by Jean Ure
“Well?” I said. “D’you think I ought?”
A little secret smile curved her lips.
“Do whatever you feel like,” she said.
I looked at her through narrowed eyes. What was she hiding?
I woke up feeling quite excited on Saturday morning. For the very first time me and Maya were being trusted to go to the shopping centre on our own. Not just the little local mall off the High Street. We’d been going there for ages! It’s so small that even Auntie Megs had stopped fussing that we might get lost or run into some kind of trouble. (When she said “trouble” what she actually meant was getting ourselves abducted, even though it has been drummed into us ever since I can remember that you should never, ever go anywhere with strangers.)
This Saturday I’d begged and pleaded to be allowed to go further afield.
“Can’t we go to Greenfields, Mum? Please?”
Greenfields is out of town and so ginormous it is practically a town in itself, and Mum had been a bit hesitant at first. It was Dad that had spoken up for us.
“You can’t keep them in cotton wool for ever. They’ve got to learn sooner or later.”
Once we had Mum on our side we knew we’d won. Mum would be able to persuade Auntie Megs, no problem! Auntie Megs always follows Mum’s advice. Dad said that he would drive us there and then we could get the bus back when we’d had enough.
“Unless you’d rather I came and picked you up? I can, if you like. If you don’t feel confident.”
I assured him that there was no need; we felt perfectly confident.
“Well, just make sure you stay together,” said Mum.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “We’ll stick like superglue!”
“And don’t forget to take your phone, just in case you change your mind and want your dad to come and get you.”
I said, “Mum. Stop behaving like Auntie Megs!”
Maya admitted to me, once we were safely in the car and on our way, that Auntie Megs had almost changed her mind at the last minute.
“She wanted to come with us! I told her, I’m going to buy your birthday present. It’s supposed to be a secret.”
“So what are you going to buy?” I said.
“I’m going to buy a candle.” Maya announced it, proudly. “A scented candle! A really big one, like this.”
She held her hands apart, to show me. I gave a squeal.
“That’s what I’m buying!” I leaned forward and tapped Dad’s shoulder. “Dad, you’re not to say anything.”
“My lips are sealed,” said Dad. “How come you’ve both decided on the same thing?”
“It’s what we do,” said Maya.
“It just happens,” I said.
“It’s not like we plan it.”
Dad chuckled. “Great minds think alike, eh?”
It is quite strange, but it happens to be a fact that Maya and I often find we’ve chosen the same presents for our mums. I guess it’s something to do with them being twins and me and Maya sometimes feeling like twins, even though we’re so different.
“OK,” said Dad, as we got out of the car. “Back home by one o’clock. You know which bus to get and where to get it?”
I said, “Yes, Dad.”
“All right, all right, I’m only asking! And you’ve got your phone?”
I said, “Da-a-ad!”
“I’ve even got mine,” said Maya, proudly.
“Well, that makes a change,” I said as we headed into the mall. “Let’s see if there’s a floor plan thingy so we can work out where to go.”
I felt quite important studying the floor plan, though it didn’t really help us, cos what we wanted was a candle shop and we couldn’t see any.
“I s’ppose we could try in there,” said Maya, jabbing a finger on the map. “Cooper’s … isn’t that a department store? They’d probably sell candles.”
“Quick thinking!” I said.
Maya looked pleased with herself. She was even more pleased when we found the candle department, all lit up like an Aladdin’s cave. We spent ages trying to decide which candles to buy. In the end Maya chose one that smelt of roses, cos of roses being Auntie Megs’ favourite flower, and I chose one that smelt of violets, cos I really liked the colour. After that we had to find the card department and choose cards, and that took us for ever, as well. I was surprised, when I looked at my phone, to find that we’d been there almost an hour. Of course, we had done quite a bit of wandering about. It was a really big store and we must have been up and down the escalators at least half a dozen times.
“It’s all right, we don’t have to leave just yet,” I said. “We can still go and have a look around outside.”
