Double Cross (14 page)

'Jessica, have you moved your bed in there?' I hissed
through the locked bathroom door. 'You're not the only
one with a bladder, you know?'

'W-why aren't you at work?' Jessica's voice sounded
strange, husky, like she was still more than half asleep.

'I've got the day off,' I said, annoyed. 'Why aren't you
at work?'

'I'm not feeling well,' said Jessica.

'Well, could you not feel well in your own bedroom
and let someone else use the bathroom please?' I mean, I
was sympathetic and all that, but Godsake! My bladder was
about to explode.

If Mum wasn't back from her night shift and fast asleep
in her bedroom, I'd've been battering at the bathroom
door by now. What on earth was Jessica doing? She'd been
in there for
ages.
Being the sole guy in a house with two
women was a real test of my patience. After all the girly
things I'd seen over the years in our family bathroom, it
was a wonder I didn't need some serious therapy.

'Jessica, I need to use the bathroom. NOW!'

'OK! OK!' There came some strange noises from inside
the bathroom.

When the door finally opened I launched myself into
the room whilst trying to push Jessica out at the same
time. She was wearing Mum's old dressing gown, which
was at least three sizes too big for her, and she had the bath
towel draped over her arm.

'Where're you taking that?' I asked, pointing at the towel.

'To the laundry basket.'

'Why?'

'It's wet.'

'What am I supposed to use?'

'Get another one.'

I frowned as I took a closer look at my sister. 'Godsake,
Jessica. You look rough.'

'Thanks,' she intoned, her eyes half shut.

'You look like you've been left out in the rain all day
and put away wet.'

'I'm tired. OK?' She glared at me.

'Then take some vitamins and try some eye drops. You
look like a vampire.'

'Bog off.' Jessica strode off back to her bedroom. She
bumped into the wall twice, though, so as a dramatic
gesture it kind of failed.

Frowning, I sniffed at the bathroom.

'Why does it smell of vinegar in here?' I called after
my sister.

'Nail polish remover,' Jess called back before entering
her room.

Godsake! Couldn't she use that stuff in her own room
and not the bathroom? My bladder dictating my pace, I
ran to the airing cupboard, grabbed a towel from above
the hot water cylinder, and ran back to the bathroom. It
was not unknown for my mum or sister to slip into the
bathroom ahead of me when my back was turned. And
the fact that Jessica had only just come out wouldn't stop
her from trying to pop back in. I was going to have a
lovely long shower, wash my hair and shave before Callie
arrived. I wanted to be clean and look neat without
making it look like I'd been to a lot of trouble, or any
trouble at all come to that. Time to get to work on
making myself irresistible.

Callie didn't turn up until mid morning. I sat in the
front room, listening to my favourite rock band with the
volume turned down low so as not to wake Mum. I kept
glancing out of the window, watching the passers-by. The
moment I saw Callie go past my window, I sprinted into
the hall. I opened the door before she had her finger
halfway to the doorbell.

'Mum's asleep,' I gave as the reason why I'd come to
the door so quickly. But to tell the truth, Mum had
nothing to do with it.

Callie was wearing a light-blue, sleeveless, V-necked Tshirt
and dark-blue jeans. She wore her hair loose for a
change and it fell in curly waves around her face and down
past her shoulders. Her earrings were gold, reflecting her
skin tone. She smiled, her eyes warm brown today. She
looked so good, my stomach kinda hiccupped. Every time
that happened it took me by surprise. Wasn't sure I liked
it much either. It made me feel . . . exposed, like wearing
trousers with no bum to them. But I had no control over
the way my body reacted to her, no matter how much I
tried to rationalize my feelings or find a logical explanation
for what she did to me.

'How are you?' I said, opening the front door wide for
her to enter.

'I'm fine,' Callie sashayed past me. I was never really
sure what that word meant until that moment when she
did it. Then I knew all right!

I glanced up the stairs. No sounds, but I still lowered
my voice. 'Are you OK after last night?'

Callie nodded. 'I'm fine.'

'I . . . you look . . .' I stopped babbling like an idiot and
leaned in to kiss her. My arms wrapped around her, her
arms wrapped around me and we kissed like we had less
than one minute before the world ended!

When I finally let her go, Callie laughed. 'What was
that for?'

'Just saying hello.' I grinned.

'I can't wait to see how you hold a conversation then?'
Callie teased. 'Any chance of a coffee?' She walked ahead of
me into the kitchen. By the time I got there, she was already
taking out two cups. 'You gonna have one with me?'

'Yeah, go on then.'

I put on the kettle whilst Callie spooned coffee into
both cups and two sugars into mine.

'Where's your sister?' she asked.

'In her room, probably on her phone where she'll be
for hours.'

'What're we going to do after our coffees?'

'What would you like to do?' I asked.

