RYOT GRL

Chapter 14

Georgina comes to pick me up at 6, I sent a text to my mum before I left, who text back telling me to have fun. I know she’ll have a million questions tomorrow. It’s not often I go out at night, since I’ve had no one to go with before. We pick up Stella and I notice how she lives in a less built-up area. I see her talking to someone before she leaves. “Who’s that?”, I ask Georgina. “Oh, she’s a carer. She looks after Stella’s dad”, Georgina says. “Why? What’s wrong with him?”, I ask but Stella’s already in the car before Georgina can respond. She looks visibly nervous staring at her house as we drive away. We get back to Georgina’s and she lives in a house twice the size of mine. “I like your outfit”, Georgina mutters. She’s dressed in her plain top and jeans. “Is that what you’re wearing?”, I ask causing her to glance down at her outfit. “I don’t know what to wear. I’ve never been to a party before”, the rest of the time we spend going through her outfits making her try on every item in her wardrobe until we decide on a red halter top with a low neckline and denim skinny jeans. “Are you sure?”, she asks nervously and both me and Stella nod in agreement. I’ve never done anything like this before. I’ve spent so much time never having any real friends that I didn't realise how much I was missing. Thinking of starting again when we do eventually have to move is hard; that’s why I still won’t call them my friends. “What's wrong Dodo?”, Stella asks in concern. I plaster a smile on my face. “Nothing I’m fine”, I say. It nears to 9, and we’re sitting in Georgina’s car for a while before we leave. We’re all a bag of nerves, I’m trying not to show it too much, but my heart is beating so loud at the thought of what will happen tonight. It’s clear to me that Castle’s got some intentions about what’s happening between us and I need to set him straight.

Georgina’s hands are shaking by the time she turns on the ignition. It would be completely silent if it weren’t for the blasting radio. When we up at Jordan’s house, it’s bigger than I expected. My stomach is twisted in knots when I see Castle’s red Porsche outside. “Maybe this wasn’t a good idea”, Stella trembles. “No. We’re not cowards. It’s a test them inviting us here. They don’t think we have it in us to prove them wrong”, I assure them. But by the look on their faces, they're sceptical. “We can do this”. I get out of the car, first scanning around. People are littered about everywhere, most people I recognise from school. I see their faces, and the snickering that ensures after, as if they know something I don’t. Georgina is next who’s hands are still profusely shaking as she links arms with me, looking around. After a couple of minutes, we suss Stella isn’t getting out of the car. I knock on the car door, to see Stella with her head on her lap. “Stella. What’s wrong?”, I mutter opening the door. She looks up and her eyes are streaming with tears.

“I’m scared”, she murmurs her voice barely a whisper. I clasp her hand. “Nothing’s going to happen to you”. “Promise”, she cries, and I squeeze her hand gently. “I promise”. Together with Georgina we manage to get Stella on her feet; she’s looking around wildly with tears still streaming down her face. “They’re laughing at me”, she says looking around at the giggling faces around us. “Stella. Ignore them”, I say and that manages to calm her down. But she’s still closely linked her arms with me. When we get in, the music is blaring. Bodies are everywhere, and I can’t see where I’m going. If it weren’t for Stella and Georgina closely linked to me, I would be sure to lose them in the crowd. “We should get a drink”, I say and go to the kitchen passing each girl a beer. Stella looks at it sceptically. “I don’t think I’ll drink tonight”. she says and I take it from her. I need it to take the edge off. We hide in the kitchen for the next half an hour, hoping me don’t run into them. Until Jordan walks in, his eyes on a trembling Stella who looks like she’s going to have a heart attack any minute. He smiles, his eyes gleaming and gets his phone out of his pocket. “They're here. In the kitchen”, he says and snaps his phone shut again. He glares at me Georgina and I, and stands in front of a nervous Stella, who’s looking at the floor and hasn’t even realised that he’s standing in front of her. He bends down, to get to eye level with her and she looks up, jumping away from him. He grins but before he opens his mouth Castle and Jordan walk in. Castle is dressed in a black top, with denim ripped jeans. Our eyes lock and I see them flicker down to my outfit, approval in his eyes. “Glad to see you could make it”, he says softly and stands in front of me, grabbing my elbow. “Wait Castle”, I look back at Georgina and Stella who are being wrangled by Jordan and Hames in opposite directions. He leads me to the landing into a room, closing the door behind him. “What do you want?”, I say crossing my arms over my chest. “You”, he murmurs closer to me and I put my hand up, as some sort of barrier between us. I know if he gets any closer, I’ll lose all sense and he’ll be free to walk all over me.

“I don’t want anything to do with you Castle”, taking steps back. “Then why did you come here”, he whispers his voice low, and it sends shivers down my spine. “Because you forced me. I didn’t have a choice”, I say, and he chuckles. “You came here because you wanted to”, he says. “You’re so full of yourself”, I sit back, and he smirks. “I see you don’t deny it then”, I keep quiet. If he takes any more steps, he’ll be too close and there’s nowhere for me to run. “Why am I here?”, I say as he eyes scan over my face.

