“Of course we’re still going. Why would he think we’re not?”
“It’s just because Aurora is going to be there,” Clint said, hesitantly.
Troy averted his gaze.
“Oh right,” Troy said. “Well, that’s no reason we can’t go. We just have to ignore her.”
“Yeah,” Clint said. The ‘we’ had been emphasised, and Troy knew that the message was starting to sink in.
Muffled swearing drifted out from the bathroom and Troy stood up and went to the bathroom door, trying the handle. Locked. He banged the door with his fist.
“What are you doing in there? The party’s started, and nobody going to care what you’re wearing, for fuck’s sake.”
The door flew open and Brandy stormed out, pushing past Troy and grabbing her shoes off the floor.
“I’m ready,” she hissed. “Stop going on.”
“You look nice, babe.”
Brandy grimaced, “I know.”
Troy eyed up her short black skirt and knew he was going to be in for a good night. Brandy finished doing up her high-heeled boots and ran a brush through her hair.
“Does my hair look straight enough?” she asked.
“Yeah, it looks fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“If you straighten it anymore you’ll go fucking bald.”
Brandy sent him an angry look and grabbed her purse.
“Let’s go, before you piss me off anymore.”
Troy stood aside and Brandy left the bedroom and Clint followed. Troy flicked the lights off and they traipsed through the kitchen, waving goodbye to his mum and Jessie, who was applying liberal amounts of make-up for a party she was going to.
“Where are you going?” Troy asked her.
“None of your business,” she replied.
“Suit yourself.”
They closed the front door and walked in silence to Sasha’s flat. Troy wasn’t sure what the problem was. He understood that Clint was frustrated that he couldn’t get with Aurora. He knew that Brandy was pissed off with him for his lack of interest in her outfit, but he didn’t understand the awkward silence.
Finally, Brandy’s phone rang and she rummaged through her bag for it. She answered and started talking loudly, breaking the silence.
“That was Zoe,” Brandy said, when she had hung up a few seconds later. “She’s meeting us outside Sasha’s.”
“Why outside?” Troy asked.
“She’s scared to go in by herself,” Brandy replied. “You know, with Aurora being there.”
“For fuck’s sake, what’s the problem?” Troy groaned. “Aurora is just some sket and we don’t have anything to worry about. As long as we ignore her, it’s all sorted.”
Brandy caught Troy’s eye and they both glanced at Clint, who was keeping resolutely silent, his face stony and his lips closed tightly. Troy wondered if he was trying to keep from shouting something.
They turned a corner and music from Sasha’s flat reached them. People were gathered around outside, smoking and drinking cans. The front door was open and light spilled out onto the dark courtyard.
Zoe was standing alone, her hair teased high above her head and her pregnancy bump hung over her lycra mini-skirt. Her tits were practically hanging out of her glittery top, and Troy averted his gaze. For such an annoying minger, she had great tits, Troy thought.
“Hey guys,” Zoe said when they approached her, “I’ve been chain-smoking fags, waiting for you to get here. I was starting to wonder if you’d decided not to come.”
Troy rolled his eyes, “We just took a while to get ready,” he said and shot Brandy a look. Brandy groaned and clutched Zoe’s arm, dragging her into Sasha’s flat.
“Looks like she’s pissed off with me still,” Troy laughed, turning to Clint. Clint nodded and followed them inside. Troy took a can off one of the guys standing outside, who looked annoyed but said nothing, and followed him into the party.
The flat was full of people dancing and drinking. The bathroom smelt of weed and two girls were snorting cocaine off the toilet lid. Troy noted who the girls were, in case they started the come down and required his services.
He went into the lounge, where he caught sight of Brandy and Zoe pouring drinks for themselves. Sasha was with them, hugging them. She caught Troy’s eye and waved, and Troy nodded back, eyeing her up. Another girl appeared and he saw Brandy’s eyes narrow. He looked more closely at the other girl and felt his eyes widen. It was Aurora. She had done something new to her hair and her body was on show. It made a big difference. She looked amazing. Troy felt his body agree. He walked across the room and joined them. Aurora nodded at him, and he smiled back.
