‘I’ve got to talk to Erin, Heather.’ Her eyes darted across to the table where Erin sat with Rose. They were both watching us closely. I could almost feel Erin’s icy stare go through me like a dagger. I clutched at Heather’s arm. ‘I’ve found out who spread that story, and she has to know it wasn’t me.’
Heather’s face went pale. She pulled away from me, but I had to make her believe me. ‘You must know it wasn’t me, Heather.’
She shrugged, didn’t even look at me, and I was sure then that deep down Heather did believe me.
‘It was Lauren’s sister,’ I said.
Heather’s eyes flashed at me. ‘Who?’
‘You remember she was there? She was serving at the top table, remember? She was a waitress. She must have overheard Erin. It was her!’
Heather stared at me as if she was taking it all in. Then, with a sigh, she actually smiled at me. ‘Of course. Of course. It must have been her.’
I smiled back. Friends again.
Just then Rose came up and tugged at Heather’s arm. ‘Don’t talk to her.’
Heather grabbed at her. ‘No, wait, Rose. You’ve got to listen. Hannah knows who spread it … and it wasn’t her.’
Rose wasn’t the one I wanted to convince and for once Erin was alone and unprotected. I pushed them both aside and ran to her table and threw myself on the seat beside her. ‘It was Lauren’s sister!’ I said at once, terrified someone would stop me before I could get it out. ‘She must have heard you. Listened at the toilet door or something. She’s told Lauren and that’s how it got all round the school.’
I could tell Erin was trying to take all this in. She must have realised this was a much more logical solution than her best friend letting her down. Finally, she snapped at me. ‘You better not be making this up, Driscoll.’
I saw them coming into the canteen just then, Wizzie and the rest of the Hell Cats, pushing their way through the doors, taking up too much room.
I stood up, pulling at Erin’s sleeve. ‘There she is. There’s Lauren. Let’s ask her. She’ll have guilt written all over her face. She won’t be able to deny it.’
And I was sure no one would believe her even if she did.
Once again, I felt like one of them, a Lip Gloss Girl, ready to confront Wizzie with my friends at my back, afraid of nothing. It was all going to be all right. I balled my fist ready to punch Lauren. That’s how angry I was.
They stopped in their tracks as they saw us storming towards them. I only halted when I was inches away from Lauren’s face. I spat the words out at her. ‘It was your sister, wasn’t it?’
Lauren looked at Wizzie as if I’d spoken in a foreign language.
‘At least have the courage to admit it was her. She was listening at the door of the ladies, wasn’t she? Heard Erin telling me. She’s the one who spread it, isn’t she? She told you, and you told everybody else.’ I hated the desperation and the anger in my voice. I couldn’t stop it.
Lauren took a step back and peered at me, her eyes half shut. ‘You think my sister told me that your pal, Erin here, pishes the bed … and I spread it about. Is that it?’
I had wanted her to look guilty. But she didn’t. Her kind wouldn’t. She probably thought there was nothing wrong in what she’d done. Lauren just looked amused. As if it was a great joke.
‘My sister?’ she said. ‘She heard you talking in the toilets? She was outside the ladies and you were inside and she was listening? Is that your story?’
Erin was right behind me. I could feel her tense herself. Ready for a fight.
I wanted to show her I was her friend, her best friend. ‘Yes, your scabby sister. She was a waitress, and not a very good one.’ I tried to use some of my old boldness. By tonight, I thought, we’ll all be at Erin’s house, laughing about this. Everything would have been explained and I would have punched Lauren’s front teeth halfway down her throat. ‘She was standing at the door of the ladies’ listening to everything we said.’ I could picture it so clearly in my mind’s eye, it had to be the truth. ‘And then she couldn’t wait to tell you, because she knows you’ve got such a big mouth.’
Wizzie was sneering in what would have passed for her as a smile. There was a weight like a bowling ball in the pit of my stomach. Why couldn’t they just admit that was what had happened?
Wizzie turned to Lauren. ‘Will you tell her, or will I?’ she said.
‘Oh, let me, Wizzie.’ And Lauren looked at me and she smiled triumphantly. That’s the only way I could describe that smile. Triumphant. Then she went on. ‘My sister couldn’t have heard you if you’d used a megaphone. My sister’s deaf.’