by Mates, Dates
‘Ohmigod’ I heard Nesta cry. ‘Quick, put the glasses under the sofa.’
The sitting room door opened and I heard the girls scrabbling about, then another voice. It sounded vaguely familiar. ‘What in heaven’s name is going on here?’ said Nesta’s mum.
‘And why is Izzie lying behind the sofa?’ asked her dad.
Oops, I thought, as I tried to roll into a ball and make myself invisible.
Lucy’s Quiz
Name your three favourite animals, birds or fish in order of preference. Say why you’ve chosen them.
First choice reveals: how you see yourself.
Second choice reveals: how others see you.
Third choice reveals: how you really are.
It’s the adjectives chosen to say why the animal has been picked that are revealing, more than the animal itself.
C h a p t e r 7
Orang-utans in the Mist
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Ooooh. Strange dreams. Very strange dreams. Orang-utans in the mist. Snowy forests with penguins eating blackcurrants. Don’t feel very well, I thought, when I woke up the next day and tried to open my eyes. It appears someone glued my eyelids together in the night. And my head. Oof. Somebody’s doing a drum solo in there. I turned over and looked at the clock. Half past ten. Oops. I rolled on to my back and looked at the ceiling. How did I get home? I asked myself. I could vaguely remember Angus turning up. He must have driven me back. Don’t remember seeing Mum. Oh God. Mum. I pulled the duvet over my head. Think I’ll stay under here from now on. Probably best I never get up again. Ever.
Half an hour later, I was woken again by my mobile. I cautiously got out of bed, grappled around for my bag and found the phone.
‘How are you?’ asked Lucy.
I rubbed my eyes. ‘Bit fragile, to tell the truth.’
Lucy laughed. ‘Serves you right. What did your mum say?’
‘Haven’t seen her yet. I guess she’ll be at work now. Don’t remember much.’
‘You were hysterical,’ said Lucy. ‘Falling about all over the place when Angus arrived. At one point, he tried to pick you up and you told him to bog off.’
‘Oh no, I didn’t, did I?’ I moaned. ‘Well, that’s it, isn’t it? I will never ever ever drink again.’
‘Right. What, not even water?’
‘Oh haha, Lucy. I mean alcohol. Not if it makes you feel like this.’
‘Oh yeah, that reminds me. Tony asked me to pass on his infallible hangover cure.’
‘Good. What is it?’
‘Don’t drink the night before,’ she laughed.
‘Oh, very funny. Are the others in trouble?’
‘Nesta is. My dad picked me and TJ up and we just ran out to the car and didn’t tell him anything. But Nesta’s been grounded today. She’s really miffed because it was your idea to try the drinks.’
‘Oh Go-od!’ I groaned. ’I’ll phone her and apologise. Got to go and lie down again now, Lucy. Sorry. Call you soon.‘
‘Drink a load of water,’ said Lucy. ‘That’s what Mum does whenever she’s had too much to drink.’
After I hung up, I saw that someone had put a glass of water by the bed. Mum probably. I dutifully drank it, then lay down for a while longer. I felt dreadful, like I’d been run over by a bus. After another hour, I finally made it downstairs to get some more water.
Angus works from home some days and this was one of them. He looked up from his desk as I passed his study on the way to the kitchen. I gave him a weak smile and prepared myself for the telling off.
‘How are you feeling?’ he asked.
‘Rotten, if you must know.’
He chuckled. ‘Enough to drive you to drink, isn’t it?’
I went to stand in the doorway. ‘Aren’t you mad with me?’
He shook his head. ‘But your mum is. She said to say that you’re grounded and can’t go over to Nesta’s until school starts again.’
‘It wasn’t Nesta’s fault. It was me who started it all. And I won’t be doing it again in a hurry, I can tell you.’
Angus chuckled again. ‘Never say never,’ he said.
He’s clearly never had a hangover like this, I thought, as I staggered into the kitchen.
Mum rang early in the afternoon and was true to her word. Grounded, she said. I couldn’t go out until she said so, even though there wasn’t much of the holidays left. I knew I didn’t have a leg to stand on, literally on the night of the cocktails, so I didn’t try and argue. I knew I’d blown it with her.