“How are you?” Sasha asked him, and before he could respond, she asked, “Where are Amal and Tamar? They rang me and said they’d be here soon.”
“I saw Amar in the bathroom a while ago with two girls,” Aurora said, “Tamar was heading to your bedroom with some other girl.”
“Really? What a prick,” Sasha said, pushing past them, “And in my bedroom too.”
She disappeared into the crowd and Troy found himself standing between Aurora and Brandy.
“I need to use the loo,” Zoe said, and disappeared.
“You look nice,” Aurora said, speaking to Brandy. Troy resisted the urge to laugh.
“Thanks,” Brandy said. “You’ve made an effort. Anyone in particular you’re trying to impress?”
“Not really,” Aurora replied, but she seemed flushed and Troy knew she was lying.
There were a few moments of awkward silence, and Troy began to understand what Clint had been saying about Aurora. She was different from other girls. She had something. Class, maybe. Brandy caught him looking at her, and Troy quickly averted his gaze from Aurora’s chest.
“Have you seen Clint?” Aurora said, “I heard he was coming, so I thought I’d say hi.”
“Oh, he’s here alright,” Brandy smiled. “He wouldn’t have missed it for the world. He has his eye on someone special.”
Troy looked at her, eyes narrowed. Brandy ignored his warning look and continued to smile.
“Really?” Aurora said, her voice hopeful. “Did he say who?”
“Yeah, he did,” Brandy continued. “Some girl called Courtney. I don’t know if she’s here yet, but he’s had his eye on her for weeks. Well, since he finished with that other slag.”
Aurora looked like she had been slapped, but she tried to cover it up.
“Oh right, I didn’t realise,” she said, her voice shaking slightly. “Erm, I’m just going to find Sasha, make sure she’s okay.”
Aurora turned and caught Troy’s eye and gave a weak smile, and was gone. Troy looked at Brandy, impressed and appalled in equal measure.
“That was something,” he said, and draped his arm around Brandy.
“All we have to do now is make sure Clint thinks she’s with some other guy, and then their little love thing is over,” Brandy said, a smile curling the corner of her mouth.
“Great,” Troy said. “You’re actually pretty smart.”
“I’m going to find Zoe, before she does something stupid,” Brandy said. “Oh, and don’t look at Aurora Curtis like that again or I’ll rip your balls off.”
“Like what?” Troy asked, feigning innocence.
“You know,” Brandy said, and was gone. Troy watched her leave. He did know. He was as surprised as Brandy was at how he had looked at Aurora. He had seen a new side to her and he liked what he saw.
* * *
Aurora found Sasha in her bedroom, arguing with Tamar and a petite brunette girl she recognised from school. When she closed the door behind her, Sasha went quiet and looked at Aurora.
“Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were alright,” Aurora said.
Sasha nodded, “They were just leaving.”
“Sasha, I’m really sorry,” the brunette stammered, and hastily left the room when Sasha glared at her angrily.
Tamar said nothing
as he followed her out the door and closed it behind him.
“What’s happened?” Aurora asked, bewildered.
“Tamar and that bitch,” Sasha said. “Screwing on my bed. I can’t believe I actually wanted to pull him tonight.”
“Really?” Aurora said, surprised. “You never told me you were after Tamar.”
“Sorry, I just got caught up in the whole idea of you and Clint. I don’t want Tamar to be my boyfriend or anything. Just a hook-up.”
“Who was the girl he was with?”
“Just some cow from school,” Sasha sighed. She poured two drinks and handed one to Aurora. “So, how’s it going with you and Clint?”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter,” Aurora groaned and sat down on the bed beside Sasha.
“Come on, tell me.”
“Really, it’s fine.”
“It’ll cheer me up,” Sasha said, “To know that at least somebody had fun at this party.”
“He’s not interested in me,” Aurora admitted.
