Two-Faced, page 9
‘Oh, I remember that one,’ Kim exclaimed excitedly. ‘But are you sure that was the same boy, ’cos he was an odd-looking little thing, and the lad in the shaving one is lovely.’
‘My point exactly.’ Sammy grinned. ‘See, this is what I’m talking about, Mia. Jon’s mum thought he was a superstar from the start but nobody else could see it back then. It takes time and experience to blossom, but they were willing to work their way up. And now it’s beginning to pay off, because Jon could be in Hollywood this time next week. But where will you be?’ Pausing for effect, he gazed at her steadily before adding, ‘You can ignore my advice and stay exactly where you are, or admit that you’re not as ready as you think you are and let me guide you. Your choice, but I know what I’d go for if I were you.’
Tilting her head to one side, Mia gave him a coy smile. ‘Will I get to meet Jonathon?’
Laughing out loud, Sammy’s fat belly wobbled. ‘I’m sure it could be arranged. Although I’m not sure it’ll get you anywhere, because he’s just come out.’
‘Out of what?’
‘Never mind.’ Sammy chuckled, shaking his head at Kim. He took a swig of his now-cold tea and glanced at his watch. ‘Right, well, I think I’ve given you enough to ponder over for the time being, so why don’t you go home and discuss it? Then your mum can ring when you know what you want to do. Okay?’
‘We’ll do it,’ Kim blurted out without hesitation. ‘And thank you so much, you don’t know how much this means to me – us.’
Sammy extended his hand across the desk and said, ‘My pleasure.’ Then, turning to Mia, he gave her a questioning look. ‘And what about you, young lady? Are you going to be a star?’
Mia shrugged again, but she was still smiling.
‘The word you’re looking for is yes,’ Sammy told her, slapping his hand down on the desktop. Your mum believes you can do it; I believe you can do it. But do you believe you can do it?’
Caught up in his excitement at last, Mia grinned. ‘I know I can do it.’
‘Good girl!’ Beaming, Sammy reached into a drawer and pulled out a pack of baby-wipes. ‘Now go and wipe that muck off your face, because it looks ridiculous.’
Giving her mum a smug look, because the stupid make-up had been her idea, Mia got up and trotted obediently out to the toilet.
5
Sammy Martin was taking Mia and Kim out to a posh restaurant. It was Mia’s first audition tomorrow and he wanted to have a good long talk with her in a more informal setting than his office; to make sure that she knew exactly what to do, and, more importantly, what not to do – like backchat the photographer, or start complaining.
More nervous about the audition than Mia was, Kim had been running around all day, bouncing from one task to another, and barking orders at Mia to hurry up and get in the bath, hurry up and get out again, hurry up and dry her hair, hurry up and set it . . .
Sick of listening to her mother, Mia was lounging on the chair by the window with her iPod earphones stuffed deep into her ears. She’d been ready for ages, and now she just wanted to go. Not that she was looking forward to seeing Sammy, because she knew she’d only get another brain-numbing lecture off him to top the ones she’d been getting off her mum all day. But it was the first time she’d ever been to a proper restaurant, and she wanted to see what it was like for when she was famous and eating out at posh places every night.
Feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket, she slipped it out. She saw Laura’s name on the screen and ran into the kitchen to take the call in private.
‘What you saying, girlfriend? Hope you’ve got good gossip for me.’
‘Yeah, but you’re not going to like it,’ Laura told her. ‘Lisa’s been slagging you off all over the place, telling everyone you’re not really sick, and that you’re only staying off school ’cos you’re scared of Sandra beating you up again.’
‘She didn’t even beat me up in the first place,’ Mia scoffed. ‘You saw me – there were hardly any marks on me, were there?’
‘No, and that’s what I told them when they started going on about it,’ Laura assured her. ‘Obviously I couldn’t tell them why you’re really staying off, ’cos you said I’ve got to keep it a secret. But I reckon they all know, anyhow, ’cos Lisa won’t shut up about it.’
‘She’s such a jealous bitch,’ Mia sneered.
