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Chapter 1
“I’ll see you for lunch later!” I waved briefly at Kelsey before entering my math class clutching onto my folder. I made my way to the back of the classroom to my usual spot right at the back in the centre of the row. I plonked my books down and slid round into my seat, waiting for a last few lots of people to arrive.
“Hey Crystal” Justin said leaning over to me. “Thought you weren’t coming school today” He said. Ah ever the caring friend.
I glanced up at him. Looking gorgeous as ever, meet my best friend Justin. That’s right I’ve managed to stay best friends with a male for 14 years with no kissing no nothing! Incredible. His dark brown hair and matching brown eyes looked at me waiting for an answer.
“Well pretty boy my dad wouldn’t let me stay home” I said. “Besides we got exams in like 5 weeks, I kinda need to be at every lesson” I replied.
“But you’re really sick, and you missing a few classes wouldn’t matter your top in lots of subjects. It’s people like me who need to stay for all lessons no matter how bad their health is” Justin said encouraging me to go home.
“I’ll be fine, don’t worry your pretty little head over it” I said swatting him with a notebook successfully. I grinned, first thing that had made me smile all day.
Guy turned round to look at me just as I was swatting Justin round the head. He sighed loudly grabbing my attention.
“Bullying again Crystal Rivers? That’s it you’re going to do a detention with me” He winked at me. I flashed him a grin as I leant forward towards him, which grabbed his attention in my white low cut V-neck top.
“What’ll my punishment be?” I flirted back.
“Hehe I’m sure I can find you something. Why don’t you call me tonight eh and we’ll have a proper chat. Looks like you’ve got your hands full with him” as he nodded towards Justin gaping at the girl who had just walked in.
“Justin!” squeaked a high pitched voice. I growled, it was Lucy. Justin’s current girlfriend, who I don’t like one bit. Hey don’t get me wrong I’m not jealous or anything at all about their relationship. But it’s different when everyone knows she’s screwing the entire male year and year above, but bless him he just can’t see it.
She tottered down to the back of the classroom in a short red skirt and white hoodie that was much too small for her and she could only zip half way up, gaining some wolf whistles from some of the guys. I rolled my eyes. Typical men.
“Hey baby” Justin cooed at his bitch-of-a-girlfriend. I looked away, they were making out again, couldn’t keep away from each other, ugh it made me sick. About ten seconds later she spoke to me.
“Budge up Hun, I wanna sit next to Justy” she said with her slutty bright red lips. I looked across at the empty desk next to me and then back up at her overly made up face.
“Sorry, I’m sitting here. You should’ve spent less time in the bathroom” I growled viciously. I hated giving in, especially to her.
“Please Crys move up” Justin begged me, using his childhood nickname for me. Ugh. Now he didn’t even want to sit next to me. I stared at him, giving him an evil look and sighed, picked up my stuff and slammed it onto the next desk.
“Fine” I huffed at him angrily, and Guy turned round and gave me a sympathy look. I stuck my tongue out at him and looked as evilly as possible towards Justin
Arrogant Bastard, I thought.
“Nah sorry, I’m taking Lucy out to the movies, sorry” He said apologetically and started walking off. I walked after him and grabbed his arm, he looked at me as though I had interrupted something important. Ha! unlikely with that bitch.
“But you promised my dad you would come over for dinner. He’s expecting you, you know what he’ll be like if you don’t” I begged him, not wanting to face another evening with my drunken dad.
“Darling I can’t” He started again, only to be interrupted by Lucy.
“Hey! Don’t call her that, I’m meant to be your girlfriend” she squealed at him. He just looked at her for a second and then looked back at me. It shut her up that’s for sure.
“What time should I come over?” He asked smiling.
“Ummm 5.30 would be good” I said smiling.
“Isn’t 5.30 a bit early for having dinner?” Lucy asked. I looked at her evilly, her stupidity often made me feel sick.
“Well my dad’s going out later, he works nights you see and doesn’t like me being left on my own. Besides, Justin’s a family friend” I smiled sweetly and innocently at her. “So 5.30 then” and he nodded at me.
