Chapter 41: Magical

Friday 19-Oct 2007

"You're going to score tonight!"

Chris looked at Geno. Yeah, he probably was. In fact, given the way Shahia had been looking at him all day, it was almost certain. No. He recalled her comment about the kiss; she planned for it to be tonight.

But still, he was annoyed by the way Geno had put it.

So what that everyone knew that they were going to Phantom tonight. Shahia was excited beyond measure, and now she was certainly that exuberant outgoing life-of-the-party person that Andrew had described, except that Andrew had told him last night that she'd only been a pale imitation of what she was now.

What mattered was that she deserved a good time tonight, that she was happy. If he got laid, then that was a special extra.

It made him think back to a time not long after the dance. Geno had come up to him and demanded to know his secret. Chris had looked at him blankly? What secret — not Shahia's, he'd wondered? Well, Geno said, Chris never went to the movies, went to the shops, got his hair coloured, never did anything exciting or interesting for the girls, he was a boring old fart, and yet he had the two most beautiful girls in the class firmly attached to him.

Well, it looked like Geno still didn't get it — though he'd certainly matured a little after what he called his prisoner-of-war experience. So perhaps there was hope yet.

He looked across the room, sharing a smile with Shahia. She was deep in conversation with a group of girls that included Jenna and Lisa. When Lisa had heard about the Phantom, she'd got in contact with Jenna straight away, and the three of them had been thick as thieves all week, choosing what Shahia was going to wear. All Chris knew was that Jenna had opened her wardrobe, and when nothing suitable was found, they'd left Maria with Chris, gone out shopping, and Jenna had splurged on an expensive dress for Shahia. She'd said it was the least she could do, given the horrible things she'd said in the past — she was so embarrassed to think that she'd mocked Shahia for not knowing what love meant.

His attention was drawn to Lisa. He much preferred the comment Lisa had made about tonight — but then, that had been part of a much deeper conversation they'd had earlier in the week when she'd gone to help him pick something to wear for the Phantom - they'd bought him a rather natty white shirt and snazzy black denim pants, in between many interruptions from people who recognised Lisa or sometimes Chris from the TV. He cast his mind back to the conversation they'd had over a coffee...

"Thank you so much for helping Shahia. I have to thank Jenna too."

"Yeah, she's good at that stuff."

"You know, I've never figured you and Jenna out. You seemed to get along just fine with her, but then I learnt about all this stuff ... And how did you get her to lay off Shahia?" Chris cast his mind back to that whispered conversation with Lisa that had left Jenna white as a sheet — he'd never really understood that.

Lisa smiled. "Oh, the class captain and the class princess. All pals on the outside, but never turn your back! And then my dad...

Lisa grimaced and rubbed her face with her hand.

"After that it was vicious. I know she picked on Shahia to get at me — it happened a lot more after I got friendly with Shahia. So I told her that Shahia was untouchable, threatened her that I'd blow all our dirty secrets open, however much it cost me. She had more to lose than me, but not by much."

Lisa paused, a far off look on her face. "So then I was really waiting for the knife ... But we finally sorted it all out. That's really your doing."

"Mine?"

"Yes. When I opened my heart to you, and you treated me with such love, you opened my eyes." She paused, searching for words. "I discovered that there really was such a thing as love and honour, not just screwing with people. And then when I told Shahia about what I'd done, and told her everything, she acted just like you. Oh, I love you guys so much!

"Anyway, what you both had done made me want to do be like you. So a couple of days later, I took Jenna out and I was nice to her, like you both were to me, even when she blew up at me. And hey, it worked! We're all better now, better than ever. I wish I could say the same for her parents, but that's another story."

Chris smiled at her. "You know that we both love you too."

"Yes, I know! It was all that kept me going sometimes, to know that two people as special as you guys, two people so totally entwined together at so many levels, to know that you still both love me — that's pretty special. You guys gave me Andrew too. Not only did you introduce me to him, but if I hadn't made that offer to you, if you hadn't both loved me so much, I wouldn't have been ready to be loved by him. And of course, I couldn't have done 'Lisa's school' without that either."

"I like Andrew. He's got enough depth and strength to be the right guy for you."

"He might be too! We'll find out. There's no hurry. That offer to you — that was one of the stupidest things I've ever done — but it's one of the best things I've ever done. How does that work?"

Chris shrugged. He didn't have a clue.

"Anyway, one day, I'm going to get married. And when I do, I want to have both of you as my best man and maid of honour. I just have to figure out how to have both of you first!"

"Ahh, Lisa, I'm quite honoured, but brides don't have a best man."

"This one will! And Shahia says that when you guys get married, I'll be her maid of honour! That's the single highest honour I could imagine."

"Umm, when we get married?"

Lisa flicked her spoon at him and smiled. "Of course you will, one day."

Chris pouted, and she laughed at him. Then she gave him a special smile.

"You have a good time on Friday night! Shahia will tell me all about it. Or perhaps, this time, just most of it."

He looked around the classroom. What a good bunch of guys they all were. Everyone had helped out somehow this year, gone the extra distance for them. The icing on the cake was that they'd all put in a bit each and rented a limo for the night for them. How cool was that?

Chris was sitting at his desk trying to get some homework done before he had to go get his hair done and get ready. He kicked at his desk. What a waste of time this was, trying to do homework today!

There was a knock on the door. His mum. "Time for a chat?"

Sure. He nodded.

"I'm about to go over to Lisa's house. Shahia asked me to be with her."

Chris smiled. "That's lovely."

"Dad's home, so he's going to look after the rest of the kids, feed them dinner, get the beds out and all that. When the limo picks you up, come straight over to Lisa's house, and come in yourself. Janine and I will do the final touches for you."

"Do I have to?"

She smiled at him. "Of course, for Shahia. She's going to look great, and you need to match her."

Chris smiled back at her. It would be worth it. She was so special, he needed to give her the best he could. "Okay."

"So, tonight you're going to fulfil your final New Year's resolution," she told him.

"You mean the one about counting the cost of what I do?"

"No! Men! You've counted and counted and counted all year. You don't have to do that anymore. No, tonight, you're pretty likely going to get laid at last."

He smiled. "I figured that."

"Now, it's traditional for the mother to provide advice to the daughter. You know, 'lie back and think of the country'." They both laughed at that old joke. "Shahia hasn't got a mum, so I gave her what advice I could. Now I'm going to give it to you."