Viva Alice!

by Judi Curtin

  * * *

  That night, Robyn came over and Gavin cooked a big barbecue feast. Grace, Alice and I were tired after our long night on the balcony, so we headed up to bed early.

  After carefully propping the door open with a huge heavy book, we stepped out on to the balcony. I looked out at the stars and the sea. I felt kind of sad, knowing that the next night I was going to be back home, with only my boring back garden and Mum’s rows of cabbages and broccoli to look at.

  Also, I felt kind of scared. I still hadn’t told Alice what I’d decided about the whole Melissa thing – mostly because I hadn’t decided anything. I was trying not to think about it, but that wasn’t working. Every few minutes, Melissa’s mean, smiling face popped into my head, like she was haunting me.

  ‘Hey,’ said Alice, nudging me. ‘Look down there.’

  I looked where she was pointing, and saw Gavin and Robyn sitting on the side of the pool, dangling their legs in the water. They were holding hands and whispering and looking totally romantic.

  ‘That’s adorable,’ I said.

  ‘So sweet,’ said Alice. ‘And so sad. After all our hard work, it’s awful to think that those two are going to be parted tomorrow.’

  ‘Didn’t you hear the news?’ asked Grace. ‘They’re not going to be parted for long.’

  ‘How come?’ I asked.

  ‘Robyn’s going to be working here for the whole summer – she got a job in the kiddies’ club. They only told her this afternoon.’

  ‘And is Gavin going to come here for a holiday?’ asked Alice.

  ‘Better than that,’ said Grace. ‘He’s applied for a job here as assistant lifeguard, and José says he’s probably going to get it. That means that Gav and Robyn will be able to spend the whole summer together. How cool is that?’

  ‘Totally cool,’ said Alice.

  I was so happy for them, I didn’t say anything. Mum and Dad say I can’t have a boyfriend until I’m sixteen, and that feels like it’s a hundred years away. When the time comes though, I hope I meet a boy like Gavin.

  That would be really, really nice.

  Chapter Twenty

  Eddie and Lorna dropped Alice off at her mum’s place first. Grace and I got out of the car too, and the three of us hugged like we weren’t going to see each other for a hundred years.

  ‘See you both tomorrow?’ said Alice when she finally pulled away.

  ‘Sure,’ said Grace, climbing back into the car. ‘I’ll call over for you.’

  I hesitated for a second. I’d spent all of the flight home worrying and trying to make up my mind.

  ‘About Melissa,’ I said. ‘I’m still not sure …’

  ‘Hey,’ said Alice. ‘Don’t sweat it. We’ll talk tomorrow, and remember, Megan, you’re my friend, I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.’

  ‘Thanks, Al,’ I said, and then I gave her another quick hug and climbed back into the car.

  * * *

  ‘OMG,’ said Grace. ‘That’s just … OMG!’

  I was busy cuddling Domino, and at first I couldn’t see what she was talking about..

  ‘OMG,’ was all I could say when I looked up.

  The front windows of our house were all decorated with tiny Spanish flags, and on the door was a huge banner saying – WELCOME HOME, MEGAN.

  ‘I’m going to die,’ I said. ‘I’m going to totally die.’

  Gavin smiled at me. ‘I think that’s a very sweet banner,’ he said, making me feel a tiny, tiny bit better.

  Grace leaned out of the window to get a better look. ‘It’s cute,’ she said. ‘And isn’t it good to know that your family missed you?’

  ‘It is?’ I asked. ‘And why did they have to miss me so publicly?’

  Before I could say anything else, the front door of my house was flung open and Mum came racing down the path. She was making a squeaky happy noise, and her heavy boots made her sound like a stampeding herd of elephants. Her hair was all messy, she was wearing an ancient, raggy apron. There was a big floury mark on her forehead. Domino wriggled out of my arms and ran and hid under a bush. I wished I could follow her.

  Mum grabbed me and hugged me so hard I thought my ribs were going to break. Then she let me go and leaned into the car to shake Eddie and Lorna’s hands.

  ‘Thank you so much for bringing my baby back to me,’ she said. ‘I hope she was good and helpful and not too demanding. I hope she didn’t make a nuisance of herself.’

