‘I think it’s because you’re cool that Steve likes you,’ said Lucy. ‘He said that you’re not like other teenage girls, who shriek instead of talk and are always getting hysterical.’
‘Did he?’ I asked. It’s strange how other people see you and how you see yourself, I thought. This person they were describing didn’t sound like me one bit. Cool? Aloof? Distant? More like totally mental. Mental girl from Mental land, that’s me.
‘Steve said he’s going to help you,’ said Lucy, linking my other arm. ‘Take photos.’
‘Um, yeah,’ I mumbled. Oh God. Steve. I felt like I’d betrayed him. I ought to have been dreaming about kissing him, not Luke. For a moment, I had a real ache to talk to Hannah. We’d been friends for so many years and talked over everything. She’d know what to say. How to play it. I looked at Lucy, Izzie and Nesta. I’d thought I could talk to them about everything, but no way could I mention this. They’d hate me forever and think I was the worst person in the world, and maybe I was. Like, hey guys, guess what I dreamed last night. I was snogging Luke and I think I fancy him. It’s an unspoken rule: Thou shalt keep thy hands off other people’s boyfriends.
After school, Nesta and Lucy were going up to Highgate to meet Luke and Tony and they asked if I wanted to join them and bring Steve. No way, I thought, too many highly intuitive people in one small space. Despite my apparent cool demeanour, one of them would be bound to suss out what was going on in my head, so I made my excuses and headed for home.
Got to keep busy, I thought, once I was on the bus. Stay out of Luke’s way. Never be alone with him again. Be nice to him in company to keep Nesta happy. Then it will all be fine.
I spent the evening compiling a list of the famous people that lived in Hampstead, then I pulled out the photocopy of the map of the area that I’d done earlier at school and spent the evening putting stars on the map to show where they all lived. Luke will like this, I thought as I surveyed my work. It looked really good. Names of people, what they did, and the dates they lived in Hampstead on one side. The map with the stars showing where they lived in the middle, then the names and addresses on the right-hand side. It would look great when it was blown up. On a board next to it, I’d put the photographs of the houses where some of them lived that Steve was going to take for me. Yeah, it would look cool. Yeah. Cool. Like me. Not.
Outbox (1)
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: 1st December
Subject: Boys. Urgent.
Dear Hannah
Please reply to this as soon as you get it. No. Actually please read it first then reply. Haha.
Actually, not funny. Nothing funny about my situation. I think I may be the worst person in the world. I fancy Nesta’s boyfriend, Luke. I dreamed I was snogging him last night and now I feel really bad. And Nesta’s being really sweet and telling me to make an effort to be more friendly to him. More friendly?!!!!
What shall I do? Shall I quit the project? I wish you were here really badly.
Email back soon.
Luv TJ
PS: By the way, do you think that I’m aloof or distant?
Email: Inbox (1)
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: 2nd December
Subject: Boys urgent
Ma petite little TJ
Chill. I fancy loads of my mates’ boyfriends. Everybody does. What’s the big deal? It’s totally normal especially if they are cute, babe type boyfriends. What are you supposed to do, cast out your eyes or something madly biblical? It’s sooooo typical of you to get in a tizz over something like this and it’s because you are a nice person with a conscience. So you dreamed about him? Doesn’t mean you snogged him in real life. So my advice, is chill. Chill like a chilled thing. Don’t quit the project. Why don’t you tell Nesta? It’s always nice to hear that a mate rates your boyfriend and I bet you’ll have a laugh about it.
Lots of love and I miss you too
Hannah
PS: No, I don’t think you’re aloof, but I know other people at school, when I was there, were sometimes intimidated as you’re such a mega brain. And you can be shy sometimes, so maybe people who don’t know you take it as indifference or think that you’re bored cos you don’t say anything. Stuff ’em I say. As the song goes: ‘Don’t go changin’ . . .’
Outbox (1)
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: 2nd December
Subject: Guys. Urgent.
