More Flirting Games (The Flirting Series - Young Adult) (9 page)

“Whatever
it is Diana, it can’t be that bad!”

“It’s a bit
of a long story,” Diana blew her nose.

“Well, I
think we have a few hours. I’ve just remembered it’s Jerry Doury’s birthday,
his friends will have organized some major carnage.” Rose smiled at the memory
of last year’s party being closed down by the Deputy Head at nearly two in the
morning.

Diana
nodded and pulled her pillow into her lap. Rose crossed her legs under herself
and bounced a little till she was comfortable, settled facing the other girl.

“My mum
came over from Dublin when she was just nineteen and married my dad within
weeks of their meeting. He says she was so full of life and happy back then.
But after I was born, she began to get what she called ‘black thoughts.’ She
would get terrible low for weeks at a time and then seem to bounce back to
being herself. My grandmother in Ireland was worried sick, she said there were
others in her family who had been that way and it could go on for years. She
bought us a house in the same village where the Flanagans lived, because she
knew the family well and she hoped Leo’s dad would keep an eye on us, which he did.
My father didn’t really know how to cope with my mother, he said he found it
even harder when she was madly happy then when she was down. He said it was her
‘Irish temperament.’

“They began
to fight all the time and my father drank more and my mother seemed to get
depressed more often and sometimes she’d get really hysterical. They used to
send me over to the Flanagan’s every time things got too loud between them.
Eventually, my dad got fired from his job because of his drinking and we lost
almost everything but the house, which he couldn’t sell as it belongs to my
grandmother.”

Diana
paused to collect herself. Rose was stunned, she had always thought Diana was
loaded, not poor!

“I think
Mum was very relieved when Grannie insisted on paying for me to go to Compass
Court with Leo when I was eleven. Mum secretly saved to make sure I had nice
clothes to bring and everything, so no one would know what was going on at
home. Maintaining an image was important to her, and she didn’t even tell Mr
Flanagan how bad it was. Though I think he suspected - they were really kind to
me and bought me one of almost everything they bought Leo.

“Then in
November of my first year here your parents put Mr Flanagan’s brother in
prison. But he wasn’t the only one was he? Nobody thought much about the
second
man, Sean Mathrey, he was just an accountant. But he was also
my mother’s Godfather. She was very close to him and took it really badly.

“My first
Christmas back home was awful. Mum was always crying and I had forgotten how
much they argued and how wrecked the house was. On Christmas Day, Dad was
totally plastered and I think my mum had had enough. She made me pack a bag and
then she hugged me and told me to go to the Flanagan’s house and ask if I could
stay the night.

“When I got
there I was really upset and told them everything. Mr Flanagan went straight to
our house. But he was too late. By the time he got there, Mum had taken the car
and gone. She drove it into a wall and was killed instantly.” Diana stopped
with a sob.

Rose was
open mouthed in horror. “Diana I’m so sorry! I had no idea!” She felt acutely
ashamed of the way she had treated Diana. Rose had never had to deal with
anything like that. She had an amazing, happy family, who loved her; no wonder
Diana hadn’t liked her! She wondered if Diana blamed her for any of it, but
didn’t know how to ask.

“I didn’t
want anyone to know.” Diana took a deep breath and continued. “Mum’s death was
officially recorded as an accident, but Dad holds himself responsible. Now he’s
trying really hard to stay sober. But he never manages it at Christmas. In my
second year we spent Christmas at the Flanagans’, but that made him worse,
somehow. I think he prefers to wallow alone, so now I stay at school. He’s ok
in the other holidays.

“The Flanagans
have been really good to me. They cover for him a lot and look out for him and
check on us all the time during the summer. It drives my dad mad sometimes, so
mostly they send Leo over to visit. Leo has been great, he was such a good
friend after my mum died and he’s really good at dealing with my dad if he’s
had one too many. Anyway, I don’t need to go into all that…”

Diana
trailed off and fidgeted with the bedspread. Not quite meeting Rose’s eyes she
said “But none of that properly explains why I have been so unfriendly does
it.”

Rose put
her hand over Diana’s fretful fingers to stop them shredding the sheet.

“Yes it
does. I totally understand.”

“You do?”
Diana looked relieved.

“Yes, my
background is the total opposite of yours, I’ve been really lucky. I’m so sorry
that my parents were involved in sending your mothers godfather to prison. Do
you really think it triggered her depression?” Rose asked nervously.

Diana
emphatically shook her head. “I don’t blame them, it was just one more reason.”

“Ok, but I
can see why you didn’t like me, and I can see why you and Leo are so close, and
I threatened that.” Rose felt awful.

Diana
sighed. “I shouldn’t have made you the enemy Rose, and it all happened five
years ago now, but if you and Leo get together I’m going to feel even more
alone.”

Rose
squeezed Diana’s hand tightly. “You’re not going to be alone! I’m going to be
your friend as well, whether you like it or not. And so are Sophie and Grace.”

Diana
pulled her hand away. “I don’t want your pity, I just thought you should know
the full story so you would understand why Leo stopped talking to you when I
asked him to. And, I really don’t want Sophie and Grace to know all this, but I
expect you’ll tell them anyway!”

“It’s not
pity, you wally!” Said Rose. “I really do think we could be friends, after all,
we have to share a room for another year and a half. I won’t need to tell the
girls anything if you don’t want me to, they have always been ready to be
friends with you if you’d just let them.”

“Oh.” Diana
blinked a few times. “You can tell Alex if you like. I trust him not to say
anything.”

“No, he
never would, but why Alex? You don’t even know him. Why would you trust him?”
Rose thought Diana blushed a little but her hair was hiding her face again.

Interesting!
Thought Rose. Out loud she said
“Well, if Leo and I can work this out, then maybe the four of us could go to
Oakworth Village together at the weekend?”

