Chapter Four- The Bet
My eyes were wide and I couldn’t believe what had just happened. As he lay on the floor clutching his nose I looked up to see who had got him off me, and then I saw Mason. I was bought back down to earth; I didn’t want that, because now I felt like I owed him something, or that he would feel that we were friends again.
I walked up to him and nodded. “Thank you.” I muttered under my breath.
“It's okay, I thought you might actually talk to me now though, after I just saved your ass.” He smiled sarcastically. The mason I knew and loved still wasn’t there.
“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” I said to him, staring right into his eyes.
“What?” He never was the brightest person in the world.
I decided to clarify it. “Basically, just because you may or may not have saved my ass still doesn’t make up for the fact that you are a horrible person now or that you have barely spoken to me in the past four years or the fact that when we have you have shouted nothing but abuse at me!” I scowled at him and he just smiled back.
“Is it not even worth a kiss?” and he made a kissy face at me.
“Mason, it’s not even worth a smile.” And I didn’t give him a second glance.
I walked back up to where Nicola and Owen were and I was surprised to hear a loud conversation going on. I didn’t want to walk in so I decided to sit in the hallway just outside the door.
“Nic, please listen to reason, he isn’t right for you!” he pleaded gently.
“No Owen, you listen, I like him, I really like him, and he is the only boy who has shown the slightest interest in me!” she took a breather for a few seconds and the continued “Just because you have gone all protective over me doesn’t mean that I should drop everything a listen to you!”
“But Nic, he doesn’t like any one, the whole reason Rico has girlfriends is as an accessory! He doesn’t know loyalty!” I could sense something not being said, there was reluctance in his voice. I didn’t know why but I was sure that he knew something about Rico that he hadn’t told Nicola or me for that matter. I wanted to carry on listening, but it felt wrong. I stood up and went to look for an empty room. As the room I would have gone into was taken by Owen and Nic, I went a bit further down the hall in the hope of finding another spare room. The first door I walked into looked empty initially, but then someone shouted “this room is taken!” and then I heard a girlish giggle. I rolled my eyes and walked out of that room and into another one.
The second room I walked into had the lights on, and in the corner were two people fully clothed but embraced with such lust it looked unnatural. I would have walked out straight away if it hadn’t been for the recognition I suddenly experienced. Over in the corner was a girl from the year below, in a heated make out session with Rico. I gently coughed and firstly I thought neither of them heard me, but then I walked and sat on the bed and coughed a little louder this time.
“Go away!” Rico shouted and I could see a smirk across his face, he loved the image of being walked in on, I could tell.
“Rico, I think we need to talk!” I said sternly. I wasn’t going to let my only girlfriend be played around by this jerk. She was sweet and happy and a really great friend and she certainly didn’t deserve this. The girl walked out the room and I patted the bed for Rico sit down. He did so and I slapped him round the face, the sound of my hand on his cheek resonated around the room. He looked very taken aback, but I really didn’t care.
“What the hell are you doing?” he yelled.
“I, what am I doing? I should be asking you the same question! I am defending my friend.” I gave him a death stare but he just smiled back.
“Are you sure that the reason sweet cheeks? I think you jealous of your friend.” He said slyly.
“Me, jealous?! I would rather eat a dead sloth then go out with you, we knew you would do this, I knew you never liked her, were you just using her, were you just using my best friend to look good?”
“Of course not! I was adding her to my bet as well.” He added, almost as an afterthought. I couldn’t believe it! Nicola wasn’t that stupid, she wouldn’t have slept with him, not after a week, well I hoped she wouldn’t have done.
“What was your bet?” I asked quietly, knowing I wasn’t going to like the answer.
“To shag thirty girls before Christmas, you can help too if you want, you know you want to! I only need a twenty five more girls, the easiest hundred quid I have ever made!” he laughed quietly to himself. He had supposedly been going out with Nicola all this week, but it’s only the second week of September, that would mean he had been cheating on her, and using her and he was going to take her virginity, and he knew that didn’t he? He knew that he was going to use his charm to hook her in, and then he was going to do the deed and that would be it. He wouldn’t care after that. I felt a hand on my thigh, and it slowly started moving up my leg, it was getting way to far up my leg; I quickly stood up and backed away.
“You didn’t did you?
“Of course not! She is too frigid! But don't you worry, she will!” he winked at me and moved closer to me, I started backing towards the door.