No way can I tell Nesta. Much as I love her, she has a big mouth. If I tell her I fancy Luke, yeah, we’ll probably have a laugh, then she’ll tell Izzie and Lucy. And Luke. They’ve already been talking about me. And if she told him, then I’d be too embarrassed to work on the project with him. So no way. But I will try and chill.
Chill. Chilling. Chilled.
Yours, the Ice Queen of Norf London. Gawd it’s cold over here. And not just cos I’m chilled. Tis cos tis winter.
Chapter 8
By Wednesday evening, I felt like I’d got myself together again. I’d be professional, competent and detached. I’d be that person that people saw. Distant, cool. I could do it and not let any silly feelings get in the way.
Luke, Sian and Olivia were already in the prefab when I got to the project meeting and we launched into all our findings straight away. Sian had obviously been doing her homework and she showed us the brochures that she’d picked up over the weekend.
‘And there’s another guided walk,’ she said looking at Luke hopefully, ‘only this time it’s round Highgate. Sunday afternoon at one forty-five.’
‘Excellent,’ said Luke. ‘Can you do it?’
Sian nodded.
‘OK, you and Olivia do that,’ he continued. ‘There really is a lot of ground to cover, so I reckon it’s best if you two cover Highgate and TJ and I will focus on Hampstead.’
‘Oh, I don’t mind doing Highgate,’ I said, ‘if Sian wants to do Hampstead with you.’
Luke shook his head and looked at my lists and maps. ‘After this great start you’ve made? No way. In fact, TJ, I’d like to go down right now and look at DH Lawrence’s house in the Vale of Health if that’s OK with you.’
‘Um, sure.’
‘OK. Sian, Olivia. You hold the fort here and TJ and I will nip down there. There’s plenty for you to do. Sort out which places you want to highlight in Highgate.’
‘Yes, sir,’ said Olivia with a mock salute.
Sian nodded but didn’t look very happy. ‘But I wanted to go over what angle to take,’ she said indicating all her findings.
‘We will,’ said Luke as he put on his coat. ‘I’ll give you a call and we’ll get together. OK?’
This time when she nodded, she looked happier.
‘In fact,’ said Luke, ‘let’s step things up a bit. Meet here again tomorrow night?’
‘Yeah,’ said Sian. ‘Great.’
‘In fact,’ Luke continued, ‘we should meet as many times as we need this week until we’ve got things really sorted. We need to get on top of this, put our other homework on the back burner until we know exactly what we’re going to present, then we can kick back and relax a bit.’
I think Sian thought he meant meetings just with her and looked delighted, but then Luke turned to Olivia. ‘You in?’
Olivia nodded.
‘TJ?’
‘I’ll do my best.’
Poor Sian. Her face had fallen again. It looked like she was never going to get Luke on his own.
We drove down to the Vale of Health and Luke parked the car at the top of the lane. It’s a remarkable place, just off East Heath Road and a lot of locals don’t even know that it exists. It’s like a countryside village hidden away at the bottom of Hampstead Heath.
We soon found the house where DH Lawrence lived as there was the typical blue plaque mounted on the outside wall.
‘Me neither,’ I said. ‘I thought it would be like the one at Keats Grove where it’s a shrine to Keats. Ah well, never mind. I’ll get Steve to photograph it anyway.’
‘I guess we could go and check out Keats House,’ sighed Luke, then he grinned and checked his watch, ‘or we could go and have a skive.’
‘Skive, like how?’
‘Movie.’
My first instinct was to say no, but then I remembered what Nesta had said about being more friendly.
‘Yeah, sure. Where?’
‘Ever been to the Everyman cinema in Hampstead village?’
I shook my head. ‘I’ve walked past a few times, but never been in. We always go to the one up near Finchley.’
‘Then you’re in for a treat. And it’s on me. I got some good tips last week working in Dad’s restaurant.’
‘This is awesome,’ I said, as an usherette showed us to our seats twenty minutes later.
