by Mel Sparke
They walked on in silence for a few minutes, both lost in thought on this Thursday morning: Ravi at the injustice of being told off by his big sister (closely followed by a rumination over which flavour milkshake to have), and Maya once more running through the muddle of confusing emotions that were cluttering up her head.
To think, all I used to stress about was my mum and dad being too strict with me! she realised suddenly. And now I keep changing my mind about how I feel about me and Alex… and there’s this stuff going on with Ashleigh, and the competition to worry about. And none of that would have happened, if it wasn’t for me and Alex being together…
After Ashleigh had stormed out, the club room had gone very quiet. And after that, once everyone else had gone home, Maya had begged Alex to reconsider and put through Andy or Ashleigh’s entry to the competition.
He’d put his foot down.
“Maya,” he’d said, staring deep into her eyes. “Your photo is the best and that’s all there is to it. If it makes you feel better, I’ll have a word with Ashleigh next week when she comes—”
“—if she comes!” Maya had corrected him, worrying that Ashleigh would be too angry to ever turn up again.
“She’ll come back!” Alex had assured her. “She’s a very good photographer and she won’t want to give this up. And I’ll tell her how good she is, too.”
Maya began to relax as Alex took control of the situation.
“And I guess,” he’d added, “I owe you an apology - you were right about her bearing some kind of a grudge against you because of us. Sorry, I didn’t listen…”
And with that, he’d reached over and given her a warm hug, a hug that Maya had slipped gratefully into. Once again, she’d felt herself overflowing with love for him, pushing to one side the other worries and doubts that kept niggling away at her happiness.
“Can I have a cake and a packet of crisps?” Ravi asked hopefully as they approached the café door.
“Mmmm… OK,” she smiled, squeezing his hand.
As soon as they stepped inside, Maya spotted Matt sitting alone at the window booth and went over to join him.
“How’s things, Matt?” she asked, sliding on to the red banquette opposite him. “Is Anna around?”
“No - she’s not on till later,” he replied, swirling his fork around the yellow egg on his plate.
“Is she upstairs in the flat?” Maya asked, toying with popping up.
“Nah - I went up, but she’s out,” Matt shrugged.
“Can I choose a cake?” Ravi suddenly interrupted, fidgeting in his seat.
“Yes, and ask Dorothy nicely for a milkshake, and a coffee for me,” Maya told him, watching her little brother sprint off to drool at the goodies in the glass compartment on the counter. “Anyway, how are you, Matt? I heard about the fight with Cat and everything on Sunday…”
Matt gave a deep sigh and let his shoulders sag. “Why do you think I’m having this here?” he said, pointing to his breakfast fry-up.
“Because you’re hungry?” Maya suggested, knowing that wasn’t the right answer.
“No, because I don’t want to be around the house if I can avoid it,” he moaned, screwing his handsome face into a snarl.
“Are things that bad with Cat?”
“Are they? She’s always in my face and she acts like she owns my house and my dad. And have you heard that her mum’s trying to change the whole place around and force me out of my bedroom?!”
“Yes, Sonja told me. But, listen, Matt, you’ve got to sort it out,” said Maya, with her characteristic directness. “Things can’t go on like this!”
“I’ve tried!” he protested. “I went to see my dad on Monday, down at his office, and told him how hacked off I was with him, and Cat, and her stupid, interfering mother!”
Maya sincerely hoped that Matt had put forward his feelings in a more adult and rational manner, but she had a funny feeling it had come out exactly like he’d just said. Tactlessly.
“And what did your dad say?”
“You won’t believe this, Maya! He got all defensive, then he had the cheek to be angry with me!” Matt exploded with indignation. “He said I was acting like a selfish, spoilt little kid!”
“Well, I suppose I see his point of view, a bit,” Maya shrugged thoughtfully. “It’s his life and happiness too.”
“Oh great!” Matt threw his cutlery down on the table. “You think I’m being an idiot too! Just like Cat and my dad!”
Maya stared at her friend. “Look, Matt, I’m not having a go at you, but maybe you’re making a bad situation a whole lot worse.”