  ‘She was the perfect guest,’ said Lorna. ‘She’s welcome to join us on holidays any time.’

  ‘She didn’t do a single thing wrong the whole time we were there, did you, Megan?’ said Eddie.

  ‘Er, no,’ I said. ‘Absolutely not. Thank you for everything. I had a lovely time.’

  ‘Maybe you’d all like to come in for a cup of herbal tea?’ said Mum then. ‘I’ve made a special welcome home cake for Megan.’

  Eddie hesitated. He loves cake – but then, in his world, cakes are made of nice stuff like chocolate and marshmallows.

  ‘It’s carrot and courgette cake,’ said Mum with a big smile.

  ‘Thanks, but no,’ he said quickly. ‘We need to go home to unpack.’

  ‘The cake is sugar and fat-free,’ said Mum.

  ‘Well in that case, we definitely need to get home,’ said Eddie, before Lorna dug him in the ribs with her elbow. Eddie groaned and started the car.

  ‘Bye, everyone,’ I said. ‘And thanks again. See you tomorrow, Grace?’

  ‘Great,’ she said.

  Eddie started the engine and Mum and I waved until they had driven around the corner at the end of our road.

  Mum put her arm over my shoulder, and half-dragged me up the path, like I was going to vanish into thin air if she let me go. When we got to the front door, I could see that the welcome home banner was made of cut-up milk cartons and an old pair of tights.

  ‘Isn’t it lovely?’ said Mum. ‘I found the instructions on the internet, and Rosie and I spent a whole morning making it.’

  Suddenly I felt cross. Why couldn’t I have cool parents like Lorna and Eddie?

  ‘Mum!’ I said. ‘That is totally embarrassing and OTT. You’re forgetting that I was only in Lanzarote for a week. It’s not like I’ve come back from a two-year expedition to the top of Mount Everest. Why do you have to make a big deal of everything?’

  And then something terrible happened. Mum’s face went all crumpled, like she was going to cry. ‘We missed you, Megan,’ she said. ‘That’s all. And we wanted to do something special to welcome you back. I thought you’d be happy.’

  I felt really, really bad. ‘Sorry, Mum,’ I said. ‘I’m just tired after the journey. The banner is lovely. It was nice of you and Rosie to make it for me.’

  Mum smiled. ‘Really?’

  I smiled back at her. ‘Absolutely,’ I said.

  As I let Mum lead me into the house, I wondered how soon I could take the banner down and hide it in the darkest corner of my bedroom.

  Some things are too embarrassing for words.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Two days later, I called over to Alice’s place.

  ‘Megan!’ said Veronica when she opened the door. ‘How are you? How is my favourite party planner?’

  She lunged at me with a big hug, and I had to duck to avoid her sharp fingernails which came dangerously close to my eyes.

  Before I could answer her question, she asked another one. ‘Do you know I’ve been telling all my friends about you and how you saved Jamie’s party? You could go into business, and make a fortune. You could do birthdays and confirmations and even weddings when you get a bit older. I can help you to draw up a business plan if you like.’

  ‘Er, thanks, Veronica,’ I said. ‘I’ll get back to you about that.’

  I used to think that Veronica didn’t like me, and that kind of scared me. Now she really, really liked me, and for some reason, that scared me even more.

  Alice came into the hall and rescued me. I followed
her into her room, and lay on her bed.

  We listened to music for a bit, but we didn’t talk much.

  After a while she checked the time on her phone. ‘It’s nearly three o’clock,’ she said. ‘Melissa will be waiting. We should ……’

  ‘I know,’ I said, standing up. ‘We should go.’

  ‘It’s not too late,’ she said. ‘You can still change your mind.’

  We’d talked about if for hours and hours the night before. In the end I’d agreed that the two of us were going to meet Grace at Melissa’s place to put Alice’s plan into action. Alice had even called Melissa and told her all about it. When we made the decision, it had seemed like a great idea. Now though, in the cold light of day, I wasn’t so sure any more.

  ‘You should still try to help Melissa,’ I said. ‘But maybe I shouldn’t go with you. Maybe it’s best if you and Grace go without me.’

