It Takes Two To Tango

Chapter Twenty Seven

I’m in the car with Jessie, on the way to school when my phone goes off. Quickly slipping it out of my pocket, I see that it’s a text from Jude, and open it half excitedly, half nervously. I haven’t heard from him since I told him off for being so cowardly.

Thanks for being honest with me, Foxy. I think I might start trying to be more like you from now on. xxx

I frown, wondering whether that means what I think it does. Does that mean that he’s going to be more honest?

‘Jude?’ Jessie inquires, with a knowing look, as she parks the car neatly in her usual spot.

‘How did you know?!’ I ask her, in disbelief. ‘Did you read it over my shoulder? You sneaky girl!’

‘Nooo, no, I don’t want to see the inappropriate things you two do via phone!’ Jessie protests.

I raise an eyebrow at her. ‘Inappropriate?’

‘Whatever you want to call it, I know it’s probably not PG.’ She pauses and laughs at my expression. ‘I’m joking Ky,’ she tells me. ‘I saw your face light up when you read who it was from and I knew only one person could inspire that sort of reaction from a text.’

‘Light up?’ I repeat.

‘Yes, sweetie,’ Jessie tells me. ‘Light up with the look of looooove.’

I roll my eyes. ‘Hardly the look of love.’

‘Trust me, Ky, I read you all too well. I know the signs of you being crazy in love, and believe me, they’ve been getting more and more intense over these past few weeks.’

I chew on my lower lip. ‘Really?’

Jessie nods in a rather sage sort of fashion. ‘Don’t try to deny it, babe, you’re in love with Jude, aren’t you?’

I rub my forehead. ‘I don’t know!’ I tell her, wearily. ‘I like him. A lot. But it didn’t work out the first time, did it?’

‘Mmm, well, no,’ Jessie tells me, opening the car door and getting out, pulling her sunglasses on in the sunny weather.

‘So what’s to say that it will work out another time round? He’ll want to keep it a secret to protect his bloody reputation, and I’ll end up being shoved behind bike sheds again.’

‘But what’s to say it won’t be different?’ Jessie asks. ‘You say he doesn’t try to kiss you anymore, and he’s being all friendly towards you…’

‘Well, yeah, but I think that might be because he’s gotten over me,’ I reply, cynical as ever.

‘What makes you think that?’

‘Well.’ I start trying to think up reasons, but Jessie laughs at me.

‘You’re wrong, woman! I’m pretty sure he’s still as smitten as ever.’

Jessie’s words seem to fill me with hope, and I feel suddenly rather light and dreamy, as if I could probably fly. Oh great. I’ve turned into a cheese ball, as well as being obsessed with Jude.

The feeling doesn’t last long. When I see Jude with his friends at break, he doesn’t look as if he’s told them at all. Shame. For a moment, I actually thought he might tell them, that he might of actually gone that extra distance and been genuine enough to tell them all.

And again, at lunch. As I sit down with the others, Jude sits down with his friends, getting out his lunch box and tucking in.

I’m disappointed. I really am. For a moment, just one moment, I thought I saw a flicker of the real Jude beneath all of this, the one who doesn’t give a damn about his reputation, who doesn’t care at all about what people think, as long as he’s happy with what he’s doing.