Eire.(chapter 18)

We pulled up to the Centre. Most of them were already standing outside, waiting to be let in. (The Centre is a pretty ordinary place, a sports center, a place to meet, and the guys have a place to play football, and we're rooting for them. It's the only place we can go on Fridays, besides the disco at Glentis, about 20 minutes away, but the police have been showing up there too often lately, it's not really there lately... you know, a party where no one dances, everyone just fights drunk, no fun). I got off the bike and saw Piotrek's gang. Some handsome guy was hugging... I can't believe it, Gemma, Ros's girlfriend. As far as I know, she just broke up with Ros today, she didn't grieve for long, and they'd been dating for about a year. Piotrek spotted me and Kelly, and the whole gang was heading our way. Then Gemma's new boyfriend turned around. I couldn't believe it, IT'S N!!! Him and Gemma?! He was walking towards us, hugging her, along with the guys. I didn't like the way she hung onto him. You couldn't call it a hug; they weren't compatible at all. She was about 5'10" tall, while he was 6'11". Besides, she'd always been such a cuddly doll, I don't know how to describe it. When she cuddled with guys, she hung on them like a poorly fitted dress on a hanger. I think you get the idea. Too close, too long, too much, too sweet, it made me feel sick, but if he prefers that kind of doll, then that's his business. Kell hugged me and whispered in my ear,

"Relax, pretend he doesn't care about you at all. Let him be jealous of you, give him a reason to be.

It was like he could read my mind; that's what a true friend is."

When they approached us, Kell pretended to whisper something in my ear, and I laughed quietly and flirtatiously. It was like he was telling me something, but in reality, we felt sorry for Ros, because he's a good guy.

"Kell, stop it." I lowered my eyes, as if he'd embarrassed me somehow. "Hey guys."

Then Kell stepped in.

"New babe, huh, N.? Another one-night stand?"

I admit, Kell went too far; it wasn't what we agreed on, but after Gemma started kissing N. on the neck and he didn't react, I got completely pissed. It's girls like that who make him look good, one word and he's his. I had tears in my eyes, luckily in the dark, only Kell noticed; he started acting like he was completely insane.

"You don't even respect your friend anymore, do you, N.?" Ross is sitting there devastated, and instead of comforting him, you're messing around with his girlfriend?

"With my ex-girlfriend, I got bored with his car." Gemma didn't even bother to look at us, staring at us as if spellbound. Ross had a fancy white car (I don't know much about this sort of thing, but it cost a fortune; he got it as a gift from his parents for his 17th birthday, after he passed his driving test). But it wasn't the car she was after when she started dating him, because she'd only had it for a month. Then she opened her doll-like mouth again:

"And you, Kell, you're not dating Nicole anymore. Such a nice girl left you for a hotter model who made more money and could afford an expensive car.

I was fed up with her, her and him, I had to tell her something.

" "But N. doesn't have a car, he only turned 16, he's still a whole year away from taking his driving test. You wait, honey, and he'll find another girl by then, because he'll be bored with you after tonight." He'll put you on the shelf like another toy, and buy himself a new one with his own money, which he'll quickly tire of too.

I could see from Piotrek's face that he'd had enough. He couldn't defend either side, because we used to be a tight-knit group, his sister on one side, his friend on the other. I felt sorry for him. All he could do was stay quiet. But he couldn't take it anymore. "

Will you finally shut up? You came with Kelli, and he came with Gemma, what do you want from him? And you, N., tell your little lady to stay away from my sister and her boyfriend, because there's going to be a real row.

A row was about to happen. I knew one thing: one more scene like that and I wouldn't be able to bear it. The tears disappeared, leaving room for the flame in my eyes.