Sugar Secrets…& Conflict Read online

  “Course you can! What can I get you to drink?”

  “Just a Coke, please – I’ve got the car. If you can call it that…” Matt laughed.

  Matt had only just started to come to terms with having to swap his prized, sporty hatchback for an old rust-bucket. He’d needed the money to pay for some equipment that had been ruined at one of his parties that had got seriously out of hand.

  “What’ve you got to show me then?” said Ollie, glad to see a friendly face. After Joe’s unexpected outburst, it was good to see that his other best mate was as normal as usual.

  “Look at this!” said Matt excitedly, pulling a rumpled copy of a free paper out of his pocket. “See…?”

  Ollie leant over, his eyes scanning the feature Matt was pointing to.

  “Battle of the Bands… open to bands with members aged eighteen and under…” Ollie read aloud. ‘Wow! The prizes are all right, aren’t they?”

  “Yeah!” enthused Matt. “But read that bit, Ol – The winning band get an exclusive recording contract. What about that, eh? Eh? A recording contract!”

  Ollie’s mind was spinning too fast to reply.

  Maybe the stars were up to weird and wonderful things at the moment – and this particular ad might be just about the most wonderful thing that could happen to The Loud and to Ollie…

  CHAPTER 5

  ALL WORK AND NO PLAY

  “Maya!”

  “What?”

  “Phone!”

  Sighing, Maya Joshi put down the kettle she’d been about to pour out and padded into the hall.

  It wasn’t that she couldn’t be bothered taking the call – after all, it was bound to be one of her friends and talking to any of them would be a welcome distraction from her swotting this late Monday afternoon. Even fixing a cup of coffee – as she’d just been about to do – was a welcome distraction.

  Out in the hall, Sunita leaned back against the wall, idly blowing bubble gum while eyeing her big sister with barely disguised disdain.

  “Thank you!” said Maya sarkily, grabbing the phone out of Sunny’s uplifted hand and resisting the urge to stick her finger in the pink globe so she could watch it splatter all over her sister’s sulky little face.

  Not so long ago, Maya thought she might have turned a corner in her relationship with Sunny. After catching her sister smoking, Maya had made a deal not to tell their parents – if Sunny stuck to her promise not to mess around with cigarettes again. Some people might have been grateful to have a sister like Maya, who didn’t automatically blow the whistle on them and land them up to their armpits in trouble. But not Sunita.

  If anything, it seemed to make her resent Maya even more.

  “Hello?” said Maya, staring Sunny down until the younger girl finally got the hint to stop hanging around, listening in, and to make herself scarce.

  She’s probably listening behind the door right now, thought Maya as Sunny disappeared into the kitchen. Either that or she’s gone to spit in my coffee…

  “Hi, it’s – ahhhhhhiiiiyyyyyyaaaaaa – me!”

  Luckily, Maya instantly recognised Cat’s voice through her lazy yawn.

  “Hi. How’s it going, Cat?”

  “IT, Maya, is going ALL wrong. And YOU are the only one who can help me!”

  Maya smiled to herself. From Cat’s tone of voice, she knew that whatever terrible THING had occurred, it wasn’t anything that was stressing her friend out too much – not the way Cat was managing to yawn her head off.

  “What’s up with you? Didn’t you get to bed till late?”

  “Maya – I was tossing and turning with worry. I didn’t get a moment’s peace last night!”

  “That’s not true, is it?” Maya grinned.

  “Uh, no,” Cat admitted without further ado.

  “Well, come on – give me the truthful version of events!”

  “OK, OK,” said Cat, untroubled at being rumbled so easily. “I’m knackered because I stayed out really late with my mates from college – it was Amanda in my class’s birthday.”

  “And…?” coaxed Maya.

  This was entertaining, as anything to do with Cat generally was, but Maya didn’t have all year to wait for Catrina Osgood to get to the point.

  “Well, one of the girls there – who’s a friend of a friend – got totally drunk. She’s a complete mess; hasn’t been able to get out of bed all day.”

  Maya rolled her eyes to the ceiling.

