by Jacky Gray
A sharp, collective intake of breath preceded an awkward silence. The girls stared in shock at Terry’s face, which looked about to crumple.
Ray adopted an air of innocence personified. “Sorry, did I say something out of turn? I got the impression it was common knowledge. Lots of people at school have mentioned it.” He pushed on, apparently oblivious to the damage he was causing. “Have you not come out yet, Terry? Me and my big mouth. Just call me News of the World.”
“Shut up, Ray.” Liv recovered first, glaring sternly at Ray to stop him from making it any worse.
“Take no notice of him, Terry, he’s simply repeating gossip.” She put her arm round his shoulder as she tried to reassure. “It really doesn’t matter to us whichever way. We think you’re a brilliant singer, a great actor and a good skater. And besides, you’re a really nice guy and a loyal friend.”
He shrugged off her arm. “Thanks Liv, you don’t have to say all that. I know you’re simply trying to make me feel better because you’ve got a good heart.” Tears made his eyes bright and he hung his head to blink them away.
Liv pulled his arm, forcing him to look at her. “No, that’s not true. You know me, total Queen B. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it. And we all think the same, don’t we guys?” Liv dropped Terry’s arm to appeal to the rest.
Everyone nodded or voiced their agreement except Ray, who sat in the corner, watching silently.
Terry caught hold of her hand, turning her to face him. “Prove it.”
“What?”
“Prove you’re not just saying it to be nice; come out with me. On a date.” He glared pointedly at Ray. “Just the two of us.”
The tension in the room was so strong you could almost taste it as everyone waited for Liv’s reply. She glanced over at Ray and things began to fall into place. He’d done this deliberately to force Terry out into the open. But why? She wanted to think it was for Terry’s own sake so he could start facing up to things, but it all could have gone horribly wrong.
She’d have to work this out later. Right now, she needed to put poor Terry out of suspense. Adopting her best Tallulah voice, she struck a pose. “You just name the time and place an’ I’ll be there waiting, boy.”
A collective sigh whooshed as everyone released pent-up breath. She met Ray’s cool stare and turned away from the challenge in it. What else could she do? If she’d refused him, Terry might have been upset enough to walk out on them. The situation needed lightening. “On one condition.”
“Which is?” Uncertainty clouded Terry’s features.
“That you tell us about the picture of Zac Efron in your locker.” She was taking a gamble, but it worked as he smiled in relief.
“Oh, that. Big mistake that was. Colin asked me to collect pop magazines for his art class, and some of the girls let me have ones they’d finished with. I got a stack from my locker to take home and a fold-out poster of Zac Efron fell out and landed at Tom Clarkson’s feet.”
Everyone in the room hung on Terry’s every word; the attention made him squirm and he rushed to finish the tale.
“So of course he picked it up and made a big deal in front of his mates. He probably started the stupid rumour.”
He glanced around at the sympathetic faces and shrugged. “I didn’t think much of it at the time, but with all the other rumours, I guess I got used to all the nudges and nasty remarks at my expense.”
“Poor Terry. It must have been awful.” Jude’s empathy voiced the common reaction as people nodded their assent.
Liv was mortified by all the times she’d been part of the speculation. “Yeah. I’m so sorry. I guess I never thought about what it must be like to be gossiped about by the whole year.”
“You’re sure going to find out now.” Ray’s barbed comment got lost as Luke puffed up to his full height, turning into Fat Sam.
He frowned. “Are you lot tryin’ to tell me you thought Terry was bent? No way. Might not be your regular jock, but he’s not grabbin’ us in the showers.” He cuffed Terry on the back.
The smaller lad fell in with the joke, sprawling on the floor with a timid, “Please don’ hit me no more, Boss.”
Liv glanced over to where Ray watched the horseplay thoughtfully. His expression suggested he was about to break the last bit of the rumour, but she gave him a fierce glare and he must have decided to quit while he was ahead.
