The Debt & the Doormat(78)

‘She loves it!’ she screams to Izzy.

‘Yay!’ Izzy claps jumping up and down on the bed like a six year old.

‘Is...Is it for me?’ I ask, hoping I haven’t got the wrong end of the stick.

‘No, it's for me. I’m going to wear it on the tube home. Come on dickhead, of course it's for you!’ she shouts dramatically.

‘But, where did you get it from?’ I edge closer, feeling the material between my fingers.

‘Well...you kind of...bought it yourself,’ Jazz says, tracing her foot along the floor.

‘What do you mean, I bought it myself?’ I ask, baffled.

‘Well...the bad news is that I hacked into your eBay account.’

‘You hacked into my eBay account? What the fuck Jazz?’

‘Ok, OK, don't get mad. Me and Izzy just couldn’t let you go in that boring black dress of yours.’

‘What's wrong with it?’ I say defensively.

‘It’s just a bit...’ Izzy tries to explain.

‘It's a bit fucking boring and old fashioned, is what she's trying to say,’ Jazz butts in.

‘Don't be horrible. It's lovely – look.’ I take it out of the wardrobe.

Now that I put it up against the beautiful dress it does look kind of boring and fuddy duddy. I mean, it's hardly a wow dress, but still. It would work and the whole point was that I couldn’t afford a new dress.

‘OK, it's boring!’ I sigh. ‘I admit it!’

‘Thank God – she’s seen the light! Hallelujah!’ Jazz shouts.

‘Tad dramatic,’ I say under my breath. ‘How much was it then?’ I ask, not really wanting to know the answer.

‘It was very expensive,’ Jazz says, winking at Izzy.

‘Very expensive,’ Izzy echoes with a massive grin on her face.

‘How much?’ I almost shout at them.

‘The grand total of £7.50,’ she says proudly.

‘What? Are you sure they didn’t make a mistake?’

Surely something this beautiful couldn’t be that cheap.

‘Nah – it was just a mum in Devon who wanted to get rid of her daughter’s prom dress.’

‘Daughter? Am I wearing a child’s prom dress?’

‘Why do you always have to see the down side of things? The main thing is that once you’re done you’re gonna look hot.’ Her eyes start growing wide again.

‘OK, well you start moisturising and then we’ll help you with your hair,’ Izzy says, clapping her hands in delight.

A knock at the door startles me.

‘Is Ryan back already?’

‘Nah, he’s gone to his Grandma’s for the day. Won't be back for hours. It’s probably Lilly,’ Izzy says, walking to the door.

‘Lilly?’ I say turning to Jazz puzzled.

‘Yeah, Lilly,’ she says, as if I’m mad.

I hear air kisses from the front door. Since when have they been best friends?

‘Hey Pops,’ she says, bounding into the room with two bags.

‘Hey Lil. What’re you doing here?’

‘Helping you silly. Jazz e-mailed me and explained that she needed help getting you to look fabulous. The three of us had lunch, and now we’re here,’ she says, laughing excitedly.

‘Sorry? So you three have been plotting behind my back on how to dress me up? I’m not a Barbie doll you know. And did you ever think that maybe I don't actually need your help?’ I fold my arms defensively across my chest.

As if on cue the three of them double over in hysterical laughter.

‘I’m sorry,’ Jazz says, the first one to lift her head up ‘it’s just so funny.’

‘What is? I can dress myself you know.’

She rolls over again as they get a fresh dose of hysteria.

‘Stop, you’re killing me,’ Lilly says, wiping tears out of her eyes.

‘Is she this funny at work?’ Izzy asks her in between breaths.

‘Oh yeah, she cracks me up,’ Lilly says giggling.

‘Please stop before I get offended. You guys are seriously mean!’ I sit on the end of the bed, beginning to sulk.

‘Sorry Pops,’ Jazz says, sitting down next to me. ‘It’s just that we want you to look amazing and glamorous and...Well, like a girl! And we just know how to do that a bit better than you.’

‘Yeah, I mean, if we left it down to you we couldn’t trust that you wouldn’t end up going in a trouser suit,’ Lilly snorts.

The thought had actually crossed my mind.

‘OK! Just do whatever you want. I’m in your hands,’ I say giving in easily.

‘Yay!’ Izzy shouts.

