The Dating Club

Rumours Reactions and Shopping Rehab

Chapter 16: Rumours, Reactions and Shopping Rehab

The next day is a Monday. My Dad knocks on my door to tell me that he understands if I want to take the day off, but I don't.

In fact, I feel great. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my back. This is not because Alfie has been hospitalised, but because I know that we will not carry on dating. I want him to get better, but I don't want us to carry on being friends.

Three dates. One down. Two more to go.

A voice in my head whispers 'but you don't want them all to go. You don't want a certain Matty Miles to go.'

"Oh yes I do, annoying voice in my head. I want them all to go. I want things to go back to normal."

'Yeah, but you and Luke... It's a little one sided, isn't it? Whereas Matty and you, that's chemical. Gurl he is smoking -'

"And I want to smoke him on a spit. I hate him."

'But you know that wont last long. You'll forgive him...'

"Forgive him my ass!"

"Jessica, who are you talking to up there?"

"No one Dad!" I say, pulling on my blazer and tie. I run downstairs and bump into my Dad, walking around with a half eaten bagel in his hand.

"Jessica if you're still ill I really think you should stay at home..."

"Ill? Why would I be ill?"

"Did you know that talking to yourself is the first sign of madness? Because maybe you hit your head or something when you passed out, I don't know..."

"No I didn't Dad, I'm fine," I say, heading to the door.

"Aren't you going to eat something?"

"No I'm not hungry," I say, and I make my way to school.

I see Luke at school, and I run up to give him a hug. I have missed spending time with my best friend more than I thought I had.

But to my surprise, he doesn't hug me back. Instead he pushes me away slightly, and makes an awkward 'humming' sound.

"What's wrong?" I say, a little confused. He pulls a face and puts his hands up.

"Well, I heard this thing today and I don't know whether we ought to be hugging too much. In public."

"What the hell?"

"You know... I heard about you and Alfie..." He trails off and I stare at him silently. It feels like someone is slowly shutting off all of the switches inside of me one by one. The happy feeling I came to school with has evaporated.

"Jessica? Don't look at me like that. Hey!"

I start to walk away and he taps my arm quickly, and I turn around to see him looking around him warily, as if someone might catch him talking to me.

"I don't understand Luke. What are you on about?"

"Well, I heard that you slept with Alfie, from this girl... And that you knew he had a girl friend. And there is other stuff, too... Stupid stuff, like you, pushed him into the road on purpose, but I don't believe that... You may be several things but you wouldn't do that, ha, ha..."

Luke continues to glance left and right and I look at him in the eyes, willing him to look back at me.

Is this what three years of friendship have come down to? I tell myself that he's joking. It has to be a joke, or a dream, or another nightmare...