Page 74 of Jessica Beam is a Hot Mess
‘It’s for a project I’m working on.’ I say stiffly.
‘A project? What project?’ She looks surprised. What did she expect? That I’d be wallowing in a corner without her?
The opening riffs of Arctic Monkeys’ ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ kick in and we adjust the speed of our casual half dancing, half standing accordingly.
‘It’s nothing,’ I say. ‘Just a writing thing.’
As if I’m going to tell her about working with my grandma. She’d love that.
‘Oh.Good for you. I’m super glad you’ve found something to do.’ Her enthusiastic intonation is entirely unconvincing. ‘I wasreallyworried about you. You just took off without saying goodbye. Where have you been stay—’
‘Yeah, I was overwhelmed by all your worried calls and texts, there were so many of them, practically amountainof messages from you.’ I shake my head, irritation making my teeth clench.
Why is she even talking to me? Does she not realize she’s done anything wrong? How dare she try to act like everything is A-OK?
‘Look, Summer,’ I say, with the best withering glance I can muster in my tipsy state. ‘I’m on a night out with a friend and we’re having a really fun time, so I should—’
‘Who? You don’t have any friends.’
Do not mini-pinch her. Do not mini-pinch her.
‘A new friend, actually. So, you know … bye. Good luck with your TV show. Forgive me if I don’t watch it.’ I spin round on my heel, preparing for a dramatic exit, but Summer grabs the top of my arm and pulls me back.
‘The show just happened, Jess,’ she says, eyes wide. ‘I didn’t, like, plan it. It was an opportunity that came up for me and I simply couldn’t turn it down. I mean, you wouldn’t have enjoyed it anyway − it’s alotof responsibility. I did you a favour, really, not involving you. After everything, why can’t you just be happy for me?’
I throw her off my arm. ‘You’re a liar!’ I hiss in disbelief. ‘Ispoketo Valentina Smith. I know you turned the book deal down. You met Seth Astrow at that launch party and you knew exactly what you were going to do. You completely screwed me over! At least have the fucking decency to own it.’
She looks guilty for a brief moment, but before she can respond, Peach stumbles back from the loo and into the conversation with a guffaw.
‘Sorry I took so long in there! I met a nice lady in the toilets and we got to talking. She has a little cat too!’ She gives a tiny hiccup. ‘She showed me a picture on her phone but it was a little cross-eyed and nowhere near as cute as Mr Belding.’
Busted.
‘Sorry, what did you just say about Mr Belding?’ Summer frowns, looking Peach up and down. ‘Who are you?’
‘I’m Peach Carmichael,’ Peach answers brightly. ‘Jess’s BFF. Nice to meet you.’
‘Jess?’ Summer glares at me. ‘Why is this strange, random person talking about Mr Belding? Where is he? Do you know where he’s gone?’
Now it’s my turn to look guilty.
‘Actually, I’ve got Mr Belding, Summer,’ I admit, huffing through my cheeks. ‘I … took him when I left.’
‘What?’ Summer’s face contorts into an uglier version of itself, all pretence of niceness vanished in an instant. ‘Youtookhim? You took our cat? Who does that, Jess? Who the fuck steals a cat?’ She sniggers. ‘That’s messed-up, even for you. I mean, I knew you had issues, but …wow. I’ve had Holden looking everywhere for him. You better bring him back. My Instagram traffic has really dipped since he’s been gone. I almost had more followers than fucking Carol Vorderman and now they’re dropping like flies.’
She’s unbelievable.
‘Mr Belding doesn’t even like you!’ I bellow angrily. ‘You dress him up in clothes he hates and make him pose for pictures for hours on end. It’s no life for a kitten. It’s no life at all.’
‘Yeah,’ Peach squeaks suddenly. ‘He’s happy staying with us!’
She’s right. Mr Beldingishappier with us, or at least with Peach. And I quite like having him sleep on the pillow next to me. I quite like it a lot.
‘I don’t think so.’ Summer throws Peach her frosty glare. ‘Cool new friend, Jess.’ She smirks.
Peach gasps, her rotund cheeks colouring.
Summer looks at me with a faint sneer of pity and superiority. It’s a familiar expression. At that moment I realize that’s how Summer has always looked at me. Like she’s better than me. Like I’m her ridiculous sidekick; there to do her work, to roll her eyes at, to have one over on, to feel better than.
