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Chapter Six
Darren
I worked at the local Co-operative every night. Yes, I was thatcool! I had to find some way to establish a suitable income so that I could put money away for when I went to University. I had to save some money so that I could afford to eat; the life of a University student was hard, and my body was a temple, I had to preserve it in pristine conditions.
Yes, I’d had a chippy for tea – shh, don’t tell anyone. I’d work it off at the gym the next day, so my temple would be once more pristine and, to be honest, perfect. Insert wobbly head and cocky grin at the ‘to be honest, perfect’ part.
After three hours of gruelling work, I was finally finished my shift, and looking at the time I noticed I could meet Chelz and Jamie from their drama class at the village hall opposite the Co-op and walk home with them. I sometimes did this, and I’d wander into the hall around nine-ish to find them finishing off.
So I walked to the village hall and sat in the audience just as Jamie and this other bloke were getting up to perform something. I dunno what it was. I sat there, watching, amused at Jamie’s acting. She was really rather good! Why was I so surprised? She was Robbie’s little sister, after all. Jamie didn’t really go for the main roles in drama things at school, but she flourished in this little group. I think Jamie only went for the small things because she didn’t like to be in the spotlight – she preferred to casually stroll behind everyone else, even when she was better than everyone else!
I started at her, hard. Jamie was really pretty – I had noticed it before, but I hadn’t really admired her beauty. She had a kind of innocence about her that not very many girls had.
Oh – what was I saying about innocence? I watched as she pressed her body up against the guy she was acting with. Hell, she wasn’t innocent! The way she let her fingers roam over the guy’s face, in his hair, down his chest. Her hands were everywhere! Jamie Black, my God! I hope Darren doesn’t know about this. I laughed quietly to myself but the smirk was instantly wiped off my face as that bloke kissed her.
He kissed her. He kissed my Jamie. Who did he think he was? Coming in and just kissing my girl. What a boot! Who actually was he?
They broke apart and Jamie looked confused, but her lips turned up into a smile, grinning sheepishly at this bloke. Was that planned? Were they a couple? What was the story about? Why had I not been paying attention before? Did Jamie like this guy? The look on his face told me that he liked her.
Jamie went off stage, followed by this bloke, and they continued with the play. I stared at her, willing her to look at me. She obliged and let out a small gasp of shock, her eyes widening. I just looked at her, my facial expression a mixture of so many emotions. I didn’t know how to react. I had never thought I’d be in this position, to be honest. I felt protective – I wanted to rip this guy’s face off – but also sad, and I didn’t know why.
I just settled back into the plastic chair I was occupying and continued watching the performance, looking closely at the relationship between the actors, rather than the characters. Though it wasn’t meant to, it came through in the way they acted; the way they positioned themselves, the looks that they gave each other when the other wasn’t looking.
I wasn’t happy to note that Jamie looked at the guy with confusion and consideration. Like she was confused as to what had happened, but was considering him in more than just a first-impressions way. I pictured me ripping the flesh from his skin, and it gave me a pleasure, just imagining it. Oh, God, I had to control myself! This brotherly possession of Jamie had to stop: I couldn’t protect her forever! Eventually, I’d have to back off and let her live her own life.
The idea of that seemed very unappealing.
“It was a mistake though,” Jamie said, as if she were trying to convince herself of it, too. She was talking about the fact that guy – he was playing Pete in the play – had hit her. I’d never do that to her. “Pete’s sorry for it, and he’s assured me he’ll never do it again.”
“I won’t,” ‘Pete’ said, “it was the biggest mistake of my life. I wouldn’t want to lose Em. She means too much to me.”
“So is that this marriage counselling session over now?” asked Jamie, “it is? Good.”
“Do we have to come back?” asked ‘Pete’, “oh, that’s fine then. In that case we’ll be seeing you in three months!”
Jamie and ‘Pete’ got off their seats and took them offstage, returning to sit in the group. The drama specialist, Cath, started applauding loudly and the rest of the group joined in.
“That was exactly what I was looking for, Jamie and Simon!” she complimented. Simon, huh? That was his name? Stupid name, but then again, he was a stupid bloke. “I was after something a bit different,” she told the class, waving her hands horizontally, like she was deciding if she liked something or not. “Jamie and Simon, you definitely delivered! The whole flashbacks to show how the characters got there was innovative, and it was much better than going in a linear fashion to the marriage counselling. Overall, fantastic!”
“Thanks,” said Jamie, smiling at Simon.
“Who came up with the plot, may I ask?” questioned Cath.
“That was Jamie,” said Simon, throwing an arm around her waist, “she’s utterly brilliant!”
The animal in my mind growled as I watched the physical contact between Simon and Jamie. Unconsciously, it seemed, Jamie moulded into his shape, and I didn’t like it.
Snap out of it, Darren, I scolded myself; it’s nothing to do with you!
But it should be, I argued. I want it to be!
Well, it can’t be. So grow up and move on.
Why couldn’t it be my business? Why not?
“Right, so that’s all for this week. Same time, same place next time!” said Cath, dismissing everyone. Instantly, I made my decision. I marched straight over to Jamie and spun her around.
Then I mashed my lips to hers and kissed her with all the passion and love I had in my body. Our lips moved in perfect synchronisation, like we were dancing together to a dance we had never practised, but seemed to come naturally. Jamie moaned lightly as she wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling my face down to hers. I hoped we would just dissolve together into a world of our own, where no one would look at us, or judge us, and we could have little private moments all to ourselves. And it would be perfect.
