Love and Other Drama-Ramas! (5 page)

“Clover! I had no idea you were so worried. You should have said something. It’s your old friend Cliona, right? The girl who betrayed you?”

Clover stops painting her nails, twists the tiny brush back into the bottle, and looks at me, her eyes twinkling with tears. “What if I bump into her in college?” Her eyes widen. “Or
him
? I’d die.”

“Him? Who are you talking about, Clover?”

She gives a deep, raggedy sigh. “Kendall.” Tears start spilling down her cheeks. “Seeing them together will kill me.”

“Together?”

She nods, wiping the tears away with her fingers. “Cliona and Kendall were seeing each other, behind my back. That’s why Cliona and I aren’t friends anymore. I lost my boyfriend
and
my best friend in one fell swoop. I thought I was over it, but it still hurts so much.”

I’m genuinely shocked. Clover and Cliona were like me and Mills — inseparable. And Kendall was Clover’s first proper boyfriend; they were together for over three years. I can’t believe he’d do such a thing, especially after everything Clover went through. Clover’s mum (my gran) died nearly five years ago, and Kendall came to the funeral. He sat beside Clover and held her hand during the service — stayed with her the whole day, in fact. I remember thinking,
When I’m older, I want a boyfriend just like Lucas Kendall.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me he cheated on you!” I say. “You said it was a mutual decision, that your lives were going in different directions.”

“I lied,” she says simply. “I couldn’t face telling you the truth. The fact is he betrayed me — they both did — the night of his seventeenth birthday. Kendall was having this huge party in a tent in his garden. A DJ and everything. It wasn’t supposed to start till eight, but I decided I’d get there early to surprise him. I wanted to give him his present before everyone started arriving. I knew he was getting a car for his birthday, so I’d bought him a GPS. Cost me a fortune. Anyway, I went straight round the back and walked into the tent, and there they were: Kendall and Cliona, their arms wrapped around each other, kissing.”

I gasp. “No! That’s horrible.”

“Tell me about it. I felt like I’d been stabbed. I got such a fright, I dropped the GPS. They must have heard it smash on the floor, because they both spun around. And do you know what Cliona did when she saw me, Beanie? She smiled. Just for a split second — but it was still a smile. I think she
wanted
me to catch them. Wanted for it all to be out in the open.”

“And then?” I ask, transfixed.

“Kendall started apologizing: saying how sorry he was, how he’d never meant for it to happen. I asked him how long it had been going on, and Cliona answered for him. A month, she said. And then I really lost it. I told him he was a useless good-for-nothing, and I threw the shattered GPS at him and stormed out.”

“Yikes. Did you hit him?”

“No, but I wish I had. Stupid pig.”

I whistle and shake my head. “That’s quite a story, Clover. I guessed you must have had some sort of falling-out with Cliona — one minute you guys were best buddies, and then you suddenly stopped talking completely — but you never wanted to discuss it, so I figured the subject was off-limits. But this . . .” I trail off. “It’s horrible. She’s some piece of work. And as for Kendall, I don’t know what to say. I know how much you liked him.” I put my arm around her shoulders.

“I loved him, Beanie. Really, really
loved
him.” She leans against me and starts sobbing; her eyes are waterfalls of tears, and snot is coming from her nose. I’ve never seen her in such a state — it’s very unnerving.

“It’ll be OK, Clover.” I hand her a tissue from my bedside table.

“How?” she wails. “How will it be OK? Knowing every time I turn a corner they might be there, holding hands, just waiting to laugh at me, is driving me crazy.”

“Maybe they’re not together anymore.”

She sniffs and blows her nose. “They are.”

“How do you know?”

“Headcount. I’ve been checking their profiles.” (Headcount is the new Facebook. You can find out all kinds of things about people, and, unlike Facebook, you don’t have to be a “friend” to search the info.)

“I’m so sorry, Clover.” I give her a squeeze, not knowing what else to do.