“Gee, thanks!” he said sarcastically. “Do you want to swap places with me and see how bad it feels?”
“Not particularly - I like Cat a lot, but I admit I wouldn’t fancy living with her,” said Maya calmly. “But I don’t think you’d fancy living with my strict parents - especially since your dad lets you get away with almost anything. And when it comes to being a pain to live with, my sister makes Cat seem like a saint.”
“Cat didn’t look much like a saint last time I saw her,” Matt suddenly couldn’t help himself snigger. “Not the way her and Dylan were going at it on the sofa…”
Maya gazed over to check that Ravi was still safely out of earshot. “What - so you haven’t seen Cat since your fight?” she asked.
“Nope. Well, we’ve ignored each other once or twice,” said Matt.
Maya rolled her eyes. “Well, that’s really going to help things, isn’t it?” she sighed. “Don’t get annoyed with me, Matt - but I think you are being a bit selfish. You’ve every right to be freaked out about finding Cat and her mum in your house, but you’re not really thinking about anyone else’s feelings.”
“Cat’s feeling just fine! She’s living in a big house and making the most of it!”
“And she knows you resent her for it! That’s not exactly going to make her feel happy, is it?” said Maya, budging up as Ravi had skipped over to join them again.
“She doesn’t care - she’s too busy sucking up to my dad!”
“Who’s sucking up to your dad?” asked Ravi, yanking open his packet of Hula Hoops.
“Eat your crisps, Ravi,” May told her little brother. “Listen, Matt, if Cat’s getting on well with your dad, then good for her! After all, she had a really terrible time with her own father. Anyone would think you were jealous.”
Instead of exploding, Matt shut up and pushed his half-eaten breakfast to one side. He realised Maya was probably right. It felt kind of stupid to admit he felt jealous.
“Want one?” asked Ravi, shoving the Hula Hoops under Matt’s nose.
“Thanks,” said Matt, numbly taking one.
“And another thing,” said Maya, shaking her head as Ravi offered her the packet too. “Sonja tells me you’re really keen on going back to Ibiza.”
“Well, yeah - there’s no point hanging about really, is there?”
“Maybe not, but don’t use the stuff at home as an excuse. You’d still have been keen on going back, even if Cat and her mum hadn’t moved in, wouldn’t you?”
Matt didn’t want to admit she was right, but she was. He gave a half-hearted nod.
“Well, why don’t you stop wasting time moping about, making yourself and everyone else miserable, and just go, if that’s what you want?”
“Yeah, well…” Matt muttered, crunching his Hula Hoop.
As usual, Maya’s words stung him, but made sense.
“Anyway,” said Maya, “what does Anna think about you going back out to Ibiza?”
Matt winced. “I haven’t really spoken to her about it yet,” he admitted. “I kind of feel guilty about it….”
“But you’ve told Sonja.”
Matt nodded.
“And you’ve told all the boys?”
Matt nodded again.
“And if you’ve told all those people, do you really think Anna doesn’t know yet?” said Maya.
Matt shrugged.
“You know something? You’ve got looks, you’ve got talent, but boy - sometimes you really haven’t got a brain…”
Ravi gazed pityingly over the table at Matt, who looked astonishingly like a shamefaced six-year-old at these stern words.
“Want another crisp?” he whispered to Matt.
“Yes, please,” said Matt, shoving another Hula Hoop in his mouth and crunching loudly.
“I don’t know which one of you is the biggest kid,” Maya sighed, with a wry smile.
CHAPTER 18
ALL CHANGE…
“You look great!” said Cat, clapping her hands together excitedly. “That looks brilliant on you, Maya, with you having such lovely brown legs!”
“I do not look great!” muttered Maya, looking wide-eyed into Sonja’s full-length mirror and trying to haul down the sugar-pink dress Cat had made her try on to a decent, bum-covering length.
But it wasn’t working.
“If you’re going to wear that dress tomorrow night, I suggest you wear matching knickers,” giggled Sonja, lying stretched out on her stomach on one of the two beds in her room. “Those blue floral ones you’ve got on just don’t go!”
