Every Mistake That I Make
Chapter Three
Dallas slipped out of the classroom silently, pushing past some of the younger kids in the school. At the end of the corridor, Anya dawdled, blowing big bubbles with pink gum. She turned when she heard footsteps on the corridor and grinned hugely.
“Hey, Dallas. C’mon, we’d better hurry. Y’know what the guys are like, they’re probably home now,” Anya said brightly.
“It’s not my fault the teacher kept me behind...”
“You were stupid enough to yell ‘shit’ when you had your headphones on,” Anya pointed out with a shake of her head. Their last class had been music, and when they were on the keyboards, they had to put on headphones so the class wasn’t too noisy.
“So...”
“So, swearing is against the school rules.”
“Try telling that to Mrs Fisher!”
“She’s deputy head; she can get away with it,” Anya said in what she probably imagined to be a wise voice.
Dallas rolled her eyes and pushed her arm through Anya’s as they walked down the corridor. “I don’t think they would go home,” Dallas said, “but they shouldn’t be alone together.”
Anya’s voice dropped to a whisper when she next spoke. “Are they in love?”
“Anya, shut up. No, Mikey’s a bit...iffy about this stuff with Rachael.”
“Well, he would be. I bet Frank was too...”
“Not Bob, obviously,” Dallas teased.
“Obviously not! Why would he be jealous when he has me?” Anya pulled a stupid face.
“No, Bob wasn’t bothered. I think he found it funny, and so did Frank.”
“D’you think Mikey fancies Rachael?”
“Try and find a guy in this school that is under five four and doesn’t have blonde hair and blue eyes that isn’t,” Dallas pointed out.
“Who are they?” Anya frowned and Dallas pulled Anya’s ponytail.
“Frank and Bob, you idiot.”
“Oh yeah.” They were in the yard now, and sure enough, Gerard and Mikey were waiting by the gates – but in a full-blown argument. Bob was stood next to them, looking a bit bored and making no attempt to calm anything down, while Frank laughed his head off at some of the insults the brother’s were hurling at each other.
“Hey! You two! What are you arguing about?” Dallas called, speeding up slightly.
“That –” Gerard swore a few times over Mikey’s next insult. “He thinks I’m jealous!”
Dallas cocked her head to one side.
“And he’s feeling all sorry for himself because Rachael wouldn’t kiss him goodbye so he takes it out on me-”
“She would have let me, she was just in a hurry –”
“Don’t be stupid –”
“Look, both of you, shut up. Mikey, keep out of your brother’s relationship, okay? Gerard, just...just...yeah.” Dallas pushed them both backwards slightly so they couldn’t lash out at each other. The pair glared at each other, and Dallas was just glad they hadn’t started to hit out at each other yet.
“C’mon, lets go home,” Anya suggested, sidling up to Bob and tucking herself under one of his arms. Dallas grabbed hold of Gerard’s and Mikey’s elbows and dragged them along.
Dallas was starting to feel mad herself now. Not because Gerard and Mikey were arguing – it was all Rachael. And not because she was going out with Gerard, and not because she was causing Gerard and Mikey to argue, but because Mikey obviously fancied Rachael like mad.
And where did that leave Dallas?
“Hey, Dallas. C’mon, we’d better hurry. Y’know what the guys are like, they’re probably home now,” Anya said brightly.
“It’s not my fault the teacher kept me behind...”
“You were stupid enough to yell ‘shit’ when you had your headphones on,” Anya pointed out with a shake of her head. Their last class had been music, and when they were on the keyboards, they had to put on headphones so the class wasn’t too noisy.
“So...”
“So, swearing is against the school rules.”
“Try telling that to Mrs Fisher!”
“She’s deputy head; she can get away with it,” Anya said in what she probably imagined to be a wise voice.
Dallas rolled her eyes and pushed her arm through Anya’s as they walked down the corridor. “I don’t think they would go home,” Dallas said, “but they shouldn’t be alone together.”
Anya’s voice dropped to a whisper when she next spoke. “Are they in love?”
“Anya, shut up. No, Mikey’s a bit...iffy about this stuff with Rachael.”
“Well, he would be. I bet Frank was too...”
“Not Bob, obviously,” Dallas teased.
“Obviously not! Why would he be jealous when he has me?” Anya pulled a stupid face.
“No, Bob wasn’t bothered. I think he found it funny, and so did Frank.”
“D’you think Mikey fancies Rachael?”
“Try and find a guy in this school that is under five four and doesn’t have blonde hair and blue eyes that isn’t,” Dallas pointed out.
“Who are they?” Anya frowned and Dallas pulled Anya’s ponytail.
“Frank and Bob, you idiot.”
“Oh yeah.” They were in the yard now, and sure enough, Gerard and Mikey were waiting by the gates – but in a full-blown argument. Bob was stood next to them, looking a bit bored and making no attempt to calm anything down, while Frank laughed his head off at some of the insults the brother’s were hurling at each other.
“Hey! You two! What are you arguing about?” Dallas called, speeding up slightly.
“That –” Gerard swore a few times over Mikey’s next insult. “He thinks I’m jealous!”
Dallas cocked her head to one side.
“And he’s feeling all sorry for himself because Rachael wouldn’t kiss him goodbye so he takes it out on me-”
“She would have let me, she was just in a hurry –”
“Don’t be stupid –”
“Look, both of you, shut up. Mikey, keep out of your brother’s relationship, okay? Gerard, just...just...yeah.” Dallas pushed them both backwards slightly so they couldn’t lash out at each other. The pair glared at each other, and Dallas was just glad they hadn’t started to hit out at each other yet.
“C’mon, lets go home,” Anya suggested, sidling up to Bob and tucking herself under one of his arms. Dallas grabbed hold of Gerard’s and Mikey’s elbows and dragged them along.
Dallas was starting to feel mad herself now. Not because Gerard and Mikey were arguing – it was all Rachael. And not because she was going out with Gerard, and not because she was causing Gerard and Mikey to argue, but because Mikey obviously fancied Rachael like mad.
And where did that leave Dallas?