Chapter Four
"Liz, help me!" Jessica wailed from her bed. Elizabeth, alarmed went running to where her sister lay in bed, looking drained of energy.
"Jess, what's wrong?" she said concerned.
"I can't do it. I just can't face them today."
"Face who?"
"Them. Those girls who call themselves cheerleaders! Well, they're just not! They are the worst cheerleaders I have ever met! They'll never make it into the cheerleading world!"
"Jess!" Elizabeth said exasperated. "I thought it was something serious, I thought you were dying or something, not that you didn't want to go coach today."
"Well I don't!"
"Okay, I think you, we, deserve a break. In fact, I think the girls would appreciate one too."
Fanny wondered the camp grounds bored, looking for something to do. Break day. What's a girl t'do on break day if there's nothin' or nobody around anyway? About half an hour ago, Elizabeth, one of the nicer blonde coaches, had told them all at breakfast that they could have a day off today since they had all worked so hard. That meant that they could all do what they wanted, even go out to town where there'd be lots of shops and people and things to do. The only problem was, to do all these things, you needed money, and money, unlike Heaven, was not something she had. Spoilt Heaven, she gets t'have all the fun! And she'll neva spare a dime for me! Angrily, she kicked the ground with her foot and sent gravel and dust flying everywhere.
"Ouch! Ma foot!" Fanny jumped up and down on one foot as she had stubbed her other toe and screamed loudly.
"Hi, are you alright?" came a concerned voice.
"What?" Fanny screamed again. "Can't ya see I'm in great pain here? Of course I'm not alright! I'm dying!" For the first time Fanny looked up to see who it was. Oh my God! In front of her stood the best looking boy she had ever seen. Flaxen blonde hair curled at the ends, and lovely blue eyes which she could stare into for hours on end. "Who are ya?" she said bluntly, to mesmerised to care.
"I'm Christopher Sheffield." He said proudly. "But you can call me Chris."
"Why, hello Chris." Fanny said silkily, straightening up. "What's a boy like ya doing here?"
"Well, I'm here because of Cathy. She wanted me to come, so I did."
"Cathy? You're here because of that bit-, I mean, why would you be here because of Cathy?" Fanny said, half suspicious, half incredulous.
"Cathy's my sister."
"She's your sister?" Fanny didn't know what to think. There was Cathy, enemy number two, (after Heaven) and then here was Chris, her brother. But not just any brother. Not just any boy. Known too late; she was already in love! Logan was nobody compared to Chris. Why, Heaven could have him all she liked.
"Chris," she said, thinking quickly. "Ma foot, it's in so much pain! Ah can hardly breathe. The pain, it's just too much for one girl like me t'endure!"
"Fanny," came a firm familiar voice from behind her. "What are you on about now?"
Fanny looked up from where she'd been lying on the ground, faking pain. Heaven. Of course she just had t'come and spoil ma plans! Only it wasn't just Heaven, it was Cathy herself as well.
"Heaven, don' cha have any sympathy, any compassion for yer little sister who's in great pain right now? Don' cha care?" Fanny wailed. Chris looked up concerned as well.
"I really think she's in great pain here. She might need some medical attention." He frowned.
"Chris, I hardly think she does. You're not a doctor yet. All it looks like to me is she's been clumsy enough to stub her toe." Cathy laughed at this, and Heaven, trying to get on Cathy's good side, sickeningly, forced a laugh too. Cathy observed this mentally. All was working well. Here was Heaven groveling, and Cathy could do whatever she liked. It was like having a little lap dog. Heaven, meanwhile, made her own little mental observation, and was pleased to see Cathy had taken such a liking to her.
"Excuse me Cathy, but ah happen t'be in agony! Not that yer'd care. You too Heaven!"
Heaven opened her mouth to say something biting back; after all, she was on a new resolution not to let Fanny walk all over her again, but seeing Chris there, frowning at Cathy and herself, she decided to shut her mouth again. Heaven was worried. Fanny had always managed to do this. As soon as she managed to make her mind up that she wanted something, Fanny was sure to get there first.
"Chris, you don't really think she's hurt do you?" Heaven asked.
"Well, she could be in serious pain and none of us would know it."
"Ah'd know it. Ah mean, ah am the one that's hurt here!" Fanny cried, bringing the attention back to her.
Heaven didn't know what to do. On one hand, she could take Cathy's side, but then again, she could take Chris's side, since she was trying to win his heart. But that would mean she'd be taking Fanny's side too, and she knew as well as Fanny did that she wasn't really hurt. Well, we all have to make sacrifices, she thought.
"Okay Chris, how about I help you take Fanny to First Aid?"
"Heaven, ah thank Chris can take me there by himself. You're a strong boy, aren't cha? Just because Heaven thanks you can't carry me, doesn't mean that's true." Fanny wasn't about to let Heaven steal her moment.
"Thanks Heaven, but I think I can manage by myself." Chris smiled and swiftly picked Fanny up and was off.
"Well how about that!" Cathy frowned, her hands on her hips. "You don't really think she was that hurt do you?"
"No." There was no other reply. The girls stood there for a moment, watching Chris's retreating back until it was out of sight. There was silence. The war was just beginning.
A bare hazy road stretched for miles before them. There was nobody else around, only the sound of hot wind blowing through their ears. In the distance, a group of circling vultures was the only other sign of life in existence.
"We definitely got on the wrong bus." Melody stated flatly. She looked at the other girls. They all had the same expressions of grim reality realised. Earlier that day, Laura, Dawn, Ruby and herself had taken full opportunity of their day off and had all gone shopping in town. Once they were laden with as much shopping bags as they could each carry, they had decided to go back, but that's where the trouble had begun.
"I knew we should have gotten off at that last stop, instead of waiting to get off in the middle of nowhere!" Dawn said huffily.
"What, you wanted to get murdered or raped in that last seedy looking town? Did you see the way those guys were looking at us? No way was I getting off there! Not if I valued my life!" Laura reply in the same tone. Those two had been arguing ever since they had both dived for the same top. None of them got it in the end though. Not when neither of them could squeeze into it, but the damage was done.
"Girls, please stop it!" Ruby pleaded. "We're in the middle of nowhere, and I'm scared, and don't know what to do. I don't need you two fighting right now."
"Ruby's right," Melody said. "Look, I still have no reception on my phone."
"Me neither." The other girls replied after checking theirs.
"So what are we supposed to do now?" Ruby cried.
"Well, these are our options. We could either wait here until a car comes along."
"Highly unlikely." Dawn interrupted.
"Let the girl speak." Laura bit back. Turning to Melody, she said, "Go on Mel."
"Or," she continued grimly. "We could start walking." They looked at each other. As much as they hated the idea of it, there was no other choice.
At last, Dawn broke the silence. "So which way?"
A/N: (again) Well, there it was. Hope you liked it and please don't forget to review! Thanks.