It was Thursday night and Chelsea had made up her mind. Next Friday, she would wear her contact lenses. She had been walking on air, ever since the moment Rex had removed her glasses from her face. If he loved her eyes so much and if her eyes could get more of his attention, then contact lenses would be what she would wear.
On arrival home, Chelsea’s mother greeted her with a grim look on her face. ‘Chelsea! I want a word with you.’
‘Yes?’ Her mother only ever spoke like that if she had done something wrong. She wondered what it was, as she had been on her best behaviour the entire week.
‘I ran into Mrs Johnson in town this afternoon.’
Chelsea froze and a feeling of dread ran through her body. Her mother knew.
‘I just happened to mention the other weekend,’ her mother continued in an ice-cold tone of voice. ‘I asked her whether she had managed to get all her cleaning done at the St John’s Ambulance hall. I must say I was very surprised to hear her say that there was no cleaning going on at all that day.’ She paused to glare at her daughter’s face. Chelsea was sure she had guilt written all over it. ‘Where were you that Saturday Chelsea?’
‘I... I…’ The feeling of guilt welled up inside her. There was no point in trying to deny it as there was no way she could get out of it. Unable to control her emotions, she burst out crying. ‘I’m sorry Mum, I really am. It’s just that... it’s just that all my friends were going to the beach that day and I really wanted to go.’
‘So that’s it, is it?’ Her mother peered at her with coldness in her eyes. ‘That explains the tan. I must say Chelsea, I am very disappointed in you. You were grounded and you made up a story. You lied to me so that you could get out of it and go to the beach with your friends. I take it that it was Jacqui Donaldson and her friends who you went with?’
‘Yes,’ whimpered Chelsea.
Her mother shook her head in despair. ‘I can’t believe that you would lie to us like that. This is a very serious matter young lady. You have abused the trust that your father and I have had in you. I just can’t believe that this has happened. It’s those friends of yours, that’s what it is. They’re leading you astray! Frankly, I don’t know how I’m going to deal with this. I will need to speak to your father about it, but as for your breaking of curfew, I will deal with that right here and now. You are grounded again young lady. This time for three weeks!’
‘Three weeks?’ Chelsea stared at her mother aghast. ‘But the school dance is next week! You know I’ve been looking forward to it all month! You can’t ground me while that’s on!’
‘Oh yes I can, and I will! You will not deceive us. You will not be going to that dance. And that is final!’
Chelsea could only stare horrified as her mother moved away to do something else. She had clearly made up her mind and there was no way Chelsea was going to be able to get her to change it. In fact, if she argued, she knew it would just make matters worse.
She thought about the dance and tried to hold back sobs. She imagined Jacqui doing all the slow dances with Rex. Then there was Sheep. Who would he be dancing with? It wouldn’t be her, if she didn’t go. In fact if anything was ever going to happen between her and guys like Rex or Sheep, she would have to be there, she just had to!
She knew what Jacqui would say - ‘Not going to the dance, are you for real? I suppose you’ll be at home studying all night? If you want people to like you, you need to socialise with them, Chelsea. You’re a loser, Chelsea, that’s all you are. You’ll never be popular and you’ll never be part of our crowd. Just go back and hang out with the nerds!’
No, Chelsea had to be at that dance next Friday night no matter what.
She gave it a lot of thought especially regarding what to tell the other girls about it. At first, she’d decided not to tell them, but then considered it might be a good move to say so.
‘I don’t believe it!’ Jacqui scoffed, the next day during lunch, after Chelsea told her of the problems she faced. ‘The school dance is coming up and you get grounded? I should have known there would be some reason to stop you from going. I’m not surprised actually; after all, you’d be totally out of place at a dance. Chances are you’d be sitting around all evening with no one to dance with. Bloody Hell, Chelsea!’
‘Why were you grounded?’ Holly asked, with a look of concern on her face.
‘Because I went to the beach with you guys that other week.’
