The Call of the Wild

by Julie Fison

  Annabel shrugged. ‘He doesn’t talk much, really. More of an action man.’

  I nodded. But I was surprised to hear that Liam was quiet. He was always chatty with me in the Wild Club and he’d had loads to say when we were building the mermaid together. Once I started thinking about that, all I could feel was the electric current that had run through my body when our fingers touched in the tunnel. I looked away from Annabel in case she could tell what I was thinking. Why had it taken me so long to work out that I liked Liam?

  ‘Do you think we make a good couple?’ Annabel asked.

  ‘Aren’t you forgetting about someone?’ Kimmi interrupted before I had a chance to answer.

  Annabel raised her eyebrows.

  ‘A certain guy called Ryan Baker?’ Kimmi said. ‘We’re going to his party on Saturday, remember?‘

  Annabel giggled. ‘Of course I haven’t forgotten about Ryan. But he’s at Highgrove and Liam’s at Westway. And I get to see Liam at lunchtime to talk about the slushie stall. I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it. Weird, huh?’

  ‘Yeah,’ I said. But I knew just how she felt, because I was feeling exactly the same way. The hairs on my neck stood on end at the thought of meeting up with Liam. ‘When are you going to tell him you’re not going to the movie night?’ I couldn’t stop myself from asking.

  Annabel grimaced, looking uncomfortable. ‘Not today. Do you mind not saying anything to them yet? I don’t want Liam to think I’m an airhead who only cares about parties.’

  I glanced across at Kimmi. She was shaking her head at me.

  ‘Sure,’ I smiled, ignoring Kimmi. But a little bit of me was dying inside. Now I wasn’t just standing aside to let Liam and Annabel get to know each other, I was actually agreeing to deceive Liam, so he would like Annabel more.

  But what else could I do? I had to stick by my friend. I’d told her Liam and I were just friends. It was too late to change my tune now.

  I gazed out the window, trying to work things out in my mind. At least I’d have Liam to myself at the movie night. But I wondered how I’d survive until then. Watching Annabel flirt with him was going to drive me crazy.

  Beside me, Annabel was telling Kimmi about how she was getting into skating now. She had some money saved, and was going to buy a board. Liam was going to teach her how to ride it.

  I sighed to myself. There was no way I’d be able to endure this all week.

  ‘All set to meet the guys?’ Annabel asked as the bell rang for lunchtime. ‘I can’t wait to tell them my ideas for the slushie stall.’

  ‘I think we should tell them that we’re not going to the movie night,’ Kimmi said. ‘It’s not fair to spring it on them at the last minute. They’ll be expecting us to help.’

  Annabel stopped in her tracks. ‘Please,’ she said, grabbing Kimmi by the arm. ‘We’ll tell them later. Soon, I promise. Just not today.’

  Kimmi rolled her eyes. ‘Fine. But Liam’s going to find out sooner or later, and he’s going to be more annoyed if it’s later.’

  Annabel didn’t seem to hear. She was striding ahead towards the science block where the meeting was being held. I knew I couldn’t follow. There was no way I could sit in a room with Annabel and Liam.

  ‘Oh my god!’ I cried suddenly. Kimmi and Annabel both turned to look at me. ‘I’ve just remembered I’ve got a debating team meeting today,’ I said, slapping my forehead.

  ‘But what about our Wild Club meeting?’ Kimmi asked.

  I shook my head. ‘I can’t make it after all.’ I turned and started running in the opposite direction. ‘Say sorry to Liam and Jack for me!’

  ‘How was your meeting?’ I asked when I saw Annabel and Kimmi at the lockers after lunch. ‘Learn anything interesting about Liam?’

  Annabel frowned. ‘I learnt not to ask Liam about endangered animals. Turns out he isn’t so quiet when it comes to that topic.’

  I smiled to myself. I was sorry I’d missed it – I loved hearing Liam talk about wildlife. Trying not to dwell on that, I asked. ‘Anything else?’

  ‘I found out that Jack’s really good at painting,’ Kimmi said, blushing slightly as she mentioned Jack’s name. ‘We’re working on the banner for the slushie stall together. He’s really talented.’

  Kimmi banged her locker shut and checked her phone. I couldn’t help noticing that she was reading a message from Jack.

  ‘Is there another Wild Club romance blossoming?’ I asked, looking at Kimmi.

