Chapter 9 – Christy and the Carnival
"Chantelle, are you even listening to me?" Christy called out in a brisk and annoyed tone, staring at her friend with concerned eyes. Chantelle blinked and then turned her head to see the fiery red-head sat on the end of her bed, arms folded over her pink pyjamas and looking irritated. "What's up with you? You've been all weird and distant for like the last three or four days."
"There's nothing wrong, really." Chantelle replied, looking at the expression on Christy's face. "Honestly, I'm just a little puffed out from the classes and stuff…I mean dissecting things isn't my strong point." She added, still looking directly at Christy to try and make her accept her answer. It was true though, in their last Biology class, the students had to dissect a heart and Chantelle had ran from the classroom with a green-tinged face.
"So that's it is it? School's getting you down so you feel as though you don't have to listen to me…Well anyway," She added hastily, trying to cram in everything in one sentence whilst she had the attention of her friend. "I was talking about the Carnival. We haven't been yet and I promised you that we'd go in the first week and I know things popped up and stuff, but we can go now." She said, in the same practised cheerful voice. She had been trying to figure out what was up with her but she still hadn't had much success. The only things she had been able to discover is the fact that the talking in her sleep was becoming more and more common and she often repeated words such as 'depression' and 'parents'. This did absolutely nothing to relax Chantelle, it only made things worse, but she had not yet been able to slip the problem in with their usual conversations.
"Yeah sure, why not I've got nothing better to do," Chantelle muttered in reply, leaning back and watching the Sun filter through the curtains. It was around 10:45am on a Saturday morning, and even though the Sun was high in the sky, it wasn't necessarily warm. "Listen Christy, I heard you talking in your sleep last night and probably ever other night since I've been here."
It was a risky decision to take, but Chantelle had made up her mind and instead of trying to subtle she decided to just come right out and say it. Christy looked slightly perturbed by the conversation change and the smile that had just arrived on her face, quickly vanished.
"And I want to know what's going on." Chantelle continued shortly, mirroring Christy's posture and folding her arms over her powdery-blue pj's.
"It's probably just some random dream you know, people talk in their sleep when it's a dream." Christy replied nervously, Chantelle had noticed that she had straightened up slightly and looked remarkably tense.
"Not if you keep repeating the same words over and over again each night, Christy just tell me what's wrong. I'm your friend and I'm worried about you for Christ's sake!"
Christy's face was literally drained of colour now and she was staring at Chantelle through disturbed eyes. She was gripping her bed-sheets tightly between her fingers. She used one hand to quickly brush aside her loose hair before clearing her throat dramatically.
"Well…It's just that before I came back to Bullworth I overhead my parents speaking to one another." She started, looking down at the carpeted floor. "They were talking about me and how they thought I was failing at school." Her tone was dropping now and Chantelle leaned forward to make sure she could hear her. "They said they were ashamed of me, and that I would get nowhere in life…They didn't realise I was standing outside the door."
Chantelle was watching Christy, her expression was changing from concern to sympathy, and she could see tears welling up behind the green orbs and knew that soon Christy wouldn't be able to control them or stop them from falling.
"They were saying all this bad stuff Chantelle, about how I've brought shame on the family, how I've ruined my chances of becoming a Lawyer like they are!" She shrieked, pulling her bed-sheets in rage, whilst tears splashed down her cheeks. "They hate me! THEY HATE ME!" She yelled, throwing herself into her pillow and sobbing uncontrollably into the material. It muffled the sound slightly but Chantelle could still hear her voice ringing painfully in her ears.
Getting out of bed she quickly moved towards the crying Christy and patted her gently on the back. "C'mon Christy, they don't hate you." She said in what she believed to be a consoling tone. "They just want you to do well…Believe me they should have chosen a better school." She muttered the second part in an undertone but continued patting her back gently to give her some sort of comfort.
"They don't hate me!" Christy shrieked, sitting up so fast that she nearly knocked Chantelle of the end of her bed. Regaining balance Chantelle stared up in to the tear-stained face of Christy. "Then why don't they bother writing to me anymore? Or calling…Why don't they want me to come home for Christmas? I'm just a huge failure to them!" She yelled as several more tears fell from the red puffy eyes.
Chantelle looked away from her as she felt a rising sensation in the pit of her stomach. She cleared her throat and tried once again to console her friend but it was taking no effect. However, something did click inside Chantelle's head, and it was the vision of Ricky coming to Christy each day with chocolates or flowers. He was no doubt trying to cheer Christy up, trying to console her and each day this happened Chantelle was left in the dark. Christy had told only Ricky, and this thought seemed to pierce through Chantelle quite painfully. Then again, she wasn't surprised. She hadn't been a very good friend to her after all.
"Christy…Just let it all out." Chantelle said softly, patting her friend gently on the back as she sobbed uncontrollably into her pillow. There was no point into telling her that everything was going to be ok, and that she should stop crying because she already knew that it was going to be ignored completely. "Just let everything out and you'll feel better."
Christy's sobs began to subside into loud sniffs and the occasional hiccup as Christy raised her head from her pillow and turned her blood-shot eyes to Chantelle. "You know what else…All that pain I felt, it made me want to do something stupid and reckless, like setting fire to school…Or throwing myself off the top of the gym just to end it all."