Luke looked really pleased. ‘I know.’
He’d paid top price so that we could sit upstairs in the private balcony, where there were a small number of plush leather chairs and sofas.
‘Sit where you like,’ said the usherette. ‘It’s quiet today.’
‘So where would madam like to sit?’ asked Luke after she’d gone.
I sprawled in an enormous chair at the back. ‘Everywhere looks great,’ I said.
‘This is my favourite,’ said Luke as he sat on a sofa on the second and back row.
I went and sat beside him. It was amazing. Totally luxurious and it felt like we were the only people in the cinema having a private viewing. A few minutes later, the lights went down and the trailers started up. Luke curled up happily in his corner of the sofa.
‘Cool, huh?’ he said.
‘Major.’ I nodded back.
As the movie started, I found it hard to concentrate. I was so aware of Luke’s proximity. At one point, he sat up and our knees were touching and just the pressure of his leg against mine was enough to send my head spinning. I moved my leg away then, a few minutes later, our arms touched and it felt like heat from him was burning into me. Then Luke slipped his shoes off and stretched out. ‘Sit back,’ he whispered. ‘Make the most of it.’
I did as I was told and he put his feet up and over my knees and grinned at me. ‘Heaven, huh?’
‘Unuh . . .’ I whispered back. ‘H . . . heaven.’
Well Nesta, I thought, as I glanced down at Luke curled up comfortably like a cat, at least I’m doing as you told me. You can’t get more friendly than this!
After the movie, Luke suggested we have a cappuccino in the bar downstairs. Once again, my first instinct was to say no, but I’d run off last time we’d had coffee and I didn’t want him reporting back to Nesta again. And I remembered what Hannah had written. Chill. Everyone fancies their mate’s boyfriend, especially if they’re cute, babe types. Well, Luke was definitely that. And we did get along and have loads in common. I decided to chill and enjoy the moment. There was nothing wrong with that.
As Luke went to the bar, I sat in one of the armchairs and looked around. Fab, I thought, I really like it here. The atmosphere was a mixture of sophisticated and bohemian, with low lighting, dark walls and velvet sofas and chairs and there were framed black and white photos from old Bollywood films on the wall. I felt very grown-up, sitting there with the other people sipping their wine and picking at bowls of olives.
‘Very posh,’ I whispered to Luke, when he came back with the drinks. ‘I see they do olives here, not your common old popcorn.’
A couple of teen girls came in and eyed Luke up, then looked enviously at me. I couldn’t help but feel great to be the one that was with him.
As on the walk, Luke was interesting company and we chatted about films we liked and ones we wanted to see. Just as I was starting to relax and enjoy myself, Luke went quiet for a few moments then looked at me intensely. No one had ever looked at me like that before, like he was really looking into me. I felt myself getting pinker and pinker.
‘It’s easy being with you, TJ Watts,’ he said finally. ‘I wonder what would have happened if I’d met you before Nesta.’
‘Uh . . . nyah . . .’
That was me gone. I mean, what was I supposed to say? He’d completely thrown me. ‘Um, er . . . dunno, um. Like another coffee? No? Um. I would.’ And I was up and off to the counter before he could say anything else to blow my mind.
When I returned, Luke didn’t press me for an answer. He glanced at his watch as I bolted back scalding coffee then he began looking at me again. My heart started to palpitate madly in my chest.
‘Better get going I guess,’ I said and stood up.
Like at the Coffee Cup café on Sunday, he looked disappointed but he didn’t object. ‘Sure,’ he said as he got up and put on his coat. ‘Yeah. I’ll drop you.’
As we made our way back to the car, the traffic was busy and, for a brief moment as we crossed the road, he took my hand. I ran with him towards the pavement on the opposite side of the road and, when I glanced to my left, I noticed that someone had stopped and was staring at us. It was Lal. Lal, as in Steve and Lucy’s brother Lal. And he had a very quizzical look on his face. Then he turned on his heel and stomped off round a corner.