  “Uh-huh. And tell me, Cat, does this story have an end? Or should I get a chair and make myself comfy if you plan to ramble on for a while…?”

  “Oooh, cheeky!” Cat retorted. “The point is, Anita—”

  “—who is…?” Maya interrupted.

  “…who is the girl who got drunk – was meant to be my model for today. You know how I’m doing this portfolio of looks? Doing different make-up on different skin types and getting them photographed?”

  Maya didn’t know – she hadn’t seen much of Cat or any of her friends in the last week. But even so, she had a funny feeling she knew what was coming next.

  “Let me guess – Anita was your model for Asian skin?”

  “Yes! How did you know?” gasped Cat, who was totally unaware how transparent her friends often found her.

  “Hey, just my natural intuition,” shrugged Maya.

  “So listen – is there any chance of you coming along and filling in for her?”

  “I can’t. Cat. I’m too busy swotting…”

  “What? What for?”

  “Exams?”

  “Yeah, I know. But it’s not like you’re doing your A levels, is it? It’s only mocks – and they don’t count. Come on, you can do it!”

  “Cat, I know it’s mocks – but they’re still exams and I still have to study.”

  “Oh, I get it. Parents holding you hostage? Not allowed out the front door for two weeks unless it’s to be frogmarched to an exam hall?”

  Maya flipped her eyes towards the semi-closed kitchen door – she’d have to watch her words, just in case Sunny was earwigging. Being caught complaining about her parents’ overzealous attitude towards studying would just be playing into her sister’s hands. It would be reported back to them at the first opportunity.

  “Something like that,” she said, hoping Cat would get her meaning.

  “What a drag,” Cat sympathised, yawning again. “And what about Alex? Are you banned from seeing him too?”

  “yep,” said Maya non-committally.

  “And you can’t say anything else ‘cause your pain of a sister’s listening in?”

  “Right!” smiled Maya, relieved that Cat had grasped the situation.

  “Well, listen – I’d better go and scour the college corridors for another likely face before everyone leaves for the day. Give’s a call when you get out of jail!”

  “Yes, I will. Hope you find another victim – sorry, model!” Maya teased, before putting down the phone.

  Almost instantly, the phone rang again.

  A little too quickly – unless she had been standing right behind the door – Sunny burst out of the kitchen.

  “I’ve got it,” said Maya firmly, her suspicions confirmed. “Hello?”

  “Maya? It’s me. How’s it going?”

  It was on the tip her tongue to say Alex’s name out loud, but she stopped herself just in time. Of everything in her life, the one aspect that Maya wanted to keep well away from the scrutiny of her poisonous sister was her relationship with Alex McKay.

  “Hi – I’m OK. A bit snowed under, but OK.”

  “Good. I won’t keep you – I’m going out to meet Gavin soon. We’re going to play five-aside.”

  “What are you going to do the rest of the evening – lie on the sofa and groan?” laughed Maya.

  Her boyfriend had only recently started playing football with some fellow lecturers on Monday nights and, from what he’d told her, despite his enthusiasm, he wasn’t much cop at it.

  “Yes, I probably will!” Al
ex admitted brightly, laughing too. “Gavin and the others are all going on to some do, but I think I’ll stick to a hot bath and a video.”

  “Why?” asked Maya, suddenly sensing that Alex was choosing the second option for her sake. “Why don’t you go along? You haven’t been out for ages. Just ‘cause I’m stuck in doesn’t mean you have to do the same.”

  “I know. I just didn’t fancy it. But I s’pose… yeah, it could be a laugh!”

  “Of course it could!” Maya encouraged him.

  Maya twisted her finger into the coil of the telephone wire as she felt a faint stab of jealousy. Not that she was about to show it; restricting her boyfriend’s social life would, in Maya’s eyes, seem like a childish impulse. And going out with someone so much older than herself, the last thing she ever wanted to appear to him was childish.

  “OK – I will! You’re right, Maya – it could be fun. Although it would be more fun if you were there too…”

  “Well, that’s nice of you to say,” she smiled coyly. “So what’s this do in aid of?”

  “It’s Melanie’s birthday party.”