I knew what I'd like to do, but there was no way Callie
would go for that with Jessica in the house.

'Can we watch a DVD?' she asked. 'And can I choose it?'

Oh hell, no!

'We can't,' I said quickly. 'We have to go and see Dan
soon.'

'Not for hours yet. Please, Tobey. I fancy relaxing on
the sofa and watching a film or two,' said Callie.

'But, Callie . . .'

'Please. For me . . .' She started batting her long
eyelashes in my direction. 'We could cuddle up . . .'

'Oh all right then,' I said, my heart sinking at the
prospect of hours spent watching soppy films. 'Damn it,
Callie, I must really like you or something.'

'Or something,' Callie agreed with a wink.

'So where's Dan then?' Callie asked, looking around.

'I don't know,' I replied stonily. I checked my watch.
Twenty minutes past four. I must've been truly dim to
believe he would show up. I'd give him five more
minutes. I looked around. There was a good-natured
impromptu football match going on, mostly Noughts but
also some Crosses. Callie and I stood on the sidelines, half
watching as we waited for my so-called friend to put in an
appearance. The Wasteland was pretty crowded, even for
a Saturday afternoon. I glanced at Callie, taking in her
slight frown as she watched the football. She hadn't said
much as we'd walked to the Wasteland. Something was
definitely gnawing at her.

Callie glanced up at the sky. 'Can we not stay here too
long? I think it's going to rain.'

'Thank God,' I said.

The weather over the last two weeks had been
diabolical, hot as hell and twice as fierce. We were all about
due for a break. That was probably why the Wasteland
was so crowded, because the air had cooled down a bit.
Being outside today didn't feel so much like being an
insect tortured under a magnifying glass.

'How much longer do we have to stay here?' Callie
asked.

'No idea.'

'When is Dan going to get here?'

'How the hell should I know?'

'Well, excuse me all over the place,' Callie snapped
back.

'Sorry, babe.' I leaned in to kiss her.

'You're forgiven.' She smiled when at last our kiss
ended.

'Get a room!' some git called out from the football
pitch.

Callie and I shared a smile and ignored the wolf
whistles and ribald comments. Apart from Dan's vanishing
act, the day hadn't been too bad. In fact, it'd been on the
great side of good. Callie returned to her house and
brought back a DVD which was a certain-sure cure for
insomnia. The thing was so slow, I swear I could feel my
hair growing. So whilst she was watching it, her back
pressed against my chest, her feet up on the sofa, I
wrapped my arms around her and made the most of
holding her tight, touching and stroking her body,
nibbling on her ear and kissing her whenever the film's
plot slackened – and the plot wasn't exactly drum tight.

Plus whilst Callie had been watching the film, it had
given me a chance to zone out and do some serious
thinking about my predicament, as well as Callie's uncle.
If Jude McGregor really was alive, if somehow he'd
escaped the devastation at the Isis Hotel, then I would
need money to get Callie away from him. With money,
Callie and I could escape to some place where her Uncle
Jude would never find us. It would mean missing school
and my exams, but I'd do it in a heartbeat to keep Callie
safe. I wouldn't tell her of my plans just yet. I had to get
enough money together first. Deliveries?

Now if Dan would just show his face, Callie and I could
be off and doing. I had plans for today. An expensive meal,
a film or maybe even a theatre trip to impress her and then
we'd take it from there. We had the whole evening ahead
of us. And we could discuss our future together when the
time was right. I'd have to pick my moment carefully. I
looked at Callie and realized that we had our whole lives
ahead of us. Callie and I, together.

A surprisingly chilly breeze brought me back to the
Wasteland. The wind ruffled my hair and tugged at my Tshirt.
I glanced up. The clouds were definitely getting
darker. Callie was right. Rain was coming. Though I
found it hard to care about the rain, the sun or anything
in between at that precise moment. Callie's gold hoopearrings
glinted, catching my eye. Not that I needed her
earrings sparkling in my direction to make me look at her.
She was so damned beautiful it was hard to take my eyes
off her. I put my arm around her, or at least I tried to. She
shied away before turning to face me.

'What's the matter?' I asked.

'Tobey, when are we going to talk about what
happened last night?' Callie began, albeit reluctantly.

'Why?'

What was there to talk about? Godsake! This wasn't
going to be one of those girly 'let's-analyse-the-thing-todeath'
talks, was it?

Callie looked here, there and anywhere but at me. 'I
know . . . I know it probably didn't mean as much to you
as it did to me, but—'

Whoa!

'Where'd you get that idea?'

'Well, you didn't mention it all morning,' said Callie.

'What was I supposed to say?' I frowned. 'Great shag?'

Callie glared at me. 'See! Everything is a big joke to you.'

What was she on about?

'What're you on about?'

Was Callie deliberately trying to pick a fight? Or maybe
I'd been such crap in bed, she was trying to find a way to
dump me.