  She pressed her phone to her chest. ‘Wouldn’t you like to know.’

  ‘Yes, I would,’ I said, pretending to be indignant.

  ‘You’ll have to come to the next meeting and find out for yourself,’ she said. ‘We’re seeing the guys again on Wednesday.’

  I grabbed my books. ‘Okay, sounds good.’

  But in the end I didn’t go. That week at school was the worst. Annabel talked about Liam so much on Monday and Tuesday that by the time Wednesday came around, I couldn’t bear the idea of going along and watching her flirt with him. Just as the girls were headed off to the meeting, I made up another debating emergency and rushed off in the other direction. Then on Friday, when everyone was meeting up again, I pretended to be sick and spent lunchtime in the toilets.

  It was awful. I really wanted to help out with the stall, but I didn’t want to be around when Annabel was making eyes at Liam. I decided it was best to help Kimmi and Annabel out with the things they were organising for the slushie stall, and not see Liam at all.

  The most important thing was that I would be there on the night to help out with the stand. Kimmi and Annabel would be at the party, and I would be able to hang out with Liam, without Annabel twirling her hair and getting in the way. Sure, Liam and I could only be friends, but that was better than nothing. I wished I’d never talked Annabel into joining the Wild Club in the first place.

  ‘You feeling okay now?’ Kimmi asked as we headed off to French after I’d spent lunchtime in the toilets.

  ‘Much better, thanks. Did I miss anything important in the meeting?’ I wasn’t sure I really wanted to know, but I had to ask.

  ‘Jack drew me the cutest little monkey. Look how intricate it is.’ She handed me a picture of an emperor tamarin.

  ‘It’s beautiful,’ I said, handing back the drawing. ‘But I meant, did I miss any stuff I need to know for tomorrow night?’

  ‘It’s all pretty sorted,’ Annabel said. ‘But there’ll be a bit to set up, so we’ll need to get there early tomorrow.’

  ‘We?’ I asked. ‘I thought you were going to Ryan’s party?’

  Kimmi and Annabel glanced at each other. ‘Totes,’ Annabel said. ‘But we’ll give you a hand to set up first. There’ll be a lot to do.’

  It wasn’t really what I wanted to hear. I wanted them to go to the party and have fun with Marco and Ryan. I didn’t need them at the slushie stall. But Annabel was adamant. She and Kimmi would help set up.

  ‘So, how are things going with Liam?’ I asked Annabel, torturing myself some more on the bus trip home.

  ‘Oh, so great,’ Annabel replied. ‘I feel like we’ve known each other forever. We’ve just clicked this week. He’s so cute and clever. I can’t wait until we’re properly going out. I’m hoping he’ll ask me tomorrow.’ She gave me a smile that almost made me sick. Just listening to her talk about Liam like that was enough to turn my stomach.

  ‘Of course, it’s going to be tricky with you two in different grades,’ I said. ‘That never works out.’

  ‘There’s no law against it, you know,’ Annabel replied calmly.

  ‘Yeah, obviously,’ I said. ‘But it’s kind of an unwritten code. You can’t break those.’

  ‘Is everything okay?’ Annabel asked. ‘You kind of seem in a bad mood.’

  ‘Fine,’ I replied, feeling guilty. I knew I was being nasty, but I couldn’t help myself – it made me feel a bit better.

  ‘I know it’s hard when your friends get boyfriends, you kind of feel left out,’
Annabel said.

  Kimmi put her arm around me. ‘You’re actually looking a bit pale. Sure you’re okay?’

  ‘It’s fine. I’m fine. I’m not like you two, anyway. I don’t need a boyfriend.’ I didn’t want anyone right now. I just wanted to run away to a jungle and hang in a tree with an orangutan.

  ‘We’re just trying to help,’ Kimmi sighed, taking her arm away.

  ‘Yeah, I know. Sorry.’ I felt bad for being mean. Again. It wasn’t Annabel’s fault that Liam liked her. And Kimmi was just being sweet. I knew they were just trying to help, but they were making things worse.

  I was still feeling annoyed the next day. The movie night was just a few hours away and I felt uneasy about going. Seeing as Annabel and Kimmi were going to help set up before going to the party, the plan was to meet at Kimmi’s place and go to the movie night together from there.