  ‘You’re the one who will have to make that decision, Meg,’ she said. ‘I totally think you should come though. If you do this, you’ll be the one taking control. You’ll be showing Melissa that you’re not afraid of her.’

  ‘But I am afraid of her.’

  She hugged me. ‘That’s not the point. Dad says that only fools never feel afraid. Brave people feel afraid, but they don’t let that stop them from doing the right thing. You’re brave, Megan – you always have been.’

  I pulled away from her.

  ‘I think I can do this,’ I said.

  She laughed. ‘You can totally do this. Now let’s go. Grace and Melissa will be waiting.’

  As I walked along, part of me felt mature and strong and grown-up.

  But in the back of my mind I could hear a mean, sneaky voice:

  Once you do this, there will be no going back.

  If this plan works, Melissa will be back in a big way.

  What if you’re making the biggest mistake of your whole life?

  * * *

  Melissa’s house was huge, with a big gravel driveway, and two fancy shiny cars parked outside. Alice and I stood on the front doorstep, next to two giant-sized trees in pots.

  ‘I feel like a little girl in a fairytale,’ I whispered nervously. ‘I feel like I’ve come to confront the wicked witch. I feel like, if I’m not careful, I’m going to get turned into a lizard or a stick insect or something.’

  Alice giggled. ‘Melissa’s just a girl like you and me,’ she said. ‘Sometimes I think you forget that.’

  She held her finger near the shiny brass doorbell.

  ‘But I know you’re scared,’ she said. ‘And I totally get why. Say the word, Megan, and we’ll turn around and forget this whole thing. We can act like none of this happened – ever.’

  ‘But Grace is on her way, and Melissa will be waiting. You promised her we’d be here. You promised we’d help her.’

  ‘I know I promised,’ said Alice. ‘And I don’t like breaking promises – but if I have to, I will. I can tell Melissa that we’ve changed our minds. I won’t have to explain why. We can just walk away.’

  ‘But …’

  ‘Don’t you get it, Megan?’ said Alice. ‘I’m not going through with this unless you’re absolutely sure about it. You’re my very best friend in the whole world. I know that if I live until I’m five hundred, I couldn’t possibly find another friend like you. I would never, ever do anything to hurt you.’

  I smiled. With Alice as my friend, I could do anything I wanted.

  ‘Go for it,’ I said. ‘I’m ready.’

  Alice smiled at me too as she pressed the doorbell. A jangling sound echoed through the house. Then there was a moment’s silence, followed by the click clack of footsteps.

  The game was on.

  * * *

  Melissa opened the door and brought us inside. I’d never been in her house before. It was all shiny and bright and cold – a bit like a show house that no one had ever lived in. Melissa looked totally cool in a very fancy top and jeans, and her hair was all swishily shiny and perfect. She looked pale though, and worried.

  ‘Let’s not do anything yet,’ she said. ‘Let’s just wait here until Grace shows up.’

  That was fine with me. We could spend the whole day hanging out in her hall, if that’s what she wanted.

  Melissa kept fiddling with her fancy gold bracelet and looking nervously towards the back of the house. Knowing that she was scared made me feel a small bit better.

  We stood in the hall for what felt like ages. I had lots of time to look at the fancy carpet on the stairs and the fancy stained-glass windows and the fancy chandelier with its cold, twinkly light.

  Then the doorbell rang loudly and I jumped.

  Melissa opened the door. ‘It’s Grace,’ she said, like that was a big surprise.

  The four of us stood in the hall. I felt embarrassed and scared and unhappy all at once.

  ‘Maybe we could go to town or something,’ said Melissa. ‘I’ve got money, and I could treat us all to hot chocolates and then we could go to the cinema.’

  That sounded good to me, but Alice shook her head.

  ‘Sure,’ she said firmly. ‘That sounds like a really good plan, Melissa. I’d love to go to town and drink hot chocolate and see a movie – but not yet. First we’ve got a job to do, and I think it’s time we got started.’

  ‘Er, I suppose you’re right,’ said Melissa. ‘Mum and Dad are in the kitchen.’

