Becky's Dress Disaster (7 page)

Chapter Eight

Becky didn't think she'd ever been on quite such a silent car journey. Mum was too nervous to talk. She just kept tapping her fingernails on the steering wheel every time they had to stop at lights. She'd been like it ever since she picked the triplets up from Saima's, which had luckily meant that she was far too jittery to notice them sneaking the newly customized dresses back into the car. Apart from the slightly manic body-language, she was looking very good – wearing the cardigan and scarf that the triplets had got her for Christmas, but with jeans. Annabel approved – Mum was going for casual but nice, like she hadn't made too much of an effort. It was just a pity that a) they'd seen the mound of clothes on her bed and knew it had probably taken her about three hours to get that thrown-together look, and b) she was doing it all for Max's dad.

Mum had looked thoughtfully at the three of them when they came downstairs from putting all their stuff away and getting changed, and got as far as opening her mouth to say something before deciding it wasn't a good idea. Becky was fairly sure that what she'd wanted to say was that it would be nice if Katie could have made a bit more of an effort, and did Annabel really have to wear a skirt that short. She herself was wearing a purple flounced cord skirt and a gypsy-ish sort of top, and she didn't think Mum could find that much to disapprove of. Katie and Annabel were both looking so mulish that most people wouldn't get past the sulky expressions on their faces to notice the clothes anyway. The reality of Mum and Mr Cooper seemed to have made Annabel just as grumpy as Katie, now that she didn't have the dress drama to distract her any more.

When Mum finally pulled up outside Max's house, everyone sat looking at it for a few seconds before making any move to get out of the car. Then Mum turned a too-cheerful smile on them and chirped, “Come on then!” No one moved. “Look, girls, I know you're not happy about this – but I'm sure it will work out. Really.”

They looked narrowly at her, even Becky, who was desperately trying to go along with this for her sake, and Mum deflated slightly, and made a big thing about getting out of the car and finding her bag. Then she looked back at them. The triplets huddled together, feeling the need for some sisterly backing-up, as Mum rang the doorbell.

Becky was convinced she could hear some angry, loud “whispering” on the other side of the door that was Max's dad trying to get him to open the door and be polite, but it obviously didn't work because Mr Cooper opened the door himself, and the triplets could see Max scowling in the kitchen doorway, looking disgusted at his dad's hearty welcome.

“Right! Come on in and have a drink! Girls! Lemonade? Coke? Juice?” Max's dad was obviously very nervous too – he was waving his arms around like a mad waiter.

“Lemonade, please,” said Becky politely, and got death – stared by Katie, Annabel
and
Max. She wilted slightly. What was so wrong with just wanting people to get along?

“Something smells nice!” commented Mrs Ryan, still sounding hyper-cheerful.

Max muttered something that Becky reckoned was probably very rude, but luckily no one could really hear it.

“Oh good, it's my speciality, chicken casserole.” Max's dad seized on this lifeline with both hands and yammered on about the recipe for ages, while Max and the girls sulked as far away from each other as they could possibly get in a reasonably sized kitchen.

The Coopers had a big corkboard on the kitchen wall, covered in letters from school, useful phone numbers, that kind of thing. The triplets were right next to it, and they couldn't help noticing a distinctly familiar piece of card. A wedding invitation. Auntie Jan's wedding invitation, to be precise…

“Mum!” Katie interrupted Max's dad in the middle of his description of precisely how he'd chopped the courgettes. “Why've
they
got a wedding invitation?”

“Don't be so rude, Katie!” said her mum, sounding flustered.

Mr Cooper smiled hugely at Katie and said in a very enthusiastic voice, “Your aunt was kind enough to send Max and me an invitation, Annabel. We're looking forward to it. I gather we get to see you three as bridesmaids?”

Katie looked at him, contempt practically dripping off her. “
This
is Annabel. I'm Katie.”

“Oh! Oh dear, sorry – you're all so alike.”

Annabel had kept sight of the important point. “You mean,
he
is coming to Auntie Jan's wedding?” she asked, flicking her curls at Max.

“Not if you still want me to be a bridesmaid, he's not,” stated Katie, folding her arms and looking at Mum with a stone-like expression. “I put up with all this dress stuff, fittings and that sort of rubbish, but I'm not having
him
anywhere near me.”

“Well, I wouldn't come if you paid me, anyway!” snarled Max, facing up to her. “Why would I want to spend a day with you and your stupid mother and your stupid family?”

