Worse Than Boys(40)

‘I’ve just been at your door, Terry,’ he said.

‘Have you? What for?’

‘This is me off to Majorca.’ (He pronounced it Matchorca.) ‘Me and my bird,’ he went on. ‘I asked your mammy if I could leave my keys with her, and she said yes, the darlin’. So I put them through your letterbox.’

A taxi drew up then and Junior waved it down. ‘That’s my taxi now,’ he said.

I stood by as he climbed into the back. ‘If your mammy could water my plants I’d be really grateful, hen.’

‘No problem, Junior.’ He looked so excited to be going on holiday, like a little boy. ‘Have a nice time!’ I called after him.

He stuck his head out of the car window. ‘Thanks, Terry,’ he said, grinning. ‘By the way, my car keys are there as well, so you can use the car any time you want. OK?’

I stood waving Junior off, beaming like an idiot. ‘You can use the car any time you want,’ he had said.

It was like a gift falling into my hands. Junior’s car. I knew then what I was going to do to impress the Hell Cats. I was going to take them for a joyride.

The car keys lay on the mat behind the door, along with one of Junior’s badly spelt notes.

I picked up the keys and sat for ages, just staring at them.

Junior was off with his ‘bird’. (Junior had a ‘bird’? He was full of surprises.) He’d be already at the airport enjoying the duty-free. This was Mum’s night for her Spanish class. She went straight to the local college after work. She wouldn’t be home until late. Mum need never know. I would be back before she would … either that or my body parts would be scattered all over a dark and lonely road somewhere.

Junior had let me drive his car round the car park so often, sitting beside me, showing me how to use the accelerator, the brake and clutch. Surely going out on the road couldn’t be that different?

But what if Wizzie and the rest didn’t think it was so daring? They probably went joyriding every night for a laugh. Well, I decided, I would have to take that chance.

I phoned Wizzie first. ‘You contact the others. I’ll meet you at the retail park.’

‘The retail park?’ Wizzie sounded surprised.

The only retail park we had in the town was full of empty, vacant shops.

‘That’ll be deserted this time of night,’ she went on. ‘Hey, you’re not planning to turn into a vampire, are you? That kind of shock we don’t need.’

‘Wait and see,’ I said mysteriously.

Of course the retail park would be deserted. That’s why it was perfect. Lots of wide turning areas, lots of space. Nobody about. After all, I didn’t actually want to trash Junior’s car.

I felt like Alice in Wonderland as soon as I slipped into the front seat. As if I’d shrunk in size. The car seemed too big. As it was I could hardly see over the steering wheel. I must be mad. What was I thinking about?

Then my nerve came back. Junior was one sandwich short of a picnic. If Junior could drive, then so could I. Go for it, girl!

I made so much noise revving up the engine I was sure the neighbours would come shooting out of their houses. Even when I pushed my foot down on the accelerator the car didn’t budge. Until I remembered I hadn’t let the handbrake off. When it finally did move, it chugged and bumped across the car park. A couple of women coming out of one of the flats glanced my way. But they were used to Junior’s car doing wheelies in the car park. They looked away almost at once.

So far, so good. I was moving. Now all I had to do was make it to the retail park.

I took the lonely back road to avoid traffic lights and junctions. Something told me I was meant to change gear at some point, but since my lessons with Junior had never got that far, I didn’t bother. I made it there anyway. I chugged into the retail park and saw the Hell Cats gathered together under a street light. They turned and stared when they heard the car. They were like rabbits caught in the headlights as they watched it heading straight for them.

I saw their surprise turn to alarm as I careered towards them. I was going faster. How was I supposed to stop this thing? My mind was a total blank.

‘Get out of the way!’ I waved my arms about frantically. They didn’t need to be told twice. They separated and ran off in different directions. I was heading for a brick wall. If I didn’t do something quick, it would be concertina time for me and the car. Finally, I got my head together, slammed on the brakes and pulled at the handbrake at the same time. With a screech and a roar, I came to a halt.

They all came running after me.

I rolled down the window and grinned. ‘I think that was an emergency stop!’