Becky's Dress Disaster Page 3

  Suddenly, there was Katie, as furious as Max, and backed up by Annabel, her pretty face frowning.

  “What’s going on?” Katie demanded sharply. “Don’t you dare shout at my sister like that, she hasn’t done anything to you.”

  “She’s over here, isn’t she? Bugging me! Why don’t you all just get lost, you lot and your mum!” Max was practically nose-to-nose with Katie now.

  Watching in horror, Becky thought she could almost see Katie’s hackles rise at the mention of their mother. She seemed to get taller, and her deep-blue eyes took on a steely glint.

  “Since when was this part of the classroom your property? My sister can walk anywhere she likes, and so can I. Like this.” And Katie shoved forward, forcing Max to retreat or be pushed over. Max stepped back, surprised. “And if there happens to be something in my way,” she continued sweetly, “then I’m just going to walk on it. Like this.” She trampled decidedly on Max’s jumper, which had been lying next to his rucksack, and smiled at him, nastily.

  Annabel and Fran were looking pretty horrified now as well, as were Megan and Saima who’d come to see what was going on. What on earth had got into Katie? She was behaving like – well, like Max!

  The whole class was watching in a breathless hush, waiting to see what Max would do, when a cold voice snapped. “Go to your seats, all of you. Max, pick up your jumper and sit down.” Miss Fraser had arrived – just in time, Becky thought. “Not you, Katie,” their class teacher added, her usually friendly voice still sounding icy. “Go and stand by my desk, I’ll talk to you later.”

  Registration was torture for Becky. She could only imagine how embarrassed and upset Katie must be feeling, standing at the front of the classroom with everyone staring at her. Although, actually, Katie didn’t look embarrassed at all. She looked like the heroine in a film, about to be executed by firing squad for standing up for what she believed in. Becky shuddered. Katie was in trouble for standing up for her. But I didn’t ask her to! a tiny voice inside her muttered indignantly. She didn’t have to come storming in like that, like she always does. She sighed. She’d never have thought a few months ago that she’d get sick of having Katie look after her.

  She looked carefully round the class, to see what people’s faces were saying. Annabel was picking at her rubber anxiously, looking at Katie. Becky caught her eye and they exchanged worried shrugs. What was all that about?

  Becky moved on. Huh. Of course. Amy Mannering and her mates Emily and Cara were smirking and whispering behind their hands to each other. Cara saw her watching and sneered, and Becky looked away quickly, and by chance caught sight of Max. She’d been avoiding looking at him – why on earth had he got so mad with her? She’d only been trying to be nice, after all. She sighed to herself. Somehow, her peace-loving idea of all of them being friendly seemed pretty stupid. Now that she’d accidentally glanced at Max, though, she found herself drawn back to look again, feeling confused. Max ought to be sitting there looking insufferable, grinning all over his face. He’d just had an argument with Katie Ryan, his worst enemy, and she was in big trouble while he’d got off scot free! So why was he looking so miserable? His shoulders were all hunched up, and he was staring down at his homework diary as though his life depended on it.

  Becky chewed the end of her biro thoughtfully. Max reminded her of someone, but she just couldn’t work out who. Something about that determined refusal to look at anybody, so no one could be horrible…

  She suddenly sat bolt upright, and got a confused glare from Annabel. Of course! Max looked like her! At the beginning of last term when she’d been rowing with Katie and Annabel, and not really known anybody at their new school, she’d sat in all her classes just like that, hoping everyone would forget she was there. Was that what was happening to Max now? Poor Max – it was such an awful feeling. She still remembered what it was like, even though she had loads of mates now: Fran; her sisters, of course, and their best mates Megan and Saima; even Jack and Robin were fun. And David – she grinned at him across the table, thinking how lucky she was. He gave her a strange, serious look in return. Becky felt confused for a moment, but then realized that he must be surprised to see her looking so happy when Katie was in trouble. She wished she could explain, but she certainly wasn’t going to risk whispering when Miss Fraser was already cross.