“You will not hurt my best friend! I won’t let you!” I shouted, as loudly as I could.
“Oh I will, who will she believe, really, you; the girl who shags all her friends boyfriends, or me, her first boyfriend? I think you know the answer. You’re lucky really though, you have three months, so sure, you can try and stop me if you want, hey, it might be fun, a game if you will!” His smile got wider and wider, till it was more of a sneer. I knew that Nicola wouldn’t listen to me. She was going to get her heartbroken, that’s it. And the worst thing is, he is going to go and tell the whole of our school and she will be the laughing stock. I have been where she is before, and I didn’t want her to be forced down that route.
“Please don't! She is so sweet, you don't want to wreck such a sweet girl please Rico, you are better than that!” I begged, but he only found it more hilarious.
“Darcy, if you want to stop me, I am sure you will think of something!” he smirked and I could see him getting closer to me. He put his hand on the small of my back, and his other hand was placed on my waist. I pushed him away and he fell on the bed. I went to walk out of the room, but before I got to the door I turned my head to face him, “You are a vile human being, she is my best friend and if you hurt her, if you lay a finger on her honestly I will make you regret the day you ever met me!” I admit it was an empty threat, and he knew it too. “I wouldn’t sleep with you if you were the last man on earth, and especially as you are supposed to be dating my friend!” I turned around but I heard him say something. “What did you say?”
“Darcy, it never stopped you before though did it? She will do it, you know she will and you know you want to too don't you?” he winked and then I launched my fist for the centre of his face.
This week I had had so much emotion building up inside me, I had had quite a violent night, but this punch was going to break his nose, I was going to make sure of it. The taunts by Mason, Mason forgetting me, Mason kissing me, Mason using me, Mason saving me, Mason thinking that we were going to be friends again and now Rico. As my fist made contact with Rico’s face I was surprised that there was no crack, but his nose began to bleed- badly. I stood up straight and composed myself. I took a deep breath and walked out the door. As I was walking I called behind me.
“Rico, those rumours aren’t true and don't you ever think that I would shag by best friends boyfriend! - if that’s what you call yourself” and I walked back to the room where Owen and Nic were sitting. I walked in this time and found Nicola asleep across Owens lap. How long had I been gone? I checked my phone and realised that it was half two in the morning. Owen nodded at me as I got my phone out, signalling for me to ring my mom. After I had organised a lift I whispered to Owen.
“I know what this is all about, I will talk to you later.” And Owen nodded. He gently rocked Nicola awake and she sat up. She was still in pristine condition but she looked much younger. I told her that my mom was coming to fetch us and she ran out to say bye to Rico.
“It’s bad Owen, it’s really bad.” Owen looked sad, he knew it was too.
And then Nicola walked in. “Someone punched Rico! His nose is all funny, and it’s dripping with blood!” she looked concerned, but Owen just looked at me and laughed. We got all our stuff together and as I was walking out the front door someone grabbed by arm. I turned around and saw Mason before me.
“I moved in to the old house today, I don't know if you knew, I would like to get to know you again Darcy” This time I could see my Mason back, not the egotistical man slag that was there earlier but I really didn’t care. Mason could propose and I would still want to break his jaw.
“Guess what Mason, I really don't give one! And as for getting to know me again, you’re only four years too late.” And then I walked off with my friends, back to my mom’s car. I subtly turned around to get a sneaky peak at his face but I was surprised to see him still standing there, not even wanting to move. I thought it was subtle, but he looked me straight in the eye, and I still didn’t care.
“MASON, FUCK OFF.” And I turned back around smiling at my blatant disregard for anyone’s feelings.
We drove in silence back to our house, but my mom did attempt some conversation. “So was it good?”
“Yeah” the three of us said in synchronisation.
“Have you had anything to drink?”
“Yeah” the three of us said together.
“Did you see anyone you know?”
“Yeah” again, we said it all together.
“So you got any gossip?”
“No” and we all looked down, the truth is we all had a lot of gossip, it had been a really eventful night, but my mom wasn’t going to know that. When we got out of the car, we walked up and we all got changed. It was funny how we both ended up getting changed into our pyjamas with Owen sitting on my bed. I saw him glance at Nicola, but it was so quick I thought I imagined it. We were planning on sitting in my room for a bit before Owen went to sleep in Ryan’s room, but Nicola fell asleep while she was leaning on Owen.
“So what’s going on then?” he asked.
“I am not telling you now, tomorrow Nic will go before you, and I will tell you then.”