‘What was wrong with that?’ Jacqui asked.
‘Because I went when I should have stayed at home playing scrabble with my grandparents, remember?’
‘You never mentioned that you got into trouble over that,’ Holly said.
‘Why would I? Besides, there’s no way I’m going to miss out on the dance.’
‘So you’re still coming?’
‘Of course.’
Jacqui snorted. ‘I do not believe it. You, Chelsea Brown, are actually going to go to the dance even though your parents have forbidden it?’
‘Of course. What’s the big deal?’ She knew she was really pouring it on, but she had to make them think she was a rebel like them.
Jacqui studied her for a moment with a twisted smile. It almost looked like admiration to Chelsea. ‘So what are you going to do if they turn up to the dance to take you home? That would be even worse than not going at all. It would be really bad form for your parents to turn up there in front of the half the school.’
‘Well, I’m hoping you guys could help me come up with some kind of plan.’
Jacqui studied her for a few seconds as if deep in thought. She finally spoke, ‘I suppose we could. How will you get out of the house without your parents knowing?’
‘I’ll climb out the window.’
‘I take it you’ll be meeting us over at Laura’s place early to get ready?’
‘Yes.’
Jacqui fell silent again, this time for a lot longer this time. The others said nothing in expectation of some kind of a brilliant scheme… or at least what Chelsea hoped would be brilliant. Not only was she beautiful but she was actually pretty smart. If anyone could come up with something, she could.
‘I’ve got it!’
‘You have?’
‘Oh yes,’ Jacqui said. ‘I’ve got it… and it will work like a charm…’
When Chelsea left class that afternoon she had a spring in her step and felt positive about the upcoming dance. She loved Jacqui’s plan even though at the same time it scared her. It was going to involve pulling a big one over on her parents and if her parents ever found out the truth, she would be grounded until she was 18. She tried not to worry about it and just focus on how great the dance was going to be.
She and her friends were about to go their own separate ways and head home, but ended up attracting the attention of Tucker Pyles. With him were his two hoods, Joe and Colin.
‘Hey babes, what you up to?’ He greeted them in a cheerful tone of voice. ‘Arguing about who is going to be my date for the dance?’
‘As if!’ Jacqui snarled. ‘I’m going to be dancing with Rex Cassidy.’
Chelsea figured it would be typical if what Jacqui said came true. She always seemed to get what she wanted.
‘What, the new ubbhead?’
Holly piped up, with a scowl on her face, ‘If he heard you call him that, he’d waste you!’
‘Ha!’ Tucker scoffed. ‘He wouldn’t stand a chance. I’d knock the stuffing out of him any day!’
Chelsea and her friends burst out laughing.
Tucker’s face darkened and a scowl appeared. ‘What the ubbing hell’s so funny? I’m the toughest guy here in this school; you should know that by now!’
‘You’re about as tough as a wet sheet of toilet paper,’ Holly said. ‘You need two goons to do your dirty work for you.’ She turned to the others. ‘What a spineless jerk.’
The other girls voiced their agreement.
‘Give her a clip across the ear, Hew!’ Tucker ordered Colin. ?
??I’ll teach her a lesson!’
Colin didn’t move. He stood there looking staunch, but made no effort to do as Tucker said.
Tucker’s eyeballs protruding from his face. ‘Go on, Col!’
‘Nark off,’ Colin said. ‘I’m not gonna hit a girl.’
‘Joe!’ barked Tucker.
‘You’re on your own, Bro,’ said Joe. ‘If they were guys we’d deal to them, but they’re not.’
Chelsea relaxed a little. At least the two of them had some honour. Exactly how much, she had no idea.
Tucker turned back to Holly, his face twisted with frustration. ‘Lucky for you, that’s all I can say. Just as well there are ladies present or I’d give you an ubbering myself.’
They all gave him a weird look, even Colin.
Joe Ashby chuckled. ‘That’s some real weird kind of logic, Tucks.’
