6
CLEO
Sarcasm. The lowest form of humour, well according to everyone but Angel that is.
"Another WONDERFUL day at Kent Street Senior High." See what I mean? Angel LOVES being sarcastic, she lesiv by it.
"Yeah I guess. Well at least you get to see David," I fluffed my blonde hair indifferently.
"Hmm, I 'spose so, I mean I did miss him on the holidays..." The wind blew Angels black and multi-coloured hair into her envious green eyes. I tugged on my skirt which was slowly riding up, like a nanna in the fast lane.
"OHMIGOD! DAVID!" Angel screamed and jumped into his open arms. I just stood aside and took in my surroundings. Kent Street is a pretty okay school if you're used to it. I mean, sure there are prickles all over the ovals, dog toys in the pool and broken toilets but its nice. The kids are nice too, if you're not a teacher that is. I stared blankly at a tree from my perch on a half rusted pole rail.
ANGEL
"Hey yo Dave-o!" I giggled.
"Hey Angelina!" He said a little bit louder.
"Shhh!" I put my finger to his lips, "people might hear you!"
"Cleo looks so lonely." David mumbled through my finger while flicking my slightly freckled nose.
"You KNOW she doesn't like you. She thinks that you're a bad influence on me." I removed my finger from his lips and combed my hands through his mop of black hair, pausing to tug at the blonde spot.
"Oww," he whispered, his lips close to mine.
"Sorry," I breathed into his mouth.
"ANGEL!"
CLEO
As David and Angel re-acquainted themselves (pashed more like it). Lauren appeared.
"Hey Babe!"
"Hello Lauren." We hugged.
"Where's Angel?" She looked over my head, standing on tip-toes, a great impression of an oompa-loompa or a hippo doing in point shoes....except she was wearing really big Kustoms. "Shush, don't say anything to her, but I think Angels has gotten a bit fat," Lauren whispered in my ear. Yeah this coming from Miss Wannabe-Bulimic-Hungry-Jacks Queen Lauren.
"I didn't notice." I mumbled indifferently. Lauren opened her big frog-like mouth, closed her squinty brown eyes and happily yelled, "ANGEL!"
ANGEL
FUCKING LAUREN! Grrr I hate her! WHY does Cleo even LIKE her let alone hang out with her?!? Dirty angry thoughts intruded into my mind and made me feel all yucky inside and out. I pouted over my shoulder and blew a kiss to David. Who pocketed it and sent one back.
"Bye bye baby," I mouthed. He raised his right hand to his head, moving the pinkie close to his mouth and the thumb to his ear. The universal sign for 'call me'.
"Hi Lauren." A big FAKE smile was plastered on my face to hide my disgust. I gave her the tiniest hug I could ever hope to give.
"Hey honey, how were your holidays?" Lauren took a step back and started flicking Cleo's hair, much to her contempt.
"F-I-N-E I guess," I spelt the word as if she was slow in the head, "ANYWAYS Cleo, as I was saying before. I was soo devo on the hols' when Lukas didn't call!" I linked arms with Cleo and nudged Lauren out of the way.
"HELL YES! I mean we like talked to him on msn ALL THE TIME and we don't even get one teensy tiny phone call!" we started walking, Lauren nearly had to run to keep up with our long legged strides. Her short legs going about as fast as she could ever hope to go.
"Well I like didn't see OR talk to anyone from school all holidays! I mean, how NASTY is that?!" Cleo had a slightly amused look on her face. Newsflash Lauren, NOBODY CARES!
8:30pm Wednesday
Angle: YO! Heyy Gangster homie dawgg. Hehe.
Clear: LOL! Hey bby!
Angle: Iz The Lauren-ator still IM-ing you?
Clear: Yeah...nd she is copying my old screen name
Angle: WTF?! HOW?
Clear: Like you know how mine was Cleoz right? Well hers in Laurz now. WTF?!
Angle: Hmm...lets sabitage her! Mwhahaha *gets evil glint in eyes*
Clear: Its sabotage hun, but nice try.
Angle: Don't matter, any game plans?
Clear: I cant, she is like my best friend second to you! ):
Angle: Yeah okay. Whatever Capi-tain.
[Angle has now signed off]
9:00pm Wednesday
Laurz: HEY YO CLEO! (:
Clear: Angel just signed off in a poopy mood. ):
Laurz: Its b'cause she hates me isn't it? Plz dnt deny it. I can see it in her eyes.
Clear: Hate is a VERY strong word Lauren...
Laurz: Whatever, its true. Soon she's gonna ditch you too cause she is becoming wayyy more popular nd she wont need anyone. Not even you!
Clear: ... whatever. I've gotta go.
[Clear has now signed off]
CLEO
Lauren! What would SHE know?! Angel and I are like BEST friends! Yeah sure we may have like, teensy tiny, miniscule bitch fights, its nothing to have a cow over!
'RING! RING!'
"CLEO! GET THE PHONE ITS ANGELINA!" Mum yelled across the hallway. I picked up my little white hello kitty phone receiver.
"Hi, my life sucks." I practiced giving dirty looks in the mirror.
"Hey....its Angel," a hint of nervousness in her voice.