If he’d gone for the jugular and spoken about Terry fancying Luke, it would have made his motives quite clear and he’d have come off looking like a nasty piece of work instead of the innocent he pretended to be. He flashed her a condescending smile, nodding at Terry as if to say “you’ve made your bed, now go and lie in it.”
She glanced at Terry, wondering what she had let herself in for. Remembering the thrill of his touch at the ice rink, she smiled; maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. As she went to set up the next song, she caught sight of the black look on Ray’s face as he glowered at Terry.
Ray had certainly shown his true colours. Yeah but did he say anything worse than you would have done? No. He probably hadn’t been as evil as she was. Often. She set up the DVD for the next song, but it played a scene with Dandy Dan in his country house with his girlfriend.
“Jude, you’d better play the girlfriend. Here, come and sit on my knee.” Ray grabbed her hand and pulled her across his chair. She repeated the line the girlfriend had said, giggling as he tickled her.
“Um hang on a sec, this is wrong.” Liv frowned at her notes.
“What, aren’t I allowed to tickle my girlfriend?”
“No … yes. I mean, this is the wrong bit. I must have gone backward instead of forward.”
“Aha, not such a smart cookie after all.” Ray’s biting remark had Luke springing to her defence.
“Don’t knock it, Donelly. She’s done a brilliant job until now. I think she’s been justifiably distracted.”
“Thanks, Luke.” Liv appreciated the support.
The rest of the session went off without incident and they just about made it to the end of the songs when Ray’s mum turned up offering lifts for anyone who wanted them.
“I know we pass by Liv and Jude’s houses on the way home. What about you, Terry?”
“No, it’s ok. Thanks, Mrs Donelly, but I’m only half a mile down the road. I’ll be fine walking.” Terry reverted to his normal, innocuous persona.
“Nonsense, it’s pouring down out there. You’ll get soaked. I insist you come with us.”
Ray’s mum had a mother’s no-nonsense authority so they all said their goodbyes and trooped out.
10 Luke’s Surprising Plan
Luke stayed behind to help Kat clear away the mugs and plates and she couldn’t help herself. “What on earth is going on between those two?”
“Liv and Terry? Or do you mean Ray and Jude?”
“What do you mean, Ray and Jude? That was just play acting, wasn’t it?” She frowned and he shrugged as if to say “don’t shoot the messenger.”
Storing the idea to examine later, she continued. “No. I mean, how could Liv have agreed to go out with Terry? I thought she fancied Ray.”
“But she couldn’t have refused him; it would have destroyed the poor guy.” He shook his head as he picked up a tea-towel and started wiping the mugs. “Whatever else happened tonight, she’s given him a chance. The kid done good.”
Kat glanced up from her washing up. “Hey, that’s four compliments. Not that I’m counting or anything. Is she the one you want to learn to dance for?” She referred back to a conversation they’d had several days ago when he complained about all the things Ray excelled at.
His grin suggested he wished he’d not admitted to that particular desire; the picture he’d painted was of a hippo in a tutu. “Do me a favour. A girl with her brains and talent – you think she’d look twice at me?”
“Stranger things have happened; she is going out with Terry.”
“That’s if she turns up.”
“What
do you mean? Liv always keeps her word.”
“I’m sure she does. I just meant with all the gossip an’ the stuff you reckon they’ve been saying about him.” Another shrug. “I wouldn’t blame her if she bottled out.”
Putting the last plate on the drainer, Kat gave him her full attention. “Were you serious about not knowing the rumours about Terry?”
“I sort of figured something was going on. He never seemed to talk to anyone else apart from me, and then only if he had to. I thought he was shy.” He filled the last spot on the mug tree, his eyes narrowing. “Couldn’t work out why he picked on me ’cos he’s so arty and I’m sporty. But then I thought of you an’ Jude an’ that works ok.”
“I s’pose so.”
He picked up a glass and stuffed the cloth inside, his mind elsewhere as he twirled the cloth round long after the glass was dry. “There were quite a few times when I’d walk up to a bunch of guys an’ they’d stop talking. I put it down to my bad temper; maybe I’d had a go at them or something.” He gawked at her. “Why do you ask? Come to think of it, why did you never say anything before?”
