Chapter 4
“You were right,” I said into my phone urgently as I pulled on my jacket leaning the phone against my shoulder, “You were right about everything and right now, I really need you to help me.”
“I told you,” came Vanessa’s smug reply.
I rolled my eyes and picked up a bucket of popcorn and rushed out of the nearly empty Centre, I waved goodbye to Claire and made my way down the stone steps of the shopping Centre. It was still bright and I watched as the sky turned steadily redder. Another sunset and I was on my own. I grabbed the phone off my shoulder and put it against my ear.
“I have no time for smug comments Vanessa,” I said miserably, “What I need is advice. What the fuck do I do? April is obviously going out with Erik! It was stupid of me to even think that I had a chance with him! Of course I wouldn’t…look at her! She’s a whore and I’m what? Some fucking loser…”
“Michelle!” exclaimed Vanessa, “Hold on a second, breathe…relax and start from the beginning…what happened?!”
I stopped babbling and took a deep breath trying to calm my frantic breathing. Yes I was in bits. I was devastated, I saw April and Erik leaving the cinema and it wasn’t pleasant. They looked like they enjoyed the movie; he had his arm around her and was telling her a joke. It was so damn clear that he was into her and- she was into him. FML.
“I was talking to Erik,” I said with forced calmness hitting the button on the traffic lights, there was a loud beep, “Everything was good. He was making small talk with me.”
Vanessa sucked in a breath, “So like, what’s the problem then?” she asked sounding anxious; “You didn’t…burp in his face did you? I mean if you did, I’m sure he understood –”
“No!” I exclaimed impatiently, “No! It’s much worse than that! Stop guessing.”
Vanessa suddenly gasped, “You didn’t…you know…”
“I said STOP GUESSING!” I exclaimed crossing the road, “No! It’s nothing embarrassing. It’s much worse, much much worse. We have no weapon against April! She has Erik. She’s going out with him! He likes her and she likes him!”
“What the hell?!” gasped Vanessa, “But…I’ve been hearing everywhere that April has been saying that she likes him! There was no sign that they were going out!”
“Well whatever happened with them two, it’s going to be publicized by Monday,” I said miserably, “Can’t you see the problem. I can’t even make a decision about the makeover because she has him! April has everything she needs! Nothing can piss her off now and you well know that.”
“Stop being so pessimistic,” shouted Vanessa, “Breath child! Or else you’re going to get a heart attack or something. Ok listen; this is what we’re going to do.”
“Oh good,” I said with a sigh of relief, “You have a plan.”
Vanessa laughed, “Michelle. Have I ever let you down?”
I had to smile at that, “Of course not.”
“Good,” replied Vanessa, “Well this is what we’re going to do we’re in for some major stalking tonight and I need you to come to my house. A sleepover is in order. Can you do that for me?”
“You want me to come over?”
“Yes.”
“Now?”
“No, Michelle, next year,” replied Vanessa sarcastically, “Just gather all your shit and come over. We need to plan this out.”
“Ok,” I said with a sigh, “I’ll just..”
“Oh and by the way, bring the popcorn.”
“What popcorn?”
“You always bring popcorn home after work, so you better bring it too.”
I rolled my eyes, “Whatever, I’ll see you later.”
“Toodles.”
“Don’t say that!”
There was an exasperated sigh, “See you later.”
I grunted in reply and hung up.
I came home to a chorus of shouts from my parents. Both of them were once again in an argument with Avril so it was easy to slink into my room, gather my bag and pajamas. I grabbed my laptop and put it in a protective bag then walked down the stairs grabbing the bucket of popcorn off the table. Miraculously untouched.
“Where are you going?” snapped my mum looking sophisticated in her dark grey suit and red-rimmed glasses, her dark hair was tied back in a bun. Avril strongly resembled her; I was the unlucky one to end up looking like my dad.
“Vanessa’s,” I replied shortly, “I’m going to stay over there for tonight.”
“Be careful,” said my mum giving me a smile.
“What?” exclaimed Avril, “You let her go…”
I closed the door as my dad’s booming voice joined in the argument. I sighed. Avril was the one that always got the most attention. My parents trusted me in keeping her in line but of course, Avril would rather eat a kangaroo’s dick then listen to me so I was a failure in that field. I was always the quiet, shy one…with that came the power of invisibility.
