Part 33 (1/2)

The banner across the top of the screen says: GOSSIP SO HOT WE'RE BURNING YOU TWICE!!!

Seriously. Who writes this c.r.a.p?

And then: Adam Wexler or should that be s.e.xler?

Just the sight of his name is enough to close my throat so tight I can't even draw breath.

But then there's a picture of him. A fuzzy snap taken on a camera phone as he's sitting at a table in the suns.h.i.+ne with a girl. Kissing.

My lungs tourniquet as I see myself on screen.

There's an arrow pointing at on-screen me.

WHO'S THIS CUTIE?!

And then there's a shot of Wexler walking with me towards the Gold'ntone bus...

There's another helpful arrow.

Gold'ntone'S TOUR BUS...

Oh G.o.d.

This time there's a shot of me, falling out of the bus, my clothes dishevelled, hair all over the place, my bra strap slipped halfway down the arm with the ink. Then some text flashes up.

s.e.xY WEXY KNOWN FOR HIS FAN-FANCYING SCORES A HOTTIE.

BUT WHO IS SHE?.

The tension that's twisted my respiratory system into a halt snaps and suddenly I'm breathing fast and shallow. Why are they doing this?

”Ruby what...?” Stu reaches for me, but I push him out of the way so I can see the screen.

There I am. The stupid f.u.c.king photo that those girls took of me backstage.

”Is that you?” some boy near by asks.

”You. f.u.c.k off.” Stu turns to point at whoever's talking.

”All right, mate. Not my fault your bird's s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g around-” Stu steps towards him, away from me, and that's my chance.

I run. Again. Always f.u.c.king running.

KAZ.

I try ringing her. Again and again and again, but it rings out each time.

Then I ring Lee, who isn't answering either, and I leave a slightly garbled message, the gist of which is, ”Where is Ruby?”

I call my mum by accident and hang up and hope she won't notice the missed call.

I call Owen, who does answer, and I have to shout at him because of the noise in the background, until I give up and text him. My hands are shaking too much and Lauren takes the phone off me: Meet at the spot on the hill. Check Festblog explains the emergency.

Ruby will be hating this, people knowing her business...

Why didn't she tell me her business? But a nasty little voice that sounds a lot like Stuart Garside pipes up, Where were you last night when she needed you?

My breaths don't seem to be coming in properly and I need a second to calm down, asking Lauren to call Stu. I can't believe that I'm actually hoping she's with him.

”Stu? It's Lauren on Kaz's-” Lauren frowns. ”Where is she now?”

RUBY.

I'm about to be sick as I catapult into the toilets. The nice ones down by the front of the stage that are a bit Porta-kabin-y. Only they're not so nice after a day and a half's use. The cubicle I cannoned into is coated in diarrhoea and I back out quickly. Not there.

”Yeah. You know there's a queue, yeah?”

I hadn't even registered the fact there was a queue.

”Sorry,” I say quietly. ”Thought I was going to be sick.”

The feeling has gone presumably put off by the sight of what I was planning on being sick into.

”Yeah, sorry. But if you're not, yeah, there's still a queue.”

I nod meekly and join the back of the four-person line. We shuffle forwards until I'm level with the sinks, where I study my arm in the mirrors. The girl who's was.h.i.+ng her hands tells me my tattoo looks pretty. I think about the picture on the screens, how prominent my arm is in every single one of the shots with Wexler.

I've got to get it off.

KAZ.

Once we've all gathered together Stu too I take charge, sending Lee up to the Festblog tent to see if we can stop them posting it again she's sixteen, this can't be legal. Owen is going back to our camp in case Ruby's hiding there, and Anna and Dongle say they'll check the stalls. I ask Lauren and Parvati to check the two different girls' loos at the top of the hill. I'll go for the ones by the main stage.