Chapter 4

"See you found your necklace," Fiona said as Jenny entered their shared bedroom. Her room-mate sheepishly averted her eyes and rubbed her brow.

"Yeah. I left it in my trouser pocket. I forgot I took it off in Angelina's room. Mum found it when she did the washing."

"Yeah ... well. I told you it wasn't me or Greg."

"I never said it was you," the dark brown-haired girl snapped. There was silence for a few moments and she licked her lips. "Sorry."

"So you bloody should be!"

Jenny hummed and she put her suitcase on the floor before looking at the naked girl in the bed. "I am sorry. I didn't know and..." Jenny didn't finish the sentence and crossed her arms. "I don't s'pose you know where can I get a bottle of champagne in this village?"

Fiona's expression softened and she laughed. "The off-license or the pub. But I thought you didn't drink!"

"It's Angelina's eighteenth today," Jenny replied defensively. "I just would love to manage to get her a bottle or two."

"How about a bottle of cyanide?" Fiona asked with a gleam in her eye and put the white T-Shirt over her head, before reaching for her hairbrush. "I'd go halves with you on a bottle of cyanide."

"I know you don't like her, but..."

"I despise her," Fiona corrected her in an acid tone. "I know she is your friend but she thinks I am not worthy of being here. She treats me like shit."

"You wind her up!" Fiona snorted and sat down in front of the mirror on the wall as she brushed her hair. "So what do I do at the off-license?"

The blonde girl burst into laughter. "Just go and buy it." She looked at her watch and then at her half-naked room-mate getting dressed. "I got to be at Greg's house at one. His mother wants to meet the girl, screwing her son, so if we leave now I can take you and show you."

"But ... how do I get it back in without being seen?"

Fiona passed a rucksack to her from the side of the bed. "Use that. It has a false bottom. Put a jumper and stuff in it, and hide it underneath. If they search you, which they won't, but if they did, they won't find it." Fiona cocked her head with a giggle. "One of my exes bought it for me so I could get stuff in here." Jenny glanced at the rucksack and sighed. "Oh, and if you are nervous, you will draw attention to yourself."

Fiona waited as Jenny quickly dressed herself and the two room-mates walked into the small village centre, a mile from their exclusive school. Fiona was stopped on several occasions as they meandered through the small settlement, and she happily exchanged small talk with a number of people, while Jenny fidgeted anxiously.

"Oh, hi Hayden," Fiona cried across the road outside the little off-license. She beckoned for Greg's friend to cross the street and looked at Jenny. "This is Jenny, friend of Sophia and my room-mate," she said, introducing her companion. "She's very shy and doesn't speak much." Jenny blushed and tried to object but Fiona interrupted her. "And this is Hayden, Sophia's ex, Greg's friend and a good laugh!"

"Hi," Hayden muttered with a thinly-disguised smile.

Jenny looked at Fiona, who brushed Hayen's open coat to one side and pulled his T-shirt up to his chest. "Feel his muscles," she teased. "He trains every day."

"Fiona!" Jenny moaned with a giggle. "You can't do that."

"Sure I can." She turned to the mildly embarrassed boy and pulled his white cotton garment down to his trousers. "What ya up to?"

"Sammy's off to Derby, gonna get a new pair of trainers."

"You like Tennis, don't you?" Fiona asked her room mate with a grin. "Perfect match for you. Dates on the Tennis Court and..."

"I told you, I don't want a boyfriend," the snarling girl moaned. "Really I don't want one."

"You so need one though," she sniped as embarrassed man made his excuses and ran up the hill. "He's got a body to die for," Fiona muttered and was chastised by Jenny for having "sinful desires." The blonde girl scoffed and opened the red door to the off-license and pointed to the champagnes on a shelf behind the cashier.

"But they only have Lanson and Moet and Chandon," Jenny cried as she looked. "That's really cheap champagne."

Fiona smiled at the man behind the counter. "Sorry. I had to extract the silver spoon before she could put her knickers on this morning," she joked and the middle-aged man chortled.

"What?" Jenny asked aggressively.

"Nothing," Fiona replied. "Just a little joke."

"OK. What about a Tattinger or a..."

"It's a village off-license not Champagne 'R' Us. Just pick one." Jenny grumbled and selected three bottles of the Moet and Chandon before being asked for identification. She looked at Fiona who shook her head and opened her purse to show her provisional driving license. "She's not used to leaving the Abbey!"