This last part took Chantelle by complete surprise and she looked both shocked and horrified by the revelation. She didn't know it was that serious and she mentally kicked herself for being such a bitch to her in the past. "Oh…God Christy I'm so sorry." She whispered.
Christy shook her head quickly and looked out of the window at the weak sunlight. "It's not your fault, Chantelle." She said hollowly, her voice was hoarse from the sever crying but she looked in control of the tears now and she continued looking blankly out the window. "Ricky was here for me, he could sense something was wrong with me and he pleaded and pleaded for me to tell him. So I did." She said shortly, her throat was obviously making it difficult to talk. "He made me see sense and stopped me from doing something stupid."
Still looking at Christy in disbelief she gave her friend a brief and quick hug, "Christy, listen to me. I'll always be here for you ok; no matter what we go through I'm here for you and I will consider you my best friend through thick and thin." Chantelle began, staring her friend straight into her eyes and not wavering. "I don't want you to ever think like that again, remember that you have a friend in me, and probably Angie and even Pinky…You have a brilliant boyfriend that cares for you more then anything in the world, somebody who would do anything for you, and just imagine what you would leave if you were to go."
Christy sniffed loudly again and she nodded slowly as she rubbed her already puffy eyes. She still looked immensely upset, but something in Chantelle's words had obviously soothed her, as she looked a little calmer and even a little happier. Well, just a bit.
"I need to get myself ready," Christy said thickly, raising steadily to her feet and beginning to sort herself out. "Meeting Ricky in fifteen minutes," She added hastily, picking out some clothes.
Feeling as though things were perhaps a little more normal, Chantelle changed herself into some casual wear, sorted her hair and then even went along with Christy as she walked to meet Ricky at New Coventry. She didn't stay too long and preferred not invade on their privacy and instead went to head back up to the school, promising to meet them later on at the Carnival.
As she passing the boarded up motel, she saw Jimmy Hopkins cycling towards her. She tried to ignore his yelling as he called out for her but it was a little difficult when he was pulled up by the side of her and was trying to talk to her.
"Chantelle...Chantelle I've been trying to find you. I heard of Angie that you came down her with Christy. Look I need to explain about the Vale the other day." Jimmy was now pushing his bike rather then riding it, whilst Chantelle continued to stare ahead of her, jaw set.
"I got into a spot of bother with some of those bullies; you know Trent and his lot." He said scratching the back of his head as he walked on along side her. "Well they got a little rough and started throwing punches and stuff, so I had to teach them a lesson…Then when I got to the pier you had already gone. I thought Petey hadn't bothered to tell you but he said he definitely talked to you and told you I was running a little late."
"Were you expecting me to wait there alone, in the freezing cold, whilst you were off rendezvousing with some bullies?" Chantelle asked raising an eyebrow and glancing over at the boy.
"Well actually, no. Guess I picked a wrong time to go and pick a fight huh?" He said with a quick sigh. He did seem sorry for not showing up, but Chantelle continued staring ahead mulling over some of the things Gary had said, and wondering vaguely whether she should tell Jimmy.
"Did Gary Smith talk to you about me?" She asked suddenly, turning to face him now. Her face was full of curiosity now, and Jimmy frowned slightly at the question. "Don't take offence or anything, but he said you were a raving lunatic who has a criminal record for vandalism and that you were expelled from your last school for pushing a student down the stairs."
Once again, Chantelle stared at Hopkins in disbelief just like she had done to Christy. "What the hell…He said that!?" She said, and she couldn't help but laugh. It was a real laugh, not a falsely cheerful one that she had been accustomed to hearing from Christy, but a real giggle. "Well he's really lacking in the creative department isn't he…What was it? Attempted murder or something," She said, still giggling.
Jimmy snorted with laughter and shrugged. "I dunno, he obviously must've seen us together and tried to make you think you were some sort of bad influence on me, and that you were a bad person. I just agreed that I wouldn't talk to you again to get him off my back." He added still smiling genuinely at her. Chantelle nodded as they crossed the bridge.
"It's a bit strange that he started a rumour about a girl though." Jimmy said, as their laughter died away. "I mean, it's not the sort of thing boys do, it's usually to spread some discord between the cliques."
Chantelle didn't answer straight away, the only thing she was recalling now, was hers and Gary's meeting in the library.
"You don't need people like Jimmy…I'm what you want, and you know it."
"Yeah I guess it is weird." She said untruthfully. It was obvious that he had spread the rumours about her to Jimmy, so that they didn't meet up like this anymore, and so she didn't get chance to tell him Gary's true plans that he had revealed to her in the library.
"I don't really want to dwell on the subject of Gary Smith right about now," Chantelle walked slowly on the pavement as the school loomed closer. "I was wondering if you were going to the Carnival tonight. Me, Christy and Ricky are going so I was just thinking the more the merrier."
At least that way she wouldn't have to watch Christy and Ricky smooching all night, and Christy could also make a new friend out of Hopkins too. Jimmy shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, why not. Nothing better to do in this shit hole is there." He said grinning. "And I'll come this time. I'll make sure of it."