“Can you give me a hint, I won’t be able to sleep not having a clue.”
“Put it this way, the bet that you overheard, it’s worse than that.” His face switched into a pained look and at that moment I wanted to grab Owen and give him a big hug, I felt so sorry for him, being put in this position, and the worst thing was he could do nothing to stop it.
“Did you punch Rico?” He asked, I could see a smile spread itself across his face.
“Put it this way, his hand went a bit too far up my leg and then he called me a slut.” Owen burst out laughing, but Nicola was not even stirred by his shaking frame.
“Did you see a big bloke by any chance?”
“Yeah I think I did, quite fat, and looked really dirty?” He asked, I could see he was curious as to why I was asking.
“He came up to me a cornered me in the kitchen, I got really scared, I thought he was going to drag me out or something.” I kept my face composed so I didn’t show the actually fear that I experienced at the time.
“He what?! What did you do?” I could see the anger on his face now.
“Mason knocked him out, and then guess what!”
“Mason? I wondered why you told him to eff off as we were leaving, but if he saved you...?”
“Well, he thought that by doing this one good deed, he had landed his way back in my life but after the conversation a couple of hours before, gosh I cannot stand him, right now I hate him!” My voice got louder and I started ranting about how much Mason had changed, and how vile he was.
“Wait what conversation, and since when do you hate him? And I am so glad that you didn’t forgive him, he should be grovelling at your feet!”
“Basically, when I left you in the conservatory, Mason started flirting with me, but he didn’t recognise who I actually was, can you believe it? He didn’t recognise his best friend! And then I more or less told him, and then he kissed me, and then I realised that I was making a huge mistake so I stopped, and then I realised that he has a girlfriend.” I was so angry just talking about him; he had treated me so badly, and just remembering the way I felt when those kisses were placed on my shoulder blades.
“What, he kissed you! Well I never, you did look very different tonight but still.” We sat there for a moment and just thought, and then Owen picked Nicola up, in a fireman’s lift, and placed her gently on my pull-out bed. He then kissed her on the forehead and came and gave me a huge bear hug.
“Night.”
“Night.” And he walked out.
I went to sleep quickly and as usual a dreamless sleep but surprisingly I woke much earlier than my friends and even more shockingly way before my mom had even stirred. Like I did most morning I grabbed my dressing gown and looked out the window. Walking down my road was Kendra, carrying boxes into Mason’s garden. This is my estate and now I felt like it had been violated. I watched as she dropped the box in and went to get another. I just stood watching her, it cleared one thing up, Mason was as much a player as I had thought, and he must still be with Kendra if she is helping him move in. I decided to leave it there, and I walked down stairs and put the kettle on to make a cup of coffee and then I went and watched TV.
It was over an hour before anyone woke up, and slowly I heard someone plodding down the stairs, and then I noticed it was Ryan and Owen, they cooked some toast and went back up stares probably to play on Ryan’s Xbox. I just sat there watching crappy TV and after another hour or so, Amalie walked down the stairs. I just sat there and waited for her to come into the living room. She sat on the double sofa and ate some toast. It was twelve o’clock before Nicola showed herself and came and sat with us in silence. It wasn’t and awkward silence, it was more the fact that everyone was too tired to talk. After a few minute I started to wonder where my mom had got too, usually she was up first, but I hadn’t been thinking for a minute before someone burst in our front door.
“Darcy, did you know Mason has moved down the street? You remember him! Don't you? Used to play together as kids!” she was ecstatic.
“Yes, mom I did.”
“I think I might go round later and help them settle back in, I mean it must be strange coming back.”
“Great mom.”
“Don't you want to come? You two used to be such good friends!” her face turned to one of confusion.
“No, things change, and so do people.” I could see her expression get blanker and blanker, she had no Idea what I was on about.
“I am going to go and get ready, I need to leave in a bit, and my mom is taking me shopping later!” Nic stood up and walked up stairs. Ten minutes she walked down stairs in trackie bottoms and a t-shirt, and her hair in a messy bun, she had no makeup on but for some reason, she looked a lot older than usual, and surprisingly she still looked stunning. Owen walked down the stairs and he did a double take of Nic, she looked so lovely natural!