“Me too.” Her eyes well up again, and she dabs at them. Then she takes a deep breath. “Funny — it’s the first time I’ve actually cried about the whole Kendall drama-rama. What a mess. It’s too late to change colleges, and besides Trinity has one of the best English courses in the country. But seeing the two of them holding hands in the corridor might just tip me over the edge. I really don’t want to go. Any advice for me?”

“But you have Brains now,” I point out gently.

“I know. It still hurts, though.”

“You can’t shipwreck your whole college career because of two nasty, deceitful eejits, Clover. You just can’t. If you drop out, they’ve won. Maybe it will always hurt a bit, but you have to move on.”

“Move on? How exactly, Beanie? The mere thought of bumping into them makes my stomach churn.”

She looks so sad and anxious — I know I have to do something. The question is what? This one has me stumped — maybe some problems really are too big to be fixed. But this is Clover’s life we’re talking about. I have to help her!

“I’ll think of something,” I tell her. “And that’s a promise. But in the meantime, you’re going to college, and that’s that. I’ll drag you in myself, if I have to.”

“At least my toes look bootiful,” she says with a glum smile.

Her mobile bleeps then, and she reads the message. “
Siúcra ducra
” — she slaps her head with her palm —“the teen surf gods photo shoot! I was supposed to be on Killiney Beach ten minutes ago. Would you be a doll and write up Frizzy’s answer and file it straight to Saffy when you’re finished? I’m so over deadline, it’s scary biscuits. You have Saffy’s e-mail address, right?” She slides her feet carefully into her flip-flops. “I’ll be forever yours, Beanie. I’m so behind with everything. Saffy wanted this surfing piece like yesterday, and I haven’t even done the research yet.”

I roll my eyes and smile. “OK, just this once.”

I’m actually quite excited. It’s the first time Clover’s let me file a piece without checking it over first.

“Coola boola. Sorry for burdening you with all my woes. You feeling a bit brighter yourself now, babes?”

I nod — compared to Clover’s problems, mine are gnat-size. “Thanks for coming over.”

“You’re more than welcome. And I’m sure Mills will snap out of it soon — try not to fret.” She kisses her fingers and waves them at me. “Toodle-oo, babes.” She runs out of the door, then stops and dashes back in again.

“I told you about Friday night, right?” she asks.

“No.”

She gives a laugh. “I’m such a scatterbrain at the moment. I’ll pick you up at seven. Tell Sylvie I’m taking you out for pizza. But wear something hot! And there’s a slot for Mills, if you can tempt her away from lover-boy.” She lowers her voice. “And put on your dancing shoes. The girls are going capital O-U-T!”

By Friday morning I know I have to tackle Mills over Bailey, and the sooner the better — we’re on the way to school, and she’s in the middle of yet another monologue, and unless I stop her, I’m going to jump in front of a bus.

“Do you think Bailey would look better in black or blue?” she’s saying in the usual daydreamy voice she uses when she’s talking about him. “I spotted a really nice shirt in the
Goss
. They did this ‘Dress Your Boyfriend’ fashion spread and—”

“Mills! All this Bailey stuff is doing my head in. Please, you have to cease and desist.”

“What Bailey stuff?”

I put my hands over my face and groan. Clover’s right. Mills
is
delusional.

“Mills, Mr. Otis is your sole topic of conversation 24/7. You talk about nothing else.”

“That’s rubbish,” she says, but from the blush creeping across her cheeks, I can tell she knows it’s true.

“And I wish you’d stop with the kissing in front of me. It’s embarrassing.”

“We never kiss in front of you, Amy . . . Well, hardly ever.”

“Mills! Come on. The D4s are calling you Leech Lips.”

“Leech Lips? That’s disgusting. And most unfair.”

I sigh. “Mills, I know you’re crazy about Bailey, but you’re going to have to cool it in school. And it might be worth playing just a little bit hard to get, don’t you think?”

She gasps. “Do you think he’s going off me? Did Seth say something?”

“No, of course not. But you guys spend so much time together, it’s not healthy.”

Her back stiffens. “That’s just your opinion, Amy.”

Now she’s really starting to annoy me. “For the record,” I say, “Clover thinks you’re behaving like a sap.”