“I want to talk to you”, he says his tone turning more serious and he falls onto the bed sitting down on the edge of it. “Sit. I don’t bite”, he winks. I stand my ground, raising my eyebrows. “You’re no fun”, he pretends to pout. I sigh, needing to get this over with so he will leave me alone. “Are you dyslexic?”, he suddenly blurts putting me off guard. I stand stumped for a few moments. “No. Why would you ask that?”, I say defensively being my best way to get out of this.

“Because you have trouble reading and in English you never write anything the teacher tells you to”, he says, and I’m rendered speechless. I’m always so careful at hiding my secret, never getting close enough for anyone to know. I’ve only been here for a couple of weeks and he can already tell. I run to the door, but he blocks me, stopping me in my escape. “You don’t have to be embarrassed”, he says. He’s trying to reassure me. “You don’t know what you’re talking about”, I seethe. “Look at me”, he orders softly but I refuse keeping my eyes pressed to the door handle. “Dodo. Please just look at me”, he demands, and I do, my body betraying me. “It’s nothing to be ashamed about. My sister has dyslexia”, he tells me, and I look at him surprise. I wasn’t aware that he had a sister. “Why do you look so surprised?”, he mutters, and I shrug. “I don’t know anything about you”, I say finally, and he frowns.

“Is she in Westgate?”, I ask, and he nods. “Freshman”, he says, and I’m taken aback at him offering up personal information about himself. “Do you have any siblings?”, he asks, and I shake my head. “No. Just me”. “Where did you move here from?”. “Atlanta”, I say, and he grins. “Atlanta girl”. I chuckle. “Not quiet. I only lived in Atlanta for two months”, I murmur, and he looks surprised. “Where you before that?”, he says intrigued and for some reason I decide to humour him. “Detroit before that and before that Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey and way before that Manchester, England”, and I notice by his stature that he’s impressed. “You’ve moved a lot huh”, he says, and I nod. “Why?”, and his question puts me on guard. “I just have”, I say, and he opens his mouth to say something more when I hear my name being called.

It sounds like Stella and she’s frightened. I open the door with Castle hot on my heels. “Dodos wait, before you go down there”, I keep going. Going downstairs to see Georgina and Stella covered in red liquid with half the cheer squad around them, taking pictures. “What the hell?”, I run down, pushing my way through. “What happened?”, I say frantically, looking at both girls who are in tears. “Hames and Jordan got us down here and then the cheer squad poured this all over us”, they say, and they're completely covered. I turn around in complete fury, pushing Lillian who falls on the ground. “What is wrong with you?”, I demand, and she jumps up quickly pushing me back. “That’s for getting the boys suspended”, she seethes back. “Let’s get you two out of here”, but my path is blocked by Hames and Jordan. Hames carrying a cup of red liquid. “You get that away from me”, I threaten, and he smirks. “Not me”, and he steps back to reveal Castle and I suck in my breathe as Hames hands the cup to castle. His eyes aren’t on mine, instead they're on the red cup. He steps back and his eyes flicker to mine, they're dark and different from the comforting ones a saw only a few moments ago. “If you dare”, I threaten. We’re in a staring match neither of us willing to break it. “Come on Castle. Give her what she deserves”, Lillian is by his side, looking at me like I’m nothing. “Come on mate”, Hames is at his side, his eyes are still latched onto mine. I can see the battle in his head, so I decide to make it easier for him. “Come on Castle. Do it. Show me what kind of man you are”, I say taunting him and his eyes flicker to dark and the drink is thrown at me. Red sticky liquid covering my whole body and it stinks. He throws the cup walking off, his posse at his side. “Come on let’s go”, I say, and Stella pushes past me, tears trickling by my side. We don’t speak as Georgina drops us all off. I said I could walk but she wouldn’t hear of it. Stella hasn’t spoken to either of us or when we pull up at her house, she jumps out without saying so much of a word. “I’m so sorry Georgina. If I hadn’t convinced us to go”, I say apologetically. “It’s not your fault Dodo. Stella’s just upset. She wanted to think they would leave us alone”.

“It is my fault. I was the one who came and made it worse”, I say, and she shakes her head. “Before you came, I was too scared to stand up to anyone. I would sit by and let Hames taunt me and do whatever he wanted to do to me. I would still be doing that if you hadn’t turned up”, she assures me. “But tonight”. “Tonight, was about payback for getting them suspended. But they're still suspended. It’s still a win for us”, she assures me, and I feel lighter, the load I felt lessened. When she drops me off at my house, I head straight for the shower, my mum should be in bed by now. My mind is a jumbled mess. I told him about where I’ve lived, and he told me about his sister. I thought he was different but he’s just the same and I’m a fool me thinking he was different. Before I go to bed, I draw him in my sketchbook again, honing on his angry eyes before he poured red liquid all over me.