. Archie did apologize, and Drew … well … sorry Cate, but Drew is a bit of a twat lately. I wasn't expecting any remorse from him.'

  Aisley hid her smile behind her hand. And Chandra thought she told it like it was? Aisley had nothing on Freya Biddy!

  'Drew's okay,' Cate defended weakly. 'Troy brings out the worst in him, is all.' She trailed off awkwardly until Aisley decided to help her out by changing the subject.

  'Off topic,' she said. 'But did I see Brice with Megan tonight?'

  'You did,' Freya assured her. 'Who'd have thought it? She's a new person since Bliss left.'

  Cate splashed water at Freya. 'Hey, speaking of Bliss, we saw her when we were in Salbury, shopping for my costume, didn't we, Ais?'

  'Really?' Freya sat up straighter, curious. 'Has she changed much?'

  'Oh, you could say that,' Aisley said dryly. 'She's very pregnant.'

  Freya glanced from Aisley to Cate and then back again. She was waiting for the punch line. 'You're joking, right?'

  'No joke.' Aisley shifted in the water and leaned her arms along the cushioned edge of the spa.

  Freya was gobsmacked. 'No wonder she left school!' She combed her hands through her wet hair, pushing it back off her forehead. 'Does Megan know?'

  'I haven't mentioned it,' Aisley replied. She looked at Cate questioningly but Cate shook her head.

  'I thought about telling her,' Cate admitted. 'But I felt too weird about it. They were besties and Megan might get funny that Bliss didn't tell her or something.'

  'I don't think they were ever besties,' Aisley said slowly. 'I think Bliss just dominated her completely. Megan tried very hard to agree with her all the time but that's not friendship.' She was remembering the day outside the Melba café, and Megan's misery. 'Keep the devil close,' she muttered.

  Cate narrowed her eyes. 'Ooh that's deep, Ais.'

  'Yep.' Aisley watched the bubbles churn and collide in the water. 'And now it's Bliss's turn to be a victim.'

  'What goes around comes around,' Freya murmured as she watched Lucan approach. It would appear that he'd lost interest in the snooker game and as he wandered casually across the deck Freya clicked her fingers at him.

  'You there, pool boy,' she cried imperiously. 'Fetch us drinks!'

  This made Aisley and Cate laugh again and Lucan smiled. Smiling was something he was doing a lot more of nowadays.

  'Any special requests?' he asked politely.

  'Cocktails!'

  'Yeah, right.'

  'Mock-tails, then. And be quick about it!'

  'Right away, madam.' Hands in his pockets, he wandered back into the house again.

  Cate watched him until he was out of sight and then she reached over and grabbed Freya's hand. 'I think Lucan has it bad for you, Freya.'

  Freya blew a raspberry. 'Bollocks,' she said mildly. 'Where have you been, Cate? Under a rock? You must know he's gay?'

  'Er, no…' Cate looked mildly gobsmacked.

  'But he's still such a cutie and honestly, I could listen to him for hours.'

  'Lucan can talk for hours?' Aisley asked doubtfully.

  'If it's something he's passionate about, yes,' assured Freya.

  'Are you sure he's gay?' Cate still looked dubious.

  'Of course he is,' Freya sniggered.

  Lucan came back soon after so they stopped talking about him. He put the tray of drinks he was carrying on a nearby table and then he crouched down beside Freya. 'Anything else I can do for you?' he asked, quite formally.

  'Oh yes,' said Freya reaching up and grabbing his arm. 'You can join us.' Giving his arm a sharp tug, she pulled him head over heels, fully clothed, into the hot tub with them. He landed with an enormous splash, making Aisley and Cate scream with glee.

  Lucan floundered around in the bubbles, coughing and spluttering. He made so much noise that it soon brought the other boys from the house.

  'What's going on?' Archie demanded, striding across the deck towards them with his Darth Vader cloak billowing out behind him in an impressive manner.

  Lucan surfaced and Freya threw her arms around his neck. She smacked an enormous kiss on his surprised face and the girls fell about laughing again.

  'Blub!' choked Lucan, his black hair plastered across his eyes and his vampire costume completely bedraggled. He clawed his way to the edge, gasping for breath and proceeded to have a coughing fit.

  Still chuckling, Aisley whacked him on the back several times.

  Stewart unbuttoned his gangster jacket and threw it into the shrubbery.

  'Guessing I won't be needing my boardies after all,' he said. He kicked off his shoes and bombed into the water in his clothes. Aisley and Cate held onto each other, helpless with laughter as he floated cheerfully to the surface. Freya grinned happily.

  'That's the spirit,' she said. She beamed up at Chandra and Archie. 'Well? You guys coming in or what?'

  'You first,' Chandra gestured politely to Archie.

  Archie shook his head. 'No, I couldn't possibly …'

  'Oh, but I insist.' Chandra shoved him into the water and then jumped
in immediately after him. The two of them narrowly missed cracking heads together with Stewart which made Aisley burst out laughing again.

  'Stop!' she gasped, holding her aching stomach. 'I'm dying here!'

  Drew stood alongside the spa with his arms crossed on his chest. 'You pack of dickheads,' he said mildly.

  Cate frowned up at him. 'Oh, come on,' she scolded. 'Lose the attitude and don't be such a party-pooper.'

  For a moment it was clear that Drew was wrestling with what he wanted to do, and what he deemed to be the badass thing to do. In the end he took off his high-tops and hopped down into the water beside her. 'I'm many things,' he told her. 'But never let it be said I'm a party-pooper!'

  A Pile of Carrots

  Meanwhile

  Somewhere in England

  'That'll be twenty pounds, eighty,' Neve told the unshaven man at her checkout.

  He frowned and scratched at his belly through his ugly mohair jumper. 'You sure?' he asked.

  Neve scanned the receipt printout from the register. 'Four packets of sardines, five pound fifty on special,' she recited. 'Sausages, bread, ice cream, dog food …' She cast a quick glance up at him. He was hanging on her every word. 'Twenty pounds and eighty pence,' she insisted.

  His bloodhound eyes, brimming with distrust, glared menacingly at her from beneath his bushy brows. 'I only brung twenty quid,' he complained.

  'Well, I can take an item out,' she suggested.

  'But I need 'em all.'

  Neve tried a beguiling smile. 'It certainly adds up, doesn't it?' she chirped. Oh god, just freakin' pay!

  The woman who was waiting next in the queue chewed gum and rolled her eyes at Neve angrily, as if the delay were somehow her fault.

  'You've made a mistake, love,' mohair man was saying. He fished a dirty hankie from his pocket and blew his nose loudly. 'Them sardines is on special.'

  'Yes,' Neve repeated patiently. 'I know. They are five pounds fifty for four. They're usually two pounds each so you're saving two pounds and fifty pence.' She grinned with insane good cheer. 'Isn't that great?'