Read Online Betrothed by Wanda Wiltshire - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Wanda Wiltshire
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me.’
‘Which bit?’
‘Ouch,’ Peter said with a smirk. Abby slapped him and told him to shut up.
‘Oh, that’s real nice!’ I said, scowling at Jack before shifting the look to Courtney, sniggering quietly beside him.
‘Well, what do you think he wants? You’re not stupid,’ Jack said. But the way he looked at me made it clear he thought I might be.
‘I’m not stupid! Is that supposed to be a compliment?’
‘Take it as you want, but Jason just likes what he sees.’
‘You’re supposed to be my friend,’ I cried.
‘I wouldn’t be your friend if I didn’t point out the obvious. Look, you’re cute, he notices, but how keen was he when your face was messed up?’ He hesitated. I fumed. ‘Don’t be naïve. I’m a guy, I know how they think and I know what he’s after.’
‘Is that all you think I’m worth? Geez, you sure know how to make me feel good about myself.’
He threw his hands up and looked to the sky. ‘Now you are being stupid! I’m telling you what he’s after, not what you’re worth. You’re way too good for him!’
Hilary, who, together with the others, had been watching the conversation become more and more heated, chewed her bottom lip as her gaze flicked between me and Jack. She intervened in an attempt to calm the storm. ‘Jack, Jason’s not that bad and it’s not like Amy hasn’t been out with him before.’ Jason had taken me to music night a few weeks earlier. Not exactly a date, but close enough.
‘Oh, you’re just as stupid as she is!’ Jack said, his eyes wide. ‘He’s got you both just as sucked in as the rest of that idiot group he hangs around with. What is it about the guy? The blond hair, the tan, the big fake smile?’ Jack stood and raked a hand savagely through his hair as he glared at each of us. Then he snatched his backpack fromthe ground and hurled it over his shoulder. It landed like a sack of bricks on his back. ‘I’ve gotta go.’ He strode off without a backward glance. Courtney jumped up and scampered after him. I knew I wouldn’t see him again that day. I felt sick about it.
After Peter and Abby had slipped away, Hilary and I stood and watched each other for a few moments.
‘Do you think it’s true?’ I asked finally.
‘What?’
‘Do you think Jason’s only after one thing?’
‘I don’t think so.’ But she didn’t look sure. ‘Maybe Jack’s jealous. He’s always flirting with you.’
‘Jack flirts with everyone.’
‘True, but not as much as he does with you.’
‘I don’t think it is jealousy. I think he’s genuinely worried.’ I trusted Jack completely, so the realisation made me uneasy.
‘Why should he be?’
‘I don’t know . . . Hil, what are you doing on Saturday night?’
‘I haven’t any plans, you’d know if I did.’
‘Want to double date?’
‘I need a guy for that.’
‘What if I tell Jason I was supposed to be hanging out with you? I could suggest he bring a friend.’ That would have to appease Jack—at least a little.
‘You’ll make me sound desperate,’ Hilary said, but she was smiling so I could see she liked the idea.
‘I’ll be careful,’ I assured her.
She was suddenly very interested in the patterns the bark made in the trunk of our tree. She traced a slow finger down the rough brown lines. ‘Tell him to ask Kyle,’ she said eventually. Her cheeks were a lovely warm rose in her Irish cream skin.
‘Ah, like that, is it? Sneaky thing, you’ve never mentioned Kyle before.’
She looked up and grinned back at me. ‘Well . . . ’
‘Come on,’ I said, laughing at her. ‘We’ll be late for class.’
After school I spent a couple of hours at the computer making a start on my history assignment before calling Jason.
‘Yo, Amy,’ he said when he answered the phone.
‘Hey, I’m calling about Saturday night.’ The monitor’s screensaver flicked on. My eyes chose a bubble to track.
‘No problem I hope?’
‘I don’t think so, but I forgot
‘Which bit?’
‘Ouch,’ Peter said with a smirk. Abby slapped him and told him to shut up.
‘Oh, that’s real nice!’ I said, scowling at Jack before shifting the look to Courtney, sniggering quietly beside him.
‘Well, what do you think he wants? You’re not stupid,’ Jack said. But the way he looked at me made it clear he thought I might be.
‘I’m not stupid! Is that supposed to be a compliment?’
‘Take it as you want, but Jason just likes what he sees.’
‘You’re supposed to be my friend,’ I cried.
‘I wouldn’t be your friend if I didn’t point out the obvious. Look, you’re cute, he notices, but how keen was he when your face was messed up?’ He hesitated. I fumed. ‘Don’t be naïve. I’m a guy, I know how they think and I know what he’s after.’
‘Is that all you think I’m worth? Geez, you sure know how to make me feel good about myself.’
He threw his hands up and looked to the sky. ‘Now you are being stupid! I’m telling you what he’s after, not what you’re worth. You’re way too good for him!’
Hilary, who, together with the others, had been watching the conversation become more and more heated, chewed her bottom lip as her gaze flicked between me and Jack. She intervened in an attempt to calm the storm. ‘Jack, Jason’s not that bad and it’s not like Amy hasn’t been out with him before.’ Jason had taken me to music night a few weeks earlier. Not exactly a date, but close enough.
‘Oh, you’re just as stupid as she is!’ Jack said, his eyes wide. ‘He’s got you both just as sucked in as the rest of that idiot group he hangs around with. What is it about the guy? The blond hair, the tan, the big fake smile?’ Jack stood and raked a hand savagely through his hair as he glared at each of us. Then he snatched his backpack fromthe ground and hurled it over his shoulder. It landed like a sack of bricks on his back. ‘I’ve gotta go.’ He strode off without a backward glance. Courtney jumped up and scampered after him. I knew I wouldn’t see him again that day. I felt sick about it.
After Peter and Abby had slipped away, Hilary and I stood and watched each other for a few moments.
‘Do you think it’s true?’ I asked finally.
‘What?’
‘Do you think Jason’s only after one thing?’
‘I don’t think so.’ But she didn’t look sure. ‘Maybe Jack’s jealous. He’s always flirting with you.’
‘Jack flirts with everyone.’
‘True, but not as much as he does with you.’
‘I don’t think it is jealousy. I think he’s genuinely worried.’ I trusted Jack completely, so the realisation made me uneasy.
‘Why should he be?’
‘I don’t know . . . Hil, what are you doing on Saturday night?’
‘I haven’t any plans, you’d know if I did.’
‘Want to double date?’
‘I need a guy for that.’
‘What if I tell Jason I was supposed to be hanging out with you? I could suggest he bring a friend.’ That would have to appease Jack—at least a little.
‘You’ll make me sound desperate,’ Hilary said, but she was smiling so I could see she liked the idea.
‘I’ll be careful,’ I assured her.
She was suddenly very interested in the patterns the bark made in the trunk of our tree. She traced a slow finger down the rough brown lines. ‘Tell him to ask Kyle,’ she said eventually. Her cheeks were a lovely warm rose in her Irish cream skin.
‘Ah, like that, is it? Sneaky thing, you’ve never mentioned Kyle before.’
She looked up and grinned back at me. ‘Well . . . ’
‘Come on,’ I said, laughing at her. ‘We’ll be late for class.’
After school I spent a couple of hours at the computer making a start on my history assignment before calling Jason.
‘Yo, Amy,’ he said when he answered the phone.
‘Hey, I’m calling about Saturday night.’ The monitor’s screensaver flicked on. My eyes chose a bubble to track.
‘No problem I hope?’
‘I don’t think so, but I forgot
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