Sugar Secrets…& Guilt Read online

  Sugar

  SECRETS…

  … & Guilt

  Mel Sparke

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  CHAPTER 1 LISTENING IN…

  CHAPTER 2 MOVING CONVERSATIONS

  CHAPTER 3 UNCERTAIN FUTURE, UNSETTLED PAST

  CHAPTER 4 BIG NIGHT, BIG SHOCK…

  CHAPTER 5 FATHERLY ADVICE

  CHAPTER 6 SUFFERING IN SILENCE

  CHAPTER 7 SUNDAY MORNING GOSSIP

  CHAPTER 8 KIDS’ STUFF AND GIRLS’ TALK

  CHAPTER 9 YIKES!

  CHAPTER 10 BAD NEWS, GOOD NEWS

  CHAPTER 11 NOT SO SUNNY NOW…

  CHAPTER 12 ALARM CALL

  CHAPTER 13 STRANGER IN THE NIGHT

  CHAPTER 14 DEEP BREATHS AND DASHED HOPES

  CHAPTER 15 A SHOULDER TO CRY ON

  CHAPTER 16 BEST OF FRIENDS

  CHAPTER 17 CRUNCH TIME

  CHAPTER 18 ALL BACK TO MATT’S

  CHAPTER 19 THINGS GET OUT OF HAND

  CHAPTER 20 COMING CLEAN

  CHAPTER 21 FAMILY TIES

  SOME SECRETS ARE JUST TOO GOOD TO KEEP

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  CHAPTER 1

  LISTENING IN…

  “Shush!”

  Catrina Osgood stopped in mid-sentence and turned round to face the people in the row behind her. Kerry Bellamy, sitting furthest away from her on the other side of Sonja Harvey, groaned and slid further down in her plush velvet seat.

  “What?” Cat demanded of the middle-aged man who’d dared to silence her yakking.

  “Well,” Sonja and Kerry heard him answer, “some of us are trying to watch.”

  “Don’t be silly-it’s the ads! The film hasn’t even started yet!” Cat said loudly enough for several rows of the audience in the cinema that Friday night to hear. “And don’t tell me you haven’t seen this booze ad before-it’s been running for years!”

  The other two girls heard the man give an embarrassed cough and Cat turned back round with a wicked smile of triumph.

  “Pompous old git…” she muttered darkly.

  Sonja started shaking with the giggles, but Kerry immediately felt her face flush with embarrassment, even in the darkened auditorium.

  Why does Cat always push it? she thought, biting nervously at a nail. She’s great fun and everything and then she just ends up being too loud, or too rude, or too much of a show-off, or…

  Kerry could have rattled off plenty more examples of Cat’s ability to take things that one step further than anyone with a brain would, when the lights came up.

  “Hmph! Isn’t the film starting yet? They really know how to drag things out, don’t they?” Cat moaned loudly, before settling down to continue her conversation with her friends while the screen was blank. “Anyway, like I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted…”

  Behind them, Kerry heard a quietly outraged tut. She fixed her eyes on Cat, praying that the lights would fade back down and the opening credits would silence her full-on mate for just a little while.

  “…I saw Vikki at college today and she said that Jeff Patterson is thinking about putting on a review, as part of the college’s contribution to the Winstead Community Festival,” boomed Cat as the overhead lights and dreamy muzak stayed resolutely on.

  “Jeff-that’s the lecturer guy who directed Cinderella, isn’t it?” Sonja checked. She knew who Vikki Grant was; she was the kind of girl who was once seen, never forgotten. Back in December, there’d been a lot of resentment from some of the drama department students when Cat, a mere make-up girl from the Beauty Therapy course, had waltzed in and snaffled the lead role in the panto. But Vikki, who’d been a hit as a sussed and sassy, black, size 16+ Fairy Godmother, all wrapped up in pink spangled netting and a gallon of attitude, had supported Cat. She’d extended her role offstage and had become a good mate of Cat’s ever since.

  “Mmm, so I guess I can expect another lead role if that goes ahead!” Cat gushed.

  “Hey, I wonder if Beauty and the Beast is still running in the West End of London? I wouldn’t be surprised if you got a phone call asking you to come and play Belle any day now!” teased Sonja, wide-eyed.