  “Oh, say happy birthday from me,” Fleetingly, Maya wondered at the coincidence of two phone calls, back to back, both involving birthdays. Cat’s classmate she might have met, but couldn’t remember. Melanie, who went out with Alex’s mate Simon, she’d met loads of times and really liked her.

  “So, where’s the party going to be then?”

  “Just round at her and Holly’s flat. I haven’t been round there yet since they moved in. Ah listen, that’s a car horn tooting outside. Must be Gav. I’d better go. I’ll speak to you later yeah?”

  “Sure,” said Maya, hearing the line go dead.

  Sure.

  Sure, she was reasonable, practical and mature. Sure, she didn’t want to put pressure on her boyfriend to give up his social life just because she had to for the moment.

  But one other thing Maya was sure of was the feeling of unease that had settled over her. She’d met most of Alex’s friends and colleagues, even if only briefly in some cases. But the one person she hadn’t met yet was Holly – though her name had understandably stuck in Maya’s memory banks.

  “It was only a couple of dates and then it fizzled out,” Alex had explained when Maya had pushed him to list all his exes. But Holly hadn’t meant anything to her at the time; just another name on a roll-call of girlfriends that she’d gigglingly forced Alex to tell her about one night. Maya didn’t think anything of the fact that Alex had so many names to mention while she had none: she was only seventeen and he was twenty-seven, after all.

  But now Holly wasn’t just a name on a list. She existed in flesh and blood and she would be at the same party tonight as Alex. And Maya wouldn’t.

  An icy feeling settled over Maya – and she suddenly realised that Sunny was blatantly staring at her from the kitchen doorway.

  “Not got anything better to do?” Maya snapped at her sister, before slamming the already-dead phone down and thundering upstairs to her room.

  CHAPTER 6

  TAKING ORDERS

  “La, la, la, doo-doody-dooooo!”

  Matt and Anna stared at each other and burst into giggles.

  “Sounds like someone’s happy in their work!” whispered Matt, nodding in the direction of the kitchen, where Irene could be heard trilling along to the radio that Anna had brought down from her flat above the café.

  “I hope everyone else will feel the same…” said Anna, giving the counter a quick wipe before setting down two cups and saucers.

  Matt’s brow furrowed.

  “Do you still think Ollie’s going to be weird about this?”

  “How could he not be? I mean, I feel weird about it,” said Anna frowning. “I’m sure he thought Nick wasn’t being serious about it – same as I did. But when Nick came in yesterday, before heading off to the airport, he came out with it again: I’m supposed to be in charge. I tell you, I don’t feel comfortable about this one little bit.”

  “Aw, don’t worry about it. Ollie seems fine to me,” Matt tried to reassure his girlfriend.

  “Yes, well, he’s not exactly going to say anything negative about me being left in charge to my boyfriend, is he?”

  “Your boyfriend, hmmm?” said Matt, smiling mushily at her.

  He still hadn’t got over the novelty of finally getting together with Anna after a couple of false starts. And he couldn’t get enough of her talking about their relationship in such solid terms – in the beginning Anna had seemed so reluctant to let anyone know about the two of them, he’d almost thought she might break it off with him at any minute.

  Catching the stupidly adoring look on Matt’s handsome face, Anna decided that things weren’t so bad after all.

  I’m over-reacting, she told herself. Ollie was just a little bit hurt when Nick said what he did. That’s understandable – I’d feel the same.

  “Hey – Nick will be in America now!” Anna pointed out, pouring tea into the cups and trying to brighten up. “Chilling out, with no worries!”

  “Yep. And you should have no worries either,” said Matt, returning to Anna’s original point. “Ollie’s too easygoing to hold grudges. And if he is still hacked off, it’s going to be with Nick, not you.”

  “I know. Anyway, I’ve decided – whatever Nick said, I think I’ll talk to Ollie about running the show together, just like we have any other time Nick’s been off. It’s always worked that way and what Nick doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

  “Sounds like a good idea,” nodded Matt from the other side of the counter.