“Max! I can't believe you just said that – apologize, now!”

Mr Cooper's voice was so scary that Becky wasn't surprised when Max muttered, “Sorry,” immediately, and then slunk out when his dad told him to get out of his sight.

Mrs Ryan was looking white with embarrassment. “I'm so sorry. Katie, I'm ashamed of you – what makes you think you have any say in who comes to the wedding? You're all three being bridesmaids, and there's no question about it. It's an honour to have been asked, and you will go, and you will behave
beautifully
, whoever is there to see you. Is that clear?”

Katie said nothing, just kept up her stony stare.

“I asked you a question, Katie!” Mum snapped, sounding as though she might be about to lose it entirely, and Katie snarled, “Yes,” in a voice that was scarcely less furious.

There was an uncomfortable silence, and then Mr Cooper suggested, sounding slightly desperate, “Um, why don't we all go and sit down? The food should all be ready, I think.”

He ushered them anxiously from the kitchen into the dining room, and muttered something about giving Max a bit more time to cool off.

The tense situation had made Becky down her lemonade, just for something to do, and now she was desperate for the loo. She nudged Mum, not wanting to ask herself. Mum looked irritably at her. “Jeff, could you tell Becky where the loo is?”

“Yes, of course, sorry!” It looked like anything could fluster Max's dad right now. “Just out of here, into the hall, and it's under the stairs.”

“Thanks.” Becky escaped gratefully, wondering how long it was reasonable to be in the loo for, and how many times you could go in one meal.

She bolted out into the hall, and headed for the stairs – but then she was stopped in her tracks. She could hear a murmuring, whining noise. Was it Max's cute little Jack Russell? She hadn't seen him yet, which was odd. Suddenly she really wanted to spend some time with something sensible and lovely, like a dog, instead of all these warring people. Maybe he was shut in upstairs – it wouldn't matter if she had a quick peep, would it?

She crept quietly up the first level of the stairs – it was a tall old house, and there looked to be lots of them. Suddenly, the whining noise was replaced with another, a low voice talking. Becky shrank into the wall, scared to be discovered where she had no right to be. But the owner of the voice wasn't coming down. It was Max, and he was sitting halfway up the next flight of stairs, with the little dog on his lap. Becky peered up carefully – she could just about see through the banisters. Max was leaning over, hugging the dog tight, and muttering into his ear, rocking them both backwards and forwards a little. The dog was whining anxiously, and licking the boy's face, as though it was worried about him.

“It isn't fair! You know, don't you, Lucky? He's forgotten all about her. How could he? It's like she never existed. How could he even think about going out with somebody else? We've got to stop it, Lucky. You were Mum's dog, you don't want anyone else around, do you? Maybe you can bite them all for me, hey?” He sniffed, and Becky wondered whether he was crying. She felt guilty, eavesdropping like this, but it certainly explained a lot about Max. She'd been right – he was furious that his dad was trying to replace his mum.

She realized that she'd better get back. She sneaked quickly down the stairs, and found the loo – which had sweet Jack Russell pictures in it, probably bought by Max's mum.

Back in the dining room the atmosphere hadn't improved much. Mum gave her a “where have you been?” glare, backed up by matching ones from Katie and Annabel.

It was a tortuous meal. Once he'd got all the food on the table – and he must have been cooking all week as there was enough to feed the whole of their class, practically – Mr Cooper went and fetched Max, who came down with Lucky. Thankfully, it was a big dining table, and he didn't have to sit close to any of the triplets. It was Ryans at one end, and Coopers at the other.

No one ate very much. Max just fed titbits to Lucky under the table, and the tiny dog probably ate as much as all the people sitting above him put together. When Mr Cooper realized that he really wasn't going to be able to force seconds down anyone, he dragged Max off into the kitchen to help him get the pudding ready. It was pretty obvious that this was an excuse to try and beg Max to behave – or that his dad had realized that it wasn't a good idea to leave him alone with the Ryans…

The triplets' mum grabbed the same opportunity.

“What on earth is the matter with you three? You're behaving terribly, and Jeff is trying so hard to be nice!”

All three triplets glared at her – even Becky didn't see how her mum could be so stupid. Mrs Ryan looked at their set, angry faces – especially Katie's – and then sighed and looked away, as though she'd made some sort of decision, not one she was happy about.

