Love and Other Drama-Ramas! (3 page)

“What are you doing up there, young man?” I asked him. “You’re supposed to be outside.”

He just giggled and looked delighted with himself.

“Alex, you’re a right mess,” Clover said. “Sticky babies? That’s my cue to leave. I have surfers to track down, you know. Tell Finn I said
slán
.”

“Clover, you can’t just skip off and leave me to—” But she was already out the door.

And as I told Mills on the way to school, breakfast this morning was — how can I put this — interesting. Mum seemed to have gotten over the shock of writing Finn’s memoir and was launching herself into the whole project with gusto. But as Clover predicted, Dave was in a right huff.

“Ten meetings with the man?” he grumbled. “I don’t see why he can’t use a Dictaphone and send you the tapes.”

Mum sighed. “As I keep telling you, it’s going to be a collaboration. I’ll need Finn to help me understand the motivation behind his actions. We planned it all out at our meeting yesterday, and we both agreed the text needs to capture his own distinctive voice.” She smiled a little dreamily. “Finn has already told me the bones of his story. He’s got quite a past. He grew up in County Antrim, and his dad died in a fishing accident when he was eleven. After that he went off the rails for a few years. He caused a lot of trouble in school and ended up dropping out at fifteen to work in a kitchen as a dishwasher. At seventeen he ran away to London, got a job at the River Café, and the rest is history. He’s made a lot of mistakes in his life, but he’s trying to make amends. He does a load of work for that Irish charity, Unity — he’s been over to Haiti and everything. I think he’s awesome.”

Awesome? I tried not to laugh. Mum was obviously already under Finn Hunter’s spell.

“That’s all very well, but I won’t have him muscling in and causing problems.” Dave was still scowling like a sulky toddler.

Mum looked confused. “Problems? What are you on about, Dave?” She stared at him for a second and then started to smile. “I get it. You’re jealous. You think I’m going to run off into the sunset with the man, don’t you?”

“No!” But from the intent way that Dave was staring at the toast crumbs on his plate, I reckoned Mum had cracked it.

“I wish,” Mum said. “Once you meet Finn, you’ll realize how ludicrous you’re being. Tell him, Amy.”

“She’s right,” I said. “He’s way too young and cool for Mum.”

Mum harrumphed. “Thanks a lot, Amy.”

Jeepers, I couldn’t win. I was only trying to help.

“For the record, I’m still not keen on the whole project.” Dave stood up, clattered his plate into the sink, and marched out the door.

I sighed. More family drama-rama. Mum had opened her mouth to say something, so I grabbed my schoolbag and scuttled out, too, before she had the chance.

I ran toward the mailbox to meet Mills and poured out the whole story.

After all the excitement of the morning, everything’s yawningly normal at school until lunch break, when Loopy (real name Miss Lupin) bounces down the hall in her usual uniform of Birkenstocks, tie-dyed skirt, and Fair Trade T-shirt. She sweeps past me and Mills in a waft of patchouli. For some reason, Annabelle Hamilton and the rest of the D4s are trailing after her: orange rats to her eco Pied Piper. Good to see their fake-tan addiction is still intact — the day they break that habit, the shopkeepers of Ireland will suffer drastically.

“What’s going on?” I ask Mills.

She looks sheepish. “Oops. I forgot to tell you. It was the talk of French class. Miss Stringer has resigned from the drama club ’cause of her teeth.”

“Her teeth?”

“Hard-core train tracks. Top and bottom. Apparently, she can barely talk properly, let alone produce a musical. She’s so self-conscious, she won’t open her mouth.”

I shake my head and tut. “First the olds steal our Gaga, then our
Glee,
and now our dentistry! It’s not right, my friend. And isn’t Stringer a bit long in the tooth for extreme orthodontics?” I grin at my own bad joke.

