The Deepest Cut (12 page)

Polly looked at me strangely. ‘But I just saw her–'

‘What have you and Megan been talking about then?' I interrupted Polly with the first thing that came into my head. I shook my head at her. She shrugged at me, confused.

‘We were just talking about why T-Rexes have really small arms,' Jake said. He looked me square in the eye and cracked up. Then he pulled his arms up close to his body and did a really bad impression of a T-Rex trying to drink wine straight from the bottle. Out the corner of my eye, Polly was laughing and I had to stop myself from cracking up.

I turned to Megan. ‘Why don't you go back in and find Nath?' I asked.

‘Leave it, Ads,' Jake said. He put his mouth really close to my ear. ‘They'll be OK tomorrow when everyone's sober and nobody's drunk and everybody can do this …' He started dancing like a robot.

‘Jake.' Kelly stood on the front doorstep.

I shook my head at her in disgust. She gave me a pleading look. Jake hadn't noticed her, so I took his arm and walked him a few paces away from Megan and Polly, and out of Kelly's eye line. I had to tell him.

I held his arms to stop his stupid robot dancing.

‘What?' He asked. ‘Why you so serious?'

I whispered it in his ear.

He pushed me away slightly, then looked at me with his eyebrows squished together. ‘Let me get this straight,' he said, rubbing his forehead while swaying on the spot. ‘You just caught my girlfriend shagging another bloke?' He said it so loudly, he caught the attention of Megan, and Polly, who was wincing.

‘Jake …'

He grabbed my arms and looked into my eyes. I'd never seen him look so serious. ‘You caught my Kelly in bed with another bloke?'

I was bracing myself for the fact he was about to go crazy. Even Megan had backed off a couple of steps.

‘Jake …'

His face changed and he erupted into one of his belly laughs. He bent over and laughed for ages. It wasn't funny. Not even a little bit. When he came back up, he had tears of laughter in his eyes.

‘I didn't actually catch them,' I said, because it was the truth. ‘But she did admit it and she told me not to tell you and, of course, the first thing I did was come and tell you,' I said.

He cracked up again. I didn't know how he could find it funny.

‘Jake?'

He switched and suddenly I was using all my strength to hold him back.

‘I'm gonna fucking kill the wanking twatting bastard. Let fucking go of me, Adam. I'm gonna find him and I'm gonna fucking kill him.'

‘He's already gone,' Kelly said. She stood by the gate with her head down and her arms crossed over her chest. Her black make-up had run down her face like she'd been crying.

‘You bitch,' he spat. ‘You fucking bitch.'

She walked up to him and stopped. ‘I'm fucked, Jake,' she was swaying on the spot.

‘You're dumped,' he said, right up in her face.

‘No,' she cried.

‘Fucking yes,' he said.

She tried to grab him, but he pushed her off and stormed inside. I was right behind him, leaving Kelly sobbing in Megan's arms.

‘Jake, man,' I shouted over the music.

‘Leave me,' he said.

‘What the fuck is going on?' Nathan said from the bottom of the stairs, where he was sitting with Sarah. The front door had shut behind us, so at least Megan couldn't see.

‘Kelly and Jake are over,' I said.

‘What?' He stood up, a bit shocked.

‘Who gives a fuck?' Danny said, appearing behind me. ‘Come on, we're going,' he said to Sarah and Nathan. Sarah got up and took Nathan's hand and they all walked out the front door.

‘What? Where you going?' I asked.

‘Away from this shit-hole,' Danny said.

‘Hang on, Nath. Nathan, did you hear what just happened? You can't bail. Jake is in a right state,' I said.

‘He'll be OK,' he said.

I followed him up the path towards the gate. ‘Nath? And what about Megan? What the fuck is going on?'

Megan looked at Nathan holding Sarah's hand with wide eyes. She pushed Kelly away and took a few steps towards Nathan, but Danny put his arm out.

‘Know when to leave it,' he said to her.

‘Nathan, Jake is in a right state. You can't bail now, he needs us,' I said.

