Part 6 (1/2)

'eBay,' came Amy's tart response. 'It's either eBay or India, or maybe Monsoon. All equally bad.'

'Girls!' Mrs Parker shushed them. 'This term we want to inspire you to get involved with the dramatic arts . . .' The English teacher seemed to enjoy the slight hush that this announcement brought. Although most of the girls in the room realized that their career options were limited to doctor, lawyer or accountant, a few still nursed a secret longing to be Hollywood film stars.

'We want those girls who are interested to submit a one-act play. The four most fascinating oeuvres will be performed, one by each house. I'll be holding open auditions to choose the cast and the directors. Fun, no?'

Despite her promise to stay out of it, Amy felt her ears p.r.i.c.k up. Acting? Yes, obviously she was going to join her dad's nightclub business after she'd done a law or business degree, but she was one of those girls who couldn't help daydreaming about acting just a little. Maybe having a famous actress on board wouldn't be such a bad thing for her dad's business anyway . . . would it?

'A one-act play?' Penny was the first to start with the questions. She was already taking notes, eager to get cracking. She was just such a prize-hunter, already doing everything she could to make sure she was appointed head girl in two years' time. 'So how many words are you looking for?' was her next question. 'How long should it take to perform?'

Mrs Parker was more than happy to elaborate, and provided a list of recommended plays as 'inspiration' for all those planning on entering the compet.i.tion.

Amy, Gina and Min wrote down the suggested t.i.tles.

'Interested?' Min asked Amy.

'Not writing . . . but maybe acting. Gina?'

'Erm . . . yeah, I think so,' Gina answered casually, but really she felt excited. She was definitely going to give this a go. Her one really good subject, the one she felt totally comfortable with, was English. Or, more accurately, English with Mrs Parker.

And anyway, Gina's most secret ambition, which she had never told anyone about, was to be a screenwriter so yes, she had to at least give Mrs Parker's one-act play compet.i.tion her best shot.

'I hope you're not even thinking about writing a play on top of your heavy workload?' Amy had to ask Min.

'Well . . . I-'

But before Min could reply, Mrs Parker's voice cut across them: 'Giselle, could you bring the ball of paper that has just landed in front of you over to me?'

When Giselle stared up blankly, pretending to have no idea what she could possibly mean, the teacher wasn't fooled.

'Yes, that little ball of paper right there the one that's just landed on your notebook.'

Giselle paused, then her hand went gingerly to the rolled-up ball. 'I haven't read it, Mrs Parker,' she said meekly.

'No? Good. Well, just give it to me.'

'Uh-oh. This is going to be interesting,' Amy whispered just loudly enough for both Gina and Min to hear.

Chapter Eleven.

Amy had woken the following Sat.u.r.day to see the yellow curtains over the dorm windows glowing with early morning suns.h.i.+ne. As soon as her eyes were open, Jason was the first thought that came into her mind. She'd finally heard from him yesterday. He'd sent an email to say he wouldn't be able to meet her in town today (her suggestion, her emailed invitation G.o.d, she could just kill herself for being so stupid as to invite him out again; how desperate did she want to seem?).

I'm a bit tied up for school all day Sat, he'd informed her in his reply. Sunday no better, but I'll let you know ASAP if next weekend might work. J.

J? J? This was someone who had held her very tightly in the darkest, cosiest corner of the nightclub and kissed and kissed and kissed her until she didn't think she would be able to breathe again. Until the only thing she could see, smell or think was Jason. In that corner, on the plush velvet sofa, set back from the throng, out of her dad's sight, Amy had practised snogging.

She had finally begun to understand what all the fuss was about as she'd let Jason's mouth fix over hers and his hands pull her tightly towards her. Together, they had felt the surge of want. Big, breathless, fearless want. Kissing Jason, she'd felt as if nothing else mattered, not one single other thing in the entire world. When she'd kissed Jason then, she'd felt as if she'd have gone anywhere with him and done anything he wanted to do. She'd been aware of what a heady and slightly dangerous feeling it was.

But that was six weeks ago. Since then nothing but long silences, brief texts, and now this email turning down a meeting and not telling her when another one might be on the cards. Amy could just scream with frustration. What was the matter with him? Hadn't they had a brilliant time? The best time ever?