Diana
smiled. “Yes, I’d like that.”

Rose leaned
over and hugged Diana. Diana felt stiff and uncomfortable.

Rose
laughed “Ok, maybe we’re not ready for hugging yet! You’re going to be my
friend now, so you’ll have to get used to me a bit better.”

Diana gave
her a small smile. “You should go and find Leo.”

“Ah, um.”
Rose was suddenly very nervous about seeing him. “Could you tell him, Diana?
Can you tell him that you told me everything and see what he says? He might not
want to get back together. I tell you what, could you tell him I’ll be in the
art studio if he does want to find me? He’ll know where I mean.”

“Sure, Ok.”
Diana’s smile broadened “He will want to find you, Rose.” She watched Rose pull
her boots back on, pick up her bag and then panic! She pulled a brush through
her hair, looked in the mirror, picked up lip-gloss and put it down again,
picked up perfume. She looked at Diana.

Diana shook
her head. “Just go, I’ll go and talk to him now.”

Sitting
on the dusty sofa in the attic over the art studio, Rose looked toward the dark
stairs. It was dusk and would be dark soon. She had lit the lamp on the side
table and enjoyed the comforting glow and the little warmth it gave off.

It was soon
totally dark, the rooms below her had emptied out and Rose was beginning to
think he wasn’t coming when she heard footsteps below her.

He creaked
open the door and ascended the stairs. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking;
his eyes were bright in the lamplight. He was by her side in two long strides,
gathered her body against his and kissed her till she was breathless.

“I love
you.” He whispered.

She held
him tightly. “I love you, too.” She never wanted to let go of him again.

A long time
later, well after curfew, they still lay on the sofa in each other’s arms.

“We still
have one more hurdle to overcome” Rose said with a note of warning in her
voice.

“Oh yes?
What?” Leo trailed his fingers across her bare stomach.

“How the
hell are we going to tell our parents?”

On
Valentine’s Day two weeks later, Rose reveled in the enormous luxury of sitting
on a sofa in the West Tower Common Room, chatting with her friends and being
able to enjoy having her boyfriend’s arm openly around her shoulders. She and
Leo had decided to put off telling their parents at least until the end of
term, but it was great to be able to be openly together at school. Extra
armchairs had been pulled up to accommodate Leo and Diana into their sofa
group.

Sophie and
Grace were talking about boys. Not remotely put off by the presence of Leo and
Alex, they had openly discussed who they currently liked, who might like them
and what their favorite boy band might be doing that night.

“So who got
cards and who did everyone send a Valentines Day card to?” Sophie asked the
group at large. “I’m not counting you two.” She wagged her finger at Leo and
Rose. “You’re enough to make the rest of us feel sick. How about you Grace?”

Grace
pulled a face. “Pass. I’m not telling.”

“Oh, so you
did send one?” Sophie looked delighted. “Alex? What about you?”

Alex
blushed and muttered “Pass!”

Sophie
rolled her eyes. “You lot are useless.” Her eyes hovered on Diana who looked
terrified she might be asked next. Sophie smiled at her and let her off the
hook. “Well, I got three this year.” She continued cheerfully.

“I think
you might find it’s four.” Said Rose looking at the door. Sophie turned
following Rose’s eyes. A nervous looking first year stood there, holding six
long stemmed Calla Lilies.

“They’re
not for me, I’ve never seen that kid before. Though Calla Lilies are my
absolute favorite.” Sophie broke off as the kid in question made his way over
to them.

“Are you
Sophie Jones?” He asked her. Sophie nodded looking confused.

“These were
delivered to the front door for you.” He thrust the lilies into her arms and
scurried away.

Sophie
looked stunned. “Who on Earth?” She started. Rose leaned forward, plucked a
small envelope from the cellophane wrapping and held it out. Sophie took it and
slid it open. The simple card inside read:

Grace
frowned but Rose laughed at the dumfounded look on Sophie’s face.

“You told
him didn’t you!” Sophie accused. “You must have told him they were my favorite
flowers? When? How? What did he say?” She gabbled totally thrown by the
development.

Rose
nodded. “He rang me a couple of days ago. He told me everything, by the way.
How could you not have told me that the two of you hooked up?”

“Well,
hello pot, this is the kettle calling.” Sophie nodded towards Leo.

Rose
laughed. “Yeah, ok fair enough, I should have told you about Leo, but you
should have told me about Jack months and months ago! I gave him a proper
dressing down.”

“So he sent
these because he feels guilty?” Sophie felt the wind go out of her sails.

Rose shook
her head. “I don’t think so. He was already planning it when he rang me, he
just rang to ask about what flowers to send. But I hope you’re going to tell
him to get lost anyway? I told him I was going to advise you to totally ignore
him.”

Grace
nodded in agreement. “See, isn’t that just what I said, Soph? Don’t let him get
under your defenses, he doesn’t deserve another chance.”

Sophie
looked depressed. “He doesn’t actually say he wants another chance, only to
forgive him. That’s not exactly flirtatious or expecting anything is it?”

Rose leaned
forward and put her hand on Sophie’s knee. “Seriously Soph, I think he’s been a
total prat. He doesn’t deserve you. You’ve got to move on and focus on someone
else. Jack isn’t the boyfriend type, he’s probably sleeping with loads of girls
at Uni. Don’t let him use you again, promise me?”

“I totally
agree. You are absolutely not allowed to call him. I will personally take away
your phone and sit on you if you are remotely tempted.” Grace said forcefully.

“Thanks.”
Sophie said sadly. “You’re good friends. I do
know
that he’ll only hurt
me, I just like him soo much!”

“Jack’s
selfish, he never considers other peoples feelings.” Alex chimed in with
surprising anger. “On the other hand, I’ve never known him to send flowers
before.”