“Babe we can go cinema another night” He said to Lucy trying to make it up to her as I walked away. I was listening for her tarty response, probably complaining about me and how he should spend more time together.
“But you always put her before me! I’m meant to be your girlfriend” She sobbed, turning on her fake tears.
“I promised her” Justin said sadly, he hated letting anyone down, even if it was Lucy.
I grinned as I walked back to Kelsey, knowing that I was right, who turned around as she heard me walk over.
“So you’re seeing Justiinnn tonight too then eh?” She teased me. She’s been trying to get me and Justin together now for months, tells me that we’re the perfect couple, and how it’s suspicious how much time we spend together. People just think boys and girls can’t be friends.
“Yes, my dad invited him over to dinner, okay?” I said having to defend our friendship. She looked at me funny, yeah as if she thought it was as innocent as that.
I looked at her. How I envied Kelsey. She was very pretty, plenty of guys fancied her, she was popular and very nice, funny and all the whole she-bang. She has some of the best outfits I know, and she wasn’t a bitch. She was a great friend to me, I was very grateful for that, apart from the teasing about Justin, I didn’t mind too much.
“Woah chill, so you want to come over and we sort you out an outfit to impress him?” Kelsey said wiggling her eyebrows referring to Justin.
“Fine fine okay!” I said giving in.
About half an hour later when the lasagne and pizza and all the nibbles style snacks were in the oven, I snatched my bag and ran upstairs to get changed. I quickly showered again, sprayed myself in perfume that Justin bought me for my birthday and threw on some light blue ripped jeans, converse trainers and a pink and black top. I tied my blond hair up at the back, trying to go for the messy look and trotted back downstairs it was 5.25. I sighed, five minutes to spare, proud that I had completed all of my tasks till I looked around the living room. It looked like a bomb had hit it.
I got the hoover out of the closet and I plugged it in and turned it on making a huge amount of noise and as I went hovering about I picked up crisp packets and placed magazines back into the magazine rack trying to desperately tidy it up before Justin arrived. I dumped all off the rubbish in the small waste paper basket and kept hovering the carpet until I ran into something. I looked up at what or who I had just hovered. It was Justin. I quickly switched the hoover off, and silence filled the lounge.
“Ummm sorry” I said blushing. He only smiled, thank the lord! I looked at his outfit, casual jeans with a pink tee-shirt with girls in bikinis on, which complimented his tan and some trainers, and a brown jacket over the top.
“It’s alright. You look very nice by the way” Justin complimented as he plonked himself down on the couch as if he lived there.
“Ummm thanks” I couldn’t help but be nervous around him.
“So what’s for dinner?” he asked smiling at me. He had the cutest smile, I thought to myself.
“Lasagne and pizza” I said, “I know it’s you favourite” I said sitting on the opposite side of the couch to him. He looked at me funny. I looked confused, maybe I was wrong with pizza and lasagne as his favourite.
“What do I smell bad or something?” He asked bewildered, I could only burst out laughing.
Smiling I said, “No, why you ask that?”
“Because you ain’t given me a hug and your sitting on the other side of the couch!” He exclaimed. I blushed sheepishly, he wanted me to hug him, yeah yeah, I know we’re best friends, but he’s just so dam hot!
“Fine” I complied, making it sound as though it was a chore, and that I didn’t want to cuddle him, even though I really did. I slid across the couch and placed my left arm around the front of his toned stomach. I rested my head under his arm and placed my right hand in-between his shoulder blade and the back of the couch and sighed contently. I was in heaven, I could go to sleep I was so dreamy. With his free right hand he scooped my legs up and placed them in-between his, and cuddled me close to him, nuzzling his face into my messy blond hair.
“Mmm you smell nice” He said softly. I smiled contently.
“It was the perfume you bought me for my birthday remember” I said, thinking, ‘omigosh has he forgotten!?!?!’
“Thought it smelled familiar” he said gently.