Outbox (1)
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: 3rd December
Subject: Heeeeeeelp!!!!!
Dear Hannah
Oh God am I in trouble Nesta told me to be more friendly so I was and when Luke suggested a skive to the movies I went and he took my hand when we crossed the road and Lal Lovering saw us and Luke asked me what I thought would have happened if he’d met me before he’d met Nesta oh God, what did he mean? Maybe nothing and he took my hand (the second time by the way) does that mean anything? Maybe not as he is Italian and I think he’s a naturally touchy-feely type person maybe I’m imagining things oh God Hannah, come back to England all is forgiven I have no one to talk to over here and it’s driving me mad. I’m beginning to think that a move to Devon might be best after all.
Tell me what to DOOOO! I neeeeeeeeeeeed you.
Love your friend
Mad person
Email: Inbox (1)
From: hannahnutter@fastmail. com
To: [email protected]
Date: 4th December
Subject: Heeellppp
Hohohahaha. My little percorini. What a merry old state you is in back there in Britland. First thing. Breathe. Second thing. Breathe again.
Sounds like this guy Luke is flirting with you. He’s checking you out for definite. Yes, the holding hand thing may be innocent, but I don’t think the question was. Think about it. Would you have ever in your wildest dreams have asked him what he thought would have happened if you’d met him before you met Steve? No. Exactly. Comprendi? This guy sounds like trouble. Be mucho mucho careful.
Try to avoid situations where you’re alone with him. And don’t give anything away, cos then he’s gotcha.
Still sweltering here. Don’t fancy anyone big time at the mo which is quite nice as there’s a group of us that just hang out.
Luv and kisses
Auntie Hannah
Chapter 9
‘Lucy phoned,’ said Mum as soon as I walked though the door after the movie with Luke.
‘When?’
‘About five minutes ago.’
‘Did she leave a message?’
‘Only to phone her as soon as you get back.’
‘How did she sound?’
‘What do you mean? Like Lucy. Why? Is something going on?’
‘No.’
I raced up the stairs and stared at the phone. How was I going to get out of this? Mojo was scrabbling outside
my door, so I let him in and he jumped on the end of my bed where he lay wagging his tail.
‘God I so wish you could talk, Mojo,’ I said as he rolled over and I tickled his tummy. ‘Come on, talk to me. What’s on the top of a house? Come on . . .’
‘Rufff,’ barked Mojo.
‘That’s right! A roof. And how am I feeling?’
‘Rurrf,’ he replied. ‘Rfff, rrfff.’
‘Right again, I am feeling rough,’ I said. Mojo looked so pleased with himself that he rolled back on his legs, sprang up and gave my face a huge lick. ‘See, you can talk if you try,’ I told him.
By the eager expression on Mojo’s face, he was doing his best, but I decided to ask someone who spoke proper English instead. I emailed Hannah, then lay back on my bed and stared at the ceiling. Two minutes later, the phone rang again. I let it ring and didn’t pick up my extension.
‘TJ, it’s for you,’ Mum called up the stairs. ‘Lucy.’
I took a deep breath and picked up the phone.
‘Hey Lucy,’ I said in my most cheerful voice.
‘So what’s going on?’ asked Lucy.
Lal obviously hadn’t wasted any time reporting back.
‘Oh same old same old,’ I replied, trying to avoid the tone in her voice. I knew exactly what she meant by ‘going on’.
‘You and Luke,’ said Lucy. ‘Lal said he saw you.’
‘Oh that.’
‘Yeah that. Lal said you and Luke were holding hands.’
‘Not really.’
‘Well you either were or you weren’t.’
‘We were, but not as in holding hands holding hands if you know what I mean. He took my hand when we crossed the road, that’s all. Traffic safety. He was probably a boy scout trained to steer old-age pensioners across. Nothing’s going on. Lucy, you know I’d never . . .’
‘Do you fancy him?’
Mates, Dates and Tempting Trouble Page 6