"DUH! Like I didn't know that! What do you want?" It was like we'd switched roles. I was supposed to be the quiet polite one while she was the loud bossy one.
"I wanted to say sorry for the abrupt log off. But I really do HATE Lauren."
"Well, I love Lauren. And if you hate her then you must hate me!" I slammed the phone down loudly enough my mum yelled, 'shut up!' across the hallway at me. I hope it hurt Angel's ear! How DARE she try and suck up to me!
ANGEL
I cradled the phone close against my ear, listening to the 'beep, beep' of the dial tone. I hoped, no wait, WISHED Cleo didn't hate me. It's Lauren! She poisoned Cleo against me. GOD I hate her soo much!
Cleo and I were almost TWINS for crying out loud! Perfectly best friends.
We both have long hair, mine dark and rainbow, hers a golden blonde. Both of us had large slightly pointy eyes, mine green, hers blue. Unblemished skin tones, mine slightly darker though, size eight bodies. But who could forget that we were both EXACTLY 169cm tall.
Now Lauren. Yuck, even her name disgusts me. She had short brown hair, slanted brown eyes, big red freckles on her pale pasty skin. She was also barely 160cm tall with a squishy large body. Nobody knows what size though because she shops alone or with her mum and she cuts the tags off. My guess is size sizteen exactly.
Tears of mild-Cleo-less-depression and anger at Lauren slipped down my face. I realized that I was still holding onto the phone so I put the clear green receiver down into its matching cradle, tangling the cord. I threw myself at my pillow and cried myself to sleep.
CLEO
DO. NOT. CALL. ANGEL!I used all my willpower not to call Angel and ask what we were going to match today. It's an 'ancient' tradition-thing for us that Angel started because our dress-code clothes suck. Navy blue or whit polo shirts (ick), navy skirt/pants/shorts or a red tartan pleated skirt. We match accessories, make-up, shoes or even in some cases socks. Just little things. I sighed and put my books into my hello kitty backpack. Angel got it for me in year eight. She said it was so we could be losers together with kiddy backpacks.
"QUICKLY Or you'll miss the bus!" Why is mum allowed to yell inside but I'm not?
I ran all the way to the bus stop down the street, and stood there, puffing and waiting.
ANGEL
Hehehe. I KNEW Cleo would be running to the bus stop. I only knew this because she didn't call me. Now it's not like me to beg and grovel, but I'll do ANYTHING for Cleo. Even still use the carebear bag she got me in year eight. She said it was so we could be awesome together with kiddy backpacks.
"Umm...Hi Cleo," I approached her timidly, like a skittish horse that would sprint at the slightest movement.
"Hi." She turned away from me as if I had some fatal disease she would catch just by looking at me.
"Look, whatever I've done to upset you I'm sorry!" I tried to look into her eyes, but her head was still turned away.
"Make it easy on the both of us and.....leave me and Lauren alone." It was as if she'd slapped me on the face. It stung.
"What the FUCK Cleo?! You know I only want what's best for you and Lauren ISN'T what's best for you! She's turning you against me!" I stomped my foot, loudly like an elephant.
"Lauren said you'd say that." She looked me straight in the eyes when she said this. So I knew that our relationship was over.
CLEO
"Lauren, what are you doing?" I asked fretfully. We were in science and Lauren had her phone out.
"Having a little fun." Was all she said before dialing Angels number and pressing the call button. Angel was at the front of the classroom talking to the teacher, Mrs. Bunsen. It was like she was always on her rags! Mrs. Bunsen I mean, not Angel. Lauren and I were at the back. I usually sat up front with Angel but since we were fighting I saw no point in it.
"OH SHIT! SHE MOVING LIKE A GYPSY STOP ROLL BACK GET LOW AND LET ME SEE YOUR HIPS SW-" Angels ring tone. She pushed the off button with such force I thought she'd break it.
"ANGELINA TAYLOR! GIVE ME THAT PHONE NOW AND GO TO THE FRONT OFFICE!" Mrs. Bunsen screamed at Angel. She was OBVIOUSLY on her rags. Angel shuffled out of the room with her hair over her face like a veil, protecting her identity from crazy teachers or sex deprived weirdoes.
ANGEL
GREAT! Now Cleo and Lauren are sabotaging me. God, I wish I could stab Lauren in the face until it fell off and she died!
"Miss Taylor, once again you're in my office. You may remember our little deal, one month of good behavior or suspension for one month. " Mr. Montgomery, deputy principal looked down on me over his small rectangle glasses.
"Look, I'm sorry okay! It's not like I planned for someone to call me half way through class!" I banged my open palms against his large wooden desk. He squashed his equally large body behind it, to my slight amusement.
"So as of today you are officially suspended for one month. This means no coming to school and staying at home during school hours or you may be picked up for truancy. Do you understand?" A vague nod was the response her got. It was all he deserved, the big fat Pr-
"Your mother has been phoned by our receptionist Libby," he paused, stroking his many chins, "and she will be here shortly to pick you up. Now go sit in reception with Libby." When he said 'Libby' His eyes kind of glazed over with an on coming day-dream. He vaguely picked up his phone and turned his back to me. I muttered swear words behind his back as I dragged myself into the reception/waiting room to sit with Mrs. GOODMORNING-I'm-Libby.
