Sugar and Spice (16 page)

I said yes, but of course I couldn’t get it as I didn’t have any money. But it was fun just looking. I mean, it didn’t make me discontented or anything.

After we’d done a bit more mooching, Shay said we should go up to the self-service and get something to eat and drink. I quickly said that I wasn’t hungry, but Shay said, “That’s all right, I’ll pay for it.” Like she knew I didn’t have any money and wanted to spare me the embarrassment of being forced to admit it. I didn’t argue, cos it would’ve been rude when she’d made the offer. She bought us a Coke each, and a packet of crisps, and gave the lady at the till a five pound note. The lady asked if she had “the odd 2p” but Shay said she hadn’t.

“See?” She opened her purse and shook it upside down. “This is all I’ve got.”

I said, “I can give you 2p,” feeling glad that I could make a contribution, even just a small one.

“I’ve got loads more money at home,” said Shay. “I’ve got money in the building society. I can take it out whenever I want. It’s just that I don’t bring much with me cos of muggers.”

I giggled at that. I couldn’t imagine anyone being bold enough to mug Shay!

“Just let anyone try it,” she said. “I’d bash ’em to a pulp! But I don’t need the hassle, you know?”

After our crisps and Coke we went back out into the shopping centre and mooched round a few more shops, until Shay suddenly stopped and said there was something she’d got to do.

“Just wait there.” She pointed at a seat, and I obediently sat down. “I’ll only be a few minutes. Don’t move! OK?”

I said OK. I didn’t mind sitting there, watching people walk past, though I did wonder where Shay had rushed off to in such a hurry, and what she was going to do. She’d only been gone about two seconds when a girl came up to me and said, “Was that Shay Sugar I saw you with?”

I said yes, and she scrunched up her face into an expression of…well! Like if you saw a scorpion scuttling across the pavement.
Look out there’s a scorpion
kind of thing.

“D’you know her?” I said.

“She used to go to my school.”

“Oh. She goes to my school now,” I said.

“Is she a friend of yours?”

I nodded. The girl went, “Hm!” I began to feel a bit uneasy; this girl didn’t seem to care for Shay very much. “I’d watch out, if I were you,” she said.

“Why?” I crinkled my nose, which I happen to know (cos I’ve done it in front of a mirror) looks really silly, but I can’t seem to help it. It’s a
mannerism.
“Why have I got to watch out?”

“I just would, that’s all.”

My nose went crinkle, crinkle again. I can actually, sometimes, be quite stubborn. According to Mum I can.

I said, “But
why
?”

“Cos she’ll make you do things.”

“What things?”

“Things you don’t want to do.”

“I don’t do anything I don’t want to do!”

“That’s what you think,” said the girl.

I wondered why she was saying this to me. She didn’t look like the sort of person who would spread malicious gossip. What I mean is, she was blonde and prettyish and had blue eyes. People with blue eyes always look like they’re soft and gentle. But of course you never can tell. Looks can be deceiving.

Shay came back at that moment. She and the girl looked at each other, and both together they said, “Hi!”

“How’s your new school?” said the girl.

“OK. How’s St Margaret’s?”

“A lot quieter without you there.”

“Everywhere’s a lot quieter without me,” said Shay. “Must be
sooo
boring.”

“Some people like it that way.”

“Yeah? Some people are just mindless blobs.”

“That’s your opinion,” said the girl.

“Course it is! Wouldn’t quote anyone else’s, would I?”

The girl said, “Who knows?”

“I do,” said Shay.

So then the girl, like, gave up. She just went “Huh!” and stalked off in what I think is called a dudgeon, though I’m not actually sure what a dudgeon is.

It’s indignation! I just looked it up. I think it’s a good word and I’m going to start using it.
Dudgeon.

“She’s so stupid, that girl,” said Shay. She put her arm round my waist, in a companionable fashion. “I’ll walk you to the bus stop.”

When I got home, Mum was there as it was her afternoon off. She was looking like a big black thundercloud. What had I done now???

“Where have you been?” she said.

“In the shopping centre.”

“For
four solid hours
?”

“Dad knew where I was! I told him.”

“And what about Millie? Did you tell Millie? You didn’t, did you?” I shook my head. “Ruth, it’s not good enough! You can’t let people down like this.”

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “I forgot.”

“That’s no excuse! How do you think she felt, turning up on the doorstep and Lisa telling her you’d gone out? I suppose you were with that Shay?”

“She’s my friend,” I said.

“So’s Millie – and she’s been your friend for far longer!”

I protested that Millie wasn’t properly my friend. Not any more.

“Why not?” said Mum.

“I told you,” I said. “She’s in this gang. She doesn’t even talk to me when we’re at school. If it wasn’t for Shay, nobody would talk to me!”

“Why aren’t you in a gang?” said Lisa.

“Cos I don’t want to be!”

“I would. I’d be in the
best
gang. I —”

“Oh, shut up!” I said. I took off my coat and slung it over the back of a chair. As I did so, something fell out of the pocket. Something shiny. Lisa immediately pounced.

“What’s this?”

“Yes, what it is it?” said Mum.

Lisa squealed, and held it up. “Ooh, pretty!”

It was the silver chain I’d picked out. How had it got in my pocket?

“Where did you get that from?” said Mum.

Quickly, I said, “Shay gave it to me.”

She must have done; it was the only explanation. She
must have rushed off to the building society to take some money out, cos I knew she didn’t have any more on her, then rushed back into Sander’s and bought the chain. Then she must have slipped it in my pocket when I wasn’t looking. It must have been when she put her arm round me. I’d thought at the time that it was an unusual thing for Shay to do. We didn’t have a touchy-feely sort of relationship at all; not like I’d had with Millie. Me and Millie were always going round with our arms linked. Mum used to laugh at us and say it was like we were joined at the hip. But with Shay it had felt a bit uncomfortable, to tell the truth. Why couldn’t she just have said, straight out, “I’ve bought you something?” Maybe she’d though I wouldn’t take it off her.

Mum was holding out her hand. “Lisa, let me have a look at that. Are you telling me, that Shay actually bought this for you?”

I said yes. I mean, how else could it have got there? I hadn’t taken it!

“It’s a Cornish pixie,” I said. “It’s a good luck charm.”

“Hm…” Mum was examining it, closely. “Well, it’s not top quality. It can’t have cost that much. All the
same—” She handed it back to me. “She really shouldn’t be buying you things.”

“It’s all right,” I said. “She’s got loads of money! She’s got a
building society
account.”

“Oh, I’m sure she has,” said Mum. “But in future, just say no. OK? You don’t have to be rude about it, just say your mum doesn’t want you accepting things. And, Ruth—” She crooked a finger at me. “Just pick up that telephone and call Millie. I want to hear you apologise.”