them so, if you won’t have them in your bag, you’ll have to do the explaining about the library book,’ she said, thrusting it at me.
I still don’t know why I didn’t just tell her that I didn’t have to do anything if I didn’t want to and then walk out. It might have had something to do with the fact that she was standing between me and the cubicle door, but I wonder if it was also because I did actually feel slightly guilty.
In fact, it was at that moment I realised I’ve been feeling guilty ever since we won the lottery. I don’t know why. I just have. Like we didn’t deserve it or something, or maybe going from poor to rich over night takes a bit of adjusting to (not that Chelsea seems to have a problem adjusting, or Spencer for that matter. What’s wrong with me?) Anyhow, the upshot was I ended up buying the clothes. Stupid, I know, but at the time it seemed like the sanest thing to do. Stacy just stood there grinning while I paid for them with my new debit card.
‘Oh, Charlotte, that’s so kind of you. Thank you. You didn’t have to, you know.’
Yeah, right.
When we finally got out of the shop I stormed off in the direction of Starbucks and Stacy, following behind said,’ Oh, there goes my phone again.’
Just wait until Lauren hears about this, I was thinking. This will put her off Stacy for sure.
‘Lauren can’t come after all,’ said Stacy.’What a shame. Still, we’ve had fun, haven’t we? Do you fancy a coffee in Starbucks anyway?’
I can’t remember exactly what I said but it had to do with me going home immediately. Stacy didn’t argue. I guess she’d got what she wanted.
The minute I got home I tried ringing Lauren’s house but there was no reply. Iwas standing in the hall, biting my nails and wondering how I could get hold of Lauren when Mum came out of the passage door.
‘Charlotte! Where did you go? I thought you’d gone to meet Lauren.’
‘I did.’
‘So how come she turned up here with the work you missed last week? What is going on?’
I mumbled something about there being a mix up and shot up to my room.
Now I’ve written it all down some things are a bit clearer. Firstly, Lauren obviously doesn’t know anything about my trip into town today or why would she have turned up here? In that case, it can’t have been her who texted me last night telling me to meet her. Obviously it was Stacy. What’s more, Stacy must have Lauren’s phone.
Now I think about it, I’ve never seen Stacy with a mobile phone at school and the one she kept getting out today was identical to Lauren’s. So all those texts she kept getting from Lauren were made up to keep me from going home. The phone was switched off, which is why it didn’t ring when I tried to call Lauren. And why didn’t I wonder why Lauren kept calling Stacy instead of me?
I feel so stupid, the whole day was one big set-up. And I fell for it. I can’t believe I was stupid enough to buy those clothes for Stacy. What was I thinking? That must have been her intention all along: to get ‘the rich kid’ to fork out.
But something else is bothering me. That story about the library book setting the alarms off. If that was true, why didn’t the alarms go off every time we went in and out of the shops? And if it wasn’t true, that must mean that Stacy was setting me up to get caught for shoplifting. If everything had gone according to her plan, it would have been me with the clothes in my bag and I don’t doubt for a minute that she would have acted all innocent. Why would she do that to me?
Lauren obviously doesn’t know anything about all this so I need to get hold of her and tell her about the shoplifting and how Stacy nicked her phone. Then maybe she’ll realise what a freak Stacy is and stop being friends with her.
Sunday 7th November
I’ve been trying to get hold of Lauren all day. It’s been driving me completely mad. Her mobile is still switched off and there was no answer on her landline all
I still don’t know why I didn’t just tell her that I didn’t have to do anything if I didn’t want to and then walk out. It might have had something to do with the fact that she was standing between me and the cubicle door, but I wonder if it was also because I did actually feel slightly guilty.
In fact, it was at that moment I realised I’ve been feeling guilty ever since we won the lottery. I don’t know why. I just have. Like we didn’t deserve it or something, or maybe going from poor to rich over night takes a bit of adjusting to (not that Chelsea seems to have a problem adjusting, or Spencer for that matter. What’s wrong with me?) Anyhow, the upshot was I ended up buying the clothes. Stupid, I know, but at the time it seemed like the sanest thing to do. Stacy just stood there grinning while I paid for them with my new debit card.
‘Oh, Charlotte, that’s so kind of you. Thank you. You didn’t have to, you know.’
Yeah, right.
When we finally got out of the shop I stormed off in the direction of Starbucks and Stacy, following behind said,’ Oh, there goes my phone again.’
Just wait until Lauren hears about this, I was thinking. This will put her off Stacy for sure.
‘Lauren can’t come after all,’ said Stacy.’What a shame. Still, we’ve had fun, haven’t we? Do you fancy a coffee in Starbucks anyway?’
I can’t remember exactly what I said but it had to do with me going home immediately. Stacy didn’t argue. I guess she’d got what she wanted.
The minute I got home I tried ringing Lauren’s house but there was no reply. Iwas standing in the hall, biting my nails and wondering how I could get hold of Lauren when Mum came out of the passage door.
‘Charlotte! Where did you go? I thought you’d gone to meet Lauren.’
‘I did.’
‘So how come she turned up here with the work you missed last week? What is going on?’
I mumbled something about there being a mix up and shot up to my room.
Now I’ve written it all down some things are a bit clearer. Firstly, Lauren obviously doesn’t know anything about my trip into town today or why would she have turned up here? In that case, it can’t have been her who texted me last night telling me to meet her. Obviously it was Stacy. What’s more, Stacy must have Lauren’s phone.
Now I think about it, I’ve never seen Stacy with a mobile phone at school and the one she kept getting out today was identical to Lauren’s. So all those texts she kept getting from Lauren were made up to keep me from going home. The phone was switched off, which is why it didn’t ring when I tried to call Lauren. And why didn’t I wonder why Lauren kept calling Stacy instead of me?
I feel so stupid, the whole day was one big set-up. And I fell for it. I can’t believe I was stupid enough to buy those clothes for Stacy. What was I thinking? That must have been her intention all along: to get ‘the rich kid’ to fork out.
But something else is bothering me. That story about the library book setting the alarms off. If that was true, why didn’t the alarms go off every time we went in and out of the shops? And if it wasn’t true, that must mean that Stacy was setting me up to get caught for shoplifting. If everything had gone according to her plan, it would have been me with the clothes in my bag and I don’t doubt for a minute that she would have acted all innocent. Why would she do that to me?
Lauren obviously doesn’t know anything about all this so I need to get hold of her and tell her about the shoplifting and how Stacy nicked her phone. Then maybe she’ll realise what a freak Stacy is and stop being friends with her.
Sunday 7th November
I’ve been trying to get hold of Lauren all day. It’s been driving me completely mad. Her mobile is still switched off and there was no answer on her landline all
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