  “Uh-oh – it’s the Invasion of the Mini-Brats…” muttered Anna as the door of the End tinkled open and a group of mothers arrived with their small offspring.

  “Thought you liked babies!” Matt commented, above the screech and bangs of chair and tables being moved to accommodate buggies.

  “Don’t mind the babies,” hissed Anna, wide-eyed. “At least they stay in one place. This lot are all mobile – they’ll be running round here crashing into table legs and trying to hit each other with salt cellars and spoons in a minute…”

  “Mmm – think it’s time for me to go,” said Matt in alarm. “But give us those teas over first; I’ll deliver them to the two old blokes in the corner while you brave the mum posse.”

  “Thanks!” said Anna, grabbing her pad.

  At the same time she took a fleeting look at her watch.

  Where’s Ollie? she frowned, suddenly realising that he was quarter of an hour late for his shift.

  Just at that second, she saw his grinning face at the window as he ran past.

  “Hi, Anna!” he said brightly, dodging a Thomas the Tank Engine that was hurtling across the lino.

  “Hi!” she waved at him distractedly as the first of the women began to give her order. She felt slightly peeved at his lack of apology for being late.

  “Hey, Matt – I got the tape of our songs done for our competition entry!” she heard him say to her boyfriend, who hadn’t yet made it out of the door.

  “Brilliant!” Matt replied.

  “Cappuccino, please. Oh and could you heat this bottle of milk up for me too?”

  “One tea and an orange squash. Can she have two straws with that? She likes to have two…”

  “And have you got any plain doughnuts – without the icing? He loves the ones with the pink icing but they’re so bad for his teeth…”

  Anna was finding it hard to pay attention to her complicated order. Another tableful of customers had just arrived – four grannies in for a gossip – and in the background OIlie and Matt were still talking.

  “I’ll need to get this cassette parcelled up and posted,” she heard OIlie say, oblivious it seemed to the work at hand. “Listen, Matt – here’s the paper. Could you look up the address for me? I’m just going to nip next door to Slick Riffs for a second – there’s envelopes and tape in the back office. And I might as well see how Bryan’s doing in there, since Nick’
s left him in the lurch this week too!”

  Swivelling round, her order complete, Anna blocked Ollie’s exit route between the tables.

  “OIlie – those customers have just arrived and I think Irene will be needing a hand to get the lunch menu ready. Can you save your hunt for stationery till your break?”

  Anna was irritated, but she was doing her best not to show it, framing her request in a smile.

  After Nick making out that he wasn’t acting responsibly enough lately, you’d think OIlie would be trying a bit harder – instead of wandering in late and trying to sneak off the minute he arrives! she fumed inwardly.

  “Yeah, but I could catch the half-past delivery at the postbox if I do this now. And I want to catch Bryan anyway. Won’t be a minute!” Ollie shrugged casually and made to go past her.

  “Ollie! I’m asking you to leave that till later, please!”

  She knew the words had tripped out of her mouth too harshly, too bossily, and she could almost feel how frosty her expression was. But Anna was too stunned at Ollie’s presumption to stop herself.

  “Oh. Uh, right…” said Ollie, his own amiable expression slipping away.

  He turned and made his way back to the counter where Matt was perched on a stool, both the paper and his mouth open wide.

  “What’s up with Anna?” hissed Ollie, tying on his apron and staring in her direction as she took the orders from the grannies.

  Matt, caught between loyalty to his girlfriend and his best mate, simply shrugged.

  “I’d only have been five minutes!” Ollie grumbled, agitatedly tying his finger into the bow-knot of the apron strings by mistake. “And I just wanted to check Bryan was going to be OK about losing his Monday off. I’m going to be too busy in here to help out like I usually do.”

  “Nah, it’s OK – I’m going to help him.”

  “What?” blinked Ollie.

  “Yeah, Nick phoned me on Sunday, asking me to lend a hand in Slick Riffs,” Matt explained, not registering the hurt in Ollie’s face. “I’m going in for a couple of hours on Friday and Saturday afternoon to get the hang of things, then I’m in on my own next Monday – when it’s quiet – so Bryan doesn’t have to change his plans.”