More Than a Love Song

by Cathy Cole

  “OK, so not sacked,” Rhi amended, “but she’s not allowed to work at the moment so it may as well be a punishment. Where is the justice in that? There’s no law against teachers going on dates with parents. Single parents, I might add. The person who should go on indefinite leave is the one who wrote that horrible message on Ms Andrews’ whiteboard, and sent that picture to everyone.”

  “Don’t remind me,” said Polly, who had put her head on the table between her hands.

  No one was shouting her down about this. Feeling encouraged, Rhi pulled three clipboards from her bag. She had spent her lunch break composing the petition, with neat columns for people’s names and contact details, and had a stash of biros which she handed round.

  “Go round the tables in here and ask people to sign this,” she said, handing Lila and Ollie a clipboard each. “The person with the most signatures at the end gets a free drink.”

  Ollie looked startled. He stared at the bar, where Ryan was offering a cheerful thumbs-up.

  “I cleared it with Ryan earlier,” Rhi explained. “In school.”

  She offered Polly a clipboard. Polly shook her head apologetically.

  “I’m not up to it,” she said. “Sorry.”

  Rhi had been expecting that, but had wanted to give Polly the option. She nodded. “Fine, I’ll give it to Ryan. If this goes to plan, we’ll have Ms Andrews back at school by the end of next week.”

  Lila and Ollie headed in opposite directions, clutching their clipboards.

  “Will you be OK by yourself, Polly?” Rhi checked.

  Polly nodded, and put her head back on the table again.

  Most of the people in the Heartbeat were in total agreement with the petition. Feeling heartened as she moved around the room, watching the list of names growing on her clipboard, Rhi realized that she wasn’t alone in feeling shocked by the situation. It was a good feeling.

  “Rhi! Hey, over here!”

  Brody Baxter was waving at her across the room, his blond hair pulled back in a headband and a ragged-looking surfer T-shirt hugging his muscular torso. His fruit-sticker guitar sat propped against the wall. Rhi’s heart jumped. She’d been so caught up in her plans for the petition that she hadn’t factored in the possibility of seeing him here tonight.

  “What’s the buzz?” Brody asked.

  Rhi showed him the petition, feeling shy. “Would you sign it?”

  He took the pen from Rhi’s outstretched hand and scribbled his signature on the clipboard. “Saw your videos yesterday,” he said, handing the pen back. “I didn’t know you wrote songs too. ‘Sundown, Sunshine’ is my favourite, but your ‘Heartbreaker’ is awesome too. Have you written any more?”

  Was it really only two weeks since she and Brody had sung together? Rhi thought in a daze. So much had happened since then. She didn’t know where to start.

  Seeing her hesitation, Brody patted the chair next to him. “Sit down,” he said. “Talk to me.”

  Rhi laid the petition on Brody’s table and sank down beside him. He smelled warm. “I have a few more songs,” she said, blushing. “But those three are my best. We just did them as a demo for a scout. But he turned out to be a fake. So we tried someone else, who turned out to be real.”

  “Sweet,” said Brody, nodding. “Has he signed you?”

  Rhi bit her lip. Maybe Brody was the right person to confide in. He knew about this world. He could advise her.

  “He wants to,” she said, “but he just wants my voice. Not my songs. And he wants to completely change how I look.”

  Brody frowned. “The dude’s a fool. So what does he want you for?”

  “To front a band he’s got. They’re called Shox.” Rhi squirmed as she said the name. It really was terrible. “They’re the next big thing, apparently.”

  Brody rolled his eyes. “Nobody knows what the next big thing is ever going to be. It’s one of those facts of life. Shox? Seriously?”

  Rhi giggled, covering her mouth with her hands. It felt wicked, laughing at something that Andy Graves was preparing to pour lots of money into. “They’re not really my kind of music,” she agreed between snorts.

  “So you’re signing with him or what?”

  “I don’t know.” Rhi rubbed her forehead. “It’s the hardest decision I’ve ever had, Brody. What if I choose the wrong thing?”

  She felt his hand close over hers. “There’s no such thing as wrong decisions. There’s just paths, taking us to different places. The only rule I would offer is this. Stay true to your art, Rhi. The rest means nothing.”