When Max and his dad came back, carrying a massive dish of apple crumble and a jug of custard, she smiled rather sadly at them. “That looks lovely. Why don't you four all have some. Jeff, do you think we could have a word?”

Mr Cooper nodded, grimly. He didn't seem at all surprised. They went back into the kitchen together. Surprisingly, because neither parent had made dire threats about being nice to each other or else, Max and the triplets felt a bit at a loss. They didn't eat the apple crumble, but they didn't throw it at each other either. They just sat and strained their ears to hear what was going on in the kitchen. It was hard to work out what was happening – a very serious conversation by the sound of it. But Becky had a horrible feeling that she knew what they were saying, and Mum's face when she and Jeff came back in told her she'd been right.

“Oh! You didn't have any pudding. Oh dear. I'm sorry, you three, but we've got to go.”

The triplets jumped up eagerly, desperate to be out of there. Mum seemed to feel the same way, rushing them into their coats and shepherding them out to the car – as though she didn't want to give herself a chance to change her mind.

They were halfway home when she made a little coughing noise, and then said. “Jeff and I have decided not to see each other any more at the moment. After what happened at lunch – well, it's just not going to work, is it?” She smiled sadly.

The triplets waited for more, but that was all Mum said, and when they got home she went up to her room and stayed there – and Becky was sure that she could hear her crying.

Chapter Nine

Becky decided, right there on the landing, that enough was enough. She stormed into their bedroom, and grabbed Annabel, who was gloating over the newly decorated dresses.

“C'mon,” she snapped, and swept her confused sister downstairs, and out to the garden, where Katie was practising dribbling round a line of pot plants.

Becky booted the ball over to the other side of the garden, leaving Katie gaping (she hadn't known Becky could do that!) and headed down the path, still dragging Annabel, and calling over her shoulder, “You can practise later – we need to talk. Come on!”

She shooed both sisters into the guinea-pig shed. This was for two reasons – it was well away from Mum, so they wouldn't be overheard, and it was Becky's own territory. If she was going to stand any chance of bossy Katie and mouthy Annabel listening to what she had to say, she needed to be somewhere she felt confident. She slammed the door and leaned against it, breathing fast. The other two were giving her an identical funny look – a “what's she playing at?” look. Becky didn't do things like this.

She scowled back. “I've got something to say, and you two are going to listen to me without arguing, or interrupting, or telling me to shut up and stop being stupid, which is what you've been doing for the last fortnight. You just keep on ignoring me!”

Katie and Annabel gaped back at her. What had got into her suddenly? She sounded more like Katie than Katie did sometimes.

“Do you know where Mum is?” Becky had her arms folded, and she was doing a scary impression of Mr Hatton, their monster French teacher.

“Um, no…” Katie ventured.

“Bel?”

“Er, upstairs?”

“Uh-huh. She's upstairs, in her room, crying – because of us! Because
we
made her split up with Max's dad!”

“No, we didn't!” argued Annabel automatically.

“OK – so why do you think she did it then?”

Annabel shrugged. “Irreconcilable differences, I suppose.” It was what one of her favourite actresses had said last week about her marriage breaking up.

“Yeah – and you're one of them. They split up because we couldn't get on with Max. Lunch today made them see it was never going to work.”

Annabel shuffled her feet, guiltily. But Katie wasn't so easy. “So what were we supposed to do? Pretend it's fine that she's dating Max's dad, and he's our best mate? I'm not going to
lie
,
Becky.” She assumed a virtuous, smug, totally annoying expression.

Becky took a deep breath, to stop herself wanting to throw a guinea-pig hutch at her sister's head. “I'm saying, why don't you stop being so selfish and start thinking about other people for once!”

Katie rolled her eyes. “Here we go!”

“You're only making out that I'm being stupid because you're too scared to listen,” said Becky flatly.

Katie's eyes snapped back to her. “Go on then!”

“Right. Well, for a start, you've made Mum really miserable, and in case you hadn't noticed, she was looking happier than she had for ages – maybe she needed somebody, you know! It's not up to you who she goes out with. And second, I know you hate Max, and I don't like him either, but this is worse for him than it is for us.”

“Oh, come on, how do you make that out?” scoffed Annabel.

“You know his Mum died?”

“Well, yeah…” Annabel muttered – it wasn't fair of Becky to bring that up. You had to give someone automatic sympathy when something as awful as that had happened to them, which was difficult when you hated their guts.