To break the perfect paradise, I heard my dad’s car door slam, instantly I jumped up away from Justin, much to his surprise and held my hand out to him and said one word, “coat”. Bewildered, he complied leaning forward and taking off his jacket and placing it on the back of the couch and walking the hoover back into the cloakroom.
The door opened and in came my dad, smelling of whisky and fags. I grumbled to myself as I plodded into the kitchen to check on dinner. “Hello Justin. Is the dinner on?” He asked me in the kitchen. I continued grumbling to myself as Justin started up a conversation with my dad.
I opened the oven door and with my oven-gloved right hand I pulled out a tray with hot cheesy pizza and lasagne and half threw half dropped them onto the heat proof table mats. Slamming the oven door shut I grabbed the lasagne and put it on the table before dashing back for the pizza.
“Dinner’s up!” I shouted as I got three plates and sets of cutlery from the cupboard, thinking to myself, I should’ve done this earlier. My dad and Justin walked over, still talking away busily together.
“So you’re on the soccer squad then? Which position do you play?” My father, a soccer enthusiast, said.
“Oh erm striker” Justin said slightly nervously as he sat down and a place. He looked at me, his eyes pleading for help, to be freed from my dad’s over-bearing conversation.
“So, dad did you have a good day at work today?” I asked dishing him up some lasagne onto his plate. I looked up at him briefly then got up and walked around the other side of my dad to give some lasagne to Justin. He looked up at me smiling, as though he was thanking me. I smiled weakly back waiting for my dad’s answer, but he started tucking into his lasagne.
“Just shut up you” my dad said crossly. Jeesh, I thought, must have hit a nerve there. Justin seemed shocked and instead started eating his piping hot lasagne as quickly as possible to avoid further conversation conflicts with my dad.
“Sorry” I mumbled sitting back down at my place and helping myself to a serving of lasagne.
“Well sorry isn’t good enough, d’ya hear? Imagine inviting the neighbours round when the house looks like a mess! What’ve you been doing all day?!” He exclaimed dropping his knife and fork onto the plate, making a clattering sound.
“Dad, I’ve been at school” I said softly, eating some lasagne. I was embarrassed to say the least, my dad and I were about to launch into an argument about everything, in front of Justin.
“Yeah right, sure you have” My dad said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he leaned back in his chair.
“Ummm she did” Justin said sticking up for me. I smiled weakly at him, praying that my dad would drop the subject before the meal was totally ruined.
“Don’t stick up for her. She’s scum that’s all, isn’t worth even walking on” My father slurred taking a fork full of lasagne and stuffed it in his mouth like a greedy pig. I was so angry at my dad for embarrassing me in front of Justin I picked up my plate and pushed my chair back with the behinds of my knees.
“Excuse me” I said meekly as I unhooked my legs out from under the table. I started to walk away from the table into the lounge but as I passed my deadly silent father he pushed the plate out of my hands so it smashed on the floor in front of my feet, lasagne splattering on the floor.
“Dad, what the hell was that for?” I yelled crossly at him.
“To teach you a fucking lesson for once!” He slurred drunkenly back at me. “You’re a waste of space, your mother didn’t want you, that’s probably why she’s dead” with the mention of my mother I nearly always break down and cry and this was no exception. Justin was fine about this, he knew never to bring it up.
“Don’t you dare accuse me of killing my mum!!” I screamed at him, tears streaming down my face.
I just couldn’t get my dad a few months ago, he was a normal loving dad, who really looked after me. But now I don’t even think he has a job because he goes out at about 11 in the morning, some days not at all and comes back at 4 in the afternoon or the next morning, or whenever he pleases and always reeks of whisky and fags. It wasn’t who he was before. He often brought up mum when he was drunk, shouted a lot and broke things. He always left the house a mess, and always made me go to the store to buy him whisky or the groceries. It upset me to see him deteriorate so fast.
“I’ll say what I like, this is my house, don’t you go forgetting that now will you? Now clean up your goddamn mess” He said shovelling more lasagne in his face. I looked at Justin, he hadn’t eaten much of his dinner, but then again none of us had really, except for my father.
