Alice in the Middle (8 page)

W
e all slept late in the morning, so there was no chance to talk about the plan. At breakfast time, Sarah came and sat with us, so we couldn’t say anything then either. I’d have liked to tell Sarah that we were going to sneak out. Maybe she’d even want to come with us. But I knew Hazel wouldn’t want that, and I didn’t want to risk making her mad. So I didn’t say anything.

After breakfast, Alice and Hazel had to off to their tennis lessons. Just before they left, Alice came and whispered in my ear. ‘I’ll tell you everything later, OK?’

I nodded.

Basketball seemed to go on forever. I was so excited and scared. A few times I missed really easy shots, and the coach got cross with me.

‘Want me to spit in his coffee later?’ whispered Sam. It was funny, but I was too nervous to laugh properly.

In the morning break, Sarah and I sat together, but I couldn’t concentrate on what she was saying – I was too busy telling myself to be brave for the afternoon’s adventures.

At last it was lunch break. While everyone else was tidying up the basketballs and the team vests, I raced upstairs to my room. Alice and Hazel weren’t there yet. I changed into my jeans, and borrowed Alice’s hair-straightener and straightened my hair. I took her top out from the wardrobe, and put it on. I knew she wouldn’t mind. Then I sat on my bed and waited.

At last Alice and Hazel came clattering up the stairs. They came into the room and closed the door behind them. Alice looked at me.

‘Hey, Megan, that top really suits you,’ she said.
‘You look great, but why…..?

Hazel didn’t let her finish her question. ‘Come on, Alice. Hurry up and get ready. We have to go in ten minutes, otherwise we’ll miss our bus.’

I grinned at her.

‘You don’t have to worry about me,’ I said. ‘I’m ready.’

Alice gave me a funny look.

‘Ready for what?’ she asked.

I laughed.

‘For the big sneaking-out adventure, of course.’

Alice was still looking at me in that strange way, but she didn’t say anything.

‘Come on, Al,’ I said. ‘Don’t keep me in suspense any more. Tell me how we’re going to get away with this.’

Alice didn’t answer. It took me a minute to notice that Hazel was sniggering at me, and that

Alice had a look on her face like I had punched her really hard right between the eyes.

There was a silence. A very, very, very long silence. I twiddled my straight hair, and rubbed imaginary dust from the leg of my jeans.

Finally Hazel broke the silence with a big loud laugh.

‘Ha,’ she said. ‘Surely you don’t think that you’re coming?’

I could feel my face going bright red. Of course I was going with them. That had always been the plan, hadn’t it?

I looked at Alice desperately.

Surely she wouldn’t let me down.

Would she?

Alice’s face was red too. She looked kind of mixed-up, but still she didn’t say anything. Usually she didn’t know how to stop talking, so why was she suddenly so quiet?

‘Tell her,’ Hazel sneered. ‘Tell your little friend everything. Or do you want me to?’

Alice’s face was so red I thought that maybe you could make toast by holding bread up to it. I had never seen her look so embarrassed before.

She didn’t look at me.

‘You see, Meg …’ she began.

This was all wrong. I could feel that hot feeling behind my eyes that meant tears weren’t far
behind.

Hazel gave a huge snort of laughter.

‘Megan really thought she was coming with us. I don’t believe it. That is so totally pathetic.’

I quickly wiped away the first tear with the back of my hand. Unfortunately, Hazel saw it.

‘Oh, stop crying and get over yourself, Megan,’ she said.

I wiped away another tear and looked desperately at Alice.

‘Let me come with you,’ I begged.

Alice shook her head.

‘I’m sorry, Meg,’ she said. ‘This is really awkward. You see … I mean … it’s …’

Then the words came rushing out.

‘What I mean is …… you can’t come with us. I’d like you to, but you can’t.’

I still didn’t understand.

‘But why can’t I come?’ I asked. ‘You know I won’t tell anyone.’

Alice hesitated.

‘Well, you see, it’s a… it’s kind of a date.’

Now it was my turn to be embarrassed.

‘A date?’ I repeated.

Hazel laughed an evil laugh.

‘Yes, a date. You know, like with you and Sam.’

She stopped and put her hand over her mouth.

‘Oh, silly me, I forgot. You and Sam didn’t go on a date, did you? Anyway, a date is where a boy and a girl go out together. Only in this case it’s two boys and two girls. Conor and Lee and Alice and me. Four is a lovely even number, don’t you think? So I’m afraid there’s no place for you. You stay here with your sweet little summer-camp friend, Sarah, while Al and I go have fun in the real world.’

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

Alice was going on a date, and I was only hearing about it now?