‘Yeah,’ Colin agreed. ‘No redundancy pay for you.’
Jacqui glared at Tucker with contempt. ‘Rex is a black belt in Karate. I can’t wait to see him smash your bloated face in.’
‘It ain’t gonna happen, babe.’
‘Don’t call me babe, jerk!’
‘See my mate Colin here? He’s a black belt in karate too. I could deal with Cassidy myself if I wanted to, but that would be depriving my mates here of a bit of entertainment. With Colin and Joe together, Rex Cassidy doesn’t stand a show. Besides, Rex Cassidy’s karate moves are about as impressive as a marble cake without marbles in it. Cassidy’s a dead man if he messes with me!’
Chelsea spoke up, unable to remain silent any longer. ‘I don’t see you in a hurry to tangle with him.’ Anger welled up inside her, but she kept it under control.
‘I’ve got better things to do.’
‘Like what?’ She wished she could slap his fat face silly.
‘Eating my lunch!’
Holly spoke up. ‘Oh you mean all the food you steal from other students?’
‘AND from the tuck shop,’ Jacqui said. ‘As soon as Mr Carroll mentioned the robbery in assembly this morning, I just knew it had to be you.’
‘I did not steal that food from the tuck shop!’
‘Oh surrre you didn’t. You would have to be the prime suspect. Who else is that obsessed with food?’
‘I wasn’t anywhere near that tuck shop the day it was robbed, was I guys?’ He glanced at his two friends.
‘Nup,’ Colin said. ‘Wasn’t, Tucker, which even I have to say is a complete surprise.’ He snickered and so did Joe.
‘You can go crying to that ubbhead Cassidy if you want,’ Tucker said. ‘But if he tries to mess with me, then he’ll know all about it, just you wait and see. I’m not afraid of him.’ With a last jeering grin, Tucker moved away, with Colin and Joe one-step behind him.
‘Creep,’ Chelsea seethed. ‘Who does he think he is?’ She breathed a long slow breath to calm herself down.
‘Mr Wonderful,’ one of the other girls said.
‘Mr Blunderful more like it,’ Holly commented.
‘I bet he did rob the tuck shop,’ said Jacqui. ‘Him and his two bully boys.’
‘Well someone did,’ Holly said. ‘First someone busts into Mr Reapers office and trashes that and now someone busts into the tuck shop? Wouldn’t be surprised if it was that fat half-wit that did both.’
‘Although I can’t imagine him getting away with it,’ Chelsea said. ‘He’s too big and clumsy.’
‘That’s true.’
Chelsea wondered back to what Tucker had said to them. ‘Holly, is Colin really a black belt? You’d know, wouldn’t you? Coming from the same school as him.’
‘Well, I don’t know if he’s a black belt or not, but he does belong to the karate club.’
‘That’s a worry. With him, Joe and Tucker, Rex might have his work cut out for him.’
‘Nah, Tucker’s just talking shit like he always does,’ Jacqui said. ‘If he was really confident he would have just challenged Rex already.’
‘Not necessarily,’ Holly replied. ‘Have you noticed? Tucker’s never been one to bully the tougher and bigger students you know. I’ve never seen him hassle Ginge or Ben. He only challenged Wal because he got in his face. I think he’s cautious, but you know, I think that if he and Rex did cross paths, he wouldn’t back down. And now that he has Colin and Joe on his side, he’s even more powerful than ever. Even Wal avoids him now.’
Holly’s words rang true to Chelsea. ‘She’s right you know. And if Colin is an expert at karate, Rex might find himself biting off more than he can chew if he takes them on.’
‘Imagine what he’d be like then,’ Mandy Evans said. ‘No one would hear the last of it if Tucker and Co beat up Rex.’
Holly nodded. ‘He’d make all our lives a misery.’
‘Oh boy.’ Chelsea shuddered. ‘Those three together might be too much for Rex to handle.’
CHAPTER 22:
Life is like a Sausage