“I’m not cleaning it up no way” I said stubbornly wiping the tears off my blotchy red face.
“Ummm I’d best be going, I’ve got an assignment to hand in tomorrow. Thanks for dinner Mr Rivers” He said excusing himself. He too placed his knife and fork on his plate and stood up, looking at me with a sympathetic smile.
“You damn well clean it up” my dad roared at me standing up, towering over me.
“No” I said weakly, afraid of him. I looked away from Justin, I couldn’t bear to look at him. I couldn’t imagine what he was thinking right now, probably ‘why the hell am I here?’ And ‘how the hell can I get out?’
His fist then collided with my face giving a sharp cracking sound, snapping my head to the right hand side. The pain stinged on my skin and my cheekbone felt sore and painful. I touched it tenderly with my hand and looked up at Justin.
“Jus.... You’d better go” I said softly looking at his shocked face, his eyes were open and his jaw had dropped an inch or two.
“Yeah you’d better” my dad said pushing him out of the kitchen diner towards the lounge and front door. My dad snatched up the coat that belonged to Justin from the back of the cream coloured couch and shoved it in his arms as Justin was being pushed backwards towards the front door, his beautiful face still looking at me. Still caring for me. He opened the door and Justin turned around and walked outside glancing back at me.
“Get up to your room, you bitch! Get out my fucking sight” my father shouted. I scampered up the stairs willingly to be away from him.
It rang 4 times before he picked up.
“Hello?” came a sleepy male voice.
“Hiya Guy, it’s Crystal” I said smiling, ‘bless him’ I thought I’d woken him up by the sounds of it.
“Hey how are ya?” He asked, perking up a little.
“I’m not great not bad, you know how it is. Can’t sleep too good. I wake ya up?” I asked him even though I knew that the answer was probably a yes.
“ Aha yeah I’m okay, yeah you kinda woke me” He grumbled.
“Sorry, you want me to go?” I asked making ready for an early exit.
“Nah nah, I’d prefer talking to you than sleeping” He said.
“Awww you’re so cute” I said. It was true, Guy was a sweetheart, a truly perfect gentleman. He was the type of guy you wished there were more of.
“Thanks. So what we gonna talk about then missy?” he asked and I heard his covers ruffle as he probably rolled over.
“I don’t know. How’s things with you and Jen?” I said bringing up one of Guy’s favourite subject, his girlfriends.
“She broke up with me. She likes someone else” He said sadly. I cringed, instantly regretting bringing the subject up at all.
“Awww darling, d’you want me to come over?” I offered as I started throwing my duvet back getting ready to go out at 1.30 in the morning.
“Not now, it’s way too early” He said, trying to persuade me out of going to see him. I could tell he sounded emotional, I’d go, I decided, even if it was just to hug him and walk back home again. Besides he lived at the house at the top of mine and Justin’s close, where a few select houses were.
“Just leave your window open a little bit” I said before hanging up.
Sneaking out was no problem. I opened the window and scaled down the drainpipe and I was free. It was a priceless bit of freedom that I felt running up the steep hill to the top end of close. In front of me a white wooden fronted house, looking silver-grey in colour, as I ran familiarly round to the side where a window had been left propped open by a maths textbook, Guy’s worst subject.
“Guy?” I called out into his dark room.
“I’m here” he called sitting at the foot of his bed on the floor, in some shorts and a white shirt. Words weren’t needed now, only showing him I was there for him. I took his hand a he willing complied and stood up as I led him by his hand to his bed. He understood as we lay down, I pulled myself up close to him. As he broke down in tears as his arms encircled me. All I could do was hold him whilst he cried.
A few hours later he was asleep, I pulled away from him and wrapped his covers over him and placed a loving kiss on his forehead and went home.
Who do you reckon Crystal should go out with ? Justin or Guy?
I’m gonna introduce more things about her Dad and develop the characters as it progresses.
Helping tips would be much appreciated
Jules 2206