Read Online The Boyfriend Dilemma by Fiona Foden - Free Book Online

want to hang up on my best friend.
    â€œNow, Zoe,” her dad says in a calmer voice, “off to bed. You need some sleep.”
    She sniffs again and mutters, “Talk to you soon, OK?” then ends the call.
    I sit on the loo, wondering which of us had the worst day today – Zoe, being stuck with Rosalind and Olivia, or me, with Toni and CJ’s tent prank. At least having the whole town gawping at me in my vest and pants was a one-off horror, whereas poor Zoe’s stuck with Rosalind and Olivia for ever. I pick up the soap from the side of the bath and run my nails along it. Things don’t feel right when Zoe’s not around. The days are too long and … well, it’s not the same without her.
    The bathroom door handle rattles. “Who’s in there?” Dad asks.
    I rip off a square of loo roll and scrunch it up. At Zoe’s place, the loo roll is quilted and scented. They have three bathrooms and one has a bidet for washing your bum. But right now, I don’t envy her at all…
    â€œHello? Hello?” Dad booms out. “Is that you in there, La-la? You should be in bed!” Ooh, I wish he wouldn’t call me that. “Hello! Calling La-la!”
    â€œJust a minute, Dad,” I mutter.
    â€œHurry up, love. My bladder’s about to explode here.” Ugh – do other families describe their body parts in this way? I still haven’t quite recovered from Gran mentioning her bunions over breakfast yesterday.
    As I’m washing the soap from my hands, something catches my eye. Draped over the radiator is a white T-shirt with a scratchy drawing of a polar bear on the front, just like Ben was wearing the day I met him. I stare at the bear’s quizzical expression, wondering if he left it here when he stayed over. Maybe Mum found it lying around and washed it for him?
    â€œLa-la!” Dad is becoming impatient now. I pick up the T-shirt and sniff it. It doesn’t feel quite right, smelling a boy’s T-shirt, but I can’t help myself. It’s kind of warm, sweetish, biscuity… “Don’t tell me you’re doing a number two in there,” Dad retorts. “Oh, hello. Sorry – bit of queue here…” Who’s he talking to now?
    â€œThat’s OK,” comes a cheery voice.
    â€œSo, how’s your family settling in, Ben? D’you like it here?”
    Ben? I might as well end it all now.
    â€œYeah, great, thanks,” Ben replies, and he and Dad fall into conversation about our town, and Kyle’s band, and how great it is that my brother’s made a new friend. Yeah, fantastic. Ben’s obviously been in Kyle’s room the whole time. He’s heard Dad complaining about his bursting bladder and demanding to know if I was doing a number two. I glance at our tiny frosted bathroom window, wondering if it might be possible to squeeze through it. It’s a horribly long way down to the back yard, and I might break a limb or smash my head open, but it still feels better than facing Ben.
    â€œWhere’s your place again?” Dad wants to know, obviously not caring that it’s gone midnight.
    â€œIt’s, uh, a bit out of town. Kind of on its own…”
    â€œUp by the quarry?” Dad asks, obviously having forgotten about his desperation for the loo, now there’s this interesting new person to talk to.
    â€œSort of in that direction, yeah,” Ben replies.
    Taking a deep breath, I unbolt the door and march out. “Oh!” I say, acting surprised. “Does someone need the loo?”
    â€œEr, sort of,” Ben says with a grin as Dad jumps in, leaving the two of us trapped on the landing.
    â€œHi,” I croak, sensing my ears burning.
    â€œHi.” He glances down at T-shirt I’m still clutching. “Erm … is that mine?”
    â€œOh! Er … I thought it was Kyle’s… Here you go.” My hand shoots out like a robot’s as I hand