It didn’t take me long to come to Vanessa’s house feeling more miserable then when I left the house in the first place.
Her driveway looked empty, showing that her parents were out. Of course. I was surprised that she didn’t have guys over.
I knocked on the door and stepped back as it burst open and Vanessa looked out wearing a small dress and a lot of makeup.
“You’re here,” she exclaimed rushing towards me and giving me a tight hug smelling like my favorite perfume, “I thought you’ll be here by eleven or something,” she sniffed my arm and a smile lit up her face as she saw the bucket of popcorn.
“Popcorn,” I said then glanced at her dressy clothes, “What’s up with the dress?”
Vanessa grabbed the bucket off me and forced me into the house steering me into the kitchen and kicking the door shut.
Her house smelled like food, freshly made food I might add rather than the microwavable type and there was loud music from upstairs where her fourteen year old brother was rehearsing the electric guitar. He was pretty good.
“There’s some hot pizza guy on the loose,” said Vanessa with a wink, “And I ordered some pizza for us.”
“You have food in the house,” I said blankly pointing at the counter filled with fruit and fresh groceries.
Vanessa clucked her tongue impatiently then leaned against the counter and looked at me thoughtfully, “You’re obviously completely clueless to the words. Hot. Pizza. Guy. I was hoping to you know…attract him to our next little gathering.”
Usually I’d snort and say, yeah have fun with that, but come on it was Vanessa. I didn’t doubt her.
“Right,” I said and sat down at her kitchen table, “What do I do?”
Vanessa looked sympathetic to my plight and sat down beside me, “Well for one, stuff our faces with popcorn, flirt with pizza guy then talk about your issues.”
“Do we have to flirt with the pizza guy?” I asked her miserably, I didn’t think I could stand another overly polite conversation with any male individual in this world.
Vanessa smiled, “Pfft...I would say, no bitch, we’re flirting tonight but alright, you go grab some chocolate ice cream from the fridge and I will go…” there was the sound of the front bell ringing and then she squealed in excitement and rushed to the front door.
I got up from my chair and poked my head through the door and saw her flirting with a dark haired rocker guy carrying a big pizza box. He didn’t look that cute, not as cute as Erik anyways and his eyes didn’t look as green as Erik’s either.
I sighed and wished that I had the same charm that Vanessa possessed, she could go flirt with a lamp post and make it like her. She even got Derrick’s dog to like her and it hated everyone. I made my way to the huge fridge and opened it, it was filled with food and I wondered what it felt like to have parents that stayed at home most of the time. Vanessa was really close to her parents. Her mum knew everything about her and regarded her with adoring eyes, asking her about her love life as casually as I would.
They didn’t have the usual mother-daughter awkwardness that I had with my mum. But then again I barely saw my parents. My mum was only around early in the mornings and late at night. Those times she spent obsessively cleaning the kitchen and then giving out to Avril. Happy days.
I didn’t realize I had been just staring inside the fridge until Vanessa reached across from me and grabbed a huge box of chocolate ice cream, clicking her fingers in front of my eyes.
“Earth to Michelle,” she laughed and winked as I broke out of my reverie, “Well his name is Jay and he’s eighteen.”
“And you are sixteen,” I said, “Two years difference, very nice.”
Vanessa rolled her eyes and passed me two spoons and a box of pizza, the smell of tomato sauce and pepperoni filled my nostrils and I sniffed it all in, feeling hungry all of a sudden.
She grabbed the box of ice cream and another box of pizza then led me up the winding carpeted stair case. Her brother’s loud music filled our ears and she ground her teeth in annoyance.
We made our way to her red bedroom. It would’ve been ordinary looking if it wasn’t for the fact that she painted it red and added horrible blobs of orange in random locations of the wall. She had a huge chestnut dresser at the top of the room filled with everything she needed, makeup and hair accessories and products. Her curler and straightener were thrown carelessly on her floor beside two plugs at the window. Her dark laptop sat on her homework desk at the window. Her double bed was littered with a huge amount of socks and clothes.
