I lean against the fence and pat the horse’s nose. Then I jump out of my skin as I hear Miss Lewis, bellowing my name.
“Suzy Puttock, what do you think you’re doing? I’ve got three teachers out searching for you, thinking you must have suffered some kind of horrible injury and I find you lolling about, fondling a horse? It’s not good enough. Detention, tomorrow after school.”
CHAPTER SIX
“Are you still coming over later?” Millie asks after school the next day. She shoves books into her already full-to-bursting locker before forcing the door shut.
“Yep,” I reply. “Soon as this dumb detention’s over. Lewis is such a witch. Mum went mental when I gave her the detention slip.”
“And you’re sure you don’t mind helping me walk Murphy? He—”
Down the corridor I see Ryan heading in my direction. Immediately I start searching for a place to hide. There has to be somewhere around here. Maybe I could fit into one of these lockers…
“Suzy, are you listening?” Millie asks.
“Ryan’s coming,” I hiss. “I can’t let him see me.”
“What? Don’t be mental,” Millie says, laughing. “Ryan can’t still have it in for you. That thing on the football field was days ago.”
“Yeah, well, he seems to have the memory of an elephant. Mills, you have to help me.”
Millie shrugs then swoops forwards, holding her coat out wide like bat’s wings.
“Oh, good one, subtle,” I say.
“What?” Millie says. “You said help, so I hid you. Only obeying instructions.”
“Has he gone?”
Millie checks up and down the corridor. “Yeah, you’re safe. So you’ll help me walk Murphy, then?”
Oh. I’d forgotten about that. Rats.
“Um, well, actually there’s something I’m supposed to be doing,” I say.
“Suze, you’re such a liar.” Millie sounds dismayed. “The boys have already vanished off somewhere. You promised you’d help. You know what Murphy’s like.”
Yes. I know exactly what Murphy’s like. Which is precisely the reason I want to get out of going. After Millie’s dad had too much to drink in the pub one night, he bought Murphy as a puppy from some random man. The guy promised it was a small dog, but Murphy’s never really stopped growing. He’s the size of a Shetland pony and probably weighs more than I do. Last time Millie took Murphy out, she almost got hauled into the duck pond on the common, but she completely adores him.
“Suze, you have to come,” Millie begs. “Please, please, please, please. Say yes or I’m going to hold onto your leg and drag you over to Ryan.”
She would, too.
“All right, all right,” I surrender. “I’ll be round in about an hour. But I’ve got to go, I’m late for Lewis.”
Further down the corridor I bump into Jade, who’s grabbing GHDs, a hair dryer, three different brushes and an armful of products from her locker.
So that’s how she always looks so perfect. She carries an entire blimmin’ salon around with her.
“Hi, Suzy,” Jade says coolly. Her mobile starts to ring. “Here, hold these for me would you?”
Jade dumps everything into my arms then answers her phone. She starts giggling madly, while I stand laden down under the weight of all her things.
“Sorry about that,” Jade apologises insincerely, when she finally ends the call. “Drew won’t stop calling me.”
“Drew?”
“He’s at St Edward’s,” Jade explains. “He’s gooooorgeous. Nothing serious of course, but we’re having a good laugh flirting, y’know? Oh no, silly me. Of course you don’t.”
Ouch. Score one for the bitch.
“That’s because I never needed to,” I retaliate.
Hah. Score one back for me.
Jade’s face darkens.
Eep. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut. Do I never learn?
“Um, see you later, I’ve got detention with Lewis,” I say, hurriedly.
“Yeah, me too,” Jade says.
“You? Why?”
Jade’s one of Lewis’s superstars, so what did she do wrong?
“I missed one of her stupid checkpoints yesterday and didn’t get marked down, so now she’s got it in her head I cheated to beat Kara,” Jade says dismissively as I trail after her into the gym, still laden down like some kind of packhorse.
That’ll mean she cheated then.
“You’re late,” Miss Lewis tells us sternly. “And what’s all that, Suzy? This is a gymnasium, not a beauty salon.”
