already bristling with tensions.
Rocky shrugged. “That's your problem. Oh, and I want to DJ as well as perform my own songs.”
I was silent for a moment.
“Oh, all right, then,” I said recklessly.
I was still reeling from the shock of what I'd just agreed to when Rocky walked off. Of course, Geena and Jazz came rushing straight over. They'd finally noticed that I was alone with Rocky, and naturally they couldn't wait to find out what we'd been talking about.
“That was very sneaky, Amber,” Geena said disapprovingly. “What's going on?”
“You're not going to believe it,” I muttered.
“Oh, tell,” demanded Jazz.
Kim came up to us at that moment, red in the face and panting heavily. “I've had to run all the way,” she complained. “I've been waiting for you for ages.”
“Sorry,” I said. “We came a different way this morning.”
“Well, thanks for letting me know,” Kim snapped. “I was nearly late, and all because—”
“Oh, do be quiet, Kim,” said Jazz. “Amber was about to tell us something important.”
Kim sighed deeply. “About Rocky, I suppose. That's all you three ever talk about these days—”
“Shut up, Kim!” we chorused.
“Well?” Geena asked.
I cleared my throat. “You see, I had this brilliant idea—”
Loud groans, which I ignored.
“I thought that if Rocky made friends with Kiran, it might help her feel a bit better about herself,” I went on. “It'd cheer her up to have the best-looking boy in the school as a mate.”
“How shallow,” said Kim sternly. “I thought you had more sense than that, Amber.”
“It's not shallow at all,” said Geena. “It's good psychology.”
“Absolutely,” Jazz agreed. “So you asked Rocky, and he said yes?”
“That shows just how truly gorgeous he is,” sighed Geena. “Not many guys would be happy to do such a thing. Especially when it's someone like Kiran.”
“Er—it wasn't exactly like that,” I muttered uncomfortably. “We made a deal.”
“What kind of deal?” asked Kim.
“Well…” I shuffled my feet a little. “That he would make friends with Kiran, and in return, he gets to play at Auntie's wedding reception.”
Geena's and Jazz's mouths fell open in one perfect, synchronized movement. They stared at me, goggle-eyed, and then both began to laugh hysterically.
“What's so funny?” said Kim.
“I was about to ask the same thing myself,” I snapped.
“Where have you been for the last couple of weeks, Amber?” Geena chortled. “Haven't you noticed just how tense this whole wedding thing has got? Auntie's ready to kill somebody, and Auntie-ji's probably already organized the London Symphony Orchestra to turn up and perform classical versions of Bollywood hits.”
“Oh, my sides ache.” Jazz hugged her ribs. “I can't
wait
for you to tell Auntie
and
Auntie-ji.
Please
don't do it unless Geena and I are there.”
“I think you're making too much of this,” I said in a dignified manner. “They'll probably be pleased that at least something's been sorted out. They won't have to worry about music or finding a DJ.”
“Rocky's DJ-ing as well?” Jazz shrieked with delight. “Oh, this just gets better. Good luck, Amber. You're going to need it.”
“I don't know why you're doing this anyway,” Kim said, raising her voice over the peal of the morning bell. “Kiran's much too intelligent to want to hang around with Rocky.”
I shot her a poisonous glare. “Thanks.”
“Well, you three are just doing it for a bet,” Kim said sagely, lifting her bag onto her shoulder. “If you
weren't, you'd be able to see that he isn't quite as wonderful as you think he is—”
“Kim, how about we agree on some sort of sign?” I said cuttingly. “Then when you annoy me, I could just do this”—I flicked her lightly on the nose—“or this”— I slapped her on the back—“and then you'd know you were annoying me, and you could stop.”
“I'll never stop trying to get you
Rocky shrugged. “That's your problem. Oh, and I want to DJ as well as perform my own songs.”
I was silent for a moment.
“Oh, all right, then,” I said recklessly.
I was still reeling from the shock of what I'd just agreed to when Rocky walked off. Of course, Geena and Jazz came rushing straight over. They'd finally noticed that I was alone with Rocky, and naturally they couldn't wait to find out what we'd been talking about.
“That was very sneaky, Amber,” Geena said disapprovingly. “What's going on?”
“You're not going to believe it,” I muttered.
“Oh, tell,” demanded Jazz.
Kim came up to us at that moment, red in the face and panting heavily. “I've had to run all the way,” she complained. “I've been waiting for you for ages.”
“Sorry,” I said. “We came a different way this morning.”
“Well, thanks for letting me know,” Kim snapped. “I was nearly late, and all because—”
“Oh, do be quiet, Kim,” said Jazz. “Amber was about to tell us something important.”
Kim sighed deeply. “About Rocky, I suppose. That's all you three ever talk about these days—”
“Shut up, Kim!” we chorused.
“Well?” Geena asked.
I cleared my throat. “You see, I had this brilliant idea—”
Loud groans, which I ignored.
“I thought that if Rocky made friends with Kiran, it might help her feel a bit better about herself,” I went on. “It'd cheer her up to have the best-looking boy in the school as a mate.”
“How shallow,” said Kim sternly. “I thought you had more sense than that, Amber.”
“It's not shallow at all,” said Geena. “It's good psychology.”
“Absolutely,” Jazz agreed. “So you asked Rocky, and he said yes?”
“That shows just how truly gorgeous he is,” sighed Geena. “Not many guys would be happy to do such a thing. Especially when it's someone like Kiran.”
“Er—it wasn't exactly like that,” I muttered uncomfortably. “We made a deal.”
“What kind of deal?” asked Kim.
“Well…” I shuffled my feet a little. “That he would make friends with Kiran, and in return, he gets to play at Auntie's wedding reception.”
Geena's and Jazz's mouths fell open in one perfect, synchronized movement. They stared at me, goggle-eyed, and then both began to laugh hysterically.
“What's so funny?” said Kim.
“I was about to ask the same thing myself,” I snapped.
“Where have you been for the last couple of weeks, Amber?” Geena chortled. “Haven't you noticed just how tense this whole wedding thing has got? Auntie's ready to kill somebody, and Auntie-ji's probably already organized the London Symphony Orchestra to turn up and perform classical versions of Bollywood hits.”
“Oh, my sides ache.” Jazz hugged her ribs. “I can't
wait
for you to tell Auntie
and
Auntie-ji.
Please
don't do it unless Geena and I are there.”
“I think you're making too much of this,” I said in a dignified manner. “They'll probably be pleased that at least something's been sorted out. They won't have to worry about music or finding a DJ.”
“Rocky's DJ-ing as well?” Jazz shrieked with delight. “Oh, this just gets better. Good luck, Amber. You're going to need it.”
“I don't know why you're doing this anyway,” Kim said, raising her voice over the peal of the morning bell. “Kiran's much too intelligent to want to hang around with Rocky.”
I shot her a poisonous glare. “Thanks.”
“Well, you three are just doing it for a bet,” Kim said sagely, lifting her bag onto her shoulder. “If you
weren't, you'd be able to see that he isn't quite as wonderful as you think he is—”
“Kim, how about we agree on some sort of sign?” I said cuttingly. “Then when you annoy me, I could just do this”—I flicked her lightly on the nose—“or this”— I slapped her on the back—“and then you'd know you were annoying me, and you could stop.”
“I'll never stop trying to get you
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