'Tobey, I don't regret what happened last night, really I
don't. But I've been thinking all morning that maybe we
shouldn't do it again, at least for a while.'

'Why?' I asked, aghast. Looks like I'd been right. I
know it hadn't been the world's most polished performance,
but it was my first time too.

'Last night was about comfort and getting lost in each
other to shut out the outside world. I just don't think
that's a good enough reason to carry on . . . doing it.'

'Is that all last night meant to you?' I asked, acutely
disappointed. 'A bit of comfort and a way to take your
mind off your uncle?'

'Don't you dare say that,' Callie rounded on me.
'You're the one who kept crowing about not being a
virgin any more. You're the one who said you did something
really stupid yesterday, so being with me was obviously
just your way of forgetting your problems for a
while.'

'That's not true,' I denied.

'Isn't it? OK, Tobey, no teasing, no jokes, no evasions,
just the truth. How do you feel about me?'

I opened my mouth to tell her straight, only to snap it
shut again. I wanted to tell her, I really did. But certain
words were very hard to retract. Once they were out, they
took on a life of their own and if I said them, they might
turn round and take a chunk out of my arse. Callie was
watching me intently.

'This is ridiculous. You're being really stupid,' I said at last.

'Thanks,' Callie said, not attempting to mask the hurt in
her voice. 'That confirms what I thought.'

'Callie, I . . .'

'Forget it, Tobey. I was drowning, you threw me a lifeline,
now it's over.' Callie shrugged. 'I was stupid to hope
it meant any more to you than that.'

'Hi, you guys,' Dan yelled out from several metres away.

'Look, we can't discuss this here,' I told Callie. 'Once
Dan gives me my money, we can go for a meal and talk
about it. OK?'

'Nothing to talk about,' Callie said coldly.

Why did I suddenly feel like I was clinging onto our
relationship by my fingertips? Probably because that was
exactly what I was doing. It was a choice between yanking
open my chest and showing Callie my heart with all the
risks that involved – or losing her anyway.

'Callie, we need to talk,' I said.

'Talk or listen to you insult me some more?'

'Talk.'

Callie didn't reply.

'I'm sorry I called you stupid,' I said, exasperated. 'Can
we please just go somewhere and talk? Please?'

Callie didn't answer. Instead she turned to face Dan. I
did the same, feeling like I was drowning. Dan approached
us, a big, beaming smile on his face.

'What's the point of having a flash watch if you still
can't get anywhere on time?' I snapped when he got close
enough.

'I'm here now, aren't I?' Dan couldn't see the problem.
'Hi, Callie. You're looking fine, as always.'

'Thanks, Dan.'

'I mean it. You look real fit,' he said, moving closer to her.

Annoyance began to bubble inside me like a saucepan
of water heating on a cooker.

'Callie, I can take you places and buy you things that
Tobey hasn't even dreamed about.' Dan's smile was an oil
slick on his face as he regarded her. 'Tobey's my mate and
all, but when're you going to dump the loser and go out
with me?'

Callie gave me a filthy look, then turned to Dan like she
was seriously considering his offer.

'You even think about making a move on Callie and I'll
break every bone in your body,' I told Dan straight. 'And
when you're buried, I'll dig you up to break each bone all
over again.'

Dan and Callie stared at me. Then they both burst out
laughing. What was so damned funny?

'Someone's got it bad,' Dan said.

Callie looked at me, a strange light twinkling in her
eyes. All the ice in her expression had melted. I turned
away from her so she couldn't get the full effect of the
blush cooking my face.

'Now you see, Tobey,' she said softly. 'That's all you
had to say!'

'I don't know what you mean,' I mumbled, deciding to
ignore them both till they stopped laughing at me.

Beyond the football pitch, across the grass, a black
WMW pulled up. If I hadn't known any better I would've
sworn it was McAuley's car. But what would McAuley be
doing at the Wasteland on a Saturday afternoon? Two
suited Nought men I'd never seen before got out and
ambled across the grass towards the football pitch as if they
didn't have a care in the world.

'So, Callie, when did you first manage to wrap my
friend around your little finger?' Dan asked, holding an
imaginary microphone to her face.

'Well, Dan, it all started when I was seven years old . . .'
Callie squeaked out like her lungs were full of helium.

Dan had his back to the two men, who were slowly but
surely heading in our direction. Something wasn't right. I
looked around. A white saloon was parked on the opposite
side of the pitch. Two men got out of that car, two
Crosses. They also started heading towards the football
pitch. I turned back to the two Nought men walking
towards us. They were talking to each other, but the
prickling on the back of my neck was getting worse. The
two Noughts were only a few metres away now. They
reached beneath their jackets – and then all hell was let
loose.

'GET DOWN!' I yelled.

But my words came too late.