  “Oh, shut up,” said Cat good-naturedly. “You’re just jealous of all the attention I get from the boys at college since my starring part.”

  “Cat, I don’t really think that’s necessarily the part that’s getting you attention. I can think of another couple of parts that might be doing it-especially in that top.”

  Cat followed her cousin’s gaze and saw that half her purple lacy bra-and her boobs-were trying to escape from her vest top as she leant forward to talk.

  “Oops!” she replied casually, hoisting up her top and pulling her minuscule cardie back up on to her bare shoulders.

  “How come you always choose clothes that seem incapable of staying in the right places?” marvelled Sonja.

  Because she always buys them a size too small for maximum exposure, thought Kerry, averting her eyes from Cat’s cleavage. She could sense without looking that half the blokes in the cinema would now have their eyes glued in the girls’ direction, thanks to Cat’s totally unashamed rearrangement of her bosom.

  “God, this is nothing! You should see what I’m wearing tomorrow night!” Cat exclaimed.

  “Where are you going again?” asked Kerry, trying to distract her from coming out with a loud description of her latest in-yer-face outfit. It was bad enough knowing that Cat was being stared at; if she started going on about knicker-skimming micro-minis, the sound of panting couldn’t be that far behind.

  “This new club up in the city-don’t know the name of it. Donna on my course organised the whole thing. All the rest of us have to do is turn up for the coach she’s booked, look gorgeous and get ready to party!”

  After this last squeal, Kerry was relieved to see the gradual dimming of the lights in the cinema.

  “Yes, I know the film’s starting now, so there’s no need to tut at me any more,” quipped Cat over her shoulder at the man who’d shushed her earlier. “Kerry-give us the popcorn…”

  Kerry plopped the bucket into Sonja’s lap for her to pass on to Cat.

  Hooray! Now the film’s started and she’s filling her face with food, there’s less chance of Cat opening her mouth and coming out with something mortifying…

  As soon as the thought entered Kerry’s head, she felt guilty. Cat couldn’t help being Cat any more than Kerry could help having a head full of springy curls that defied being blow-dried straight.

  I should just accept her for what she is. After all, friendship’s a bit like marriage, Kerry decided silently, aware out of the corner of her eye that Cat was still energetically fiddling with her bra straps. You stick together, for better or worse. It’s just a pity that, with Cat, a lot of the time it’s worse…

  “Verily I must come to your chamber this very eve, my lady…”

  “Nay, my darling-forsooth, my father will kick your head in!”

  “Ah, but your beauty persuades me otherwise. Your lovely face, your amazing bod, art both too tempting for a mere lad like myself…”

  Inspired by the romantic movie she’d just seen, Cat glided up the last flight of stairs to her front door. But the dialogue that was running through her head wasn’t courtesy of the film-which had been set in modern day, down-town New York-it was, instead, Cat’s own peculiar version of one of the girls’ all-time favourite movies, Romeo + Juliet. And right now, instead of Claire Danes, Cat was-in the Technicolor world of her imagination-hanging off a vine-tangled balcony, swapping soundbites with the luscious Leo.

  For the purposes of her daydream, she didn’t let her dislike and disinte
rest in Shakespeare-speak get in the way either.

  “Ah, but you, sir, are pretty damn foxy too…”

  Sliding her key in the lock and pushing the door open, Cat’s heart sank at the sound of the TV and her mother’s voice on the phone. She’d been looking forward to having the place to herself for what was left of the evening. She had been planning on having a dress rehearsal of her new outfit for tomorrow night, trying it out with different accessories and hairstyles.

  What’s she doing home anyway? Cat sulked, closing the door quietly behind her. She’s usually up at the tennis club bar on a Friday night, guzzling gin with all her gym buddies.

  “No, I haven’t told her yet-but how could I? I only decided today. And anyway, she’s a big girl-she can handle it,” Cat heard her mother say. “I’ll tell her tonight, if she gets in on time from wherever she’s gadding about at. Or tomorrow, if she’s late. Which would be typical.”