"GOODMORNING Miss Taylor, your mother will be here shortly to pick you up." She had a big fake smile on her toad-like face and she was sporting an ugly brown hair cut that got uglier every day. I gave her dirty looks and made faces at her until my mum walked through the door.
The drive home was painful, like watching ABC kids' non-stop all day. I opened my mouth to say something so many times but the look in her eyes in the rear-vision mirror made me close it again.
CLEO
"You know what Lauren. I don't hate Angel. So why do you?" I just HAD to know!, because I knew Angel was up shit creek with no paddle...or a boat.
"She hates me and she deserves EVERYTHING she gets. The dumb slut!" Lauren's eyes flashed with such pure loathing it scared the HELL out of me. I really wanted Angel back so I Texted her.
Hey babe. I am SOOOO Sorry about being such a BITCH! BTW it was L rcalled you in class. BFFL? Xo C
My phone vibrated with a message back almost as soon as I re-pocketed it.
'Course we are! ILY! Thought L was b-hind it all! SILLY COW! Grrr I am suspended 4 1 month. Mothership won't let me leave the house except to do her shopping. ICK! Xox A
My little trooper. The bell rang, signaling that school was finished for the day.
"CLEO! Where are we gonna meet up?" Lauren linked arms with me. And evil thought sprang into my mind. Currambine.
"Catch the 458 and get off at Currambine. Wait for me in the markets there, its AWESOME!" Lauren nodded her head like one of those ugly bobble head dogs.
I called Angel as soon as I got home.
"HEY YO CLEO!" Enthusiastic as ever. Perfect.
"Remember that one time we caught the 458 by accident and ended up in Currambine?"
"Yeah. Wherever the FUCK that is! Why?"
"WELL, we are going to go there. Tell the mothership that it's a great fresh food shop thingo. PLEASE?!"
"Uhh, why are we going to Currambine?"
"DUH! I am standing up Lauren there and I want to watch what she does!"
"OHMIGOD! I AM SO THERE!"
"Dress up like a guy gangster. Hehe. BYE!"
"Okays. BYE!" After angel had hung up, I put on baggy pants and a HUGE jumper to hide my give away blonde hair.
ANGEL
As soon as I hung up I put on baggy jeans and a loose fitting jumper to hide my multi-coloured hair and my feminine bits. I told my mum that the fruit and veg' at the Currambine markets was the best and freshest around so she let me go.
I walked into the weird yet familiar place feeling like a retard. I mean for gods sake I was dressed up like a boy!
"PSST! Over here!" Cleo was hiding behind a fake bush.
"Cleo, we don't have to hide! We're in disguise SHEESH!" I pulled her to her feet. Cleo look as though she wanted to tell me something but I saw Lauren and roughly put my hand over her mouth, slightly brushing my lips with my index finger, "shh," she nodded so I remover my hand. We watched Lauren pick her nose and walk into weirdly named stores. Cleo and I followed her into one and found out that her size WAS sixteen.
"Told you so!" I mouthed to Cleo. She poked her tongue out at me in return. Soon we got bored of watching her eat doughnuts and continuously checking her phone, so we went food shopping.
CLEO
Angel and I got bored so we went food shopping. It was soo funny! First we dropped the apples and Angel landed on her face, making me AND some randoms crack up laughing. Then we saw a little boy crying for chocolate, so we gave him some that we were paying for. His mum was half pissed off at us, and half thankful that we shut the kid up.
"OKAY! Now milk then we go home!" Angel shoved the bags into my hands and commando rolled into the milk section, I almost wet myself laughing. We were the stupidest looking 'gangsters' anyone could ever imagine. Angel got off the floor and held the milk like a football and sprinted to the checkout.
"WAIT FOR ME!" I threw the bags to her and ran into an aisle where I had seen the laxatives before.
"ICKY GROSS!" Was Angel's reaction to my master plan.
"Yeah, but she never saw us so she doesn't know what we're wearing. And its payback for splitting us up!" In the end I won. Hell Angel even offered to do it, but I thought it would look a little bit suspicious. I spotted Lauren drinking chocolate milk and started to walk over. In my right hand, laxatives that looked like chocolate blocks and in my left real chocolate.
"LAUREN! I am soo sorry I'm late! Mum kept me back!"
"Its okay, I wasn't here for long." LIER!
"Here, have some chocolate, its really yummy! I feel soo bad!" I gave her the 'chocolate' from my right hand and ate the bit in my left.
"Thanks!" She said scoffing it down. I didn't want to stick around for the aftermath so I made an excuse to leave. Part two of our master plan, Angel texted me.
LOL! LAXATIVES! CLASSIC! Xox A
"SHIT! That was mum! She says I have to go home to baby-sit for Mrs. Robinson. BYE!" without a backwards glance I walked off.
I ran straight into Angel's open arms and we hugged like Lauren had never come in-between us.
"Best friends!" I said. She just hugged me harder in return.
BY Jemima Potter
31/1/07