“I’ll see you on Monday!” she walked up to me and gave me a hug, and then she went to Owen and gave him a hug as well, but it looked awkward, like it meant so much more to him than it did to Nicola. I felt really sorry for Owen, because I could see that Nicola was falling hard for Rico, so much so that she seemed to forget the feelings that she had for Owen, the feeling I knew deep down still existed. As she walked out I could see Owen look at her longingly, I could see by the look in his eyes how much he loved her, it was sad to think that she may not return the feelings. Owen walked down and sat by me on the sofa in the living room, and Amalie had gone upstairs to get ready for her day along with mom who had walked outside to go and help Mason and his family move in.
“So explain, I barely slept last night, I was thinking about it till half five!” Owen shuffled round till he was facing me. I began to recount the conversation me and Rico had, including him trying to kiss me, and him calling me all manner of names all the way to his bet.
“WHAT!? No, she hasn’t, she can’t have can she? She isn’t that stupid!”
“Don't worry she hasn’t...yet.” I looked down at my lap; I knew that she was going to sleep with him, and definitely within the limit of Rico’s bet.
“What are we going to do? He doesn’t have any genuine feeling for her, surely she will listen to us!?” Owens face was full of worry and anger, but also jealousy, because like me he knew that in a few months Nicola would lose her virginity to Rico, and then he was going to leave her.
“Owen, she won’t listen to us, she will not see what we see! Right now she thinks Rico is absolutely perfect, and she knows that we don't like him, Rico was hinting at something though,” I looked down at my lap again, I didn’t want to look at Owen, I knew that our friendship was strong, but I didn’t know what his reaction would be.
“What Darcy?!” he said agitatedly.
“I think he was implying that if I slept with him, he would lay off Nicola.” As I got to the end of the sentence my voice grew quieter and quieter, till it was almost a whisper. I doubted Owen, I have to admit, I thought he would beg me to, just so that Nicola wouldn’t, and the sad thing was I probably would have done, but thankfully I was wrong.
Owen stood up and looked down at me, sheer rage was splattered across his face, and it scared me to look at him while he was like this.
“DON'T YOU DARE DARCY?! I know you, you would do it wouldn’t you?” I nodded slowly “I am not going to let him bribe you, and I certainly am not going to let him do hurt Nicola like that.” He sat back down. “Tomorrow, I am going to tell Nicola, she has to believe me, she just has to!”
“No Owen, she won’t, and deep down you know it too, right now all she thinks is that we are trying to split them up, she knows that we hate him, and do you really think she is going to believe me, after the rumours, and don't pull a face! You know as well as I do that this fling with Rico is starting to go to her head, and I have no doubt that she will come back to us after Rico, but she thinks she is at Rico’s level in the hierarchy of school, which is way above me, soon she will start hanging out with all your other friends, along with Rico, and for the short time that she is with Rico, she won’t be my friend.” I said matter of factly. To be honest I knew it was going to happen, and rightly so it should, she deserves her spot in the spotlight for a few months, she has never had it, and I wasn’t even bothered by that part, I was bothered about the after- that was what I was going to have to try and stop.
“You are being stupid, of course she will still be your friend, she isn’t going to change, she will listen to me, and our friendship is strong enough for that.” He looked like he was right, but he knew he wasn’t he noticed the change in her the past few days, the hitched up skirt, the extra makeup, the constantly checking in her mirror, we had been watching her all week, she was changing in to a popular, into how I used to be.
“Don't get me wrong, you have a strong friendship, but right now she has the effect of Rico on her, right now, as much as you don't want to admit it, you come second to him.”
“I am her oldest friend, in her eyes I come before everyone else!” I knew he wasn’t trying to come across as arrogant, but that was how it came out.
“Owen, she went for what she could, no boy has ever shown any interest in her before Rico, of course she think he is great, he is her first proper boyfriend.” Proper definitely wasn’t the right word, but he knew what I meant.
“Yeah, he might be, but I have liked her for way longer!” He started shouting, and I could see the jealousy clearly now.
“The only way you will get her to drop Rico, is to make her realise how much you mean to her, this isn’t about me, this is about you two.” I kept my voice calm and steady.
“No it isn’t! It’s about her and Rico!” His voice was slowly getting louder.
“Don't play stupid Owen!” I shouted and playfully slapped his arm “She only agreed to go out with him to try and make you jealous, she never imagined falling for him too!” I rolled my eyes but then I realised what I had just said. I had just told Owen that Nicola liked him back. I gasped and covered my mouth. Although he tried not to show it, I saw his eyes light up as I gasped. But then they dropped.