No, she wasn't going to let this carry on any longer. Today she was hatching a plan: she was going to find out what was really going on with Jason. What was he really up to today?

Straight after breakfast, as soon as the girls were allowed out of the boarding house, she planned to set off for St Lennox's. She didn't know what excuse she was going to give. It was difficult to leave the boarding house on your own. But maybe she could say she had to buy more uniform and would meet up with her friends later, before they all returned to the boarding house for lunch.

Amy dressed carefully: if she was going to spy on Jason, she couldn't wear anything too eye-catching, but then, if there was just the slightest chance of him seeing her, she couldn't look too bad. So she chose jeans, a black top, her very soft, very expensive copper-brown leather jacket and, for a little touch of colour that wouldn't announce her presence, her high-heeled red ankle boots.

She brushed out her hair carefully and applied blusher, lip gloss and perfume.

'Is there something we should know about happening today?' Min asked, her head emerging from the casual sweats.h.i.+rt she was pulling on. 'I thought this was a quiet and boring weekend before the big trip to Blacklough next Friday.'

'Next Friday?' Gina double-checked. 'That is so exciting!' The prospect of visiting Niffy in her weird ancestral home in the wilds of the countryside was definitely thrilling.

'I will explain it all later. Once I know exactly what is going on,' Amy told them both, not taking her eyes off her reflection in the mirror. 'All I need you to do is cover for me just for a few hours.'

'Uh-oh,' said Gina, who was still in bed she hated getting up so early at weekends (at St Jude's a lie-in was something that went all the way to 8.30!). 'Why do I get the feeling this has something to do with racey-Jasey?'

'Don't call him that!' Amy snapped. 'And I'm not saying anything until later. All I need is for you two to go into town for a few hours this morning, then we'll meet up, maybe a little later than I'll be telling the Neb, and come back to the boarding house together.'

Both Gina and Min sighed, but it was clear from the determined look on Amy's face that this was the plan.

'Are you going off to meet him?' Min wanted to know.

'Not exactly,' was all Amy would say.

As soon as she'd signed herself out, convincing Mrs K that she was in dire need of a new games skirt and she'd be hooking up with her friends within the hour, Amy almost ran down Bute Gardens. At boarding school, being on your own was so unusual that when it happened, it gave an almost delirious sense of freedom.

At the end of the street she took a right then a left turn, which brought her onto one of the busy roads leading into town. She wasn't going to town, but within a few minutes she had spotted what she was looking for: a taxi with its light on, ready to pick up a fare.

Hailing it and jumping into the back, Amy instructed, 'St Lennox School on Macmillan Road please, but don't drop me right outside the gates.'

Once she'd paid the fare and watched the cab rattle off into the distance, she wasn't so sure about her plan. The big, imposing gothic building took up almost the whole street. Yes, there was one main front entrance, but she couldn't just stand there hoping Jason would suddenly appear. What was she thinking? There were probably loads of different side gates in and out of the place. And anyway, there was nowhere to hang about unnoticed. She couldn't exactly crouch down behind this row of parked cars . . . could she?

It was quiet though no boys were coming or going out of the place yet. Maybe they had a.s.sembly on Sat.u.r.days . . . or church? Or even cla.s.ses? She couldn't remember if any St Lennox boys had ever told her what happened on Sat.u.r.day mornings.

Standing all alone in the road, looking at the deserted gates, the deserted driveway up to the school, she felt overwhelmed by the task she'd set herself. How was she even supposed to find Jason, let alone spy on him?

Disheartened, she turned away and began to trudge towards the road that led into town. Walking up the steep hill, she pa.s.sed a little cafe and decided to go in, order a coffee and just think about the whole thing for a few minutes.

When she was seated with her creamy latte at the table beside the window, she suddenly realized that, quite by chance, she'd ended up in a prime position. Wasn't this the most obvious route for St Lennox boys to take into town? If Jason was up to something far more interesting that meeting her, wasn't this the way he would come? And if he didn't walk past here, couldn't she at least think about believing that maybe he really was tied up at school for the day?

She sipped her coffee and watched and waited.

Time pa.s.sed.

Then time began to drag.

Soon time was absolutely crawling along from one minute to the next.