Mills groans. “That’s terrible, Amy! But you’d think, wouldn’t you? However, as we both know, olds can be mighty strange! Anyway, Miss Lupin’s taken over the drama club. She doesn’t have time to direct a musical, though, ’cause of all her other commitments, so she’s come up with a compromise until Miss Stringer’s feeling up to returning.”

“Which is?”

Mills nods at Loopy, who is now standing in front of the school notice board, a sheet of paper clutched against her chest. The D4s are surging toward her like a pack of rabid football fans. “She said she’d announce it at lunch break. Hence the D4 scrum.”

The air smells of D4 ambition — they are all wannabe celebrities.

Loopy yelps as one of them stands on her toe. “For heaven’s sake, move back, girls,” she says. “I’m not putting this up until you give me some space.”

“Everyone, like, back,” Annabelle, D4 Queen Bee, commands in her recently acquired quasi-Californian accent. (For some reason, Annabelle thinks it’s cool to sound like a
90210
extra instead of a bog-standard Dublin girl.) Her minions shuffle back reluctantly in their navy docksiders.

Loopy pins the notice up, and Annabelle immediately shrieks, “There’s going to be a Saint John’s talent contest on Halloween. The J Factor. Auditions start next week. I’m so going to win!” She beams, showing off her perfect teeth, and begins dancing along the corridor, pumping her arms in the air and rapping, “Who’s got the J Factor? I’ve got the J Factor. Who’s gonna beat me? No one’s gonna beat me.”

“Are you entering?” I ask Mills quietly. “You’re brilliant at piano.”

She smiles gently. “I don’t think classical music’s quite what they’re after, Ames, but thanks.” She links arms with me. “Come on, let’s find the boys.”

We walk outside to where Seth and Bailey are standing by the wall, waiting for us. Bailey Otis is new this year, but he and Seth are already as thick as thieves. My heart gives its familiar lurch at the sight of Seth. Even though we’ve been together for nearly four months now, his sky-blue eyes and blond floppy hair still make my heart beat faster.

And Mills is as crazy about Mr. OMG Otis. I don’t blame her — he is tongue-hanging-out cute. Piercing emerald eyes, jet-black shaggy hair, cheekbones to die for. They’ve officially been boyfriend/girlfriend for three weeks now, and most of the time you need a crowbar to separate them.

“Hey, Amy.” Seth kisses me gently, his lips warm and firm against mine. I blush a little, hoping none of the D4s have spotted us. They have a nasty habit of calling “Get a room” at anyone apart from a fellow D4 showing any PDA (public display of affection) at school.

“Field hockey steps?” he says. (It’s where we always have lunch unless it’s raining.)

I nod. “May as well make the most of the sun. Nice penguin, by the way.” I smile and nudge him playfully with my shoulder. There’s a cartoon drawing of a penguin with a heart on its tummy on the brown-paper sandwich bag he’s clutching. Polly, Seth’s mum, is always drawing on his lunch. Sweet!

He grins and rolls his eyes. “Polly’s a nightmare.” But I know he doesn’t mean it. There’s only the two of them, and they’re very close. She had breast cancer recently, but she’s having treatment in the hospital Dave works at and is doing really well now, thankfully.

I go to say hi to Bailey, but it’s too late — he and Mills are already smooching. Bailey’s large DJ headphones are still clamped over his ears, though, like two halves of a coconut.

“See you at the steps, lovebirds,” I call.

“Remember to keep that tongue in time with the tunes, Otis,” Seth adds.

Bailey doesn’t stop kissing Mills, but he does lift one finger in a rather rude gesture and waggles it at us.

Seth laughs heartily. “Surprised you can hear me, mate.”

At the steps we sit down and start eating. By the time Mills and Bailey reach us — his arm slung around her shoulders, her fingers entwined in one of his belt loops — we’ve almost finished. Bailey sits on the top step and Mills arranges herself on the second, so she can rest her head against his chest. She swivels around, and they start snogging again.

“Please!” I say. “I’m trying to eat, people.”

