Breaking Her Rules

Chapter 15

As soon as I get home from school I rip off my school uniform in exchange for a soft cotton dress, and collapse on my bed. When Ainsley calls, I pull faces at myself in the mirror across the room while she sobs about Jake. The last thing I want is for Ainsley to be complaining to me. Meanwhile I'm sitting here, a potential train wreck, and she doesn't even seem to realise possibly the most devastating tragedy has occurred in my life since Lucas decided he didn't want to be my friend anymore.

'I told him about this,' she sobs, 'ages ago!' She sniffles. 'And he said he was happy to come and he said he'd love to see me in a formal dress.' This is followed by another round of sobbing. 'And now he just texted me and said he can't come anymore because he doesn't have an... effing suit!'

I raise my eyebrow at my reflection in the mirror. 'A suit? Can't he just buy a suit?'

'No!' Ainsley cries. 'Don't you see? He's just making up a lie! Of course he could buy one, he just doesn't want to come with me!'

'Well no offense, Ains, but why would he want to come anyway? It's a fundraising ball organised by the parents committee. It's lame.'

'But I have to go because my mum is on the committee and I was so happy I could at least take him, but now he can't come!' Ainsley whines. I roll my eyes at my reflection.

'Ains, you don't have to go. You're seventeen and you still do what your mum tells you?'

'You don't get it,' Ainsley sniffles. 'Mum is into all that stuff. She wants me to wear formal dresses and go to events and date respectable boys and marry a doctor or a lawyer. And that's why I was happy to go to the ball, because she would finally meet Jake, and he'd be wearing a suit, and he's smart and she'd like him! But now he doesn't want to come!'

'Just don't go,' I say. 'I'm not going to some fucking ball. It's a stupid thing and my mum will be there and get wasted. You can come over to my house and we'll watch movies.'

'I have to go,' Ainsley sobs. 'Mum expects me to go. It's going to be horrible. I wish you would come. It's the worst crowd. Robert Forrester is on the committee and he always makes a speech and Duncan is always there. I remember last year Mum tried to tell me I should fancy Duncan! She said fancy! Duncan Forrester! I wanted to die!'

'Duncan Forrester goes to it?' I say. 'Fuck, it must be terrible. Who else goes?'

Ainsley sighs. 'What does it matter? I have to go and I'll look fat and ridiculous in a big formal dress, and no one will talk to me all night. Well, maybe I'll talk to Taylor. I kind of know her now, right? Oh, but I can't imagine a whole night talking to Taylor.'

'Wait, Taylor is going?' I say.

'Yeah,' Ainsley says. 'Her parents are on the committee too. Do you think I could talk to her? She's dating Watson so she'd be okay to talk to me, right?'

'No, hang on,' I say. 'Don't talk to Taylor, she's a cheating bitch.'

'Are you really sure, Emily?'

'Well I'll tell you what,' I say. 'If Duncan and Taylor are both at this fundraising event, you'll see for yourself. Watson won't be there and I bet those scumbags will sneak behind a curtain or something and get cuddly. We have to catch them!'

'We?' Ainsley says.

'Yes, we,' I say. 'We're going to the fundraiser. You and me, baby. And don't worry; I'll do something about Jake.'

'Huh? No, you can't!'

'Don't worry, Ains,' I say with determination. 'I'm going to fix this whole thing.' I hang up before she has a chance to respond. I'm going to catch Taylor and Duncan in the act and this time, Watson won't be able to deny it.