“But that just it isn’t it! She likes him now, not me!” He put his head in his hands and I went to give him a hug. “I have wrecked my chance haven’t I?” He started screwing up his fists and punching the pillows.
“Owen!” I said sternly but quietly. “I told you, you just have to make her realise.” I smiled at him, there was always a way.
“Yeah genius, and how the hell am I supposed to do that?!”
“You need to tell her, you need to tell her how much you like her, she will realise then that her love of Rico is artificial, and she will realise that truly she wants you!”
Owen looked at me, and then he laughed very sarcastically, I didn’t get what he was laughing at. “Darcy, I am Owen, I have been out with my fair share of girls, but I don't do the chasing! I am not that boy! That is the single most stupid thing I could do! I am not going to go around parading my love of her; she will just think I am desperate!” He looked at me and I could see that he was being his arrogant self again, this time he was more bothered about his image than his true feelings. I knew Owen, and I knew that he was deep and very soft and I know that this was killing him inside, he acted arrogant, but his eyes told a completely different story.
“Owen, if you want to stop what Rico is going to do, then that is what you need to do! What do you want more: Nicola, your best friend or an irreparably damaged best friend but a nice neat image?”
“Darcy, you don't understand, she will listen to me; I know she will!” I knew that I wasn’t going to get this through to him. He stood up and started to walk out the door, he was going upstairs to get changed and then he would probably leave, or maybe he would sit and talk to Ryan.
The rest of the day passed and nothing really happened and the following day I spent doing some of my art coursework and some biology notes. I had to get everything ready for school. I decided to have a bath before I went to bed on Sunday night, to relax me a little, but as I got in I heard our front door open and a familiar greeting filled my ears. I heard the voice when I was a child; in fact I hadn’t heard the voice in ears. I poked my head round the banister and heard Mason’s mum, Lilly speaking to my mum.
“Oh come in! I will go get the wine!” I heard my mom’s footsteps in to the kitchen and back into our living room. I wasn’t going to go down stairs, I wanted to sit and not feel like I had to make any effort in the conversation, and by not going in I was avoiding the potential awkwardness that may arise. I sat on the sofa that was at the top of the stairs, just in my dressing gown “reading” a book whilst secretly listening.
“How is Mason?” my mom asked enthusiastically “I haven’t seen him since he was about ten!”
“Well, I don't really know, he seems so distant and he brings home so many girls, but not to introduce! I haven’t properly met any of them; they just go straight to his room. I just think he might have a bit of a reputation but I don't know, he doesn’t speak to me, he doesn’t look at me, I feel like I am nothing to him!” she sounded upset, like she hadn’t spoke about this to anyone. I took a deep breath.
“I am sure he cares, I am sure you still mean something to him, the affair was a mistake and everyone makes mistakes!” my mom pleaded trying to make Lilly feel better.
“The flair had gone way before the affair had happened, I remember when I first met Dan, he was lovely and warm and kind, I had gotten rid of that horrible man he once was, that player, but then he changed, within days he was back. I had to go I had to leave, I wasn’t safe, he lashed out at me, numerous times, do you remember when I broke my rib well, that wasn’t an accident.” I remember the day that happened. Mason was at my house and he had to stay over because there was no one at home. I was in shock; I had always thought that it was her fault, that it was Lilly, but all this time. I continued to listen “I am afraid, I don't want Mason to turn in to him! At the moment the resemblance is uncanny! He brings home all these girls and” I heard her take a deep breath. “Rachel, honestly I don't know what I am to do, I move, I thought it would be like a new start, but then we moved back and so many memories came back, the good and the bad, I thought it would make them happy, I thought Nai and Mason would like it, but they are never there. I feel so lonely” I could hear her start to cry and I decided that I didn’t want to listen any more, it made it seem so much worse now.
I tiptoed into the family bathroom, locked the door and got into the bath. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard, Lilly being domestically abused, Mason changed and her breakdown. What hurt me most that Mason was having an effect on everybody and he didn’t even care. Everyone makes mistakes, he should learn to forgive ad not just drag everything out. I was so angry, my best friend used to be nice and he used to be sweet and he used to be kind and gentle, but now, now he was hurting everybody who cared, and he didn’t give a damn.
I just sat there and let the water calm me and when I felt clean and calm I walked out my room and straight onto my room, not wanting to hear anymore if that conversation. I got into my pyjamas and went to sleep, and as usual a pretty dreamless sleep.