  Ooh, talking about me, are we? Cat realised, standing silently in the hall. The background noise of the talk show on the telly had obviously masked the sound of her entry into the flat.

  “Mmm… mmm… I know,” said Sylvia Osgood to the person on the other end of the line. “It’ll be lovely-I can’t wait to get out of Winstead! And it’ll be great to finally have a look round the property, after everything you’ve told me about it.”

  Leaving Winstead? Looking at property? Cat repeated silently as her heart missed a beat.

  At the sound of her mother saying her goodbyes, Cat slipped into her bedroom and closed the door noiselessly behind her. She needed a minute to digest this information; to make sense of the fact that her mum seemed to be on the verge of packing up and going.

  But is she expecting me to up sticks and move away from all my friends just like that? Cat wondered, staring down at the mottled pattern in her carpet. Or is she planning to leave Winstead and me behind?

  CHAPTER 2

  MOVING CONVERSATIONS

  “So, what did she say to you?” Kerry asked Cat, at the same time wondering what was keeping Sonja this Saturday lunchtime. Kerry needed Sonja to be here, finding out what was going on in her cousin Cat’s life, because Sonja would know what to do and say, unlike the boys, who were just making useless, sympathetic noises.

  It’s just like when we found out about Maya and Alex going out together, thought Kerry, glancing over the Formica table at Joe Gladwin and Matt Ryan. None of them-not even Ollie-really knew what to say in the face of a big, scary, important situation.

  And to Kerry, Cat’s situation did indeed seem big, scary and very, very important. The idea of being forced to move away from home, from your normal life, was just about Kerry’s worst nightmare. (Not that she’d ever told anyone in case they said she was just being silly.)

  Kerry glanced quickly at her watch-her lunch hour from the chemist’s shop where she worked on Saturdays would be over soon and she’d have to run to make it back to the high street on time, but she just had to hear more of Cat’s tale of woe.

  “Well, Mum didn’t say anything last night ‘cause she switched off the TV and went to bed after that, and I didn’t want to let on I was home.”

  “Why not, Cat?” asked Joe, looking confused. But then, Cat confused him on a regular basis.

  “Because I didn’t want her to know I’d been listening in,” she explained. Joe still looked puzzled.

  “But did she speak to you this morning?” Kerry persisted.

  “Oh, yes, she certainly did,” replied Cat, rolling her eyes and folding her arms across her chest.

  “And?” Matt chipped in, trying to hurry Cat to the crux of the matter and not drag out the drama, which she was perfectly capable of doing.

  “And she came out with all this stuff about taking a few days’ holiday at short notice; how she’s going off to the coast or somewhere tomorrow, with a pal of hers from the tennis club or something.”

  “But what did she say when you confronted her with the business about moving?” asked Kerry, her brow furrowing with worry.

  “I didn’t.”

  Matt and Joe both gave Cat an incredulous look.

  “What d’you mean, you didn’t?” asked Matt.

  “Well, it’s all about getting the upper hand, isn’t it?” Cat pouted. “Like not letting her know I heard her on the phone. If she wants to keep this a secret from me, then she’ll just look more of an idiot in the end.”

  “But, Cat, it’s not about point-scoring, is it?” Kerry pointed out, trying to think what Sonja or Maya would say if they were here. “It’s about finding out what’s going on…”

  “What’s going on is that my mother either expects me to drop my friends and career prospects and trot off after her to God knows where,” Cat shrugged huffily, “or she’s thinking of deserting me.”

  “Cat, she wouldn’t just up and leave you!” said Joe.

  “Why not? My dad did!”

  “Don’t be so melodramatic!” Matt chided her.

  “It’s true!” Cat railed at him. “And who are you to talk, when your mother isn’t exactly on the scene!”

  “Cat, it’s not that simple!” he argued, but deep down, Matt wondered why he was bothering. Maybe his mum hadn’t just headed out the door one day and vanished into thin air like Cat’s dad had done, but for all the effort she made to have a proper relationship with her son these days, the difference wasn’t particularly noticeable.

  “But either way, Cat, you must be freaking out!” said Kerry, her heart swamped with sympathy for her friend.

