Teen Queens and Has-Beens

Chapter 3 "Hey, if it isn't little Lia," said Michael when I opened my bedroom door. Then he looked me up and down. "Only not so little anymore. You've shot up in the last year. You look great!""Thanks," I said, and gave him my best flirty look. So far, so good, I thought as he enveloped me in a huge hug. He looked as gorgeous as I remembered -- tall and dark, with velvety brown eyes and amazing chiseled features. "All ready for tonight?" asked Ollie. "Is Cat coming?""Yeah. Later with me. First we've got to go to our school disco. In fact, I wondered if you and Mich..." At that moment, I heard the door of one of the guest rooms open and close behind us and as I turned, a girl with long dark hair was coming toward us. She was very pretty -- Indian-looking, with lovely high cheekbones. Oh no, I thought. Ollie's brought one of his "girlfriends" with him. I hope Cat's not going to be upset. I felt a flash of annoyance. He always does this. Keeps himself surrounded with different girls, so that no one can get too close to him. "Lia, this is Usha," said Ollie as the girl came to join us. "Michael's girlfriend."As she slipped her hand into Michael's, I tried to smile and look friendly, but inside, I felt like my chest was made of glass and someone had just shattered it. "Oh...er, hi, Usha.""So what were you just saying?" asked Ollie. "Something about a disco?""Yeah. Got to dash. Disco at school. Going there first. Be back later. See you then."I ran back to my room, locked the door, dived onto my bed and put my pillow over my head. Girlfriend? He'd brought his girlfriend! Stinking finking. I never saw that coming. But, of course, someone as attractive as Michael was bound to have a girlfriend and Ollie wasn't to know that I fancied him. I lay on my bed for a while, stared at the ceiling, and ran through all the swear words I knew in my head. I daren't say them out loud as there were too many people in the house and someone might be passing my room and think I'd gone mad. Suddenly I wasn't in the mood for a disco, or a party. I wanted to hide under my bed and come out when it was all over. A moment later, Cat phoned to ask if she could borrow my red beaded choker and it all came tumbling out."...so, you see, I just can't come," I said. "I'd be lousy company and...""So what are you going to do? Hide in your bedroom all night? You know you can't do that. Your mum or someone's bound to come up and drag you out, then you'll have to spend the whole night watching Michael with Usha. No, come on, Lia, best get out of there. Take your mind off it. And you never know, we might have a good time at school, then later, at least Bec, Mac, Squidge, and I will be there with you."The school disco was well underway by the time we got there. In the end, it wasn't me who held us up but Becca. She took six changes of clothes to Cat's and couldn't decide what to wear. She finally decided on black trousers and a black handkerchief top. She looked really sophisticated, more eighteen than fourteen. Cat wore her short red dress and my choker and looked lovely as always. The name Cat suits her as she looks a bit like a cat -- dark, glossy, and serene. Mum and I had picked out a silvery colored mini-dress with sparkles on it last time we were up in London, but it seemed a bit OTT for the school disco. I wasn't in the mood for dressing up, so I just put on my jeans and a pale blue halter-neck top instead."You'd look good whatever you wore," said Becca as we tried to apply lip gloss beneath the glaring fluorescent lights in the girls' cloakroom at school. I couldn't help thinking how different it looked to back home where Mum had put jasmine scented candles, flowers, and Floris soaps in all the cloakrooms. The only aroma here was the pong of disinfectant that the cleaners used to scour the loos with.As we stood in front of the mirrors doing our hair, Kaylie O'HaraHopkins, Cathy is the author of 'Teen Queens and Has-Beens', published 2004 under ISBN 9780689871290 and ISBN 0689871295.