We looked around so long that it was gone twelve when we finally made our way out to the bus stop – only to discover that we’d just missed a bus and the next one wasn’t due for twenty minutes.
“Bother,” I said. “I don’t want to have to ring Dad!” That would be like saying we couldn’t manage.
“We should have watched the time,” said Maya.
Well, maybe we should have, but we hadn’t.
“It’s all right,” I said. “We’ll still be home by one o’clock. Just.”
Maya looked doubtful. “So what shall we do while we’re waiting?”
“Go and look at more shops!”
She crinkled her nose. “I’m tired of looking at shops. I don’t feel like walking round any more.”
Very pointedly I said, “You’re not suggesting I ring Dad?”
She squirmed a bit at that, but wasn’t quite brave enough to admit it was exactly what she’d been suggesting. Just as well, cos I had no intention of doing so! This was our first expedition by ourselves and we needed to prove that we could do it. Still, I didn’t want to be too hard on Maya. It had shaken me a bit when she’d said about me being so horrible and saying mean things on purpose to hurt people. It had only really been this morning that we’d got back to normal – well, almost normal. I had the feeling that the least little thing and she’d accuse me of being horrible again.
“I know what we’ll do,” I said. “We’ll go and sit down somewhere and have something to drink.”
She perked up at that. “Like what?”
“I dunno! Whatever you want.” I led the way back into the shopping centre. There was a coffee shop right in front of us, with a window where they sold drinks and ice creams and stuff. “Over there.”
Maya rushed off, happily. “Ooh, look, they’ve got strawberry crush!”
I said, “Yum!” Strawberry crush, all sweet and gluggy. Enough to give our mums nightmares! “Is that what you want?”
She hesitated. “D’you think I should?”
“Why not?” I said. “Once can’t hurt. And anyway it’s exactly what you ought to have.”
“Really?” She gazed at me, wide-eyed.
I said, “Strawberry crush?”
I waited for her to turn pink. Strawberry pink! But her gaze had suddenly flickered away. She gave a little squeal.
“Look!”
I said, “What? What?”
“Over there! It’s Miss Hopwood!”
Miss Hopwood, sitting at a table just inside the cafe. Before I could stop her, Maya had gone racing over. To my way of thinking, Miss Hopwood didn’t look altogether pleased to see her. Not very surprising. I’m sure teachers have enough of us at school without being made to put up with us in their free time.
By the time I reluctantly caught up with her, Maya was actually sitting down at Miss Hopwood’s table. I would never have had the nerve! Of course I’d forgotten, though, about her running the Music Club. I heard Miss Hopwood say, “Oh, Maya, of course you can try out for the choir! An excellent idea. Hallo, Mattie! Are you here on a shopping trip?”
“We’ve been buying presents for our mums’ birthday,” said Maya. “We’ve got scented candles!”
“Lovely,” said Miss Hopwood. “I’m afraid I’ve gone and overdone it … I’ve been shoppin
g till I’m dropping!” She waved a hand at some bags on the seat next to her. “Not very sensible when you have to struggle home on the bus.”
“We’re going home on the bus,” said Maya.
“Yes, but you haven’t stupidly burdened yourself with all these bags! I should have exercised a bit of restraint, not having my car with me.” She pulled a face. “Wouldn’t start, would it? Heaven knows what’s wrong with it; I’m not very good with cars.”
I smiled, politely. It’s always weird seeing a teacher out of school, especially when they’re young and trendy like Miss Hopwood. I mean, she didn’t look like a teacher. She probably felt it was a bit weird seeing me and Maya out of school. I felt pretty sure she’d rather not.
“I was thinking,” she confessed, “that I might have to grit my teeth and take a cab back. Fortunately I bumped into a very kind young gentleman who’s offered me a lift.”
Miss Hopwood looked up, and smiled. Me and Maya also looked up.
“Hallo, you two,” said Jake. He seemed a bit … well! Taken aback. I did so hope he didn’t think we’d come here on purpose to stalk him. “What brings you to this neck of the woods?”