She smiled apologetically at the mess then swept all her socks on the floor and kicked them under her bed. “I had to spend a long time getting ready,” she said with a laugh.
I sat at the edge of her bed as she put the boxes down and grabbed her clothes in one pile and shoved them in her wardrobe promising to put them away the next day. Then she sat down beside me, crossed her legs and opened the box and passed me a slice of pizza.
“So now,” she said, “What is your news?”
“You heard it,” I said miserably and leaned against the wall taking a huge bite of the pizza, “Erik and April are an item. I have no chance now.”
“What makes you think that?” asked Vanessa, “What does she have that you don’t?”
I raised my eyebrow at her, “Everything.”
Vanessa snorted, “Look, April is fake. Everyone knows that and you’re just not thinking clearly at the moment.”
“Right, not thinking clearly,” I said, “I saw them with each other, I saw the way he looked at her he well likes her. How could I ever compete with that?”
Vanessa looked away thoughtfully, “So you’re all set for the makeover plan?”
I sighed, “I doubt it’ll work but I’m desperate.”
“You’re not desperate,” snorted Vanessa, “Ok; well for one thing we have to figure out what type of girl he’s interested in.”
“Easy,” I said with a wry smile, “Whores. And how are you going to find out anyway?”
Vanessa smiled mischievously, “I said we’re going to be stalking. And the best way to stalk any guy is through Facebook.”
I laughed as she got off the bed to grab the laptop and opened it then turned it on; we waited for it to load, eating our pizzas in silence.
I tried to peel of some melted cheese off my finger when Vanessa suddenly exclaimed in triumph loading up her profile. She looked like a model in her black and white profile picture.
“You have April in your friend’s list?” I asked in shock.
Vanessa smiled, “I had to know what the enemy was saying,” she said and loaded April’s page which was of her wearing a super skinny dress and downing a can of beer.
Then she loaded a new page showing Erik’s profile. He looked hot and blonde picture wearing a black suit and smiling mischievously. she looked through his profile thoughtfully then laughed and clicked on a like button, "This dude has style," she muttered with a laugh.
I scowled at her in impatience.
“Well so far we’ve learnt that he’s rich,” said Vanessa thoughtfully after a while of liking random groups, “Everyone knows that, he’s really popular, interested in sports and music. Emm…” she clicked onto his interests, “He likes drama and it says that he’s part of a play…”
“Well that’s useful,” I said grabbing another slice of pizza.
Vanessa looked through the list of interests thoughtfully then suddenly her face lightened as she scrolled through something, “He’s performing in the Grand Royal Theatre.”
“Yes…?”
“You are a good actress.”
I snorted, right, the only acting expertise I actually had was that one line in primary school. I forgot the words and made something up. It was the longest one minute of my life.
“I wonder.”
“You have a plan?”
“Yes I do,” said Vanessa and got off the bed to pace her room, the loud guitar music seemed to make that move impressive.
“Well right now, we know that there’s a play taking place in the Grand Royal Theatre, apparently they are looking for another actress, someone who would be playing opposite Erik. Now the best thing is, April is shit at acting, so she’s not part of it.”
“How do you know that?” I asked quietly.
“The auditions are still on,” said Vanessa, she looked around thoughtfully, “They are on till Sunday of next week, Derrick and I have exactly one week to prepare you for it.”
“WHAT?”
“Michelle,” said Vanessa turning to me, “This is important, if you really want Erik you have to cooperate. We have to find a way for you to hang out with him without April around and the play is a perfect way to do it, especially the role that’s meant to play his lover or something.”
“I don’t know,” I said uncertainly, “I won’t get the role.”
“Don’t worry about this now,” said Vanessa her eyes shining with happiness, “You could like join Derrick’s band.”
“What?”
“Then that way the whole school could get to know you, you’ll be like the hot singer chick.”
“But I thought you were just going to give me a makeover!”
“I am,” smiled Vanessa, “But I’m also going to try to get the attention that you’ll need and you have talent. So we need to show it off.”
“I don’t though,” I said quietly.
“Yes you do,” insisted Vanessa and sat down, “April won’t know what hit her.”
I raised my eyebrows, Oh yeah; April won’t know what hit her. She’d die laughing at me.