“Like when? We have had one or two more pressing things to discuss than Terry’s sexual orientation.”
“Ooohhh, get you. Kat just jumped down my throat. Must be a guilty secret. You don’t fancy him yourself, do you?”
She shook her head, agonising over the problem as he continued to speculate.
“I know you’re pally, but it figures because you did the same subjects.” His eyes narrowed. “What’s up? Why are you so worried?”
“I’m not sure whether to mention this, but I suppose it’s better coming from me. You’re bound to hear it sooner or later.” She sighed. “I guess I should have told you before, but I wasn’t sure how you were going to react or what you’d do ...”
“Spit it out, girl, for Pete’s sake.”
“They said Terry fancied you.”
His reaction was unexpected as he threw back his head and laughed heartily. “Good one, Kat.” He pretended to wipe tears from his eyes. “Now give me the real deal.”
She looked him square in the face. “That was it.”
“Straight up?”
“Straight up.”
He thought for a moment, then picked up a plate, his expression thoughtful. “That would explain a few things. Poor old Terry.” He shook his head. “And I was so mean to him over the tray thing.”
“He said it caught him off balance because you’d always been decent to him before then. I think that’s why he got so scared; he’d never seen the Harper temper in full flow. Unlike some of us who’re used to your bark being much worse than your bite.”
“Yeah, well. I think there’s some red-headed Celtic blood back in my family somewhere.” He paused, mid-wipe. “Hey, I’ve had a thought how we can use this. If it works out, it’ll have two results. One is that the whole of the year – school, even – will know Terry isn’t gay, the other is I can make a start on Liv’s scheme to get even with Dirty Diana.”
He briefly outlined the plan as far as he’d got and they talked over a few details, following it through a little way.
“You know, I think this might work, but it relies on me letting Terry know before you even start. And getting Liv to play it right.”
“Except she really must believe I mean it. Same goes for Jude and Ray. I know they’re pretty good actors, but this has to look right or it won’t work.” He turned away.
She touched his arm until he met her gaze. “You do realise how serious this could get if one of the teachers happens to walk by, or if someone blows the whistle on you.”
“No problems.” He shrugged. “We laugh it off as part of the rehearsal for Bugsy. Couldn’t be simpler.”
“Ok, if you’re sure you’re happy with it. Of course it means you won’t be able to have lunch with us or sit next to us in class until it’s over?”
“What, like you’re the only three witty, attractive, talented girls in the school? I’ll survive.”
“Yeah, but will we? I’ll miss you, Luke.” She hugged him and he wrapped himself around her in a massive bear hug, squeezing tight.
He released her with a soft little kiss on the lips. “Hey, cupcake. I only live next door, remember.”
“But she could be watching; or one of her enormous spy network ...”
“So I’ll dress up in my commando gear and do an assault course round the back gardens.”
“Idiot.” A beat. “Was that for real about the commando gear?”
He shrugged. “Well, camouflage, anyway. Why?”
“Nothing.” She peeked at him from under her eyelashes. “You know; the whole ‘man in uniform’ thing.”
“Ok, let’s stop this right now. We got work to do.”
Within twenty minutes they’d finished clearing up, written the two notes and Luke made his way home.
11 No Stool Pigeon
As per the schedule, Kat got to registration a minute ahead of Luke and a couple of minutes before Lenny was due. She discreetly handed Terry the terse note and headed off to sit next to Liv.
Terry opened the note and read:
Luke will be having a go. Play it like you did last night. As soon as break bell goes, run out to main bike sheds. Leave your stuff, we’ll bring it.
He peered at her, and she shook her head, miming to scrunch the note up as she checked round the class to see how many of the main players were in. She spotted Diana, Cecily and Tom Clarkson, so the show was set.
Right on cue, Luke stormed up to Terry’s desk and grabbed a handful of his shirt, lifting him out of his chair. “So you fancy me, do you? I’m no raging queer and you’d better not go around making out I am.”