They break away, and Mills giggles, her cheeks flushed. “Sorry.”

“Apologies, Greenster,” Bailey says with a grin. “Just can’t help myself.” He starts singing an old tune that Dave sometimes plays called “Addicted to Love,” changing the lyrics from “Might as well face it, I’m addicted to love” to “Might as well face it, I’m addicted to Mills.” He’s got an amazing voice, deep and husky, yet caramel smooth. As he serenades her, Mills gazes at him dreamily.

And moments later, they’re kissing again.

Seth stands up and holds out his hand to me. “I think we should just leave them to it. They clearly have things to discuss. Telepathically.”

I grin. “
Tongue-
apathically, you mean?”

Mills rests her back against the lockers during break on Wednesday and smiles at me. “Fancy a trip to Dundrum after school to mooch around the shops and grab some food? Come on, Ames, it’ll be fun.”

I think about it for a second. We haven’t gone shopping, just the two of us, for ages. I have enough babysitting money stashed in my wallet to pay for some eats, and so long as Mum doesn’t mind, why not? It would be nice to spend some time with Mills, alone. I’m happy for her, honestly I am — Bailey’s great — but I do miss
us
.

I smile back at her. “I was going to hang out with Seth, but he won’t mind. Girls’ day out, yeah! Like you say, it’ll be fun.”

A shadow crosses Mills’s face. “I thought the boys could come too. You know, a double date.”

I make a pained noise. “A double date? Mills, are you deranged? Seth would rather die than go on a
double date
. Was this Bailey’s idea? Is Bailey-wailey dying to go on a
double date
?” Mills and her whole Otis obsession is bringing out the worst in me.

Her face flares up. “Why are you being so mean, Amy? And don’t say anything to Bailey. It was my idea, OK? I just thought it would be nice to spend some time together, the four of us.” She looks genuinely upset, which makes me feel a bit guilty.

“I suppose it could be all right,” I say slowly.

She brightens. “Do you think Seth would be up for it?”

“I’ll ask him.”

“Thanks, Ames. And I promise I’ll never utter the words ‘double date’ again as long as I live.” She crosses her heart with her finger. “Or couples’ day.”

I shake my head and sigh. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that one.”

“So how’s the double date going for you so far?” I whisper on the rare occasion Mills is not clinging to Bailey’s arm like a limpet.

“Shush,” she hisses, looking around frantically. “He might hear you.”

We’re in Music City, and the boys are poring over the CD racks, checking out the latest releases. I’d much rather be in Zara or H&M checking out
their
latest releases, but Mills insisted. “We love Music City, don’t we, Ames?” she said when Bailey suggested it, and gave me a loaded look.

“Certainly do,” I agreed. “Can’t wait to rummage through the rails. I mean, racks.” Seth gave me a funny look but didn’t say anything.

Bailey and Seth have moved toward the listening posts and clamped two sets of headphones over their ears, so I take the opportunity to talk to Mills properly. “Why are you pretending you hate clothes shopping?” I ask her. “Seth is baffled. The last time he came to Dundrum with us, you spent two hours trying on dresses in Zara.”

She clutches my arm. “Amy, keep your voice down.”

I roll my eyes and point at Bailey, who is nodding his head in time to the music, eyes shut and a look of concentration on his face. “He’s so engrossed in his tunes, a herd of elephants could stampede in here and he wouldn’t notice. But, Mills, seriously, you have to stop trying to be someone you’re not.”

Her eyes go all wide and scared. “But if he finds out what I’m really like, he’ll break up with me.”

“What? That you like shopping? Mills, Bailey’s not that fickle, surely. And if he is, then he doesn’t deserve you.”

Mills fiddles with the old leather waistcoat of Dave’s that she’s borrowed off me. (It’s her new “rock chick” look and is designed to impress Bailey.) “That’s OK for you to say. You’re not going out with the cutest boy in school.”