hope.’
Suddenly he was standing behind me and had his arm around my waist. I felt panic rise up within my throat. I moved away, reaching into a cupboard for some dips, taking a deep breath and deciding to act like nothing had happened . ‘Do you like chilli, or sour cream and onion? Or both, should I just put out both?’
‘What I’d really like,’ he murmured, coming over and standing far too close to me again, though not touching this time, ‘is to find out what princesses taste like.’
He ran his tongue along his lip in what he seemed to think was a flirtatious gesture, but which just made me want to vomit.
‘Ha, ha, none of that on the menu tonight I’m afraid.’ I tried to keep my voice light and breezy. I stepped away again, holding the bowl of nachos between us. Once more he moved after me. I had to fight every instinct not to just drop the bowl and run.
‘Let’s go back in to the others, will we? I’m sure they’re wondering where we’ve got to.’
‘I’m sure they’ve got better things to worry about,’ Spidersaid. ‘You don’t want to disturb the love birds, now do you?’
Somehow I’d crossed the room and was at the sitting room door. I glanced over my shoulder, not wanting to turn my back on him. Ellen and Pete were on the couch practically welded together from the lips down. Well, too bad, I thought. Ellen had asked me to spend the weekend with her, not to hide out in the kitchen fighting off Spider just to keep him away from her and Pete.
‘Anyone for nachos?’ I said loudly, pushing the door open with my hip. It swung shut behind me, right in Spider’s face. I pretended not to notice.
I tried not to look at Ellen and Pete as they reluctantly moved apart, concentrating instead on lowering the bowl of nachos onto the coffee table without toppling the tower of dips in my other hand.
‘Nachos. Great,’ Ellen said, leaning forward and grabbing a handful.
Spider had come silently into the room and sat down in the armchair I’d been in. I wondered briefly about his nickname . Had he got it from the way he crept quietly in and out of rooms, like some horrible creepy-crawly? Or was it because of those long, skinny limbs? Either way, I decided, it suited him.
Pete was nuzzling on Ellen’s neck again. She squealed and half-heartedly pushed him away.
I needed to keep them talking. I couldn’t be left alonewith Spider, and his horrible creepy crawly hands.
‘When did you say the gig was in Keogh’s?’
‘Next Saturday,’ Pete said, with exaggerated slowness. ‘We could write it down for you.’
I pretended not to notice his tone. ‘Oh that’s too bad, we’re going to a party that night, aren’t we Ellen?’
‘Yeah, just some girl in school,’ Ellen said dismissively.
‘Didn’t think gigs were really your scene, anyway,’ Pete said to me. ‘No ballgowns, or handsome princes, or glass slippers. That’s more your kind of thing, isn’t it?’
Ellen laughed. ‘Actually Maggie’s more into sitting at home sewing while other people go to the ball.’ She avoided my eyes.
I couldn’t believe what she was saying. I felt sick to my stomach, and I pressed my hands down on my knees to try to stop them shaking. Did Ellen really care so much about impressing Pete that she could be so downright nasty?
‘Oh, I don’t know, I think Maggie would enjoy it just fine,’ Spider said, grinning. ‘Come to our next gig. We’ll even make sure you get a backstage pass.’
Pete was whispering something in Ellen’s ear. She suddenly jumped up, still holding his hand. ‘Pete and I are going to get some more beer. Back in a minute.’ She led him into the kitchen.
Spider barely waited for the door to swing closed behind them before moving over to sit on the edge of my armchair.He stretched his arm out behind my back. ‘So, what is it that does get you going then?’
‘Not you, anyway,’ I snapped. I moved away from him and grabbed a handful of nachos, just for something
Suddenly he was standing behind me and had his arm around my waist. I felt panic rise up within my throat. I moved away, reaching into a cupboard for some dips, taking a deep breath and deciding to act like nothing had happened . ‘Do you like chilli, or sour cream and onion? Or both, should I just put out both?’
‘What I’d really like,’ he murmured, coming over and standing far too close to me again, though not touching this time, ‘is to find out what princesses taste like.’
He ran his tongue along his lip in what he seemed to think was a flirtatious gesture, but which just made me want to vomit.
‘Ha, ha, none of that on the menu tonight I’m afraid.’ I tried to keep my voice light and breezy. I stepped away again, holding the bowl of nachos between us. Once more he moved after me. I had to fight every instinct not to just drop the bowl and run.
‘Let’s go back in to the others, will we? I’m sure they’re wondering where we’ve got to.’
‘I’m sure they’ve got better things to worry about,’ Spidersaid. ‘You don’t want to disturb the love birds, now do you?’
Somehow I’d crossed the room and was at the sitting room door. I glanced over my shoulder, not wanting to turn my back on him. Ellen and Pete were on the couch practically welded together from the lips down. Well, too bad, I thought. Ellen had asked me to spend the weekend with her, not to hide out in the kitchen fighting off Spider just to keep him away from her and Pete.
‘Anyone for nachos?’ I said loudly, pushing the door open with my hip. It swung shut behind me, right in Spider’s face. I pretended not to notice.
I tried not to look at Ellen and Pete as they reluctantly moved apart, concentrating instead on lowering the bowl of nachos onto the coffee table without toppling the tower of dips in my other hand.
‘Nachos. Great,’ Ellen said, leaning forward and grabbing a handful.
Spider had come silently into the room and sat down in the armchair I’d been in. I wondered briefly about his nickname . Had he got it from the way he crept quietly in and out of rooms, like some horrible creepy-crawly? Or was it because of those long, skinny limbs? Either way, I decided, it suited him.
Pete was nuzzling on Ellen’s neck again. She squealed and half-heartedly pushed him away.
I needed to keep them talking. I couldn’t be left alonewith Spider, and his horrible creepy crawly hands.
‘When did you say the gig was in Keogh’s?’
‘Next Saturday,’ Pete said, with exaggerated slowness. ‘We could write it down for you.’
I pretended not to notice his tone. ‘Oh that’s too bad, we’re going to a party that night, aren’t we Ellen?’
‘Yeah, just some girl in school,’ Ellen said dismissively.
‘Didn’t think gigs were really your scene, anyway,’ Pete said to me. ‘No ballgowns, or handsome princes, or glass slippers. That’s more your kind of thing, isn’t it?’
Ellen laughed. ‘Actually Maggie’s more into sitting at home sewing while other people go to the ball.’ She avoided my eyes.
I couldn’t believe what she was saying. I felt sick to my stomach, and I pressed my hands down on my knees to try to stop them shaking. Did Ellen really care so much about impressing Pete that she could be so downright nasty?
‘Oh, I don’t know, I think Maggie would enjoy it just fine,’ Spider said, grinning. ‘Come to our next gig. We’ll even make sure you get a backstage pass.’
Pete was whispering something in Ellen’s ear. She suddenly jumped up, still holding his hand. ‘Pete and I are going to get some more beer. Back in a minute.’ She led him into the kitchen.
Spider barely waited for the door to swing closed behind them before moving over to sit on the edge of my armchair.He stretched his arm out behind my back. ‘So, what is it that does get you going then?’
‘Not you, anyway,’ I snapped. I moved away from him and grabbed a handful of nachos, just for something
Similar Books