Later that Day
"Oh come on Chantelle, even a blind-man could come closer to the target then you," Christy giggled as she watched her friend try and aim for the red target to dunk the man into the freezing water. Chantelle turned her head towards Christy and was wearing her own smile. "It's not my fault I can't aim too well, I've told you; I'm not very gifted with sports and stuff."
It was her third and final ball. The other two she had thrown had been far off the target. Ricky and Jimmy stood talking to one another like civilised students even though Ricky belonged to the Greasers clique, and now they were both cracking light-hearted jokes at Chantelle's poor aim.
"Ok, I tell you what. If I hit this target with this third ball, you have to pay for me for the rest of the night, even if it means paying for me to go on the Go-Karts for sixty times."
"Ya got yourself a deal," Ricky replied, whilst Christy giggled at the side of him. Chantelle smirked and leaned forward slightly, predicting the distance that was from her to the target. She pulled her arm back and then pushed it forward with enough strength for it to whiz forward and hit the target directly. The man who was mocking Chantelle cursed loudly and fell straight into the chilly water. He gargled and splashed around, whilst Chantelle and Christy stared laughing at the expression on both Ricky and Jimmy's faces.
"Oh now come on!" Jimmy said, a smile twitching at the sides of his mouth. "That was such a fluke; I bet you were pretending to be a bad thrower just so you could make that bet! I'm guessing you were thinking about it all day too."
Shaking her head, Chantelle managed to suppress her giggles, "I made the deal, you agreed to it…And I'm thinking that I want to ride the rollercoaster, so cough up boys." She said smirking before striding towards the ticket booth with Christy by her side.
The boys reluctantly followed, digging out dollars as they walked. "Looks like were gonna have to share the costs all night mate." Jimmy said to Ricky as they pushed the dollars into Chantelle's outstretched hand.
"You think I'd be that harsh and make you pay for me all night! Gosh, you don't know me at all. You can pay for this and that's it." She said, raising her eyebrow and giving her money to the grumpy man on the other side of the glass. Once the four of them had paid, they boarded the rollercoaster, with Jimmy and Chantelle sitting together, and Ricky and Christy sitting behind.
"Hold on kids coz' it's gonna be a bumpy ride!" Ricky roared as the rollercoaster rumbled and vibrated into life. Looking ahead, Chantelle saw the back of Damon's head, the Jock who Gary and Jimmy had bombarded with prank items, and also the person who was always in a food-fight…Or a fight.
The ride was a twisting, looping, fast-paced event with plenty of screaming from the girls and whooping from the boys. Damon had even raised his hands into the air as they went through the loop. Once the four of them were standing back on ground again all looking thoroughly wind-swept but cheerful, Christy exclaimed loudly, "That was BLOODY brilliant! I can't say how much I missed going on that squeaky and probably unsafe rollercoaster."
"Well if you are going to go back on that I think I'll give it a miss," Chantelle's responded. She was never really good with rollercoaster's and she didn't think that was going to improve when it was practical the most unsafe rollercoaster she had ever seen. The other three decided to ride it once again, leaving Chantelle standing outside the barrier, holding Christy's coat and staring around to see who else had popped along.
She saw Pinky Gauthier standing with a couple of Preps, each one of them were staring over at Hal, the big Greaser, who was waiting to go on to the go-karts. She had an idea that they weren't just admiring his new leather jacket either since one of them was balling up his fists.
Now that she was on her own, she had slowly slipped in to thought. She had been so immersed in what was going on with Christy and the Carnival that she hadn't been able to look back on what happened between her and Gary four days ago even if she had spent the last three days completely immobilised by it. Once again, it appeared to Chantelle that Gary had done another disappearing act, and that Jimmy Hopkins was still doing his dirty work and she didn't have the heart to tell him that he was being used.
Or was it the fact that Gary's words had a true impact on her, was she keeping the fact that Jimmy was a stepping stone for Gary to reach the top of the school, a secret because she what Gary had said was true, that she did want him after all he had put her through?
Chantelle hastily shook her head. No, that couldn't possibly be it, she still hated the sociopath for ragging her around like a doll, for threatening her and for trying to split the friendship between her and Jimmy up…But was that even hate?
Hate's a powerful word; you can't hate someone for doing trivial stuff like that…
Leaning against the side of the ticket barrier she stared down at the ground, trying to sort her feelings out, but what with everything else laying heavily on her brain, Christy's face kept bumping in to her thoughts, the face with red puffy eyes and tears streaming and sliding down her cheeks.
"Fuck you Gary." Chantelle said suddenly, standing up straight when she saw Jimmy, Ricky and Christy approaching looking entertained and exceptionally cheerful. Christy is the person who needed to be helped, Chantelle's best friend was the one who needed the support and the company…Not him.
I did need to sort of elaborate more on Christy on this chapter. It was a weird/often fun chapter to write. No Gary on this one, he's going to be back in full swing in the next chapter when Chantelle believe's he's gone and left her alone for awhile like he's prone to do. Reviews are appreciated as usual.