I decided to keep a diary of my imprisonment.
Day One:
First day of prison sentence. Don’t mind staying in as feel pretty grotty. Began to feel marginally better after a ton of water.
Cleaned the house. Even though we have a cleaner, thought it was a good way to earn brownie points.
Belly button update. It’s healing up nicely at last, phew. It’s going to look great in a few weeks. Ha ha, Mum, you may have grounded me, but I’ve got a new belly button stud in. You can’t control everything.
Worked on lyrics for new songs.
Thought about Josh. Thought a lot about Josh. He said ‘See you around.’ No chance of that, then — not for a while. Unless Mum relents and there’s not much chance of that. Felt good when I saw him in the park last time. Sort of huzzy. Definitely different to being with Ben. They must be about the same age, but somehow Josh is more exciting. And he’s taller.
Practised doing a new signature. If changing my image, then my handwriting is part of it. Covered about ten pages.
Practised snogging technique on the back on my hand. Think I may be going mad.
Tried on every stitch of clothing I own and managed to work
out some pretty cool combinations. Black and black mainly, with some silver jewellery. Some of the tops I was going to throw out because I thought I’d grown out of them look good on second trying. Used to wear my clothes baggy, but now some of the T-shirts look just right — tight in the right places. Mum won’t like it. She doesn’t like anything. Mainly me.
TJ and Lucy came over and brought magazines. Amazingly, even though I was grounded, Angus let them in on the condition that I didn’t tell Mum. He can be OK sometimes. Lucy did fantastic make-up on me to go with my new look. Dark eyes and sort of grape glossy lipstick. Definitely makes me look older and will look cool for the gig on Saturday - that is, if Mum lets me go. TJ asked me to do a piece for her mag on what to do when you’re grounded. Don’t think I’ll include ‘Practise snogging on the back of your hand’, in case people at school think I’m a saddo. But I bet they all do it.
After they left, I practised my songs for the gig on Saturday. I’m only doing two this time, which is fine by me as I like sitting and listening as well as performing. Please, please God let Mum have mellowed by then.
Mum back at seven-thirty. Waited for le grando telling off, but it never came. She just looked disappointed, a look she’s got down to perfection, if you ask me, but pretty upsetting all the same. Don’t really like it when she’s seriously mad with me.
Ate a tiny bit of supper. Tummy’s still a bit funny. Cleared table, washed up - even the pans. Said sorry a million times. Smiled meekly at Mum and Angus. Am perfect daughter.
Called Nesta. Got her voicemail.
Listened to music. Worked on songs again.
Nothing on telly. Slept like a zombie (not the cocktail).
Day Two:
Called Nesta’s mobile as don’t want to risk her mum or dad picking up their home phone and giving me another telling-off. Got voicemail. She’s obviously screening her calls and is still mad at me.
Feel restless. Surely two days in prison is enough? Called Mum at work to beg forgiveness, but she’s in a meeting schmeeting. She’ll probably only say that I can’t go out until I’ve learned my lesson, so I don’t really know why I’m bothering. Why doesn’t she realise that I learnt my lesson on Day One? You don’t have to tell me twice not to drink alcohol ag
ain. Never, never, never. I don’t want to go through that again.
Colour coordinated my wardrobe. Only took five minutes as it’s all black now.
Started reading The Catcher in the Rye. Brilliant. At first, couldn’t get into it as it’s about this boy called Holden Caulfield who’s been expelled from boarding school in America. Thought I couldn’t relate. But as there was nothing else to do, I got into it and then I couldn’t put it down. Even though it was written ages ago, in the nineteen forties, he’s just like any normal teenager, and like me, questioning everything. Is it the same for teenagers the world over? Nothing seems to make sense any more and you don’t know who you want to be, what you want to do, and in the meantime, you manage to upset everyone.
Called Nesta. She picked up. Phew. Talked for half an hour. She said I should try calling Mum again as parents do tend to blow steam then calm down. Tried calling Mum again. She said she is prepared to let me go out as long as I let her know where I am and what I’m doing at all times. Felt very tempted to call her five minutes later from the bathroom to tell her I was on the loo, but resisted as that might be pushing my luck a bit.
