CHAPTER FOUR

“Argghh!! You almost stuck that eye liner pencil in my eye Courtney!!” Shell screamed. It was Saturday afternoon and Tash, Shell and Courtney were busily getting ready for their triple date.

“It was totally unintentional! I didn’t mean it!” replied Courtney.

“Sure, sure!” whispered Shell.

“Guys! Kiss and make up!” Tash stated.

Shell and Courtney hugged and made up. The three girls all had their hair the same, straightened with loose curls.

“Eeek! Guys, we’ve only got 10 minutes before we have to leave!” Shell shrieked. “Especially if we’re walking. Your mum didn’t change her mind about not wanting to drive us did she Courtney?”

“Nope. This is going to be such a great night!! I can’t wait! I’m shaking with excitement! Before we leave let’s do our secret handshake,” Courtney slightly yelled.

We’re the Bambinos times three. Just count us, one, two, three!” They all chorused and collapsed on the floor giggling madly.

The girls walked along the beach giggling about all sorts until they finally reached their destination. They were waiting outside the fish and chip shop as the guys had told them to when Shell and Tash’s eyes were covered by two sets of smooth hands. The girls turned around to meet their boyfriends and welcomed them with a kiss. Courtney and Jesse stood awkwardly to the side. Courtney smiled ineptly at Jesse and he smiled back. Boy, he was even hotter up close!

Courtney sighed. She had imagined Jesse would be forward like his friends. She watched Dean snake an arm around Shell’s waist. Tash broke into Courtney’s thoughts.

“Yo sleepy head!” she shouted. “Hurry up!”

Shell ran into the restaurant, dragging Dean behind her. She’d already chosen a cozy table in the corner and was eagerly looking at the menu. Tash and Shell purposely sat so Courtney had to sit next to Jesse.

“Oooh!” trilled Shell. “I’m so getting spaghetti and a chocolate milkshake…” She then paused. “Except I can’t eat all the spaghetti.”

“Why don’t we share?” Dean suggested.

Natasha kicked Courtney under the table hoping it would encourage her to make a move on Jesse, but all it did was make Courtney try to kick her back. Tash moved her foot just in time and Courtney’s foot hit Jesse’s. Dean noticed this strange behaviour.

“No footsies at the table please,” he said much to Jesse’s embarrassment.

The waiter brought their food to the table. Courtney mimed vomiting as Shell and Dean started eating ‘The Lady and the Tramp style’ and ended up snogging. 15 minutes later their food was all gone.

Just then Courtney felt someone kick her again.

“Who –,” she started to say but was answered by a cheeky grin that appeared on Jesse’s face. Courtney kicked back. A new foot war had begun. Unfortunately Dean noticed.

“I thought I said no footsies at the table!” Dean told them. “You guys better make up now!” So Jesses leaned over to Courtney, Courtney opened her arms to hug him but Jesse went that little bit further putting his arms around her and ‘frenched her’. Courtney could feel the the sparks fly between them. They eventually broke away. Jesse held her gaze; it was as if they could stay like that all night with no interruptions. But Dean interrupted them by saying, “I said make up! Not make out!” The girls just giggled.

They had finished eating so they decided to walk along the beach. Shell and Dean hung back from the rest of them. Dean was carrying Shell as if they were walking into the sunset to their royal palace. No one really knew how, but they managed to make out at the same time.

“So,” Jesse started holding out his hand. Courtney grabbed it.

“I’ve had a really good time tonight Jesse!” Courtney exclaimed.

“Yeah me too,” he replied. “I really like you Courtney.”

“Does this mean what I think it means?”

“Yeah. Would you like to be my girlfriend?”

“Yeah! Sure!” Courtney answered with a smile. “But that wasn’t what I was thinking!” Jesse looked plainly confused.

“But what…”

“Just joking!” Courtney added.

They smiled at each other and continued walking in the moonlight.

Tash and Alex looked behind them to see Courtney and Jesse holding hands. They quickly turned back not wanting to intrude.

“Awww!!” Tash whispered excitedly.

“Yay! We did it babe.” Alex stated. “We succeeded!”

Courtney and Jesse hugged as the girls prepared to depart. They smiled at each other knowing the spark was lit. Courtney mimed gagging as Shell and Dean shared a goodnight kiss and had to be dragged apart by Tash and Alex.

“Farewell my love,” called Dean dramatically.

“I will not rest till we are together once more!” Shell replied.

The three girls made their way back to Hillary’s as they had planned to be picked up there.

You can’t stop the beat… Tash’s phone was calling her.

“Oh, that will be my mum. No doubt she wants to pick us up.” As Tash answered her phone Shell and Courtney discussed the night’s events.

“Oh my god! Dean is such a good kisser!” Shell mimed fainting. “Sooo, what’s happening with you and Jesse? Do we get to celebrate?”

“ Yeah. I think our plan is successful!” Courtney said with a laugh.

“Yay!” Shell yelled doing her ‘happy dance’. “Hmm I wonder who Tash is talking to.”

“Mum will be here in a minute,” Tash informed them as she closed her phone.

“Cool,” said Courtney. Minutes went by and Tash’s mum pulled up beside them. They got into the car, Shell hitting her head as she got in and Courtney having to get out again to fetch her shoe, which had fallen off.

Once they reached Tash’s house, the girls stripped to their pj’s and settled down to watch movies in Tash’s room.

“Ok so here’s the plan,” Tash started as she closed the door. “We wait until my parents are asleep, then we quietly sneak up to the water tower to celebrate.

“Yay!” screamed Shell in a whisper and did a mini version of the ‘happy dance’. “I brought a block of chocolate!” They snuggled into sleeping bags and watched Stick It.

Two hours later when the girls felt sure Tash’s parents were asleep they prepared to sneak out. They grabbed torches, blankets, lollies and chocolate and opened Tash’s door with a creeeaaak.

“Shhhh,” Courtney whispered excitedly. Shell giggled.

The girls tiptoed to the front door and crept out into the night. Once they were out of earshot of the house Courtney shrieked, “Shit! It’s cold!”

They ran all the way to the water tower, Shell stopping to slide down the slide on the playground. They ran up all 44 stairs and huddled together under blankets, scoffing lollies and chocolate. Looking at her watch, Shell saw it was 1:46am. No wonder it was cold!

The girls went absolutely mental, suffering from extreme sugar overload. They collapsed on the floor after having a sleeping bag race and began to feel drowsy. They lay in a row, Courtney in the middle chatting drowsily.

“Oh no,” Courtney exclaimed quickly sitting up. “I just got dripped on. I think its starting to rain.”

“Nah, it was probably just a bird!” Shell laughed.

“Eww!” said Tash. That’s when they heard the rumble of thunder. It began to bucket down with rain. The girls shrieked as they picked up their stuff.

“Freaking hell!” freaked Shell. “We only happen to be on the highest object around in the middle of a freaking storm!” The girls suddenly froze. They could not move for fear. Suddenly as the girls managed to huddle together a huge bolt of lightning hit them flinging them apart in a blaze of coloured light.