  Melissa led the way, walking slowly, like she was going to a funeral or something.

  She stopped at the kitchen door, which was closed. She put one hand on the doorknob, but she didn’t turn it.

  ‘I think we need to discuss this a bit more,’ she said, ‘it’s not good to rush into things.’

  For once in my life, I found myself agreeing with her.

  ‘Melissa’s right,’ I said, trying not to choke on the most unexpected words I’d ever said. ‘Maybe we should………’

  Alice rolled her eyes. ‘You guys!’ she said. ‘We’ve got a plan and we’re sticking to it. Now step aside, Melissa, we’re going in.’

  Melissa stepped aside, and Alice turned the knob of the kitchen door and I tried to ignore the million butterflies that were battling it out in my stomach.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The kitchen was about the size of my whole house. Everything seemed to be made of metal or glass or shiny marble. It hurt my eyes a bit.

  Melissa’s mum and dad were sitting at opposite ends of the kitchen table, looking really busy typing stuff into their laptops.

  ‘Hey, Mum and Dad,’ said Melissa. ‘These are my friends, Alice and Megan, and you know Grace already.’

  ‘Hello, girls,’ said both parents, without even looking up.

  Then we all stood there for a bit, feeling totally awkward.

  In the end, Grace pulled something from her pocket, and unfolded it. ‘Here, Melissa,’ she said. ‘Here’s the new brochure from our school – the one I was telling you about. Look, there’s a picture of the new hockey pitch. It’s got this super-modern surface – we’re the first school in Munster to have one like it.’

  ‘That’s really cool,’ said Melissa. ‘Let’s have a look.’

  I wasn’t paying much attention to the brochure, or to Melissa. I was watching her parents, who hadn’t looked up from their work, not even for a single second. While Melissa studied the brochure, the only sound was the clicking of laptop keys.

  Sometimes my mum drives me crazy, the way she wants to know every single detail about my life. When I bring friends over, she force-feeds them with healthy treats and asks totally inappropriate questions about their feelings.

  Suddenly I felt that was a bit better than Melissa’s parents, who didn’t even seem to know that we were there.

  I could see that Alice was getting edgy. She pulled the brochure from Melissa’s hand and held it in front of her mum’s laptop screen.

  ‘Look,’ she said. ‘You should read this, so you can see all the great things about our school. There’s a page o
n the drama society, and the music society, and here’s a bit about a school trip to the science fair, and here’s the home ec room – our teacher is brilliant, and home ec is my favourite subject, and I think I’m quite good at it, and here’s …’

  Melissa’s mum finally looked up. She stared at Alice like she was a bit crazy.

  Grace stepped forward. ‘It’s a great school,’ she said. ‘We came second in the hockey league last year, and our debating team is in the national finals next week.’

  Alice was nudging me, and I knew I had to say something. Only trouble was, Grace and Alice had already said all the things I’d planned to say. My mind was a blank, which is never really a good thing.

  Everyone stopped talking, like they were waiting for me to say something very clever.

  I looked desperately around the room, and saw a newspaper on a chair in the corner. Suddenly I had a flash of inspiration.

  ‘Er … I saw something amazing about our school in the newspaper last week,’ I said.

  ‘What was that?’ asked Alice smiling at me like I was some kind of idiot.

  ‘Er … it said that one of our past pupils has just been made vice-president of the biggest computer firm in America. It’s a brilliant job, and she was really lucky to get it.’

  Now, for the first time, Melissa’s dad looked up from his laptop. ‘That’s very interesting,’ he said. ‘Computers are the future. If you want to get on these days, a good grounding in computers is essential.’

  ‘Vice-president?’ said Melissa’s mum. ‘That’s very impressive. You can always tell a good school by where the graduates end up.’

  Alice grinned at me, and I was starting to feel good, when her mother said, ‘Now, Melissa, as you can see, Dad and I are rather busy, and we’ve wasted enough time with this chit-chat. Maybe you’d like to take your friends into the living room, and you can watch the DVD I bought you yesterday.’

  ‘Great,’ said Alice. ‘I love watching DVDs, but first ……’