  I took a deep breath. I just had to suck it up and get used to things. Annabel and Liam were almost an item. I couldn’t hide from it forever.

  I had just pulled on some clothes, ready to head to Kimmi’s, when my phone buzzed with a text. I was running late, so I figured it would be Annabel telling me to hurry up. But the message was from Liam.

  Are you still coming to the movie night?

  It seemed a strange question, but I hadn’t been to the meetings all week, so maybe he’d guessed something was wrong.

  Yes!! Just getting ready to leave now, I replied, pushing away any ideas about not going until later. The guys would need my help.

  A text pinged back almost immediately. Where have u been all week?

  I felt a little bit excited that Liam had actually noticed that I’d been missing.

  Soz, debating commitments. Couldn’t get out of them.

  Nothing to do with your boyfriend commitments? he replied.

  My heart skipped a beat. Boyfriend? Where did he get the idea that I had a boyfriend?

  No boyfriend commitments. U know me. I only have eyes for Bunga the orangutan.

  I stared at the screen for a minute, waiting for a reply. When it finally came, I almost dropped my phone.

  Annabel said u had a boyfriend.

  I felt my stomach churn. What was going on? Surely Annabel hadn’t told Liam I had a boyfriend. He must have misunderstood.

  What?? I dashed back.

  She said u had a boyfriend at Highgrove. That’s y ur too busy for the Wild Club.

  I read the message again, then again and again. But there seemed only one way to interpret it. Annabel had lied. But why?

  I definitely don’t have a boyfriend, I replied. C u tonight. Never too busy for Wild Club!

  I flopped onto my bed, almost too stunned to move. Liam’s texts kept going round and round in my head.

  I picked up my phone to text Annabel. I had to understand why she’d lied. Then I changed my mind, packed up my bag and headed to Kimmi’s. I couldn’t work this out by text. I had to talk to Annabel in person.

  I was feeling totally stressed out as I buzzed Kimmi’s front doorbell. I had no idea how I was going to handle things with Annabel. I couldn’t just walk in and accuse her of lying. There was no way we’d stay friends after that. On the other hand, there was no way I could be her friend if she had lied to Liam. I just hoped it was all some silly misunderstanding.

  ‘Phoebe!’ Kimmi smiled as she opened the door. ‘You look so cute. Love that necklace on you.’

  I gave her a hug. She smelled like a bunch of fresh flowers and looked just as pretty. ‘I don’t look nearly as cute as you. Love those shorts. Did you get them today?’

  Kimmi nodded. ‘I’m so excited about tonight.’ She did a little shoulder shuffle as we walked towards her room, to prove the point. ‘Do you think Jack will like the outfit?’

  I frowned. ‘You mean Marco?’

  She hesitated for a moment. ‘Well, we’ll be at the movie night for a while.’

  ‘Sure,’ I said. ‘But then you’re going to the party, right? To see Marco.’

  Kimmi nodded. ‘Mmm.’

  ‘You have told Liam and Jack you’re going to the party, haven’t you?’

  Kimmi shook her head. ‘Not yet.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘We didn’t want to disappoint them,’ Kimmi said, looking uncomfortable.

  I couldn’t work out what was going on with Kimmi, but there was something I needed to discuss with her before Annabel appeared.

  ‘Kimmi!’ came a voice from the bedroom. ‘Is that Phoebs? We have to get going.’

  I froze at the sound of Annabel’s voice, grabbed Kimmi by the hand, and dragged her off to the kitchen. ‘I have to tell you something,’ I whispered urgently. I knew I didn’t have much time.

  ‘What?’ Kimmi asked, leaning towards me with a concerned look on her face.

  ‘I had a text,’ I whispered. ‘From Liam.’

  I pulled out my phone and showed her the exchange. Kimmi read through it, her eyes getting wider. Then she gasped.

  ‘Why would Annabel say I had a boyfriend?’ I asked. ‘Or that I was too busy for the Wild Club?’

  Kimmi re-read the text, shaking her head. ‘I have no idea. You’ll have to ask her.’

  ‘Kimmi! Where are you?’ Annabel called.

  ‘No more secrets,’ Kimmi whispered. ‘You need to find out what’s going on.’

  I nodded. ‘Okay.’

  Annabel appeared at the kitchen door. She stiffened for a moment when she saw me. ‘What are you guys doing in here?’