“But I never said anything.” Terry’s voice squeaked as he cringed.
“Yeah, you would say that, wouldn’t you?”
“Luke, what do you think you’re doing?” Kat’s horror sounded real.
“Stay out of it. This is nothing to do with you.”
She leapt out of her desk and tried to pull him off the trembling, white-faced lad. “For goodness’ sake, Lenny will be here any minute. If you get into any more trouble you’ll be out of here.”
He looked at her as if trying to make up his mind, then dropped Terry back into his chair. “I’ll see you at break.” He poked him in the chest to emphasise the “you,” then went to sit at the back of the class as Lenny walked in.
Clocking many shocked expressions, Kat passed another note to Liv.
Luke found out about the Terry rumour, he’s gone ballistic. You have to help Terry, I’ll try to stop Luke.
Liv scanned it quickly and turned to Kat with eyes as wide as saucers. “When did this happen?”
“Last night, after you lot went. He wouldn’t listen to reason.”
They had no further chance to speak as Lenny was staring directly at them and by the time registration finished, Mr Holt arrived to take the RE class. Liv wasn’t the only one bursting to find out what was going on. Ray and Jude signalled frantically every chance they got, and many of the others in the class whispered and nudged at each other.
From where he sat, Luke seemed to be enjoying the part, glowering at Terry whenever he glanced back, and scowling at anyone who caught his eye.
Terry caught on straight away, playing the part of the cringing weakling to perfection. He seemed to visibly shrink in his seat and, for most of the lesson, kept his eyes rigidly on the board or his book, once or twice daring to peek at Luke. As the class neared the end, the tension seemed to build almost tangibly as people prepared themselves for the confrontation.
The level of expectation around the room seemed to rise. Kat doubted Mr Holt was aware of it, being deeply engrossed in the similarities between the Muslim and Christian faiths. He looked as shocked as anyone when Terry darted for the door as the bell rang for break, closely followed by Luke.
Mr Holt frowned. “Was it something I said?”
Kat quickly reassured him it
wasn’t.
Liv helped her out. “They probably had to rush off to see Mr Frearshall or something.”
Kat thought it may be exactly where the pair of them would end up if they weren’t careful. She gathered up Luke’s abandoned stuff as Liv did the same for Terry and they rushed out.
A large crowd had gathered around the boys, and the spectacle shocked Kat, even though she knew what to expect. Blood covered most of Terry’s face and both of them looked as though they’d been rolling round in the dust in front of the bike shed. Terry’s hair stuck up everywhere as he lay on the floor underneath a red-faced Luke, bellowing at him.
“Come off it, you must be gay. Why else would you have a naked picture of Zac Efron in your locker?”
Kat dropped the bags and raised her voice. “Leave him alone, you bully.” She took a step forward, but Neil and Nelson grabbed her arms to stop her getting into the fray.
After snarling at her to mind her own business, Luke shook Terry. “The poster. I’m waiting.”
In a trembling voice, Terry explained how it fell out of a magazine he’d collected for his brother; it was never stuck on his locker door. And how the guy wasn’t naked, just posing for Baywatch with his top off.
Amid the general gasp, Kat paused in her attempt to get free.
Luke let go his hold on the boy, bringing the volume down to a conversational level. “So how come everyone knows about it?”
“It fell out one day and someone picked it up ...” Terry shrugged.
“And this someone presumably gave you some stick about it and then started spreading vicious rumours.”
Terry shrugged again. Luke went to pat his shoulder, but he flinched away.
“I’ll bet all the rest has sprung from that.” Luke tightened his lips so his tone came out low and dirty. “That’s real nasty.”
He started to rise, pausing halfway up. “Who was it?” Luke was getting angry again, but obviously not at Terry. His laser gaze scanned the crowd, many of whom flinched or averted their eyes.
The tension built tangibly until Luke sighed. “Who would be twisted enough to do something like that?” He glared at Terry who shook his head.