  Rhi felt a spark go through her body. Brody’s hand felt so warm, and so right.

  “We should sing together again,” he said, looking at her with his crystal blue eyes. “I’m at the Heartbeat this weekend. I’ll learn your songs. I think they could work really well as duets. I don’t know about you, but I felt a really great connection when we sang last time.”

  Rhi couldn’t tear her eyes away. “Me too,” she managed. “I felt it too.”

  Brody gave a dazzling smile, dropped her hand and leaned back in his chair. “Decision made,” he said. “At least, for me. What about you?”

  Rhi was suddenly blinded by a brilliant idea that might solve everything. Her heart rate quickened as she thought it through, trying to find the flaws. There were none. She had nothing to lose.

  She pulled out her phone before she changed her mind.

  “You calling your guy already?” Brody asked, watching her. “Telling him you’re a Shox girl all the way?”

  Rhi held the phone to her ear.

  “This is Andy Graves, leave a message.”

  “Hi, Andy, this is Rhi Wills,” she said, trying to stay calm. “I want to invite you to a gig I’m doing at the Heartbeat Café in town this Saturday with a really talented singer-songwriter called Brody Baxter. It would be great if you could be there. I want to show you what we can do.”

  Brody looked shocked as Rhi pocketed her phone again.

  “You… did you just flag me up to your scout guy?”

  “Is that OK?” Rhi suddenly felt worried. Should she have checked with Brody first?

  “Rhi, that’s more than OK.” Brody was looking at her in amazement. “That’s brave. That’s awesome.”

  “Hope so,” said Rhi with an awkward smile. “Otherwise I just kissed my future goodbye.”

  “Seriously awesome,” said Brody. He thumped the table. “We are going to scorch it on Saturday.”

  Rhi felt light as a feather. Suddenly she didn’t care about Andy Graves, or Shox, or any of it. She was going to sing her songs, right here in the Heartbeat, with Brody. That’s all that mattered.

  “Hey, Rhi, can I talk to you?” said Lila, tapping her on the shoulder. She nodded politely at Brody, who raised his hand in return.

  It took Rhi a moment to float back to earth. “Sure. Is it about the petition? How are you guys getting on? I got a little distracted, but I’ll be on it again in a minute. Brody and I are planning to sing here together on Saturday. Do you and Ollie want to come?”

  Lila’s eyes flickered. “Great, sure. But can I show you something first?”

  Rhi started feeling uneasy. “What?”

  “It’s your video,” she said. “I got talking to some guys at one of the tables near the back who said it had changed this afternoon.”

  “Changed? Changed how?”

  “Like this,” said Lila unhappily.

  She held her phone out for Rhi to see.

  “Heartbreaker” was playing as normal, but instead of Max’s pictures of Rhi looking sultry on the beach and the clifftops, there were a stack of photos that Rhi hadn’t seen in ages. Her with her bushy hair in pigtails sticking out sideways. Pulling dumb faces in McDonald’s. Pointing at a fat red spot on her forehead and making faces for the camera. The pictures were all at lea
st two years old. Rhi groaned in humiliation.

  This had Eve Somerstown’s troublemaking signature all over it.

  TWENTY-ONE

  “I can’t believe Eve would do something like that,” Rhi said angrily, walking beside Polly along the dark pavements. “It’s one thing getting back at me at school, but this – this is my future she’s messing with!”

  Polly squeezed her arm. “Between us, we had most of the Heartbeat laughing tonight,” she said gloomily. “If Eve thinks you and Max have got back together without telling her, I’m surprised she hasn’t done something worse than this.”

  “This isn’t the first thing she’s done,” Rhi growled. “I’m convinced it’s Eve who wrote that message on Ms Andrews’ board, and sent the picture.”

  Polly gasped. “What?”

  “I’m sorry, Polly,” Rhi said hopelessly. “I saw your mum and Ms Andrews together a few days ago. I didn’t know whether to tell you because I didn’t know how you’d feel, and Eve found me in the bathroom when I was feeling vulnerable about everything, and… I told her. I’m really sorry.”

  “You knew?”