Nah, I’m totally kidding, but I wish I did. Just to see if it felt like that. Just to… experiment.
What I did do was wrap my arms around Jamie and envelop her in a huge bear hug, never wanting to let go. Maybe if I squeezed her hard enough, she and I would become one, and we could be together forever.
Great, I sounded like a stalker.
Waahoo!
I released Jamie and found her puzzled face staring at me.
“Hi?” she said, turning the greeting into a question due to her uncertainty with the whole bear hug, intense stare after her snog-sesh thing.
“Hey,” I said, smiling and throwing an arm casually around her waist, pulling her into my side. This was amazingly comfortable and… just nice, really. I loved the smell of her hair, which is something I had never really noticed before. The way she walked made her look graceful without her even trying. She oozed beauty and it took me something like another guy kissing her in front of me to realise this.
Was I falling for her? Please say I was! That would be perfect. Utter perfection, to be falling for my best mate who’s female: just like I’ve always desired.
Simon strutted over to us and took Jamie out of my arms, hugging her tightly, but staring at me all the while. His facial expression oozed hatred and he seemed to silently be challenging me. I narrowed my eyes and he grinned as he let one of his hands casually wander down Jamie’s back to rest on her bum.
I’d rip that hand from his arm faster than he could say ‘ow’. Jamie wriggled out of his grasp and I smiled in victory.
“Great work today, Jamie,” said Simon casually as I re-claimed my position at her side. I saw his eyes dart from me to her, and he nodded in my direction. “Your boyfriend?”
“Darren?” said Jamie, “no, nah, he’s just a really good friend.” Could she have said anything worse at that moment? “Almost like a brother!” Obviously, she could.
“That’s cool,” said Simon, nodding, a cocky grin appearing on his face. “So listen, a group of us are going to Olivia’s party this weekend. Care to join? It’s on Friday night.”
“Unfortunately, she can’t,” I said, trying to think of an excuse.
“Why can’t I?” asked Jamie, laughing innocently. “I don’t think I’ve got any plans…”
“What about… You said you’d help me pick something out for my university interview for Aberdeen! You know how much I want to go there, and first impressions are everything.”
“Hey, how about I help you in the afternoon and then I’m free all night for Olivia’s party?”
Knowing this was a lost battle already; I nodded my head and agreed to it. Just at that moment, Chelsea came dancing over to me, the enthusiastic little bugger that she was.
“Let’s bounce,” she said, doing her impression of a walk a gangster/chimp would do. Just because she was that cool!
“Wait guys, two seconds,” said Jamie, pulling Simon away. Chelsea looked at me and pulled me into a hug.
Breaking apart she said: “you’re a great brother. I’m so lucky to have you.”
“Yeah,” I said, grinning cockily, “you are.”
“Cough, Chelz, you’re amazing and I’m glad Mum had you. Cough.”
“Sorry, that’s a bad cough you’ve got there, little sister. Are you okay? Do we need to take you home and give you some Calpol, the baby’s version of Paracetomol? Don’t worry, little darling, it tastes good!”
“Get lost,” Chelsea growled, nudging into my side hard, aggressively.
“Calm it, Janet!”
Casually throwing a finger my direction, she marched off, in a grump. Hey, it’s my job to be like that to Chelsea, she was my little sister that I had to look out for and protect… And I had to tease her too. It was in the job description.
Jamie caught up with me and asked where Chelsea had disappeared. After telling her, Jamie sprinted out the hall to find her, leaving me following slowly behind, wanting to give the girls some space for once. For some reason, I didn’t want to know what the girls were talking about. My sisters were growing up, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it one bit.
Walking up from the village hall was a loud, boisterous affair. Chelz and Jamie were bounding around me in circles, dragging me with them and laughing loudly. What had they had to drink! They were so hyper! Chelsea and Jamie then started discussing outfits for Chelsea’s party, and it bored me.
“What about the lime green dress?”
“With the green clip in hair extensions?”
“Yeah, and the green shoes.”
“Wouldn’t that be a bit too much green? What about an exotic thing and wear your yellow shoes?”
“What bag?”
“No bag, just you and your phone in your bra?”
“That’s sneaky!”
“I know, right!”
“What about my hair?”
“If you’re wearing the green hair, I think you should just straighten it. It looks really nice like that.”
“Yeah, you’ve got a point.”
“How about, if you want to do something to it, braid your fringe back off your face into the main body of your hair?”
“Brilliant! That’s perfect. Now, what about you…”
It continued, and I couldn’t control the yawn that exploded from my mouth. “Are we boring you?” Jamie asked, coming to walk beside me.
“No, it’s fine. So, listen. When are you coming to mine to sort my outfit for my interview?”
“Umm, how about tomorrow?” suggested Jamie enthusiastically.
“Sure,” I agreed. We made our plans for Jamie to come to mine straight after school the next day.
When Chelsea, Jamie and I went our own separate ways, I couldn’t help but notice that Jamie held me in a tight embrace for longer than she did for Chelsea.
Was this because she knew me longer, and wasn’t as comfortable with Chelz, or because she liked me in more than a brotherly way?
Both reasons gave me a delightful thrill that I couldn’t comprehend.