“It’s not mine, I—”
“I’m really not interested,” Lewis says, striding over to the equipment cupboard and flinging the doors open, gesturing inside. “Right, I need all this stuff sorting. Year Seven were in here earlier and have left it in one hell of a state.”
Is she for real? This place is a dump, plus it stinks of feet. There are quoits and hoops and unihoc sticks and a whole load of other stuff I don’t even recognise in a massive tangle on top of the crash mats. And are those lacrosse sticks at the back of the cupboard? When has anyone at this school ever been posh enough to play lacrosse?
Jade and I are sorting through the beanbags and hockey pucks when Mr Patterson, my English teacher and the only decent-looking member of staff in this place, walks in.
“Miss Lewis, can I have a word?”
“Of course you can.” Miss Lewis smiles girlishly, and Jade and I exchange a shocked glance. Lewis is actually batting her eyelashes. Blimey, I never knew she had it in her.
“I’m sorry to ask,” Mr Patterson says, “but I’ve got a pupil in detention and I’ve been called to a departmental meeting. Nobody else is about. Can I leave him with you? He’s got homework to finish.”
“Not a problem,” Miss Lewis says, smiling and fluttering so madly her glasses slide down her nose.
“In you come,” says Mr Patterson, gesturing to someone in the corridor.
Oh flipping heck. Of all the people in this place, why did it have to be Zach?
Zach seems majorly grouchy until he spots Jade and me, then his face brightens a little. “Hi,” he says.
I smile back and duck my head quickly, but not before I notice he’s even cuter than I remember. His hair’s flopping over his forehead and his green eyes are blazing. Mmm. Yummy.
No. I did not just think that. Behave, Suzy.
“This isn’t a social club, young man,” Miss Lewis says sharply. She hauls out one of the exam tables and a chair from the other cupboard, and gestures to it. “Get on with your work. I don’t want to hear a peep out of you until you’ve finished.”
Miss Lewis sits down and starts reading the paper.
I’ve been trying to untangle one of the badminton nets for what feels like five hours when Zach coughs loudly. The next thing I know, he’s chucking a piece of tightly folded paper over in my direction. It skids along the floor and lands by my feet.
A note? For me?
The piece of paper has a couple of sentences written on it in Zach’s loopy, practically illegible handwriting.
I’m very bored. Entertain me.
I tell myself Zach’s only given it to me as Jade’s buried deeper in the cupboard, and I’m easier to reach. He said himself he’s looking for a way to pass the time. But even so I get a small flutter of butterflies.
I shrug and mouth back, “What do you want me to do?”
Then it’s his turn to shrug, before he grabs his phone and starts texting.
Oh. Is that it, then?
Why didn’t I do something more interesting? Now Zach probably thinks I was being totally dismissive. He wanted me to entertain him – I could have done, I don’t know, a tap dance, perhaps. Well, maybe not that. But I should have done something.
Zach’s still texting away, but finally he puts his phone down and starts scribbling something. Please let it be another note for me…
When I look around to see if Jade’s noticed what we’re doing, I realise she�
��s given up with the tidying and is leaning up against the crash mats, texting at top speed, glancing up every now and then to keep an eye out for Lewis.
Zach’s piece of paper comes skidding across the floor and I grab it, trying not to look too eager.
Wanna go and get a burger after school?
I stare at the note in shock. Huh? Is Zach asking me out?
No. That can’t be right.
Can it?
I read the note again.
I think he is.
But everyone knows that I’m with Danny. Although… Zach’s new. So maybe he doesn’t. What should I do? I bite my lip and risk a look at Zach, but he’s texting again.
Miss Lewis clears her throat. “How’s that assignment coming along, Zach?”
“Nearly finished,” Zach replies, hiding his phone as quick as a flash. When Miss Lewis has returned to her paper, he mouths, “Well?”
I gesture for him to chuck over his pen, trying to buy more time while I think of how to answer. Obviously I can’t say yes. I mean, I wouldn’t. I don’t want to, because of Danny. But I don’t want Zach getting the impression I’m a total dullard.
And then it hits me.
Is this flirting?