‘You know it was her who gave your number to Sandra, don’t you?’ Laura informed her. ‘That night when Sandra rang and made Darren tell you to get lost.’
‘I knew he hadn’t given it to her!’ Mia exclaimed triumphantly. ‘He already had my mobile number, so if he’d meant it he would have just given her that instead of making her find out the landline number, wouldn’t he?’
‘Have you spoken to him since?’ Laura asked – cautiously, because she had a bit of news of her own and wasn’t sure how Mia would react when she heard.
‘No, he’s rung a few times but I was busy,’ Mia lied, too proud to admit that he hadn’t rung at all – and hadn’t answered his phone when she’d tried to call him. ‘I’m sure I’ll catch up with him sooner or later,’ she went on nonchalantly. ‘But I don’t know if I can be bothered with him any more, to be honest. You know I’ve got my first audition tomorrow?’
‘Oh, yeah, you told me. So, how’s it going? Are you ready?’
‘Yeah, it’s cool. My agent reckons I’ve got it in the bag.’
‘Ooh, I can’t wait to see you in a magazine,’ Laura gushed. ‘I’ll be so proud of you. I’ll be flashing it round all over the place, going, look, that’s my best mate!’
‘So long as you make sure Lisa and Sandra get a good long look at it,’ Mia said, laughing softly. ‘And just wait till I start getting in the papers for going to all the showbiz parties – that’ll really rub it in.’
‘I hope you won’t forget about me when you’re mixing with the stars.’
‘Course I won’t. Best mates are for life, not just Christmas, remember. Wherever I go, you’ll be right there in the limo with me, swigging champagne, and—’
‘You know the taxi will be here in a minute, don’t you?’ Kim interrupted, sticking her head around the door.
Flashing her an irritated look, Mia said, ‘Sorry, Laura, got to go. I’ll give you a ring tomorrow – let you know how it went.’
‘I’d wish you luck, but I know you don’t need it, ’cos you’ll be brill.’
‘I know! They won’t know what’s hit them when I walk in.’
Sighing, Laura told her friend that she wished she could be there. Then, just as she was about to say goodbye, she remembered what she’d meant to tell her.
‘Oh, by the way,’ she blurted out. ‘You’ll never guess who called me last night. Stu!’ She answered her own question. ‘I was going to call you after he got off the phone, but it was too late by then, ’cos he was on for ages. Anyhow, he asked me to go out with him this Saturday – can you believe that?’
Mia’s lips were tightly pursed. ‘And what did you say?’
Hesitant now because she sensed the dip in Mia’s mood, Laura said, ‘I told him I’d think about it – but I’m not going to. I mean, he hasn’t bothered calling since all that stuff kicked off with you and Darren. And anyway, I wouldn’t do that to you.’
‘So how come you were on the phone so long?’ Mia snapped accusingly. ‘It only takes a second to say no, but you said he was on for ages.’
‘Well, yeah, but only because he was trying to persuade me,’ Laura murmured, wishing now that she hadn’t told her. ‘Anyway, why are you mad at me? I didn’t ring him.’
‘I’m not mad, I just don’t see why you’re acting so excited if you’re not interested. Anyway, I’ve got to go, the taxi’s here.’
Mia scowled as she cut the call. It didn’t surprise her that they were all speculating about why she hadn’t gone back to school, but it pissed her off that they thought she was scared of Sandra. She wished she’d never told Laura to keep it a secret that she wasn’t really hurt, because at least then she could have set them all straight. But she couldn’t risk any of the teachers finding out, or they’d be bound to try and force her to go back.
‘Where’s that necklace you said you were wearing?’ Kim asked just then, interrupting her thoughts.
‘Can’t be bothered looking for it,’ Mia muttered.
‘You can’t wear that dress without it,’ Kim told her. ‘You’re showing too much boob, and you need the necklace to hide it. Go on – go and find it while you’ve still got time.’
In the bedroom, Michelle was running the hot-irons through her hair. Since her mum and Mia had met Sammy Martin, they were always whizzing in and out for meetings and coaching sessions. And while she didn’t begrudge Mia her excitement as the first audition drew closer, she couldn’t help but feel left out, because they were acting more like best friends than mother and daughter, forever discussing what Sammy had said, or giggling about the champagne lifestyle they would soon be living.
