Chapter Eighteen
The week passed by in a haze of depression. I had further bad luck on the Sunday morning when, still drained by all my troubles, I woke up feeling pretty woozy and in desperate need of caffeine. I drifted to the bathroom like one of the living dead, then I heard a clunk and a splash as my phone fell from my dressing gown pocket into the toilet. I hastily pulled on a disposable glove, shoved my hand down the bowl, and retrieved it. Unfortunately, the screen was just white and blank. It wouldn’t work. I sat down on the loo and cried. I felt as though Maisie’s magic had actually cursed me. Evil old hag!
I knew I was due for an upgrade within the month, so it wasn’t the worst thing in the world. But I still didn’t need this on top of everything else.
Mum arrived home from work just after midday and found me curled up in my chair, still in my dressing gown, feeling sorry for myself.
Looking concerned, she bent down beside me and asked, “What’s wrong?”
I looked up, miserably. “Dropped my phone down the bog. It won’t work.”
“Oh no! It’s insured though, isn’t it?”
“Not worth paying the excess charge – I’m due for an upgrade soon.”
Mum’s face lit up like a lightbulb. “You can have my old phone for a couple of weeks then, I’m not sure where the charger is, but we can look later. Let’s go into town – I was thinking of buying lunch out as a treat, anyway.”
My spirits lifted a few feet. “That would be nice. Thank you.”
“I’m ready when you are,” Mum said, looking into the circular living room mirror and touching up her red lipstick.
I glugged down the remains of my two-hour old coffee, took a speedy shower, dressed, applied a light make-up which enabled me to look vaguely human again, slung on my coat and bag and left the flat with Mum, actually looking forward to going out.
We travelled straight to the shopping mall, where we dined on potato skins loaded with chilli beans.
Mum bought us both a few cosmetic bits at the chemist, then we drove to the local supermarket, nipping into the instore café for an espresso and a pastry each before doing the grocery shop. By the time I’d finished nibbling and drinking, I was on a real sugar and caffeine high and I breezed around the supermarket like a mad thing.
Then we bumped into Suki’s mum and gran. Despite her worsening dementia, Suki’s gran looked straight at me and exclaimed, “It’s Dudley Mountain’s girl! You looked so pretty in the newspaper.” I couldn’t believe it. From what I understood, the old lady kept losing things, putting things in odd places, asking the same questions over and over again, often forgot family member’s names and generally remembered very little as far as recent events were concerned. And yet she spotted me from feet away and immediately recognised me as Dudley’s girl. Absolutely incredible!
Suki’s mum laughed awkwardly then said, “Thank you for having Suki to stay last night.”
Taken by surprise, Mum and I looked at each other. We didn’t know what to say. Suki had certainly not stayed last night. The last time I’d seen her was soon after six o’clock, when we left work. Thankfully, as Mum and I looked at each other, an announcement came over the tannoy, “Due to Sunday trading laws, this store will be closing in fifteen minutes. Please make your way to the checkouts.” Hopefully then, Suki’s family would think our hesitation was due to the announcement.
“It’s a pleasure,” Mum said.
“She’s always welcome,” I added.
“I hope she behaved herself!” Suki’s gran said.
“Of course!” I lied.
Obviously, the girl had not behaved herself at all – she’d clearly stayed with Creepy Mick. The thought of him naked made me want to zoom off to Mars and stay there forever.
“You can come and stay at ours when Suki’s got her new room straight – we have a spare folding bed,” Suki’s Mum said.
“It’s a lovely room,” I answered. “I’ll look forward to that.”
“We’d better get moving,” Suki’s mum said, taking the old lady’s arm. “We’ve still got half our shopping to get.”
As soon as they were out of earshot, Mum turned to me and asked, “What was that all about?”
“She must have stayed with Mick.”
“Exactly. I don’t like covering up for people like that – it was very awkward. Didn’t the girl even contact you to ask permission to lie about staying with us?”
“I turned my phone off early last night. I knew Suki and Mick had another date and I didn’t want to hear her going on and on about it. Then it dropped down the loo. Oh gosh – I need to give her mum my temporary number.”
I took the number of the old phone from Mum’s diary, scribbled it on the back of a crumpled receipt and dashed off, finding Suki’s mum and gran a minute later in the breakfast cereal aisle.
“Dudley Mountain’s lady!” her gran shouted. Several shoppers turned around and stared.
Mortified, I pushed the receipt into Suki’s mum’s hand, explaining my normal phone had been damaged. She smiled and slipped the paper into her coat pocket.
“Give my love to Dudley!” Suki’s gran beamed as I ran like a tiger was on my trail.
When we arrived home, Mum immediately remembered the charger for the old phone was in her bottom dressing table drawer. I plugged it in and sat on my bed, impatiently waiting for Suki to get in touch. We couldn’t contact each other via the web, because Mum’s crappy old phone couldn’t get the internet and my iPad was dead and the charger had seemingly vanished into thin air. After waiting for what felt like hours, a text finally arrived: Hi! It’s Suki.
It took me ages to text back on my frigging dinosaur phone.
Did u stay @ Mick’s? I think I covered up when your mum thanked us 4 having u.
Thank you very much. Yes - I spent the night with him.
Did u text me?
Yes - about ten times.