She felt her cheeks burning and her lip trembled. She winced and straightened out her face. She didn’t want to cry over him.
“No fucking way,” Sasha gasped. “How do you know?”
“I spoke to Brandy.”
“What the hell does she know?”
“She said Clint’s interested in this Courtney girl. He’s been after her for weeks, she said.”
“No way, Clint isn’t interested in anyone but you,” Sasha said. “Anyone can see that. Brandy’s probably just trying to stir things.”
“Why would she do that?”
“Who knows what goes on in her head?” Sasha laughed. “She’s been off with me for weeks. She probably finds it funny to mess up people’s relationships.”
“So you really think Clint does like me?” Aurora asked, hope in her voice.
“Of course I do. I wouldn’t have gotten you all dressed up like that if I didn’t think you had a chance. You should go talk to him.”
“What would I say?”
“Just talk to him, see what happens.”
“Do you know where he is?” Aurora asked. Her heart was beating faster now.
“I’m not sure, I’ve been in here for a bit, as you can tell.”
“Will you be okay?”
Sasha smiled, “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” She knocked back the rest of her drink, and Aurora copied her. “I’m going to go back out there and pull Tamar. It’s my party, after all.”
Aurora laughed, “Go for it.”
“Good luck with Clint,” Sasha smiled.
She opened the bedroom door and disappeared in search of Tamar. Aurora watched her go and then stood up. She could feel the alcohol pumping through her body but she still felt nervous when she thought about Clint. She hoped that what Sasha had said about Brandy making it all up about Courtney was right. After a glance in the mirror, Aurora retreated from the bedroom and caught sight of Sasha at the other end of the corridor, pressed close against Tamar, whispering in his ear. Aurora smiled, and started scanning the flat for Clint.
* * *
Clint watched Aurora walk towards him and smiled. She was so beautiful, and he pictured an angel walking towards him. He blinked and Aurora was standing in front of him, looking excited and nervous, clutching a plastic cup.
“You enjoying the party so far?” he asked, feeling awkward.
“Yeah, it’s been good,” Aurora replied. “I was the first one here too.”
Clint nodded and tried to think of something to say.
“You look nice,” he managed. Aurora smiled and he thought he saw her blush under her dark skin. He wondered if he was coming across as calm and collected as he had hoped to.
“So do you,” Aurora said, “Look nice, I mean.”
“Thanks,” Clint said, smiling before he could stop himself. He saw Troy appear in the hallway and felt his pulse quicken. The last thing he needed was Troy to ruin everything. He still hadn’t seen him, busy laughing and joking with Amal. “Erm, do you want to go for a walk?”
Aurora looked surprised at the question, but she nodded. “Yeah, that would be nice.”
Clint topped up her glass and got himself another beer from the fridge, and opened the back door for her.
“Thanks,” Aurora said as she stepped past him, out into the cool night air. Clint followed her out and closed the kitchen door behind her.
They walked in silence down the narrow alleyway and stopped at a set of steps, sheltered from the wind by a wall on either side.
“Should we sit here?” Aurora asked. She didn’t sound too impressed, but Clint wasn’t sure. Clint looked around.
“We could go to the playing fields,” he suggested.
Aurora nodded and followed him out of the estate and along the street towards the football field at the end of the road. The school gates loomed in the distance, padlocked and secure against intruders. A streetlight flickered above them as they walked, and sirens wailed in the distance.
Clint struggled to find his voice, but Aurora saved him from having to, as she started talking about Sasha and Tamar, and they both laughed. A police car drove past and they both made an awkward attempt to hide their drinks, but the car continued down the road and out of sight. Clint stopped when they reached the football pitch and sat down on the grassy hill behind one of the goals, but Aurora hesitated.
“What’s wrong?” Clint asked, worried he had done something wrong.
“It’s just that Sasha leant me this dress,” Aurora said, looking awkward. “I’m not sure I should sit down on the grass. She might kill me if I get stains on it.”