“This is the first time his dad has dated anyone since then, and he feels like his dad's forgotten all about his mum. OK, so we miss our dad and we don't get to see him that often, but nothing so awful has happened to us. Has it?” She rounded on Katie, who was still scowling. “And I don't care what you say, you've been just as bad as he has lately!”

Katie shrugged, but she looked embarrassed, and maybe ever so slightly ashamed of herself. “So what do you want us to do then?” she muttered.

“I don't want you to do anything,” Becky replied irritably. “There's no way you can pretend to suddenly like Max now. You're just going to have to stay out of his way. I'm going to talk to him at school tomorrow, and we're going to get Mum and his dad back together.”

Katie scowled, but didn't disagree – Becky's harsh words had had their effect.

Becky looked at Annabel, who was also frowning.

“You've really thought about this, haven't you?” Annabel asked. “I mean, I've just been trying to forget about it and hoping it would go away – but it just isn't. I suppose you're right. I hate that you are, but I think we're going to have to go along with it. Is talking to Max about all this a good idea though?” she added doubtfully. “I mean, look what happened when you tried to talk to him last time – a massive bust-up.”

Becky folded her arms, and looked determined – in fact, she looked exactly like Katie. “The mood I'm in right now, I don't care what he does. He's
going
to listen. Anyway, what were the chances of me talking you two round?”

Katie and Annabel looked sheepish.

“So if I can get you two to do what I want, I reckon I can sort out one Max. Although it might be quite nice if you weren't far away, just in case he tries to tear me into little pieces…”

 

Becky had been expecting to have to fight her corner all over again the next morning, when Katie and Annabel had had a bit more time to think up some good arguments. Surprisingly, though, they didn't say anything, and Becky noticed Annabel watching Mum worriedly as she stirred her coffee over and over again at breakfast.

Katie brought the subject up on the way to school. “So, when are you going to talk to Max then?” Her voice didn't sound as though she exactly approved of the plan, but she wasn't saying it was over her dead body.

“Not sure. What do you think?” Becky asked, hoping to get Katie involved in the planning – surely that would make her less angry about it?

Katie just shrugged, and wandered moodily on. Becky directed a despairing glance at Annabel, who rolled her eyes. “I reckon you'd better talk to him in the playground. Try and find him before school. That way you won't have people crowding all round you, like you would in the classroom – you don't want Amy and her lot eavesdropping, do you?”

Becky shook her head – no, this was going to be embarrassing enough already. “You will come and hover, won't you? I don't want you to talk to him for me, or anything, just wait round the corner or something.”

“Course,” said Annabel putting an arm round Becky's shoulders. “Won't we, Katie?”

Katie's grumpy march ahead was carefully calculated so she could still hear everything that was going on. “S'pose,” she muttered.

But her reluctance seemed to melt away when the triplets reached the school gates, and spotted Max sitting on the steps to the dining hall, gazing into space. She moved in close to Becky, and said, “Just don't let him get away with anything. We'll be watching, remember? If he starts being a prat we'll come and get him.”

Becky smiled at her, and nodded. There was no point saying that “getting” Max was part of the whole problem – Katie was making a big effort as it was.

She walked over to Max, fiddling nervously with the strap on her rucksack, and stood in front of him until he looked up aggressively. He seemed to be angry with everyone these days. “You again!” he snarled. “Get away from me, you stupid dumb blonde.”

Becky ignored this, and the temptation to say that stupid and dumb were the same thing. She stared back at him, trying to think herself strong.
Remember making Katie and Bel listen to you! Remember Mum's face this morning!

Max had obviously been hoping she'd just scuttle off as soon as he opened his mouth. His face darkened, and he stood up, still on the steps so he towered over her. “Get – out – of – my – face!”

“No,” Becky said calmly. “I need you to listen, then I'll go.”

“You listen! I'm not talking to you, any of you. Me and my dad don't want anything to do with you!”

“That isn't true.”

“What?” Max sounded confused.

“We don't like you, and you
hate
us, but your dad and our mum really like each other. They only said they'd stop seeing each other because we were fighting so much.” She paused. “I'm sorry. I know it's really awful for you – with your mum and everything…” She trailed off as Max's eyes blazed.

“What do you know about my mum?”

Becky faltered. It was so difficult to talk about this – what was she supposed to say to him?

“Well, that she – that she—”

“Died. You can't even say it, can you?” Max sneered.