  “I wanted to tell you,” Rhi said uncomfortably, “but it was difficult, you know?”

  Polly was quiet for a while. “And you really think Eve told the world about Mum and Ms Andrews to get back at you?”

  “Of course!” Rhi said. It was so obvious. “Who else would it be?”

  “I don’t know, do I? But I don’t get why hurting Ms Andrews would hurt you. Are you really good friends with her or something?”

  Rhi felt a brief moment of uncertainty. She liked Ms Andrews, but wouldn’t exactly have described her as a friend. She brushed the uncertainty away. Eve was devious. Who knew what went on in her mind half the time?

  “Eve did it because she knew I knew and hadn’t told you,” she said firmly. “So I would get the blame for starting the rumour. Don’t you see? I’m going to confront her tomorrow in class. I don’t know what I’m going to say, but I have to say something. She can’t get away with it!”

  “Don’t,” said Polly.

  “Why not?” said Rhi, feeling startled.

  “I appreciate your support, Rhi, with the petition and everything you’re doing,” Polly said awkwardly. “But maybe it’s best to back off now. Mum and Ms Andrews are adults. They’ll figure it all out for themselves. Causing a scene won’t help.”

  In the midst of her anger, Rhi sensed that Polly didn’t want a scene like the one Rhi was suggesting. She’s probably been through hell today, Rhi realized. Me storming all over Eve and causing more trouble is the last thing she needs. Her rage popped like a balloon.

  “Was it… really bad at school today?” she said tentatively.

  Polly pulled a face. “Pretty bad, yes. I feel really ashamed about it. Not about Mum and Ms Andrews, but about how I’m handling all the comments, and the giggling. It’s a horrible feeling, knowing that I’m embarrassed by something that’s making my mum happier than she’s been in ages.”

  She rubbed the corners of her eyes. Rhi suspected she was pushing back the tears.

  They walked the rest of the way to Polly’s house in silence. Ms Andrews’ car was parked outside, Rhi noticed. As they turned up the drive, her mouth fell open in shock.

  Walking towards them, her red head bowed and her chin tucked into the collar of her coat, was Eve. She stopped by the gate and looked warily at Rhi and Polly.

  “What are you doing here?” Rhi demanded, recovering.

  Eve shrugged. “Private business.”

  Rhi felt the rage boiling up inside her. All of this was Eve’s fault.

  “How dare you come here!” she said fiercely.

  “Rhi…” Polly warned.

  Eve raised her eyebrows. “I wasn’t aware that you lived here, backstabber,” she said coolly. “Or that you made the rules as to who walked on Polly’s driveway.”

  Get a grip, Rhi ordered herself. If you lose it, Eve has won. It was difficult. All she wanted to do was leap on Eve and claw her like a cat.

  “Love should never have to be hidden,” Rhi said. Her voice shook, but she kept her tone low and controlled. “I love Max, Eve. I always have. You stole him from me. But I let you back into my life. I wish every day that I hadn’t done that.”

  Eve’s eyes shimmered. “You’re the one sneaking around behind people’s backs now, Rhi. How does it feel, not having your high horse to ride around on any more?”

  “I am not sneaking!” Rhi couldn’t keep her temper any longer. Polly stood frozen by Rhi’s side. “And if you’d given me a chance to explain about Max being round at my house for dinner, I would have told you that.”

  “I don’t care what you—” Eve began, but Rhi cut her off.

  “I told Max weeks ago that I could only see him as a friend for as long as you were going out with him. I told him! He kissed me. Twice. And both times I told him to leave me alone. He’s the one who keeps coming back, Eve. Hanging round in corridors, coming over to my house. What does that tell you?”

  Eve flinched. Rhi knew with triumph that she’d hit home. She surged on, riding high on her rage.

  “And as for Polly’s mum and Ms Andrews…” Words almost failed Rhi here, but she rushed on. “What gives you the right to pass judgement on them? What gives you the right to spread ugly rumours, and send horrible pictures, and write vile messages on whiteboards for the whole school to see? I can’t believe you would be so hurtful. Even you, Eve, must be able to see how much harm you have caused here. Why do you have to make everyone miserable? Why?”