“They’ve been buying scented candles for their mums,” said Miss Hopwood. “I was just telling them how I was going to have to fight my way back on the bus and how you’d come to my rescue!”
“Ooh!” Maya sprang up and clasped her hands together like she was praying. “D’you think you could come to our rescue, as well?”
Jake shook his head. “Sorry, kiddo! No can do. I’ve already promised Miss Hopwood I’ll give her a lift home.”
“That’s all right,” twinkled Maya. “We don’t mind if you drop her off first.”
Omigod, I nearly died. I don’t think I have ever been more ashamed in my life. I felt like crawling under the table and curling into a ball.
“It’s OK,” I said. “We’re getting the bus!”
“But we’ll be late,” wailed Maya. “We should have left ages go! We’ll never get back by one o‘clock. My mum’s going to go crazy!”
“No, she won’t, we can—” I was about to say we could just ring her and explain, no problem, but I didn’t get it out fast enough.
“Maya’s mum is a bit of a worrier,” agreed Jake.
“In that case –” Miss Hopwood pushed her chair back – “we must certainly give you a lift! We can drop the girls off first,” she said. “Make sure they’re back in good time.”
“We will be,” I said. “There’s a bus in just a few minutes.”
“You mean, like, a quarter of an hour,” said Maya.
“No, no, no, we can’t have that,” said Miss Hopwood. “That would certainly be cutting it a bit fine. Come on! Let’s get you home.”
Miss Hopwood reached out for her bags, but Jake got there before her.
“Here,” he said. “Let me.”
They really didn’t look that heavy. Clothes, I thought they probably were. But Jake was always very polite. Unlike Maya. I thought it was really rude of her to say we wouldn’t mind if Jake dropped Miss Hopwood off first. I mean, Miss Hopwood was a teacher. Of course she had to be dropped off first! It wasn’t up to Maya to tell Jake what he could and couldn’t do.
She bounced along beside him as we made our way to the car park. I was left to follow with Miss Hopwood, but I could hear Maya prattling on, telling him how we’d both bought scented candles for our mums and how Miss Hopwood had said she could try out for the choir. Miss Hopwood obviously heard as well.
“Maya’s really come on this term, hasn’t she?” she said. “She used to be such a quiet little thing! I was so pleased when she joined the Music Club. She’s definitely starting to blossom. Don’t you think?”
I said yes, cos what else could I say? I couldn’t very well tell Miss Hopwood that Maya had this huge enormous crush and the only reason she’d joined the Music Club was cos Jake was a member. I did add, though, that I didn’t really think she could sing.
“None of us can, in our family.”
“Well, that’s all right,” said Miss Hopwood. “I’m just pleased she feels confident enough to give it a go.”
“It was Jake’s idea,” I said.
We both directed our gaze for a moment at the two of them, Jake striding ahead with Maya trit-trotting to keep up with him.
“He’s known Maya since she was little,” I said. “He’s known both of us, actually.” And then, feeling some sort of apology was called for, I added, “Sometimes it makes her take advantage of him.”
Miss Hopwood smiled, tolerantly. “Well, I’m sure he’s very easy to take advantage of.”
“But she shouldn’t have asked for a lift,” I said. “Not when he’d already offered to give you one.”
“Oh, Mattie, don’t worry about it,” said Miss Hopwood. “Anything to stop her mum worrying. I’m in no particular rush.”
I was appalled, when we got to the car park, to find that Maya had already installed herself in the front seat. It was so rude. Miss Hopwood was a teacher; she should have had the front seat!
Maya sat there, clutching her scented candle and beaming angelically.
“Don’t you think you ought to come in the back?” I said.
“I can’t,” said Maya. “I’ll get sick.”
“You didn’t get sick this morning,” I said. She’d sat quite happily in the back of Dad’s car.
“That was different,” said Maya. “I’d just had breakfast. Now I’m empty.”
“Another reason to get you back home,” said Jake. “Hop in, Mattie!”
“So are we going to drop Miss Hopwood off first?” said Maya as we moved off down the ramp.