Danny unlocked his car and Nathan and Sarah climbed into the back together. Lucy in the front.

‘Nathan,' I said again.

‘Fucking leave him,' Danny said. ‘He don't wanna hang around with you losers anymore. Especially you,' he pointed at Megan. He got in the car, put the key in the ignition, turned up the music, and sped off down the road. And all we could do was stand there and watch.

Jake was in a right mess, so Polly and I dragged him out of the party – ignoring Kelly, who was begging him – and went straight to the park. Polly said we needed a bit of R&R, away from all the madness.

The plan was to sit on our bench and get absolutely smashed to forget what a bad night it'd been. Actually, that was Jake and Polly's plan. I just went along with it. I let them start on the vodka Polly had brought, while I stayed sober and sensible. Jake was heartbroken. I had to stand guard and make sure our evening didn't get any worse.

‘Eugh, it tastes like hairspray,' Jake said and handed the bottle back to Polly. ‘Haven't you got anything to go with it?'

‘Yeah, cause that was the only thing on my mind as we got you out of there, wasn't it?' She said.

I laughed. She was really good at being sarcastic.

‘What you laughing at?' She raised her eyebrow at me but there was a twinkle in her eye. I couldn't help but smile at her.

‘Do you two wanna bone each other?' Jake slurred.

‘Right, home time,' I said standing up. I didn't trust him not to embarrass me completely in his inebriated state.

‘We've only just got here, a-hole,' Jake pulled me back down onto the bench. ‘Lighten up a bit. You're so stiff.'

Polly snorted into the vodka bottle.

‘You,' Jake said, jabbing her arm. ‘You have got a filthy mind, for someone so young.'

‘Shut up, I'm only in the year below you.'

‘Year eleven?'

‘Yeah.'

‘So you're fifteen?'

‘No, I was sixteen on 3
^rd
September. If I was born a few days earlier, I'd be in your year, and I know for a fact you two are still sixteen, so shut up.'

‘I'm seventeen on 2
^nd
January,' Jake said, poking out his tongue at her.

‘You're acting like you're four,' she said.

‘Just give me that,' Jake said. He grabbed the bottle off her and swigged before pulling a pained face. ‘Tastes like hairspray,' he said again. He got up off the bench and swayed about a bit.

‘What you doing, Jake? Sit back down,' I said.

‘I'm stretching my legs, man. Leave me alone. Talk to your girlfriend.'

‘I can't get over Nathan going off with Danny like that.' I said.

‘Danny's an idiot,' Polly said.

‘Yeah, I gathered. I just don't get why Nath went off with him.'

‘Danny's got this appeal, this charm–'

‘Really? I just thought he was an arsehole,' I said.

‘Yeah, he is, it's just …' She looked me straight in the eye. ‘It's bothered you, hasn't it?'

‘Of course it's bothered me, look at the state of that,' I pointed at Jake. He was lying in a starfish shape on the grass, singing opera. ‘He's our best mate. He should be here right now, not off with some idiot he's just met.'

‘It probably wasn't even Danny,' Polly said. ‘It was probably 'cause he fancies that Sarah,' she said.

‘He's got a girlfriend; her name is Megan.'

‘Didn't they just have a huge row? Plus, not everyone's as boring as you. He's probably one who likes to dip his toe in all the different puddles before deciding which one he wants to splash about in.'

‘Hang on,' I said. ‘Did you just call me boring?'

She smiled. ‘Did I say boring? I meant sensible.'

I rolled my eyes at her.

She put her head on my shoulder and I got a waft of her fruity shampoo right up my nose. It smelt so nice.

‘Shall we get him home?' She looked up at me, then back at Jake who was rolling around on the grass. ‘He's absolutely fucked.'

I stood up. ‘Yeah, but we better take him back to mine. If his mum sees him like this, he's going to be in trouble, and I'll be going down with him.'

‘To yours then,' she said.