So, goodbye diary. Prison sentence cut short. Time off for good behaviour. Mum said I can go out so I’m free! Ha ha, HEE HEE, cue maniacal laughter.
I put on my trainers and shorts and decided to go for a jog. It was drizzling, but felt really fresh, so I ran and ran and ran. After about twenty minutes, I heard a motorbike approaching. It screeched to a stop next to me.
‘Izzie,’ called Josh as I ran past him.
Murphy’s Law, I said to myself as I stopped and turned. I would bump into him on the one day I have no makeup on, my hair’s dripping with rain and I’m sweaty from running. Not my most alluring look, I thought as a raindrop fell off my nose. I decided to keep my head down and keep the conversation short.
‘Um, hi,’ I said.
He took off his helmet. ‘Where have you been? I was hoping to see you in the park again. Didn’t scare you off that night, did I? With the tree thing?’
‘Um, no, course not,’ I said to the pavement. ‘Been busy.’
‘What you doing tonight?’
‘Not sure.’ Actually I had told Ben I’d go round to go through my songs one last time before the gig, and I’d planned to go to Lucy’s after that. But you do have to be flexible in life.
‘A few of us are getting together later, if you want to meet up. Come and have a drink.’
I pulled a face.
‘What?’ he said.
‘Drink.’
‘What about drink?’
‘Bad joojoo,’ I answered, then decided I would tell him all about it without actually revealing that it was the first time I’d tried alcohol properly. ‘Had a bit too much on Monday night. Never again.’
Josh laughed. ‘Ah, hangover, eh? You know the best thing for that?’
‘Don’t drink the night before?’
He laughed and shook his head. ‘Nah. Hair of the dog. Back on the horse, and so on.’
‘No thanks,’ I said. ‘I’ve learned my lesson.’
‘You sound like an old woman.’
‘Last time you called me a kid,’ I said. ‘I can’t win.’
He smiled. ‘It’s not a competition.’
‘I wasn’t…’
‘Come on - we’re meeting at Pond Square in Highgate. See you there, about five-thirty?’
‘Maybe,’ I said. ‘I’ll have to check with my social secretary.’
Josh laughed. ‘Your mum and dad, you mean?’
‘No,’ I said. Actually I did mean my mum, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. She’d already said that I could go to Ben’s, so to do a quick detour to the square wouldn’t be going much out of my way. I’d set off early. Mum would never know if I called her before I left, then again from Ben’s. It would be worth it. Just for half an hour. ‘OK. I’ll be there.’
‘Cool,’ he said, and with that he roared off again.
Things to Do When You’re Grounded
· Catch up on homework.
· Colour coordinate your wardrobe.
· Store shoes in boxes. Take a picture/Polaroid of each pair and stick it on the outside of the box for quick identification.
· Do some Feng Shui on your bedroom and get rid of all the clutter. If you haven’t worn something for over a year, chuck it.
· Feng Shui your computer (tidy your desktop and clear up old files).
· Update your address book. Then update your diary.
· Start your bestselling novel. If grounded for a loooong time, also finish it.
· Try moving all your furniture around and redecorate your room a la Feng Shui.
· Learn to meditate.
· Do your Christmas card list and plan presents.
· Check out astrology sites on the Web and do friends‘ horoscopes for them.
· Treat the time as if you’re at a health spa - give yourself a facial, paint your nails, condition your hair, moisturise and exfoliate.
· Exercise.
· Listen to music.
· Write music or lyrics.
· Learn to cook a new recipe (earns good brownie points if it comes out well and may get you time off for good behaviour)
· Clean the house and do the garden (also earns brownie points).
· Read. Some books are pretty cool and it’s a way to escape from your personal prison into other worlds.