Michelle hadn’t met Sammy, because she was never invited along to any of their meetings, but she figured he must be good if he’d managed to get Mia on side. And her mum seemed to have taken quite a shine to him as well, because she always seemed to be quoting him.
‘Remember what Sammy said about this . . . Remember what Sammy said about that . . . Sammy said . . . Sammy said . . .’
Michelle actually suspected that her mum had a bit of a crush on the agent, because she’d started to take more pride in her appearance and she went into posh-voice overdrive whenever they spoke on the phone. But whether or not that was the reason, he seemed to be having a positive effect on her, because she’d started to pull up her socks in other areas of her life – like getting the gas meter sorted out.
Michelle didn’t know how she’d done it but she was glad that she had, because it had been stressful hearing her fretting about being sent to prison. And, even better, now that she no longer needed Eric to put the meter back her mum had finally dropped her obsession with him and Pam.
Not enough to stop her from calling them all the bastards under the sun whenever she heard them moving about next door but enough to give Eric back his clothes – in return for her key.
The key which Michelle now possessed.
Not that it gave her the freedom to come and go as she pleased, because her mum was so convinced Eric had made a copy that she still insisted that Michelle put the bolts on whenever they went out. And usually Michelle did, but having fobbed Liam off so many times already with excuses about having too much homework or revision when he’d rung her about their date she’d finally agreed to meet up with him, fearing that he would lose interest if she didn’t. And she’d chosen tonight, knowing that her mum and Mia were being taken out to some fancy restaurant, so they would be out for hours.
After rushing home from school this afternoon she’d done her homework and then jumped in the bath, her plan being to get ready while her mum and Mia were too preoccupied to notice. Then she would lie on her bed reading until they had gone.
Which was sound in theory, but Michelle should have known that Mia would smell a rat if she caught her making such an uncharacteristic effort with her appearance. And she didn’t help herself by blushing guiltily when Mia barged into the bedroom now.
Instantly suspicious because Michelle never straightened her hair and she was wearing decent clothes for a change, Mia said, ‘What are you getting tarted up for? You’re not coming with me and mum.’
Blurting out the first thing that came into her mind, Michelle said, ‘Sylvia’s coming round. We’ve got some coursework to finish, so we thought we might as well do it together.’
‘So why you getting tarted up for that?’ Mia demanded. ‘Unless you’re a pair of lezzers now.’
‘I’m only doing my hair,’ Michelle muttered. ‘And I’d have thought you’d be pleased, considering you’re always telling me I look like a tramp.’
‘I get it,’ Mia hissed, remembering the boy she’d seen Michelle talking to at the library that night. ‘You’re going to see that lad, aren’t you?’
Fronting it out, Michelle said, ‘What lad?’
‘Don’t play dumb,’ Mia spat, pursing her lips spitefully. ‘You know exactly who I mean – that lad from the library . . . your so-called friend.’
Frowning as if she didn’t know what Mia was talking about, Michelle tutted after a second and said, ‘Oh, him. God, no, I haven’t seen him in ages.’
‘I know you’re lying,’ Mia retorted angrily. ‘It’s written all over your face. I bet you haven’t told mum, though, have you?’
‘You’re wrong,’ Michelle insisted, wishing that Mia would keep her voice down.
‘We’ll see about that!’ Mia snatched up the necklace she’d come for and marched down the stairs, yelling, ‘Mum . . . guess what Michelle’s doing!’
Michelle slammed the hot-irons down in despair and determinedly blinked back the tears that were stinging her eyes. Crying would only prove Mia right because they both knew that she wouldn’t get upset if she’d been telling the truth about Sylvia coming round.
Inhaling deeply when her mum shouted for her a minute later, Michelle composed her face into an expression of innocence and made her way downstairs.
‘What’s this I hear about you thinking you’re going out to see some lad?’
‘I’ve already told Mia I’m not going anywhere. Sylvia’s coming round, that’s all. We’re going to do—’
‘Some coursework,’ Kim finished for her. ‘Yeah, she said you were going to say that.’