How had this happened?

By now Hazel was ready. I had to admit that she looked really great in a short denim skirt and a striped top. She was looking at her watch and tapping her foot impatiently.

Alice was tying the laces of her new runners.

She looked up at Hazel.

‘Why don’t you wait for me outside the back door? I’ll be down in a few minutes.’

Hazel shrugged.

‘Whatever?’ she said, and she went out of the room. ‘Just don’t be late for our important date.’

Alice came and sat on my bed. She put her arm around me.

‘I’m so sorry, Megan,’ she said. ‘I thought you knew that it was just Hazel and me. I had no idea that you thought you were coming too.’

I didn’t answer for a minute. I was all mixed-up.

Part of me was disappointed that I wasn’t getting to go on the big adventure.

Part of me was very relieved that I wasn’t going on the big adventure.

Mostly though, I just felt stupid for having thought that I was invited in the first place.

I should have known that I was never going to be included in any plan that involved Hazel.

‘Meg, I’m really so sorry,’ said Alice again.

I knew that she meant it. Suddenly I understood that this wasn’t really Alice’s fault. She was my best friend, and she was all excited about her big date,
and I should be happy for her.

I tried to smile.

‘So I’m not going with you. It’s not a big deal really. Tell me all about it anyway,’ I said. ‘Tell me what you and Hazel plan to do.’

She smiled at me.

‘After all the crazy stuff you and I did this year, this should be very easy. We just climb over the back wall while everyone else is still at lunch. Then we walk into the village. There’s a bus into Cork at one o’clock – Hazel phoned up and checked. We’re meeting Lee and Conor outside the cinema – Hazel was there before and knows the way. The four of us go and watch the film, then we hang out for a while, and get something to eat, and then we get the bus back. Like I said – it’s easy-peasy.’

‘But won’t someone miss you?’

She shook her head.

‘No. We’ve got it all worked out. Gloria was on lunch and tea duty yesterday, so she won’t be on again today. They only do every second day. And the other leaders won’t miss us. They don’t even know us properly. And after lunch it’s rehearsals
for the French play, and Hazel and I aren’t in it, so we won’t be missed then either. And we’ll be back long before Gloria comes to check up on us at bed-time. And that’s it – that’s the plan.’

She was right. It did sound easy. I tried not to think about how all of Alice’s plans sounded easy until the time came to carry them out. In the end, they were always much more complicated than I could ever have imagined.

‘But why?’ I asked.

Alice gave a dreamy kind of smile.

‘It’s because of Lee. He’s really nice. And I want to see him again. And if I don’t do this, I won’t get another chance. He’s going to America with his family next Sunday and we’ll be going back home to Limerick. It’s now or never.’

She looked at her watch and jumped up.

‘I’ve got to go or we’ll miss the bus. Thanks for understanding.’

Did I understand?

I’m not really sure.

I fiddled with the embroidered sleeve of the top I was wearing. Alice smiled.

‘That top really does suit you,’ she said. ‘You can wear it whenever you like. You can wear it again for the disco. We’ll have a great night then, I promise.’

I smiled back at her, and then she skipped out of the room. I could hear her singing as she went down the stairs.

I was glad someone was happy.

I took off Alice’s top, and threw it into the back of the wardrobe. Then I changed into my own faded and stretched old t-shirt, and went downstairs for my lunch.

I
t seemed like a very long afternoon. I kept on thinking of Alice – where she was, and what she was doing, and was she having such a good time with Hazel that she’d never want to be friends with me again?

After lunch Sarah and I watched the rehearsals for the French play, and then we played rounders with some of the others. After that we just hung out.

I really, really wanted to tell Sarah about Alice and Hazel sneaking out. But even though I knew I could trust Sarah, something stopped me. I was
afraid that somehow Hazel would find out, and then she would make my life even more of a misery for the last few days of the camp.

At tea-time, as Alice had predicted, there was no sign of Gloria, and the other group leaders didn’t notice that they were missing two girls. Sarah noticed immediately though.

‘Where’s Alice? And Hazel?’ she asked as we sat down with our trays. ‘I haven’t seen them all afternoon.’

I had an answer ready for this.

‘Oh, Hazel didn’t feel very well, so she’s up in the bedroom. Alice stayed with her. They might be down later.’

Sarah shrugged.

‘Somehow I can’t make myself feel sorry for Hazel. Let’s hope whatever is wrong with her will keep her out of our way for the next few days.’

I giggled.

‘Well, if she gets better too soon, we can send Sam to spit in her drink, and she might have a relapse.’