  Miss Fraser kept Katie behind when the bell went for first lesson, so Annabel and Becky waited outside for her and sent the others off to save seats. Becky was expecting David to wait too, and she was intending to explain why she’d smiled at him, but he disappeared off, leaving her feeling confused. Where was he going? They normally sat with each other in maths. She was still gazing up the corridor after him, looking troubled, when Katie stalked out of their classroom with a defiant expression on her face.

  “So what happened?” asked Annabel interestedly as they set off to maths. “It sounded like she was having a massive go at you.”

  “Mmm,” Katie agreed. “She put me in detention for tomorrow. She said I was bullying him! Can you imagine? Max!” She sounded indignant.

  Becky frowned. Max had bullied her practically since she’d started at Manor Hill, and Katie and the others had always stood up for her. But it had never been quite like this. Just when did always hating and fighting with somebody you thought was really mean turn into bullying them? Maybe when they stopped fighting back, and looked as miserable and alone as Max had just now… She looked at Katie, still raging to Bel about how unfair it was that Max hadn’t got detention too. Katie was always scrupulously fair, but it seemed to Becky that she was so upset about the situation with Mum that she couldn’t see what was really going on. Max might still be horrible, but he wasn’t happy. Whenever he’d quarrelled with Katie before – or been picking on Becky – he’d been enjoying himself, and Becky had actually been frightened of him. As she’d watched Katie kicking his jumper along the floor earlier, she’d just felt sorry for him as she recognized the trapped, bewildered look on his face.

  Annabel didn’t seem to have noticed any of this, although she did say, “What were you doing kicking his sweater all over the floor like that? You’d have gone mad at anyone who did something like that to one of us.”

  Katie shrugged crossly. “Oh, he deserved it, Bel. Come on, he did, didn’t he?”

  Annabel nodded. “Mmm. Maybe. I can’t believe Miss Fraser just let him off. That really isn’t fair.” And the two of them went on discussing how unfair it was, while Becky just listened, looking anxiously at Katie’s hard face.

  By the time she got to maths, Becky had turned everything over in her head so many times that her brain was feeling dizzy, and she failed to notice that David had gone to sit with Jack and Robin instead of with them. Katie, bullying Max? She just couldn’t get her head round it. And as for getting Katie’s head round it – huh. You might as well try getting her into a full-length meringue dress with high heels and a tiara. Oh dear…

  It was halfway through the lesson that Becky suddenly came to (without the slightest clue about what the square of the hypotenuse was, let alone what you did with it) and noticed where David was. Or, more precisely, where he wasn’t. Why had he gone to sit with Jack and Robin? She tried to telegraph this to him with her eyebrows, but he wasn’t looking at her, and Mr Jones was, so she decided she’d better pay some attention to triangles for a bit. As soon as the bell went though, she stuffed all her books into her bag, said, “Wait for me!” to Fran and hurried over to David. She didn’t realize, but it showed just how much she’d changed in the last few months. The old Becky would have panicked and agonized about what was going on for most of the day before daring to go and confront somebody.

  David was pretending to be very interested in putting all his stuff away as she came up, so she plucked at his arm.

  “Hey! Why didn’t you come and sit with us?” She tried hard not to sound like she was upset – she just wanted to know what was g
oing on.

  He mumbled something unintelligible, still staring into the depths of his rucksack, and Becky tugged him round to face her.

  “Look, what’s wrong? What have I done to make you off with me like this?”

  He looked up, frowning. “Isn’t it obvious?”

  “No!”

  He looked shamefaced, as though he was realizing he’d been a bit stupid. “You were talking to Max – being all nice to him,” he muttered.

  “Are you jealous?” Becky almost squeaked, disbelievingly.

  “No! Well … maybe a bit. What were you talking to him for? You hate him! I didn’t know what was going on.”

  Becky hooked her arm through his. “Look, come on, we’re going to be late for French. I’ll explain on the way. Fran’ll tell you, she was there,” she added cryptically, as they caught up with Fran, who’d been pointing at her watch in a “come on!” kind of way. “I was just explaining to David about Max.”