“What?” yelped Maya, tugging even harder on the dress, now she knew that her undies were most definitely on show.
“Where did you buy a dress that short, Cat?” asked Kerry, sitting cross-legged on the floor and marvelling at the briefness of the sleeveless shift with its beaded edging.
“It’s not a dress - it’s a top!” Cat said matter-of-factly from the comfort of the window seat.
“A top?!” laughed Anna. “What are you trying to do to Maya - get her arrested for indecent exposure?”
“It’s in fashion!” Cat protested, holding up her hands. “I saw it in OK magazine ages ago. That girl Robbie Williams was going out with wore a top as a dress to the Brits.”
Maya hauled the so-called dress up over her head and handed it back to Cat.
“Thanks for the offer, Cat,” she smiled, “but I’m not going out with a pop star - I’m going out with a lecturer. And I’m not going anywhere flash - I’m going round someone’s flat for dinner!”
“Here - try this top of mine, with those trousers of Sonja’s,” Kerry suggested, throwing Maya an embroidered purple top and pointing to the black velvet trousers dangling from a hanger on the back of the bedroom door.
“So, are you still nervous?” asked Anna, lounging on the spare bed.
“A bit,” Maya grimaced, pulling on the velvet trousers and zipping them up. “I suppose it’s just ‘cause I’m worried I’ll be out of my depth. I might not know what to say.”
“Look, Maya,” said Sonja, “you’re smarter than any of us, so I wouldn’t worry about it. And just because people are older than you, doesn’t mean they’re automatically smarter.”
“Tell me about it!” Cat commented, leaning back against the window, her arms outstretched. “Matt’s two years older than me, but he’s acting like a total baby just now!”
Maya struggled to get her head out of the top she was wriggling into: the room had gone ominously silent since Cat’s remark.
“Oh, no offence, Anna!” she heard Cat add as she yanked the top down.
“No problem,” Maya saw Anna smile, her dark beauty spot rising on her cheek as she did so. “I know Matt can be a bit of a jerk.”
There was another blast of silence for a second, then everyone, including Anna, started to laugh.
“Good, I’m glad you agree with me!” chuckled Cat.
Maya looked surreptitiously over at Anna, who was smiling broadly.
Has Matt spoken to her yet? she wondered, remembering their conversation that morning. Has he told her about going away again?
“Did you know he’s thinking about getting another job in Ibiza this summer?” Anna answered her unspoken question, gazing around at each of her friends.
One by one, Maya noticed, they all began to nod their heads.
“I thought so,” smiled Anna. “And you know the funny thing? He hasn’t told me yet. Not in so many words…”
Oh, Matt, sighed Maya to herself. She joined Kerry and Sonja in staring sorrowfully over at Anna, unsure for a moment what to say.
“Like you said, what a jerk!” giggled Cat, breaking the tense mood of the moment. “But then, I could have told you that before you went out with him, Anna - since I’ve already been there!”
Maya did a quick intake of breath. There was no one quite like Cat for saying what shouldn’t be said - and here she was, bringing up her long-ago, brief relationship with Anna’s boyfriend.
“I should have listened!” Anna laughed, setting the rest of them off again into relieved and slightly hysterical gales of giggles.
“You can talk!” Sonja shrieked breathlessly, pointing a finger at her cousin. “What are you playing at? Snogging Dylan, when he’s Zac’s brother?”
The other girls spluttered at Sonja’s directness.
“So what?” smirked Cat. “It’s not like I’m going out with both of them. Hey! Wait a minute - maybe that would be fun!”
“Cat!” squealed Kerry. “You’re terrible!”
“I know!” said Cat, grinning her ear-to-ear Cheshire cat grin.
“But are you really into Dylan?” asked Maya, forgetting all about her potential party outfit now that the conversation had turned round the way it had.
“Dylan?” said Cat, raising her eyebrows. “You must be joking. He’s too much of a dopey dreamer for me. And he’s a total Trekky - did you know that? What a nerd!”
“So why did you snog him then?” asked Sonja.