When tea was over, we went in to the television
room, and watched two DVDs in a row. As usual, there were rows between the boys and the girls about what we should watch. In the end each group picked one DVD, and we had fun mocking the others’ choices.

By the time the DVDs were over, it was almost time for bed. I told Sarah that I was tired, and went up to my room.

I lay on my bed and tried to read my book. I couldn’t concentrate though. I kept thinking about Alice and Hazel. I was starting to get a bit nervous. It was getting late. I was sure they should be back by now. What if Gloria came to say good-night and Alice and Hazel weren’t here?

What would Gloria say?

What would I say?

How would I cover for them?

After a while, I could hear all the other girls coming upstairs and getting ready for bed. Soon Gloria would be around. Usually I liked it when Gloria came to say good-night. Tonight though, I was dreading it.

I was starting to feel a bit sick. Alice and Hazel
would be in soooo much trouble if they didn’t get back soon.

I turned back to my book and stared at the same page for ages, without reading a single word. Then I threw the book onto the ground. This whole thing was just too awful. I wished I was with Alice and Hazel instead of stuck here worrying about them.

A little bit later I heard Gloria’s big loud laugh. She was at the other end of the corridor, checking that everyone was tucked up in bed. My heart started to beat really fast.

I had to do something.

But what could I do?

Alice would have known what to do, but that wasn’t much use to me, was it?

Think
, I whispered to myself.
Think. Think.

I slapped myself on the forehead, hoping that if there were any stray ideas lurking inside my head, it might make them pop out.

Suddenly inspiration struck. I jumped off my bed, raced to the wardrobe, and grabbed big heaps of clothes. I pulled back Alice’s bedclothes and
tried to make a person-shape out of a bundle of clothes. Then I did the same to Hazel’s bed. It didn’t look very convincing (well actually it didn’t look at all convincing), but it was the best I could do in about fifteen seconds. I just had to hope that Gloria wouldn’t look too closely. Then I switched out the light and jumped into my own bed with my clothes on.

A second later the bedroom door opened. I shut my eyes and pretended to be asleep – I so didn’t want to have to answer any awkward questions. I held my breath and hoped that Gloria wouldn’t hear my heart thumping.

There was a moment’s silence, and then I heard Gloria laugh softly.

‘Girls these days. No stamina.’ I coughed so that she’d know that at least there was someone alive in the room, but it didn’t matter anyway. Gloria was gone. I’d saved Alice and Hazel. For a while at least.

I lay in bed for a long time. Now it was getting really late and I was getting really worried.

Where were they?

Why hadn’t they come back?

Had something awful happened to them?

I always laugh at my mum, telling her that she always thinks the worst. Now I knew how she felt though. I was sure that something dreadful had happened to Alice and Hazel, and in a crazy way, I felt guilty, like somehow it was going to be my fault.

After a while, I got out of bed and looked at Alice’s alarm clock. It was nearly ten o’clock. I tip-toed out of my room, and down the corridor to Sarah’s room. She was in bed, but still awake. Luckily the two other girls in her room were snoring softly. I whispered to Sarah,

‘I need a loan of your phone.’

She sat up.

‘Megan? What’s going on? It’s the middle of the night. What do you want a phone for?’

This wasn’t the time for explanations, so I gave her the excuse I’d prepared.

‘I’m homesick.’ I whispered. ‘I want to phone my mum.’

‘You poor thing,’ said Sarah. ‘Of course you can
borrow my phone. It’s on the chair over there. You can bring it back in the morning. Don’t talk too long – my credit’s nearly gone.’

‘Thanks, Sarah,’ I whispered.

I took the phone and tip-toed back to my room.

Why hadn’t I thought of that earlier?

In a few seconds I’d be talking to Alice. She’d tell me where she was, and why she was delayed, and everything would be OK.

I sat on my bed and dialled Alice’s number. Even the ringing tone made me feel better. Then I got the dreaded message –
Hi, It’s Alice. You’ve missed me, but try again later
.

I sighed. What was the point of having a phone if you hardly ever turned it on?

Hazel had a phone too of course, but I had no idea of her number, and no idea how to find it out.

I put the phone down.

Now what?

I sat on my bed and worried some more.

Alice and Hazel could be hurt.

Something awful might have happened to them.

And if I didn’t tell someone, no-one would know, and no-one would go to help them.

But if I told on them, and then it turned out that they were OK, neither of them would ever forgive me. Hazel didn’t like me anyway, so that didn’t matter so much. But Alice? What would I do if Alice hated me?

I looked at Alice’s clock again. Fifteen minutes, I decided. If they weren’t back in fifteen minutes, I’d have to go and tell someone..