The Last Breath Of Reggie Warrington

Chapter 4: Guess Who?

I'd say waiting for what began to feel like forever. A taxi that was supposed to come at half past six and it was getting close to seven and it still hadn't arrived. My heart began to slam into my chest and the whole butterflies, sickness thing started. I grabbed the landline and phoned the taxi company.

"Hi, I booked a taxi last week from 77 Brookfield Lane to 92 Lincoln Drive. It was booked at 6.30 and it's almost 7 and it hasn't arrived."

"Huum, let me see..." said the woman on the other end, "Brookfield Lane to Lincoln Drive, yes that was cancelled this morning."

"Whaaaaat?!" I screamed down the phone, "cancelled? No, it can't be?"

"Do you want me to send another one?"

"Ok, how long will that be?!"

"Don't have anything until 9."

That was nowhere near good enough and I put the phone down. I needed a taxi and I needed one there and then. I must have phoned around at least five more taxi companies and most of them weren't available until nine or ten. Indira wanted everyone there at least by seven and it was twenty to already! I refused to give up and after I dialled another taxi firm, finally I managed to find somewhere that could pick me up within five minutes.

It was the longest five minutes of my life, but I heard a taxi beep it's horn outside. I leapt off the settee and ran outside, making sure I locked the door behind me.

"There are roadworks on Cheshire Road," spoke the driver, "don't mind if we go the long way round?"

Cheshire Road, like Lincoln Drive, was in the 'posh' parts of town and areas I didn't know very well at all. All I knew it that it was one of the major roads connecting the middle of the county, where I lived, with the south part, home to Indira. She and her family hadn't lived there long so this would be the first time I'd gone to her new house, which was on a private drive.

I sat in the back of the car, not really feeling like talking to the driver. I was more interested in getting to that party, instead of hearing him rabbit on about some road works or something else unimportant. Although the journey felt long, the countryside scenes were to die for. Pretty fields and small country lanes, like something out of a fairytale.

The taxi went through the little village of Little Hampton, I could hear the church bells chiming loudly. I gazed out of the window and saw all the lights inside the petite cottages glowing in the evening. Seeing the rolling countryside, the stream passing through the village and the thick woodland that surrounded it, brought back memories of when my parents were together before old Derek came along and ruined things.

Ok, that wasn't strictly true. It wasn't like an extramarital affair or something. Mum didn't leave Dad for Derek. Dad left us for his new flashy teaching job in Florida, a whole ocean away from us. It may have taken her a few years, but Mum had moved on. So had Dad, he was engaged to some woman he'd been seeing who was now pregnant with twins.

Twins. They ran in Dad's family and he had a twin brother himself, uncle Matthew. When I was nearly eleven, not long before she met old stinky Derek, I remember Mum and Dad sat us down to talk. They said they had something exciting to tell us and I noticed that Dad kept looking at Mums tummy. Having been through the "you're going to be a big sister," speech once, I automatically knew what was to come. Their faces beamed from ear to ear is never seen either of them so happy before. Now that wasn't strictly true, I'd seen that look in their eyes once before, on the day they told Maddison and I we were going to have a new brother or sister. It didn't take them long to tell us their news and yes, it was that Mum was at least twelve weeks pregnant and the doctors had confirmed it was twins.

I thought maybe if the twins survived what might have happened and if Dad still would have accepted the Florida teaching job. He would have probably had two little boys to take to the cricket matches and to take for their first pint when they were 18. Mum said she had a feeling they were boys. I supposed Derek was a rebound husband. He was the new teacher at Lilly's school, so good in fact, he was soon talent scouted for a head teachers position at a struggle private school.

The taxi continued its drive and I remembered our country holidays. Little Hampton was just one of the many places we used to visit with our trusty old caravan. Rusty, yes it had a name, was only really big enough for two or maybe three people, far too small for our family of five, but we didn't care. It was fun, Mum and Dad had to have the bunk beds while my sisters and I had the massive pull out double. Mum always used to say to Maddison and I that if it wasn't for that caravan we could never have been born. That made us both cringe of course.

After the miscarriage and Dad's new job, it was as if life as we knew it fell apart. Not long after Derek drunkenly proposed, we moved out of our old house and in with him. I still hated him for causing us to move. Dad or no Dad, I wished, more than anything that we didn't have to move, but Mum thought it would be weird staying in that house when she had a new boyfriend on the go.

Eventually, the taxi turned down Lincoln Drive. I could hear the pulsating music echoing while still inside the taxi. I handed the driver a ten-pound note and, as I stepped out, I saw a tall skinny figure standing outside Indira's front door. Reggie. Well, who else would stand there in the freezing cold?

His eyes stared at me as I walked up the short driveway and immediately he began to laugh.
"Ooh Chlo-Chlo, you look fabulous, darling."

He ran towards me and gave me a peck on the cheek. I wasn't sure if he was wearing aftershave or women's perfume, but he smelt lovely and floral.

I followed Reg inside. The music blared so loudly I could barely hear myself think. Indira only like certain bands and most of them had been over at least 4o years ago. She liked bands like Queen and T-Rex, stuff from years ago before some of our parents were even born! Her favourite song, Children of the Revolution, played. Everyone stopped and stared at me and not one of the was wearing a ridiculous costume. All apart from me, that was.

I watched as one by one everyone began to laugh, but none laughed more than Reggie.
"Ooh Chlo-Chlo, no one told me it was freaks and geeks night!"

He wore his favourite white trousers, the ones he called his 'pulling pants' and a black shirt. Libby and Indira hurried towards me. I could feel my mascara about to start running down my face. I'd never felt so embarrassed in my whole life as I did that night!

I turned to leave, but Libby grabbed hold of my arm.
"Chloe no, don't leave. Please?"

"I look like a freak! I look worse than a freak!"

Indira sauntered towards me, her jet black hair tied up into a pretty updo and azure blue eyeshadow the exact same colour as her strappy dress and heels. A sparkling tiara was perched on her head, but she was one of those girls who would look good in a bin liner.

"Libby's right, I don't want people to be unhappy here. It's supposed to be a party. Come with me."

Indira and Libby turned to walk up the stairs and I followed behind them as they went into Indira's bedroom.

While the birthday girl rummaged around in her wardrobe, Libby took the opportunity to grill me on my choice of outfit.

"Fiona from Shrek?" She started, "why?"

I pulled my phone out of my bag and showed my friend the text. Libby turned to Indira.
"Indie, did you send Chloe a text saying it's fancy dress?"

"No, why would I?"

Libby stood up off the bed and showed Indira the message on my phone. She frowned and shook her head. "Chloe, you've got to believe me, I never sent you that."

"Why would anyone want to send a message to Chloe from your phone, Indie?"

It was then that I knew I had been set up and it didn't take me long to guess who. Reggie was an absolutely backstabbing bitch. A nasty price of work and one thing I knew was that he was going to pay for making a twat out of me!