“Because a girl’s got to keep in practice, hasn’t she?” Cat grinned wickedly, starting all the girls shrieking wildly again at her brazenness.
Maya wiped the tears away from her eyes with the back of hand - she hadn’t had such a good laugh in ages and neither, she suspected, had Cat or Anna.
“Hey, we’re forgetting something!” said Sonja, catching her breath. “That looks really great, Maya!”
As the other girls’ giggles subsided, they murmured in agreement. Maya stared into the mirror at her reflection and nodded. Apart from the smeared mascara, she looked good - not too dressy and not too scruffy.
“Alex will be proud of you,” Kerry smiled.
“I hope so,” Maya nodded, feeling her confidence rise.
I’ve got to start taking my own advice, she thought, turning this way and that and gazing at her mirror image, and start being more positive about things.
CHAPTER 19
MAYA TAKES SOME STICK
“Alex, hi! Come on in!” said the girl with the razor-sharp black bob. “How are you doing?”
“Great!” Alex replied, shuffling through the door and holding out a gift-wrapped box. “Here, Louise - a flat-warming present from me and Maya!”
“Oh, you darling!” Louise exclaimed, taking the box and leaning over to peck Alex on the cheek.
Standing just behind him on the doorstep, Maya fixed a ‘hello’ smile on her face, even though the girl hadn’t seemed to notice her yet.
“Come through! See the flat! Say hi to everyone!” Louise gushed, pulling Alex by the hand towards a babble of voices at the end of the hallway.
Alex glanced round and gave Maya a fleeting grin as he found himself propelled away. He had a bright red smudge of lipstick on his cheek, she noticed.
Silently, Maya closed the front door behind her and followed the pair along the newly-painted corridor. Alex hadn’t known who else Gavin and Louise had invited along, apart from Melanie and Simon, whom Maya had met plenty of times before. She took a deep breath and told herself to calm down. Knowing that at least two familiar faces were going to be in that room helped to control the butterflies.
“Hey, Alex!”
“How you doing, mate? Long time no see!”
“Here, let me take your coat, Alex…”
Maya stood a little aside from the welcomes and the back-slapping, and checked out t
he place and the company she was going to be keeping that evening. The room was big and decorated in a deep, rich shade of red, made more intense by being lit by only one large fat lamp over by the TV, and another low-slung light above the dining table, which was set for seven. On the walls, there were lots of framed old movie posters - the one above the fireplace was Marilyn Monroe, although Maya didn’t recognise the name of the film.
Maya, still with a fixed smile on her face, scanned the small crowd of chattering people -and saw a familiar face she hadn’t expected to see.
“Hey, hey, hey! So you’re still with your schoolgirl, Alex!” the dark-haired guy grinned, his eyes running up and down the length of Maya’s body - even though he had his arm around another girl’s waist.
It was at that point - of course - that everyone finally seemed to notice her existence.
“Don’t be mean, Sam!” said Louise, ticking him off. “Ignore him, Maya!”
“Maya, you remember Sam, don’t you?” Alex turned and asked her.
“Yes, I do,” Maya nodded, her smile turning a little less warm.
She’d met Sam only once, at Alex’s party a few months previously - just before the two of them had started going out together. Alex had invited everyone from the photography club along to his party, but only Maya, Ashleigh and Jane turned up. The other two girls had left almost immediately, leaving Maya on her own. She’d been getting a real kick out of meeting new people and, thinking back, of being so close to Alex. But one thing - or rather one person - had spoilt it.
Sam had sidled up to her, chatting away and being very charming. But very soon the charm had turned to leering and leching, with Sam making loads of heavy-handed, pervy remarks about her being a schoolgirl. Eventually, Alex had rescued her, and Maya hadn’t seen Sam since.
“Oh, bad news, Alex,” said Louise, holding a hand out to take Maya’s jacket. “Mel and Simon phoned - they can’t come. They’re going to Tunisia on holiday tomorrow and their flight’s been changed to some God-awful early hour in the morning.”
Maya’s heart sank - so it was just going to be her and Alex, Gavin and Louise and the repugnant Sam and his girlfriend. But then the table was set for seven…