C h a p t e r 8
Dragon Mother
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Josh was already on a bench with his mates at Pond Square when I got there. I felt a bit intimidated as I approached, as I didn’t know any of the others, but Josh soon waved me over and introduced me. There were two girls, Chris and Zoe, and a guy called Spider. They looked like they were in Year Eleven. Spider was the one who’d been chucking bread at passing joggers the week before and I didn’t much like the look of him. He had very pale skin and was a bit hard-looking, but the girls seemed OK. They sized me up (girls can be a bit funny sometimes when you’re not part of their group) and must have decided I was all right, because Chris rummaged in a carrier bag and pulled out a bottle of Malibu and a paper cup. ‘Want some?’
‘No thanks,’ I said. ‘I’ve got a band rehearsal later.’
‘Oh, just have one. One won’t hurt you.’
I didn’t really want any, but I’d only just met them and I didn’t want to be a killjoy when they were being friendly. Then I remembered what Tony said on the night of the cocktails. Lesson Number One: don’t mix your drinks. That’s probably why I’d felt so lousy. I’d mixed so many. Maybe if I’d just stuck to one, I’d have been OK. Then I remembered what Josh said about getting back on the horse after a bad experience. Then I remembered Angus saying never say never.
‘OK. Thanks,’ I said. I took the the cup she offered me.
I resolved not to overdo it as I could still remember how rotten I felt after the cocktails, so I stuck to my guns and I only had the one, even if Chris did fill the cup full. It tasted quite nice, coconutty, and I imagined it was probably nicer than the cider that Spider was drinking. I tried cider once at my stepsister’s wedding and it tasted like apples that had gone off. Foul.
I sipped my Malibu and this time I felt OK. Somehow the drink made me feel more confident about being with strangers. I found myself feeling really talkative and told them all about King Noz and the gig on Saturday. They all seemed impressed and wanted to come along. At one point, my mobile rang, but I quickly switched it off. Probably Mum checking up on me, I thought.
‘So do you rehearse often?’ asked Chris.
‘Yeah, we’ve done loads over the holidays,’ I said, checking my watch. It wasn’t until then that I realised what time it was. The rehearsal at Ben’s was supposed to be at six and already it was a quarter past. ‘Oh God,’ I said and got up from the bench. ‘Better get going.’
Josh walked with me to the High Street and just as I was about to dash off, he caught t
he back of my jacket, pulled me back and kissed me. Just like that. It took my breath away as it was so out of the blue. After a while, he let me go and we smiled at each other.
‘Give me your number,’ he said.
I scribbled it down on an old tube ticket that I had in my purse, then he gently pushed me down the road. ‘You’d better get moving if you’re going to go and do an Anastacia.’
‘Not that kind of girl… or music,’ I said, laughing, then ran like mad to get to Ben’s on the other side of Highgate, down near the tube station. I felt totally exhilarated. He’d kissed me. No awkwardness. No buildup. No thinking, Is he going to? Isn’t he? Should I kiss him? He’d done it when it was completely unexpected. It felt great. Sometimes getting that first kiss over with can be a bit clumsy.
When I got to Ben’s, there was a note sellotaped to the garage door with my name on it. I ripped it open. ‘plz. Gone to check out the acoustics at the venue for Saturday. We waited for twenty minutes, then I tried your mobile, but it was switched off. Call me later. Ben.’
Oh poo, I thought. I could have stayed longer in the square with Josh. I wondered if I should go back there, but decided it wouldn’t look good. Nesta had drilled into all of us that it was important not to look too keen when you first meet a boy. I looked at my watch again. It was a quarter to seven. No way I felt like going home yet. Nesta’s house was closest, but I couldn’t go there as that’s out of bounds for a while. I quickly called Lucy’s. No one there, so I tried her mobile. She was at Nesta’s. Oh, double poo, I thought. I can’t risk the wrath of Dragon Mother if she finds out. At least TJ wasn’t with them, so I called her. Luckily she was in, so I made my way over there.
I could see that something was wrong the moment TJ opened the door. She quickly ushered me upstairs into her bedroom and shut the door.
‘Your mum’s on the warpath,’ she said. ‘She’s on her way over.’
‘What? Why?’
TJ sat at her desk. ‘Oh, some mix-up. She’s been phoning everywhere. She said you were supposed to have been at Ben’s. She rang there and his mum said you hadn’t shown up for rehearsal, so the boys had gone off without you…’