Wow. Maybe this is what Jade was talking about. She’s right, this is kind of fun.
Wait. No. I shouldn’t be thinking that. I shouldn’t be flirting with someone else.
But then, Danny wouldn’t really mind, would he? It’s only a bit of fun, like Jade said. Danny probably flirts with girls all the time. I just don’t know about it.
And it’s not as though I fancy Zach or anything. I need to give him an answer.
Although I know I should tell Zach I’ve got a boyfriend, I find myself writing, Can’t tonight. Off to the park to help a friend walk her dog. Sorry.
When Zach reads it, he shrugs yet again, and goes back to his essay.
And I’m left feeling strangely disappointed.
What feels like ten years later, we’re finally out of detention. I hover by the door for a moment, waiting to see if Zach says anything to me, but Jade grabs hold of him the second Lewis lets us leave. Part of me thought I heard my name mentioned, but I’m probably being paranoid. Or Jade’s über-nosy and wants to know what was in those notes. When I realise Zach’s not leaving Jade’s claws anytime soon, I give up and leave.
It’s a good job I can walk the route to Millie’s backwards and blindfolded, because right now I’m so befuddled I can scarcely remember how to put one foot in front of the other. I can’t get my head round the fact someone so utterly amazing was flirting with me.
Yes, me!
But it’s not like it means anything. Because I have Danny. My very lovely boyfriend.
Although… I don’t remember when Danny last made me feel so fluttery and kind of, well, alive.
What if Jade was right and I am missing out?
No. She’s wrong. She has to be.
I’m sure Zach was probably just trying to make the time go faster and make new friends or something.
Anyway, I can’t ponder this any more. I’m at Millie’s front door. A furious barking erupts when I press the bell, and as usual, inside I can hear people shouting.
“Shut that dog up, the neighbours will complain again!” (Millie’s mum.)
“I’m trying to. Stop it, Murphy, it’s Suzy! Friend, Murphy, friend.” (Millie.)
“What’s for dinner, Mum?” (Millie’s big sister, Sophie.)
“Suzy, if Murphy has anything to do with it.” (Millie’s mum.)
“Move, Murphy, darling, so I can get to the front door, would you? Move. Move!” (Millie.)
Eventually Millie manages to wrestle the door open. She looks exhausted, and we haven’t even left the house yet. This isn’t a good start.
“Hi, Suze. Sorry about that. I’m not quite ready yet, so can you help me get Murphy ready?”
‘Getting Murphy ready’ is a lengthy process, which the crazy mutt considers to be an excellent game, and even more exciting than the walk itself. It consists of us chasing him all over the house, behind the sofa, through the kitchen, up the stairs, across the beds and into the bathroom where we eventually trap him in the bath and bribe him with dog biscuits to get the leads (yes, two leads – one for each of us) attached to his collar. When we’re done we’re knackered and sweating like pigs.
“Are you sure this double lead thing is going to work?” I ask dubiously on the way to the park. Murphy still feels way too strong for my liking.
“You can walk him with one, but it’s slightly more risky. I thought with both of us holding him we might have more chance of keeping control… Oh flipping heck, distract him quick, there’s Pansy.”
On the opposite side of the road, a tiny Yorkshire terrier is prancing along in front of a little old lady.
“Murphy, Murphy, a jelly baby for you!” Millie calls.
As Murphy chews happily on the sweet, I realise it’s no wonder he weighs so much and is constantly hyper. The mutt’s permanently wired on sugar.
“Okay, it should be all right now.” Millie sags with relief. “That dog lives with Miss Pepper – you know, the lady at number twenty – and Murphy’s besotted with her. Murph got a little, um, carried away a few months ago and Miss Pepper’s been dead moody ever since.”
“What did he do?”
“Got loose and broke into her garden. He chased Pansy round for about an hour and trampled every plant in sight. He also ate most of the vegetable patch, so he wasn’t popular. Were you, Murph?”
Murphy wags his tail happily and woofs loudly as he canters through the park gates. As we’re tugged along behind him, I’m not entirely sure who’s walking who.
“Can’t you get him to slow down a bit?” I plead.