  “Well, it’s not like I get on with the old witch,” said Cat, gazing soulfully out of the window of the End-of-the-Line café, “but what am I supposed to do if she does want to sell up and go on her own?”

  “You’ll love it, that’s what you’ll do,” Matt grinned. “Independence at last. No more Sylvia sniping at you about being a disappointment because of your college choice, or the colour of your hair, or the fact that the way you dress embarrasses her stylish sensibilities or whatever.”

  Cat flipped her gaze round to him, her whole face suddenly lit up.

  “You know, it’s not often I agree with anything you say, Matt Ryan, but just this once, you have a point!” she grinned back, her red-painted lips stretched into a bright smile. “This could be a whole new phase for me-making my way on my own, just like Anna…”

  “Except Anna’s got a job with a flat thrown in,” Joe couldn’t help pointing out.

  “Maybe I should go and see one of the college advisers-find out if there’s any student accommodation going…” said Cat dreamily.

  “Might be difficult to find anything half-way through a term, Cat,” Kerry pointed out gently. “And it’s not like you even know when you might need to move in…”

  “Maybe you could move in with Sonja-her old room’s been empty since her brother moved out and she moved into his bedroom.”

  Kerry knew Matt was only stirring, but Cat didn’t.

  “What a brilliant idea! I’m sure Uncle Tom and Auntie Helena wouldn’t mind. They’ve always said I’m like another daughter to them…”

  “Uh, Cat,” said Kerry warily, knowing exactly what Sonja’s reaction to this conversation would be. “I think you should maybe hang fire with all these plans until you find out what exactly’s going on from your mum. I mean, maybe she’ll want you to stay in your flat!”

  “Yeah, and that’s likely,” said Matt sarcastically. “Your mum’s done pretty nicely out of her job and all, but it’s not as if she’s got a wodge of spare cash that she can afford to have two mortgages on the go.”

  “What, not like your big bucks dad, you mean?” Cat snapped. “Trying to rub our noses in how much you’re worth again, rich boy?”

  Matt hadn’t meant to wind her up quite so much; he genuinely saw that it was potentially a weird time for Cat, but old habits-like teasing her to bits-died hard.

  “C’mon, Cat,” he smiled at her cheekily, trying to diffuse the situation. “You can always come and stay wit
h me and my dad in our house-we’ve got too many rooms sitting doing nothing as it is.”

  “Really?”

  Despite the fact that she was seventeen years old, wore more make-up than every girl in the End put together, and had a dirty cackle that would put Barbara Windsor to shame, at Matt’s offer, Cat looked as sweet and trusting as a four-year-old.

  “Yeah, of course,” Matt nodded. “You could have the attic room. And the terms and conditions would be very attractive-free board and lodging, and all you’d have to do in return is wash our smelly socks and have a meal on the table every night!”

  “Get lost!” said Cat, sticking her tongue out and no longer looking child-like as she realised her so-called mate was taking the mick. “I’d rather live with my mother till I’m eighty-five than come anywhere near you!”

  A figure appeared at their table, shuffling from side to side and wringing a tea towel agitatedly.

  “Sorry to interrupt, guys,” said Nick Stanton.

  “No problemo, Nick.” said Matt, wondering why the café owner looked so stressed. Normally, he was totally laid-back, scratching his chin stubble, patting his beer belly and waffling on about the three most important things in his life: music, music and music.

  “It’s just that, well, Joe-I just wondered if you were free to help out here over the weekend, like you have before?” said Nick. “Anna’s down with some stomach bug, and with it being food and everything down here, I don’t really want her rushing back till she’s properly better.”

  “Yeah?” replied Joe, concerned for Anna’s welfare. “Hey, Nick, I would help out, but I’m off to the bus station in a minute. I’m going to my dad’s for the weekend.”

  “Whoah!” interrupted Matt, glowering at Joe.

  “Whoah, what?” asked Joe.

  “Joey, mate, aren’t you forgetting something?” said Matt, in his irritation forgetting something himself-the fact that Joe hated his name being lumbered with an additional ‘y’.

  “Like what?” asked Joe, frowning.

  “Like you’re meant to be helping me out tonight, at that anniversary party I’m DJing at?!”