‘Let’s get to work ladies,’ Jazz instructs. ‘We have very raw material and only a matter of hours.’

I roll my eyes in response.

‘Please don't tell me that was the dress she was going to wear?’ I hear Lilly whisper to Izzy.





Three hours later and I’m ready. My body has been squeezed into the teenager from Devon’s prom dress, which does seem to accentuate my eyes, and I have the furry black wrap that Lilly brought for me.

I’ve got on some vintage emerald stud earrings with a matching hair broach that Izzy bought me. She said they were vintage but I have a feeling that means she found them in a charity shop.

My hair has been blow dried, then scooped up and teased into an up do, with loose curls falling delicately around my face. My make-up is done so well I feel like I’ve been to a professional make-artist. It's quite simple, but my eyes have been done up with green eye shadow, black kohl eyeliner around them. They smoulder at me in the mirror and even I have to admit it – I look amazing, if I do say so myself. It's just a shame that it takes a team of three people to get this effect.

The door bangs and it sends me into a panic. Ryan’s here. No more fun girly sleepover. It’s nearly time. Calm down! You’re just friends, you idiot.

‘Hey Pops. I’m running late – I’ll just have a quick shower and be ready in ten,’ he shouts as he bounds up the stairs.

‘Well, it's nice to know he’s putting the same amount of effort in,’ Lilly says, making us all giggle.

‘And I bet he’ll still manage to look amazing,’ I sigh pathetically.

They all smile at me and I quickly realise how that must have sounded.

‘I mean, I’m sure he’ll look fine,’ I say, feeling my cheeks burning.

They all smile knowingly at each other and I feel like I’ve been left out of a secret.

‘What? What is it?’ I ask. ‘What are you laughing at?’

‘Just that you’re totally in love with Ryan,’ Jazz snorts.

‘What! No I’m not!’ I protest, a little too loudly.

‘The lady doth protest too much,’ Lilly says, chuckling.

‘Shut up! I’m serious. And shut up saying that. I don't want Ryan hearing and getting the wrong end of the stick.’

‘Oh come on Pops! You’re all over each other!’ Jazz teases.

‘No we’re not.’

I feel a thrill go through me as she says ‘we’ and I hate it. Why can't I control myself?

‘Izzy – you must agree with me?’ I plead.

‘I’m sorry Pops, but it is pretty obvious. Especially since you’ve been doing your Mother Teresa act while he’s been recovering. I mean, you don't see us running around after him making him tea every five minutes, do you?’

Maybe I have been fussing over him slightly since he got shot, but I mean – he got shot! It's a serious injury.

‘Yeah, I don't even know the dude but I can tell you like him. Whenever his names mentioned you go all gooey looking in the face,’ Lilly says, looking at me in pity.

‘Shut up! And anyway Jazz, you’re a fine one to talk! What the hell is going on with Ollie?’

‘Oh, I don't know,’ she says, exhaling heavily. ‘I do kind of like him.’

‘Which means you’re mad about him,’ I nod, understanding her language.

‘But it's over. I’m with Jake now. I can't be with someone who just goes off and sleeps with other girls. Anyway, we’re talking about you right now.’

I hear him moving around up on the landing and panic takes over. He cannot hear this.

‘Listen here bitches. Don't say anything like this in front of Ryan. You’re all totally wrong and I don't want it getting awkward between us, understand?’

‘OK, OK, calm down drama queen,’ Jazz says, putting her hands up in defeat. ‘But it doesn’t stop us saying good luck. You never know – looking like that – you may actually have a chance with him.’

‘Oh thanks for the confidence,’ I shoot back. ‘But seriously, thank you for helping today.’

They really didn’t need to, but they bothered to take time out to help me.

‘To be honest, we kind of wanted to apologise to you as well,’ Izzy says, grimacing.

‘Why? What have you done?’ I ask, alarmed.

‘Nothing!’ Jazz says, a little too quickly. ‘All we did was go out with Grace the other night and she kind of got really drunk and admitted to tripping you and hating you.’

‘I knew it!’

‘This is the stunning bitch, right?’ Lilly asks, confused.

‘Yep. We’re sorry we didn’t believe you Pops,’ Jazz says.

‘Don't worry about it. She was pretty convincing.’

‘Anyway, we’ve told her not to bother speaking to us until she confesses everything to Ryan and apologises to you.’