“If you’d like to have a go, knock yourself out,” Millie says.
Pulling on Murphy’s lead has no effect whatsoever, so eventually I give up. I’ll have to accept Millie and I are careering around a public park at speed, with no way of hitting the brakes. It’s only when Murphy finds a tasty stick and lies down for a chew that we get a much-needed breather.
Millie’s phone buzzes, and she reaches into her pocket for her mobile. She smiles when she reads the text.
“Who is it?” I ask.
“Jamie,” she says, holding out the phone for me to see.
Soz i bailed on u. Will help u wiv Murph tomoz. Luv ya! Xx
“Weasel,” Millie says, shaking her head. “I so knew he was avoiding me.”
I stare at the phone, chewing at my lip. Millie doesn’t even realise how lucky she is, getting texts like that. Jamie’s so sweet. Danny never mentions the L word. Or uses kisses. But Jamie chucks love in at the end of his message, like it’s not even that big a deal.
And then Zach burns into my head again. Which makes me think about what Jade was saying in PE.
Is it lame I’ve only ever been interested in one boy? I wonder if I should ask Millie if she’s ever had wobbles about having been with Jamie so long.
But what if she says no and it’s only me that feels like this?
Yes, I’ll feel ten times worse, but I have to know.
“Mill?”
Still puffing, Millie glances at me expectantly.
“Nothing,” I say hastily, changing my mind.
“Okay,” Millie pants. “Murphy, you’re such a nightmare.”
“Actually… there is something,” I say before I can change my mind again. “You know Danny and Jamie?”
Millie pulls a face of exaggerated puzzlement. “Danny and Jamie, Danny and Jamie… I’m sure I know those names from somewhere…”
I punch her arm. “I was wondering about something. Don’t you… did you… do you think it’s weird we’ve been going out with them for so long?”
Millie frowns. “Huh? Where did that come from?”
“I don’t know,” I mumble.
“It must have come from somewhere.”
“I guess… maybe Jade and Kara. Th
ey made me feel like a bit of a freak for only ever having had one boyfriend.”
“And you actually listened to them?” Millie says. “Suze, you nutter. They don’t even have proper boyfriends. They only ever get off with people.”
“Well, yeah,” I say, pulling at a hangnail and wincing. “Exactly like everyone else does. There are girls in our year who keep tallies of the people they’ve snogged in one evening and I can count the guys I’ve got off with on one hand. One finger, even. As can you.”
“So?”
“So, don’t you think we might be missing out?”
“Um… actually, no, not really. I’m happy with Jamie. Suze, what’s up?” Millie says, concerned. “Have you and Danny had a fight?”
“No,” I say quickly. “Nothing like that. I was just wondering what you thought, that’s all.”
“Well, I love Jamie to bits,” Millie says.
“But you’re always eyeing up other boys.”
“So?” Millie laughs. “That doesn’t mean anything. I’m only looking. Like with Zach. He’s yummy, but I wouldn’t do anything about it. I’m just happy the view in maths got better since he arrived.”
I smile weakly.
“Hey, speaking of Zach, isn’t that him?” Millie grabs my arm.
I blink a couple of times to make sure, but it is. It’s definitely Zach, bouncing a football as he saunters down the path towards us.
Hang on a minute. He knew I was coming to the park. Surely he hasn’t come here because of me? No. That would be stupid. Jeez, I really need to get over myself.
“Hi, Suzy,” he says, brushing the hair out of his eyes. “How’s it going?”
Murphy clambers to his feet and goes to investigate Zach, sniffing suspiciously at his trainers. I ignore the stunned expression Millie’s shooting in my direction.
“Hiya,” I say, doing my best to sound casual.
Zach points at Murphy. “That is officially the biggest dog I’ve ever seen in my life. What kind is he?”
Millie’s blushing furiously and seems to have lost the ability to speak.
Blimey. That’s never happened before. Millie’s mouth is silently flapping open and shut, so eventually I decide to answer for her.
“Er, this dog?” I ask, like a total spanner. As if there’s some other massive canine around that Zach’s referring to. Pull it together, Suze.
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