“I'm sorry,” Becky whispered, feeling terrible. She tried to summon back some of the strength she'd had moments before. She was sure that she was doing the right thing – she just had to get the words out. “Look, I heard what you were saying to Lucky yesterday.”

Max went rigid. “What? When?”

Becky shuffled in embarrassment – after all, she had been spying. “When you were on the stairs, holding him.”

What little colour had been in Max's face drained away entirely. He looked as though he wanted to kill her. It ran through Becky's mind, very quickly, as she tried to stand her ground, that he
had
been crying, and he knew she'd seen him, and that was what he couldn't stand.

Max was balling his hands into fists. His face was so angry that Becky actually wondered whether he was going to hit her, or grab her by the shoulders and shove her over, just to get her out of his way. Then suddenly he seemed to sag, and he slumped down on the steps as though he didn't care any more.

Becky looked worriedly at him. He seemed so wretched, but he wasn't going to want sympathy from her – was he? She decided she had to go with her instincts. She sat down beside him on the steps. Katie and Annabel, who had been watching from round the corner of one of the classrooms, where they were mostly out of sight, gaped at each other. Until now they hadn't really been able to see what was going on, although they'd nearly dashed over to help out when Max jumped up looking so angry.

Becky continued to speak to Max in a low, soothing voice. “I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have been listening, but I heard Lucky whining, and he's so cute, I wanted to say hello to him. And then I heard you – it was an accident.”

Max sniffed.

“It's true, you know, about our parents. They do like each other. They still will, even if we make it so they can't go out – they'll just be really miserable as well.”

Max muttered something, and Becky bent closer to hear. “Don't want him to go out with
anyone
.”

“Mmm, I know, nor do we. Our mum, I mean.”

Max said nothing, but the atmosphere between them wasn't uncomfortable. They sat silently thinking for a moment, and then he said, “Dad didn't even notice when I fed Lucky toast this morning. Normally he goes ballistic if he sees me doing that.”

Becky nodded wisely, thinking of Mum stirring her coffee at the breakfast table as though the triplets weren't even there.

“What are we going to do?” Max seemed to have given up.

“You have to get your dad to come to the wedding.” Becky knew that Katie and Annabel weren't going to be too happy about this, but it was the perfect opportunity. “Don't worry, you don't have to come. Just your dad – I'll talk to my aunt about it, it'll be fine. We don't tell my mum, she just sees him there and she's all surprised.”

Max sniffed again, as though he didn't think much of the plan, but Becky felt it was more for show than anything else. “Just because we're doing this, it doesn't mean I actually like you, you know. I'm just doing this to make my dad happy.”

Becky nodded – she wasn't looking for a friend either. “Will you talk to your dad?”

He shrugged. “Mmm.”

“Good. So tell us tomorrow what he said. I'll phone Auntie Jan.” And Becky got up decisively and headed back to her sisters, feeling incredibly proud of herself. She noticed that David had arrived and was standing with them, and speeded up slightly. She'd just had a good idea of how he could help out too – it might take a little persuasion though…

 

As Becky had expected, Katie and Annabel weren't pleased about Mr Cooper coming to the wedding – but at least it was only him and not Max. They were still so surprised by Becky coming over all bossy that they only complained half-heartedly.

They phoned Auntie Jan that evening, and when she realized who it was, she seemed a little strange, as though she was annoyed. Becky guessed that Mum had been crying on her shoulder.

“Is it important, Becky? I'm still at work.”

Becky took a deep breath. “Yes, it is. Very. You have to re-invite somebody to the wedding.”

“What?”

“Mum's friend – Jeff Cooper. She's probably got you to take him off the list, hasn't she? Well, you have to put him back on.”

Auntie Jan's voice was noticeably warmer as she said, “But she told me they'd split up.”

“I know, and it was all our fault. Did she tell you about it? About the thing with Max?”

“Yes. She was really upset, Becky.”

“I know! But we're going to sort it out. I talked to Max, and he's going to ask his dad to come. We'll make it a surprise for her. Please, Auntie Jan!”

“I hope you know what you're doing.”

“We do, we really do, honestly. We're going to sort it all out.”

“OK, then. But he'd better turn up, Becky. I'm not having my seating plan mucked up!” Auntie Jan was laughing as she said this – she was obviously really pleased about their idea. Becky did have a slightly worrying thought as she hung up though. Auntie Jan
had
been joking about the seating plan, but she was being a bit of a control freak about her wedding – just what was she going to think of the new-look bridesmaids' dresses?