  By the time they got to French she and Fran had filled David in. He already knew about the nightmare with Max’s dad and the triplets’ mum. He couldn’t stand Max either. He had the same situation with him on the football team that Katie had with Cara. He just had to try and forget how much he disliked him.

  “Well, I suppose trying to talk to him’s a good idea,” he murmured doubtfully, as they sat down in the classroom. Becky had made absolutely sure he was sitting next to her for this lesson. “I don’t fancy your chances, though. I mean what did you think, he was suddenly going to decide everything was OK and you were all best mates?”

  “Course not! I just reckon we ought to be able to talk to each other without starting World War III, that’s all.” Becky sighed. That wasn’t looking very hopeful now. Katie was still acting martyred and sulky – all Becky’d done was make her hate Max even more! “All right, I suppose it was dumb not to expect him to have a go at me.”

  She looked quickly over at Max, who was sharing a table with Amy, Cara and Emily. Amy looked as though she was actually being nice to him. Great – that was just what they needed. Max and Amy had been known to gang up on the triplets before, and Amy was a champion stirrer. If anyone could make him hate Katie and the others more, it was her. Altogether, so far Becky’s peacemaking plan looked to have been a complete and utter disaster…

  Chapter Four

  Mum was really, really upset with Katie when the triplets got home that night and she found out about the detention. She didn’t say much, but it was obvious that she was very disappointed.

  Becky nibbled miserably at her thumbnail as Katie tried to defend herself.

  “I wasn’t bullying him, Mum! Miss Fraser got the wrong idea. He’d been picking on Becky and I stopped him, that’s all. You know what he’s like!”

  Annabel tried to join in here to help out, but Mum just snapped at her to be quiet and went back to Katie.

  “It says here that you were bullying, Katie. Miss Fraser’s not stupid, I don’t see how she could get it that wrong. I really never thought I’d get a note like this about you.”

  The triplets slunk upstairs. Mum hadn’t been telling the other two off, but they did feel responsible, Becky especially, as she’d started the whole thing.

  Katie threw herself down on her bed angrily. “It’s so unfair! Why am I the one getting into so much trouble? Do you think you could manage to stay away from that idiot for a while, Becky? Or at least back me up with Mum next time I’m getting told off for helping you out!”

  Becky said nothing for a moment. She couldn’t remember feeling so at odds with Katie for a long time, and she wasn’t looking forward to her sister’s reaction to what she was about to say. She didn’t think Annabel was going to be particularly impressed either, actually.

  “Look, I’m really sorry you got into trouble.” Becky went over to the windowseat and opened the rats’ cage, picking up black-and-white Cassie for a cuddle. She felt she needed the comfort of something furry to give her confidence a boost. “I just don’t think you should have booted Max’s jumper around the floor! You were really mean!”

  “Oh great! Now you’re having a go at me! Thanks a bunch, Becky, I thought at least you might have been on my side. What is it with you at the moment?”

  “That’s not fair!” Becky protested indignantly. “I know you were trying to help me out—” Here Katie gave a snort, but Becky ploughed on. “You were trying to help me out, and Max was being mean, but he didn’t start it. I wanted to talk to him, ’cause I thought we should try and get on – what with everything that’s been happening.”

  Katie’s face blackened. She so didn’t want to talk about this. Annabel was looking as though she couldn’t believe what Becky was saying either.

  Becky started to speak faster – so as to finish what she was saying before Katie stormed out, which looked like it would be fairly soon. “And I think Max is feeling very miserable—”

  “Good!”

  “And we ought to be nice to him!”

  Katie just shook her head in disgust. “You’re crazy. He’s been a nightmare to you ever since we started at Manor Hill, and now you want us to be nice to him? Don’t you remember what he did? I missed the league final because of him!”

  “I know! But if Mum’s going out with his dad, then—”

  “Then nothing.” Katie had never sounded so final. “It doesn’t make any difference. I don’t have to like him, and I never will.”