“What do you mean?”

“Dumping your mates once you have a boyfriend is classic D4 behavior, she said, and utterly beneath you.”

Mills swallows and looks away. I can tell she doesn’t like what she’s hearing, but it might just be sinking in. Mills thinks Clover is
the
expert when it comes to love.

“Do you agree with Clover, Amy?” she asks finally.

“Yes,” I say firmly.

“Have I really been that obsessed?”

“And then some.”

She plays with her ponytail, flicking it around a finger. “I guess I have some making up to do.” One of the nice things about Mills is that she admits her mistakes. “How about shopping tomorrow?” she suggests. “Just the two of us.”

“I’m at Dad’s this weekend. And I’m going out with Clover tonight. But she said you’re welcome to tag along. We’re meeting at my place at seven. She won’t tell me where we’re going — but knowing Clover, it’s bound to be fun. Will you come? Please?”

“I said I’d go to a movie with Bailey tonight. There’s this horror thing he wants to see.”

I stare at her. Hasn’t she been listening to a word I’ve said? “Mills, you hate scary movies more than I do.”

“Don’t say a word to Bailey — I told him I was a big fan. And besides, I can’t cancel now. Bailey goes mad if I try to rearrange things at the last minute.”

“Fine,” I say in a clipped voice, and then start marching toward the train station.

Mills runs after me and grabs my arm. “Slow down, Amy. What’s wrong?”

“If you don’t know, then I’m not telling you.”

“Don’t be like that. I’m sorry, but I promised Bailey . . .” She trails off.

“As I said, it’s fine. Look, I just realized I forgot my classics homework, and Miss Sketchberry will have a fit. You go on — no point in both of us being late.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to leave you, but—” Mills hates being late for school; she has her heart set on being Head Girl.

“See you later.” I walk back toward my house, blinking back angry tears. I don’t go all the way home but wait at the corner of my street to put enough distance between us to ensure we’re on different trains. Bailey normally catches that train too, and right now I don’t think I could bear to watch another episode of
The Mills and Bailey Show.

That evening I’m surprised to find Mills on my doorstep just before seven.

“What are you doing here?” I ask her, a little crossly. “Thought you were going to the movies with love’s young dream.”

“I thought I’d go out with my best bud instead. I rang Clover this afternoon, and she said it was ‘Coolio, babes.’”

“Then she’ll also have told you that I intend to park my bum on the sofa all night.” I’d had a lousy day at school since Seth wasn’t in — sometimes he stays off to go to the hospital with Polly — and I’d spent most of the time trying to avoid Mills and Bailey. I rang Clover earlier and told her I wasn’t in the mood for going out.

But Mills is having none of it. “I told her we were both definitely on for it. Said I’d talk you round. So you’d better get changed. Our Clover taxi will be here any second.”

“Weren’t you listening?” I cross my arms grumpily. “I’m not going, and there’s nothing you can do to change my mind.”

“Actually there is” — she smiles smugly —“you’ve left me with no alternative: I’m calling Mouse. All for one and one for all — remember?”

I squeal despite my bad mood. “No! That’s so unfair. I haven’t called Mouse on you in years.”

“Ha! I’m calling Mouse and that’s that. Throw on your new skinny jeans — they look fab.”

I glare at her, but she’s won and she knows it.

“Go on, Ames,” she cajoles. “You know you secretly want to. You’re just being stubborn.”

“You’re unbelievable, Mills, you know that?”

She just smiles and mouths “Mouse” at me.

Calling Mouse is so underhanded,
I think as I stomp up the stairs. When we were little, Mills had this videotape called
The Three Mouseketeers,
and we both adored it. One day we were snuggled up on the sofa in Mills’s house eating bowls of ice cream, with Mills’s duvet pulled over our legs.
The Three Mouseketeers
had just finished. “All for one and one for all,” Mills said, swinging her empty spoon in the air like a sword the way the little mice did.

“Friends forever,” I said, waving my own spoon and quoting the mice: “‘Whatever is asked in the name of Mouse must be obeyed. ’Cause we are the Mouseketeers.’”