What did she mean, we? Like she had any say in the matter!
“No, I’m going to drop you two girls off first,” said Jake, “and then I’ll take Miss Hopwood home.”
“It wouldn’t bother us –” Maya assured him of it, earnestly – “if you wanted to do it the other way round.”
I felt myself cringing. What did it take to stop her? Miss Hopwood did her best.
“Maya, it’s all right,” she said. “I live way out in Forestdale, right over the other side of town. I’m really putting poor Jake to a lot of inconvenience.”
“So if he took you first,” argued Maya, “he wouldn’t have to drive all the way out to Forestdale and then all the way back again. It’d make far more sense!”
“Yes, and it would make you late for your deadline,” said Jake. “And then your mum would start to panic.”
“Oh, that doesn’t matter.” Maya dismissed her mum, airily. “I’ve got my phone. I could ring her! Shall I ring her?”
Oh, yes, she could ring her all right now. Now that she’d got her way and was sitting in the car next to Jake.
“Shall I?” said Maya.
“No.” I leaned forward, threateningly. “I told Dad we’d be home by one o’clock and we’re going to be home by one o’clock!”
But honestly,” said Maya, “w—”
“Maya, please,” begged Miss Hopwood. “You’re beginning to make me feel really guilty. Maybe Jake should just drop me off at the nearest bus stop?”
“No way,” said Jake. “Maya’s going to behave herself. Isn’t she?”
I thought for a moment that what she was going to do was sulk, but instead she gave him this impish smile and said, “If you say so.”
“I do say so. That’s better! OK, let’s get going. We’ll have you home in no time.”
“Honestly,” I said, “it was just so embarrassing. She actually told Jake that we wouldn’t mind if he dropped Miss Hopwood off first!”
Cate pulled a face. “That is some cheek.”
“I didn’t know where to look! I felt like digging a hole and burying myself.”
“Poor you,” said Cate.
We were doing our usual wander round the field after lunch. Lucy and Nasreen weren’t there, and I was glad about that. Although we are all good friends, Cate is the one I am closes
t to. She is the one I confide in. She is always so calm and full of good advice.
“It made me feel really ashamed,” I said.
Cate nodded. “Cos of being her cousin and feeling responsible.”
“Exactly!” Cate understood. It is why she is my best friend: you don’t have to spell things out. “It was like –” I waved a hand – “like I was saying we wouldn’t mind. Like I was agreeing with her!”
“Hm.” Cate regarded me, thoughtfully. “You do know,” she said, “that you’re not actually responsible? You can’t stop her saying things! Any more than you can stop her behaving the way she does. It’s not your fault.”
I said, “I know it’s not my fault, but it still makes us both look ridiculous.”
I didn’t want to look ridiculous in front of Jake. Or Miss Hopwood. But mostly Jake.
“You should have seen her in the car! Like a spoilt brat. Almost, like, flirting with him.”
I was thinking of that little smile she’d given him. He should have squashed her. Right there and then. And he should have made her get out of the car and come and sit in the back. That was where she belonged; not up front with him. It was just encouraging her.
“I do get that it’s annoying,” said Cate.
I said, “It’s not just annoying; it makes me cringe! And he never does anything to stop her.”
“Is that why it upsets you so much? Cos he lets her get away with it?”
“I just don’t think he should encourage her,” I said.
“No.” Cate thought about it for a moment. “Would it still bother you, d’you think, if it was someone else?”
I frowned. What did she mean by that?
“Like if it was anybody except Jake? Would it still bother you? Or is it just cos it’s him?”
I felt my cheeks grow hot and pink. What was she saying? It was bad enough Maya accusing me of feeling jealous. But Cate? I could forgive Maya cos of her being in the “throes”, as Mum called it. All eaten up with her mad passion. But Cate was my best friend! She ought to know better.
“It’s perfectly understandable,” said Cate. “I’m not blaming you! Nobody likes to look ridiculous, especially in front of someone like – well, I mean, Jake Harper! Let’s face it … half the girls in school have probably got a crush on him.”