V sorry - phone fell down loo.
Bad timing lol. Thanks for covering - must have been awkward for u.
U could say that!
I owe you one buddy! Aren’t you going to ask how my night with Mick was?
Your business.
It was wonderful.
Have to go now - my spaghetti is burning.
Enjoy your food!
I doubt I will - it’s burned.
Oh, sorry to hear that - hope you have more to cook.
Yes, yes. Bye!
Of course, my spaghetti wasn’t really burning. I wasn’t cooking anything – I was still full of chilli, coffee and pastries, and was even less hungry now I knew the bloody boyfriend challenge winner had shagged her creepy prize. Angry at thinking of my stupid competition rubbish idea, I threw my trash phone hard at my bedroom door. It was wonderful, Suki had said in her silly text. How sickly! When someone says a play or a book or a day out was wonderful, it sounds fine. When it comes to sex, however, the words just sound truly puke-making.
When Saturday night finally arrived, I found myself quite looking forward to Dudley’s party because Rose and Kalisha promised to go with me, so at least I’d be a bit less likely to be standing there on my own like a lemon all night. I knew there was a possibility of Dudley and Rose getting drunk and doing embarrassing things on the dancefloor together, but at least that would be entertaining.
It was a typical Saturday in the box office – horribly busy. At the end of the day, Dudley appeared at my window dressed in his Mothballs costume.
“Hello Yazmin,” he said, smiling creepily. “Are you coming to my party tonight?”
“Yes,” I answered without thinking.
“That’s great!” Dudley replied. He turned and marched away, rubbing his hands together and looking ecstatic.
I buried my head in my hands, wondering why I hadn’t lied and said I hadn’t made up my mind or something. But, of course, he’d caught me off guard. I hadn’t been expecting the lecherous lout to ask.
I arrived home feeling sick. I’d been looking forward to wear
ing a stunning midnight blue dress I’d bought in a sale. Now, I felt like, when I put it on, I’d look like a present all wrapped up for Dudley’s birthday. How could I possibly go now?
Although, initially, I hadn’t been keen on the idea of the party, I’d started looking forward to the night out after Kalisha and Rose said they’d go with me. Now I was facing the prospect of a boring night in front of the telly. I was in two minds. If I stayed in, I’d be seriously depressed, but if I went out, I’d be facing Ty and Tracy and Suki and Mick as well as Dudley. Would he be doing his stupid drunken singing with his band again? Was he planning to dedicate a song to me? Would I be humiliated in front of a crowd?
I sat at the dining table, staring at the TV and picking at my noodle stir fry.
“Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the party?” Mum asked.
“I don’t think I’m going,” I replied, staring miserably at my food. “Dudley specially asked me if I was going. I think he believes I’m his birthday present.”
Mum’s fork clanged down into her almost empty food bowl as she looked at me in horror. “Ugh!” she said. “Why do you think that?”
“Well, he came and asked if I was going to the party and looked thrilled when I said yes.”
Mum pushed her bowl aside. “Perhaps he’s asked lots of people the same question. It is his birthday party.”
“Maybe, but there were other people in the office and he didn’t ask them.”
“Oh,” Mum replied, her lip curling in disgust. “That does sound a bit worrying.”
“That’s why I’m staying in.”
“That’s a pity for you – you were really looking forward to it this morning. Stick with Mick and Suki and your other colleagues to stop him from pestering you. They’ll look after you.”
I sat there, silent in thought. She was right – my friends would keep Dudley away. And perhaps I was over reacting. Perhaps he had already asked other colleagues earlier when I was on lunch or something. I still felt sick though. My stomach felt like water swirling down a plughole and it was making funny noises to match.
“I’m not going,” I told Mum. “It’s been a busy day and I haven’t been sleeping well. I need an early night.”
I skulked to my room, removed my make-up and went to bed. I lay there depressed, unable to sleep. I was missing out on all the fun and my colleagues would be arriving soon, wondering what had happened to me.
I picked up my crappy little phone and texted Suki: Not going - ill.
Her reply came back immediately: Really sorry to hear that. What’s wrong? Can’t you take pills?
No.
That’s a real shame. Get well soon. If you feel better later, come along.
That won’t be happening. Goodnight.
Night sweetie. Sad you can’t come.
I pulled my duvet over my head and cried.
Then Mum knocked on my door and peeped in.
“WHAT?” I snapped.
“I can give you a lift and pick you up if you decide to go. I’ve got the day off work tomorrow.”
Then something inside me lit up like a beacon and I began smiling inwardly. “I’ll think about it,” I said.
The moment she closed the door again my mind was made up.
“Mum!” I yelled. “Ok then. Can you take me in about half an hour?”
“Of course, sweetheart.”
I sprang out of bed, showered, put on my most beautiful make-up and slipped into my midnight blue dress, which fit my curves like a glove. If that damned spell was going to work, it should be in full force tonight. Ty might have split up with Tracy for all I know, and I wanted to be there, looking my absolute best.
As I entered the living room and told Mum I was ready to go, she gasped, “Wow! My own daughter – the most beautiful girl in the world!”
I laughed. “That’s a compliment and a half Mum!”
“It’s true.”
“Thank you Mummy!” I said, beaming as I put on my best black jacket and slipped the party ticket into my purse.