  Eve’s face was paler than Rhi had ever seen it. She looked almost as if she had been carved out of stone.

  “That’s what you think of me?”

  She asked the question so quietly that Rhi could barely hear her.

  “Yes! And don’t bother to deny any of it!”

  Rhi watched, almost in a dream, as the red-haired girl’s cool, composed face crumpled like a tissue. Her pointed chin shook. Tears streaked mascara down her marble-white cheeks.

  Eve was crying.

  “Leave me alone,” she screamed, bringing her hands up to her hair in fierce, bunched fists. “I hate you all. You have no idea what you’re talking about!”

  Shoving Rhi violently to one side, Eve ran full-tilt through Polly’s gate and away into the night. The frantic clattering of footsteps faded into the traffic noises of the evening.

  Rhi exchanged shocked glances with Polly.

  What had just happened?

  TWENTY-TWO

  “Whoa,” said Polly at last. “Talk about a reaction.”

  Rhi was feeling very strange. Guilty, almost. Eve started it, she reminded herself. But the guilt remained, burning slow and steady in her gut. Eve had looked almost wild with misery, running away into the darkness. Had she got it wrong?

  When was the last time she had sat down for a proper chat with Eve? Rhi wondered uncomfortably. Weeks now. Truthfully, they hadn’t talked since Eve had started seeing Max. Even when Eve took Rhi to see Andy Graves, they had only talked about Rhi and her plans. Not Eve at all. Rhi’s conscience squirmed.

  There was no doubt about it: Eve was a complicated person. Two years of friendship, and Rhi wasn’t much closer to understanding her now than she had been at the beginning. Spiky, mean, generous, spiteful, funny, lonely, beautiful, confident, lost. The words swirled through Rhi’s mind.

  “Do you think she’s OK?” she said at last.

  “She didn’t look very OK to me,” said Polly.

  They walked slowly into the house, with Rhi looking uncertainly over her shoulder. What had made Eve explode like that?

  Polly’s mum and Ms Andrews were talking in the hall in low, serious voices. Polly’s mum swung round, her cheeks flushed with guilt at the sight of her wan-faced daughter.

&nbs
p; “Polly, love,” she said hesitantly. “Are you all right?”

  “It was a weird day,” said Polly. She looked at Ms Andrews. “But probably weirder for you, right?”

  Polly’s mum gave her a clumsy hug. “I’m really sorry, Polly. It must have been awful, finding out about me and Beth like that. It’s so stupid of me, I should have told you earlier, but—”

  “I know,” said Polly, nodding. “It was difficult. I’ve been hearing that a lot recently.”

  Rhi squirmed again. She wished she’d been honest with Polly about what she’d seen that day in Polly’s kitchen. She wished she’d been more honest with Eve too, about what Max was doing. She’d done a lot of wrong-headed things lately.

  “Hello, Rhi love,” said Polly’s mum. “Let’s go into the kitchen. There are biscuits.”

  “Not many,” added Ms Andrews. “We’ve already eaten most of the packet.”

  Rhi followed Polly, her mum and Ms Andrews into the warm kitchen.

  “What was Eve doing here?” Polly asked as Ms Andrews filled the kettle and handed round what was left of the biscuits.

  “It was the strangest thing. The doorbell went about half an hour ago, and Eve was standing there. I invited her in. That was OK, wasn’t it?” Polly’s mother looked worried. “I have trouble keeping track of when you two are friends and when you’re enemies.”

  “Eve confuses everyone that way,” Polly said. “Not just you.”

  Rhi’s mind was still whirling. Friend? Enemy? What was Eve to her, exactly?

  “Well,” Polly’s mother continued, “I couldn’t believe it when she told us she’d used her family’s influence to get Beth back at school.”

  Rhi felt like she’d missed a step. She looked at Ms Andrews in confusion. “It’s all sorted?”

  “Eve saw me leaving with my box this morning,” Ms Andrews explained. “She wanted to know if I was going because of the message and the picture. I didn’t think any more of it, but came round here to see Ginny.”

  “And eat biscuits,” said Polly’s mother, patting Ms Andrews’ hand.