The Shelley Bet (A George Shelley Fan Fiction)

Chapter 5

The start of the night went past in a blur. I spent most of it with Campbelle, chatting to various people, dancing wildly and slowly getting drunk.

On numerous occasions I felt someone eyeing me, watching my every move. I felt their eyes exploring my body. Every time I turned around though, no one was looking in my direction. I didn't talk to George again until later on in the night when I was having a conversation with Alice.

"So, how long have you and George known each other for?" I asked Alice, taking a small sip from my coke and vodka.

Alice drummed her fingers on the side of her glass, "Ooh, it's gotta be going on 14 years. We met in reception of our primary school and have been best friends ever since."

I smiled, "That's so cute. You two seem to get on really well."

Alice looked almost sad, "Yeah, well, he's been like a brother to me. We've been through some crazy shit together," She sighed and took a sip from her glass.

"What do you mean?"

Alice bit her lip, "Don't tell George I've told you this, okay? Cos I know he wanted to make a fresh start at your school and --"

I placed my hand on Alice's arm reassuringly, "Don't worry, I won't."

Alice picked at the skin around her nails as she spoke, "For as long as I've known him, George has always been bullied by someone for some reason. First, it was because he was, well...he used to be quite a...big boy, for lack of a better word. This completely knocked his self-confidence."

I looked over at George who was laughing with JJ on the other side of the room. His slim figure was dressed in skinny jeans and a red and white Christmas jumper. I couldn't imagine why he'd be insecure about his body now.

Alice ran her hand through her hair, "This self-confidence led onto social issues, causing him to lose friends and then not remake them. I've been his only friend for years. And then of course there's his talent for singing. This caused other people to be jealous of him. I don't want to go into the details but it hasn't been easy. And now here we are!"

Alice smiled cheerfully but I could see the pain in her eyes. I found myself at a loss for words, so I pulled her into a hug.

The sound of a familiar voice pulled us apart moments later, "Nice to see you two have...bonded," George giggled as he slung his arm around Alice's shoulders. He seemed to have a permanent smile on his face.

I looked sympathetically at George and Alice forced a smile.