I didn't have my keys. Couldn't find them anywhere. Jake went mental and then sat on my front doorstep. He was going on and on about how crazy Debbie was going to go when she saw him drunk. He reckoned he'd be grounded for life.

‘It's OK,' I said. ‘We can sneak you in, gimme your keys,' I said.

‘I haven't got them,' he looked up at me. I swear there were tears in his eyes. I didn't blame him; we were going to be in so much trouble.

When we got back, I pushed the doorbell and braced myself. Jake had slumped himself, full weight, against the front door. When Debbie opened it he went flying into the house, and landed flat on his back at her feet.

She looked down at him. Then at Polly. Then she gave me the look she does when she's about to get really cross. I winced and braced myself for it.

‘Tell me he's not drunk,' she said. Her tone cut right through me.

‘I'm not drunk, Mummy,' Jake said, then he burst out laughing.

There was a pause which felt like a lifetime. ‘Help me get him up. Oh my God, you boys, you'll be the death of me, I swear it.'

We helped him to the kitchen table, where he sat down laughing his head off at absolutely nothing. Or something. Whatever it was, I had no idea.

‘Sit down,' Debbie said to Polly and me, and she disappeared into the under stairs cupboard. She came out with a huge orange bucket.

‘How much has he had?' she asked.

I shrugged.

‘Adam.' It was her warning tone.

‘I don't know, this thing happened, Kelly went off with this other bloke, and then he got smashed.'

She plonked the bucket on the table. Then made a huge point of sighing.

‘I'm sorry,' I said.

She shook her head at me. ‘Right then, you two …'

‘I'm Polly,' Polly said to Debbie.

‘Hi, Polly,' Debbie smiled then turned back to me. ‘You can stay up all night long, and watch him to make sure he doesn't choke on his own vomit in the middle of the night.' She turned to walk out of the kitchen, then stopped and turned back again. ‘And if he's sick anywhere but in that bucket, you can clean it up.' She pointed her finger at me, then at Polly, then at Jake who was smiling at her like a crazed maniac.

‘Polly, do your parents know where you are?' Debbie asked.

‘They're away, but it's OK, I'll text my brother and tell him I'm with Adam. He knows him,' she said.

‘Right, I'm going back to bed with ten more grey hairs than when I answered the door,' she said. ‘Oh, one sec,' she put her head back through the door. ‘Where's Nathan?'

‘Don't ask,' I said.

She shrugged and left.

‘I love you, Mummy,' Jake called after her.

‘I love you too, Jake,' she shouted back, but you could hear the unimpressed tone in her voice.

‘I love you too, Mummy,' I called after her.

‘I love you too, Adam,' she said. ‘But I mean it, stay up, watch him and clean up after him. You boys, honestly.' She disappeared up the stairs.

We put him on the sofa. I ran up really quietly and got his Power Rangers duvet. Polly took the almighty piss out of it, and I made her promise not to tell anyone at school. Which she did. Through the giggles. I put the bucket next to Jake and made him comfortable.

His last words before he passed out were ‘Where's Nathan?' which made me really angry again.

‘Have you heard from him?' Polly asked.

I checked my phone. Nothing.

‘You can get back now, if you want,' I said to her. ‘I'm OK watching him.'

‘Can I have a quick cup of tea before I go?' She asked.

‘Are you going to try and shag me?' I asked.

‘Haven't we already had this conversation?'

‘Yeah but … Just checking–'

‘Well, stop checking and go and make me a cup of tea. Milk, two sugars, not piss weak.' She smiled. ‘I'll stay here and watch oh he who cannot handle his drink.'

‘Polly, we're sixteen – we're not meant to be able to handle our drink,' I said from the doorway.

‘Has anyone ever told you, you sound like an old man trapped in a teenager's body?' She laughed as I walked away.

When I came back in, she was sitting cross-legged on the sofa watching Jake. I handed her the tea in my favourite mug.

‘You think he's going to be OK?' She asked.

‘He's gonna have a raging hangover, but yeah, I think he'll live,' I said.

‘No, I mean about Kelly?'