‘It’s true,’ Michelle insisted. ‘And you can ring Sylvia’s mum if you don’t believe me. I’ve got her number in my bag if you want me to get it.’
‘Do I buggery,’ Kim snorted. ‘But if I find out you’re lying, you’ve had it – so be warned.’
It had been a gamble, but Michelle had known that it would pay off because her mum would rather die than talk to any of her friends’ parents. She thought they were all snobs who looked down their noses at her because she was a single mum living on benefits in a council house. Which was probably what they would have thought if they’d ever met her, but she’d never shown the slightest inclination to attend parents’ evenings or any of the sports matches – let alone the various school plays – so it was highly unlikely that they ever would.
The taxi arrived. When she heard its horn Kim held the cigarette she’d just lit between her teeth and slipped her coat on. Then, picking up her handbag, she held out her hand. ‘Give us your key – just in case you’ve got any funny ideas about sneaking out.’
Gritting her teeth to prevent herself from bursting into tears of frustration, Michelle glowered at Mia.
‘No point giving me evils,’ Mia smirked. ‘If I’m not allowed to see boys, I don’t see why you think you can.’
Reiterating that Sylvia was the only person she’d be seeing tonight, Michelle shrugged. ‘But it’s okay if you don’t trust me, mum. Even you must get me mixed up with Mia sometimes.’
Astounded that this jibe had come from Michelle – who normally wouldn’t say boo to a goose – Kim was unusually lost for words. But when the taxi horn hooted again, she tutted. ‘Oh, forget it. I can’t hang around all night waiting for you to go upstairs.’ She herded an indignant Mia through the door and yelled back over her shoulder, ‘Just make sure you keep the bolts on. And I want that Sylvia gone by the time we get back, ’cos I don’t like the idea of your snotty friends nosing around my house.’
Michelle held her breath until she heard them getting into the car and driving away. Well, she’d got away with it – but only just. And Mia would be furious that their mum had sided with her just now, so life was probably going to be hell for a while. But Liam was worth it.
She ran back up to her room, finished doing her hair and looked herself over in the mirror. Her hair didn’t look anywhere near as smooth or shiny as Mia managed to get hers, but it was all right. Taking a tube of lip gloss out of Mia’s bulging make-up bag now, she slicked on a thin coating and then headed out.
Already nervous about the possibility of her mum doubling back and catching her on the street, Michelle pulled her hood up and kept her chin shoved down into her collar. When she reached the library five minutes later, she hesitated when she saw Liam surrounded by the local gang who hung out there. They were troublemakers who came here at night to drink alcohol and smoke weed – and to pick on anyone who strayed onto their turf. And knowing from the little that Liam had told her that he hadn’t lived in Manchester for long, she dreaded to think what they were going to do to him.
Spotting her just then, Liam touched fists with the lads and walked towards her. Tipping his head to one side when he saw the fear in her eyes, he asked if everything was all right.
‘Yeah, fine,’ she murmured. ‘I just thought they might be hassling you.’
‘Them?’ Liam glanced back. ‘No way. We’re cool.’
Hoping she hadn’t offended him, she said, ‘Sorry, I didn’t realise you knew them. It’s just that they’re not exactly big on being friendly to strangers.’
Liam chuckled and said, ‘Aw, you were worried about me. But there’s no need, babe, I can handle myself. Anyway, they’re not that bad when you get to know them. They might think they are, but they’re smart enough to know who to mess with and who to leave alone.’
Sneaking a side glance at his handsome face as they set off towards the bus stop, Michelle wasn’t sure she liked what he’d just said. It was almost as if he was implying that he was some sort of gangster – and that wasn’t who she’d thought he was at all.
‘You don’t have to look at me like that,’ Liam said quietly, making her jump because she hadn’t realised that he’d seen her doing it. ‘I’m not a thug, but I’m no idiot, either. It just makes life easier for me and them if we all know where we stand from the off – don’t you think?’
Blushing when he looked straight at her, Michelle shrugged. ‘I wouldn’t know. I try not to get involved in things like that.’