  And with that she stalked out of the room, leaving Becky gasping, and Annabel looking as though for once she didn’t know what to say.

  That didn’t last long though. “Becky, you can’t seriously want us to be friends with him? Katie’s right – you must be mad!” And Annabel walked off, shaking her head disgustedly.

  Becky wasn’t sure what to say to Katie after the fight. When they went down for tea her sister was pretty silent, but she didn’t seem to be upset with Becky, particularly. It was just as if she was having a bad day all round. As Mum was still cross about the detention, it wasn’t a very cheerful meal, and Annabel and Becky felt as though they were chatting through a forcefield of gloom.

  Mum had obviously made a big effort to put the problems with Katie and Max out of her mind by the next morning, and Katie seemed to be dealing with the whole situation by pretending it had never happened, so it seemed like just a normal Tuesday. Underneath though, Becky felt as though she could sense all the problems and stresses bubbling away, like some horrible poisonous stew, just waiting to boil over. It didn’t help that Max spent that whole day taking every opportunity to spit insults at whichever triplet was nearest. By the end of school on Wednesday, Katie had taken to digging her nails into the palms of her hands to stop herself snapping back at him – she really didn’t want to get into trouble and upset Mum again, however much she knew she was right…

  Becky was still a bit worried about Katie and the wedding as well. She’d almost forgotten about that, with the whole Max nightmare, but then she got a nasty reminder on Thursday evening. She was sitting on the sofa watching a vet programme on TV, and vaguely listening to Mum on the phone in the background. Becky shuddered as she heard Mum enthusing to Auntie Jan about her latest date with Jeff Cooper. Things were going really well, apparently. Mum sounded really happy. Oh, why couldn’t she have found someone to date who didn’t come with added disgusting boy? It wasn’t fair.

  Mum and Auntie Jan were now discussing the exact shade of lilac tulips for her wedding bouquet, and it was just then that Katie wandered into the room, heard something about the merits of lavender ribbons versus silver, gave a disgusted snort and stomped out again. Becky gazed after her worriedly, and decided maybe it was time to try asking Annabel for help.

  “Bel!”

  Her sister was practically sitting in Mum’s lap, trying to hear both sides of the phone conversation. “Ssshhhhh!”

  “Bel, I really need to talk t
o you about Katie – do you think she’s going to be OK when Auntie Jan comes this weekend?” Auntie Jan was coming for the day on Saturday so that they could go and pick up the bridesmaids’ dresses together, and choose all the finishing touches, including the jewellery.

  “What do you mean? Why shouldn’t she be?”

  “Well, she wasn’t exactly a bundle of laughs at the last fitting was she? What if she loses it and upsets Auntie Jan?”

  Annabel flapped a hand distractedly – the words crystal drops had just been mentioned, and she was terrified that she was missing something important. “Oh, Becky, stop fussing!”

  But Becky couldn’t. Now that Katie was bottling up everything with Max, she had a horrible feeling that a weekend of dresses and wedding chatter just might make her even worse. Annabel was obviously going to be useless though. She was so excited about the wedding – which was only just over two weeks away now – that it seemed pointless trying to get her to help. She certainly wasn’t the right person to distract Katie from dresses, when she was spending all her time at school discussing them with Saima, and at home drawing more and more complicated and expensive-looking creations of her own.

  The thing was, apart from her worries about Katie, Becky was really looking forward to the weekend – she was almost as desperate as Annabel to see the finished dresses, and going to the florist with Auntie Jan to choose flowers for their posies sounded great. The smart country house where the wedding was being held was close to Stallford, so Auntie Jan was using a florist in the town.

  Becky was determined not to let her niggling worry about Katie spoil all the fun. Maybe the excited weddingy atmosphere would get to her by Saturday? Becky tried to banish it from her mind, and by Friday she was nearly as excited as Annabel, spending most of their Geography lesson peering over her shoulder with Saima and Fran, looking at her sister’s elegant jewellery designs. It was unlikely that the wedding budget would run to that number of diamonds, but it was fun to dream!