Chapter 2

Charlie put her hand out, palm up, expectantly, in front of Tiff. “You owe me a quid!”

Tiff puffed dismissively, blowing her curtain of hair away from her face. She was smiling. “It’s worth it,” she whispered conspiratorially.

“What is? What’s worth what?” I asked, confused.

Tiff said nothing. Charlie grinned and put her hand on my arm reassuringly. “It’s okay, Sam. Tiff and I just had a little side bet about whether you’d actually research cameras last night. See, I told you we could train you!” There was a jubilant look on her face.

We got down to business. Tiff had her laptop out and was typing effortlessly at a frantic pace. We already had half our proposals written up neatly, ready to present to Jim next Tuesday. These two girls were a factory.

As the bell for lunch sounded, Charlie started putting everything away. She took my printouts on cameras. Tiff and I stood up at the same time. Tiff was looking questioningly at Charlie. Charlie sensed her gaze and looked up and her eyes flirted between us. Tiff gave Charlie a subtle ‘go on!’ kind of nod and Charlie looked at me and beamed. “Sam, what are you doing for lunch?” she asked sweetly.

“Eh, just the canteen. You know, the usual,” I shrugged, caught by surprise and unprepared. “Why?”

“Oh, I think this project is going along splendidly, and we ought go out to celebrate! Team bonding, if you will. How would you like to have lunch with us?”

“Oh, eh, yeah, sure.”

“Gee, you could try and sound enthusiastic!” Charlie was grinning. I grinned back at both of them.

“Where do you want to go?” I asked quietly.

“Oh, we know just the place” Charlie beamed.

“So how do you two know each other?” I had been dying to find out just how come the unlikely pair were such good friends ever since I’d seen that quick kiss the day before. In fact, I’d been a bit curious even before that.

“Girl Guides,” Charlie said primly.

I looked down at the menu. My stomach flinched. How was I going to afford this? No wonder school kids didn’t eat here! Sixth formers were allowed go into town at lunchtimes, but there were no other kids in this quiet little tea shop.

Charlie must have seen my horror and she reached out and patted my arm reassuringly. “It’s okay, our treat,” she said soothingly. She looked expectantly at Tiff, who just nodded quietly.

The waitress came over at that moment and stood expectantly with a little notepad. “Let me guess, girls. Tea and two scones each?” Charlie and Tiff smiled and nodded contently. The waitress looked over at me. “You’re a boy!” she squeaked, flummoxed. “We can still do the breakfast menu if you want a fry-up?”

As we tucked into our meal – the two of them watching me in horror devouring my cooked English breakfast as they gently plucked at their scones – the girls elaborated on their friendship. They had been best friends since, as they’d said, Girl Guides when they were little. I must have been blind; I had certainly noticed Charlie all around high-school, hanging out with all the cool kids, but I’d never noticed Tiff near her. But then, nobody ever noticed Tiff. Tiff was a very shy, and private girl.

The girls quizzed me about my friends and hobbies. As I listed my friends – all boys, all into computer gaming – and my hobbies – computer gaming – I felt a bit embarrassed and immature. I got the sense that the two girls were much more grown-up than everyone else our age. “But I’m growing out of it!” I added at the end of my turn. Charlie just grinned at me like she’d sensed my insecurity.

“So, what are you two doing after school?” I changed the subject, bravely.

“University,” Tiff said, matter-of-factly.

“I think he meant ‘tonight’,” Charlie giggled.

“Oh”

“Sorry, Sam, we can’t,” Charlie explained kindly. “I have to work at BigMarket and Tiff, well, Tiff has very strict parents.” Tiff was quiet again and Charlie was looking apologetic. “But, hey, do you check your school email? I can take some photos of some boxes tonight and you can see what your software thingies can do with the barcodes.”

“So tell me about lunch”

Mum’s eyes sparkled.

“She’s really nice,” I gushed, my guard down now mum had forced me to confide everything in her. “She has brown hair and bright blue eyes and really straight teeth.”

“You make her sound like a horse,” Mum smirked. “Is she shapely?”

I nodded enthusiastically and mimed big boobs with my hands before I remembered I was talking to my mum! She collapsed half under the table in convulsive giggles. What a cool mum!

“Charlotte. Charlie. That’s a sweet name,” mum added when she had finally composed herself. “When will I get to meet her?”

It was refreshing to have girl friends. Suddenly computer gaming and the lads I hung out with seemed babyish, belonging to a former me. I sat on the sofa that evening at Lukes’ watching him and Stan The Man bashing each other on the playstation. I was hardly paying attention.

“What’s up?” Stan was looking at me quizzically “Since when have you skipped your turn?”

He waved his controller at the TV screen.

I shrugged. Stan and Luke were watching me intently. “Is it a girl?” Luke giggled. Boys chuckle but Luke definitely giggles. He’s completely straight, and completely fixated on girls, but never dares approach them. We’re all nerds and girls are just something we boast about having but never have.

I shrugged again. “Just my Business Management coursework”

“Oh yeah, there’s loads of girls in your class, right?” Stan asked, interested. I just nodded in reply. “So this coursework, is it in teams?”

I nodded again. “And who’s in your team?” Luke enquired.

“Eh, Charlotte and Tiffany,” I replied stiffly. I didn’t like admitting it.

“I knew it!” Stan pumped the air triumphantly then leaned towards me offering me a high five. I declined and sank back even further into the sofa.

“Charlie is sooooo hot!” Luke was all giggly again. “Have you seen her naked?”

That was just the silly kind of weird conversation swing that Luke would throw in. For once, Stan didn’t join in; he just looked at me silently, expectantly.