Clint leapt to his feet and apologised. He removed his jacket and placed it on the floor, and Aurora smiled. She sat down and Clint sat down beside her, relieved that he had remembered to bring his jacket.
They continued making small-talk, and Aurora shivered. Clint looked at her, and Aurora laughed.
“Don’t worry, I’m just a bit cold,” she said.
“Oh right,” Clint said. He debated what to do. He eventually decided to wrap his arm around her shoulders. Aurora huddled into him, and Clint found himself smiling. Now, though, he wasn’t sure what he should do. Should he kiss her? Should he mention how much he liked her? Surely she was giving him all the go-ahead signs. But then, could he be sure? Aurora was different from other girls, she had already proved that to him, so would she initiate the talk or would he? They sat in silence for a few minutes, looking out at the twinkling lights of London beyond the playing field.
“Look at the stars,” Aurora said softly, breaking the quiet. “They’re so beautiful.”
Clint looked up and was surprised by how many stars he could see in the dark night. Normally, in London, stars remained invisible, but not tonight. Maybe it was a sign, Clint pondered. Then Aurora was sliding out of his arms and lay back on the grass, her hair forming a halo around her head. Clint followed her lead and lay down on the grass beside her, and they both looked up at the stairs.
“Do you like them?” Aurora asked.
“They’re beautiful,” Clint said, and then before he could stop himself, he added, “Just like you.”
Aurora was silent, and Clint worried that he’d said something wrong but he daren’t turn his head to look at the expression on her face.
After a few moments, he turned his head to face her and Aurora was looking straight into his eyes. She was smiling. She looked stunning. Clint found himself smiling too. Then he leaned in and kissed her on the lips, and Aurora responded by leaning closer into him and her lips parted, their tongues meeting.
* * *
After locking the bathroom door, Brandy turned to face Zoe. Zoe looked frightened and clutched her hands over her stomach, as if afraid that Brandy would lunge.
“What the hell is going on?” Brandy asked, glaring at her. “What is that stupid card you keeping looking at?”
“It’s nothing,” Zoe stammered.
“It can’t be nothing. If it’s some crazy doctor’s
number, just remember, it’s too late for an abortion. I told you that you’d regret deciding to keep it, but you just had to be difficult.”
“It’s not about an abortion,” Zoe gasped. “I want to have a baby. I never wanted an abortion and never will want one.”
Brandy shrugged. “What do you keep looking at then?”
“Just some homework.”
Brandy burst out laughing.
“You never do any homework,” Brandy said, her laugh turning into a cold stare. “So you’ve lied to me. Why would you do that?”
“Look, please, can we just drop it?” Zoe pleaded.
“No way, you’re not leaving this bathroom until I’ve seen that card.”
Zoe looked scared, like a rabbit caught in the headlights, but Brandy persisted, snapping her fingers.
“Let me go,” Zoe said.
“Give me your bag,” Brandy said.
“No,” Zoe said, but Brandy snatched it out of her hand and poured the contents on the bathroom floor. Zoe gasped as her eyes scanned desperately for the card, but Brandy found it first. She picked it up and looked down at it. Zoe looked down at her feet. Brandy was silent for a few long moments and then her head snapped up and stared directly at Zoe. Zoe nervously met her gaze.
“Why do you have a card for that bitch Patterson?” Brandy asked. “She’s a pig. She’s trying to put us all behind bars. Are you insane?”
“She just gave it to me,” Zoe said, “I didn’t tell her anything but she made me take it.”
“So why do you keep looking at it?” Brandy asked. “At school, in the bathroom, now at the party. You want to ring her?”
“No, of course not,” Zoe said, but she didn’t sound convincing. Her cheeks were flushed with red now.
“You know that she’d send you straight to jail, don’t you?” Brandy persisted, “She doesn’t care about you or your baby. She’ll have it in care and you in a cell before you manage to hang up.”
“I haven’t rung her,” Zoe insisted, her eyes watering now. “I wouldn’t have done.”
“Why did you keep the fucking card then?” Brandy asked, her voice rising.
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