  ‘Just grabbing a drink,’ I replied, helping myself to a glass and grabbing some water from the fridge. I glugged it down.

  ‘Has Kimmi told you the news?’

  My heart thumped as I wondered what she was going to tell me. ‘What news?’

  ‘We’re coming to the movie night!’

  ‘Yeah, I know,’ I said, still confused. ‘To set up.’

  ‘No, we’re staying to help on the stall. We decided not to go to the party after all. We’re going to stay and hang out with you all night!’

  I glanced at Kimmi. No wonder she’d been so vague about going to the party.

  ‘Oh, great,’ I said, trying desperately to sound enthusiastic. It wasn’t easy with my insides twisting. This was a disaster. All week I’d been thinking that I couldn’t bear to see Annabel flirting with Liam, and now it was going to happen in front of me all night.

  But Liam’s text did make me think that he wanted me to be there tonight. Was he really worried that I had a boyfriend? Or did he just want me there as a friend? And if that was true, maybe we could just go back to being friends, and things could be like they were before they got all tangled up. This could be the chance for us to straighten everything out. We could all have a fun night together, working at the slushie stall.

  ‘Love the way you’ve done your hair, by the way,’ Annabel said.

  ‘Thanks.’ I don’t know what I’d expected, but I guess I didn’t think Annabel would be so nice. I’d spent ages on my hair, making it right for tonight. But was Annabel being sweet, or was she laying on the compliments because she felt guilty about lying to Liam?

  Annabel grabbed my hand and led me through to Kimmi’s room. ‘I brought that top I said you could borrow.’ She pointed to a pink top on the bed. ‘And these wedges go so well with it, you could wear them too. I know we’re not going to the party, but it will be fun to dress up anyway.’

  I looked at the top and then stared at the wedges. They were brand new – hardly the thing to wear to slop around in slushie spillage.

  ‘But you haven’t even worn them,’ I said, feeling torn. They were gorgeous.

  Annabel pushed them into my hands. ‘That’s okay. They’re a bit tight for me, but they’ll look great on you.’

  Annabel was being her generous self. I kicked off my old flats and bent down to put on the wedges, hoping they’d fit. They were perfect. ‘Are you sure I can wear them at the slushie stand? They might get a bit dirty.’

  Annabel nodded enthusiastically
and threw me her top. ‘Try that on, too.’

  I hesitated for a moment, running my fingers over the texture of the fabric. It felt like real silk. Probably not the best choice for a slushie stall, either. But it was so gorgeous that I pulled off my own shirt and slipped on Annabel’s.

  ‘What d’you think?’ I asked, twirling around in front of the girls.

  ‘Perfect!’ Annabel clapped, giving me a big smile. ‘You have to wear it.’

  I studied myself in the mirror. I still didn’t look as good as Kimmi or Annabel, but I looked so much better than I had when I first arrived.

  ‘Sure you don’t mind me wearing your stuff?’ I asked Annabel. ‘I’m going to be pouring slushies.’

  ‘Just wear it,’ she insisted. ‘It looks great on you.’

  I glanced at Kimmi, who had a serious expression on her face. ‘I think you’ve got something to ask Annabel, haven’t you, Phoebs?’

  I gulped. I didn’t want to argue with Annabel. Now definitely wasn’t the time to be accusing her of lying. Not when we were going to spend the whole night together working in the slushie stall.

  ‘I was?’ I said, pretending I’d forgotten. I gave Kimmi a pleading look.

  But Kimmi wasn’t going to let me off that easily. ‘About Liam,’ she said. ‘You’ve got something to ask Annabel about Liam.’

  My heart almost stopped beating as Annabel turned to look at me.

  ‘What about Liam?’ she asked.

  My eyes darted from Kimmi to Annabel, wondering what to say. Did I really want to ruin everything by asking her if she’d lied to Liam? Or should I keep the peace and pretend nothing was wrong?

  I watched the line at the slushie trailer growing longer, a sense of panic rising inside me. Then I did the only thing that felt right. I pulled out my phone to text Saia.

  Glad you won today. Really, really sorry, but I can’t make the party. Family emergency. Have fun tonight. P xx

  I pressed the send button. It felt awful to let Saia down. He might not ever talk to me again after this, but I knew that I had to stay at the slushie stall and help Jack and Liam.