Chapter 6
During lunch break that afternoon, Melanie walked over to Jerome once he finished playing rugby with some of the guys.
"Hi, Jerome." she said sweetly.
Jerome wasn't impressed to see his ex-girlfriend.
"Melanie, what do you want?" he asked annoyed.
"I just thought I would talk to you about Selina Roberts." Melanie said.
"Look, I'm not interested!" Jerome snapped.
"Fair enough. But I thought you should know what kind of reputation she has." Melanie said.
Jerome pulled a disgusted face at Melanie before asking, "What are you on about?"
"She's a big slut. She'll sink her claws to get any guy, even you." Melanie said.
Jerome looked speechless.
"I just thought I'd let you know." Melanie said.
Once she started to walk away, Melanie smirked to herself.
Now, to turn Selina against him.
Melanie headed over to the lockers, where Selina happened to be.
"Well, Selina. I guess Jerome isn't interested in you after all." Melanie said, still smirking.
Selina rolled her eyes.
"It's a pity he thinks that you are a total trollop."
"Go to hell, Melanie!" Selina shouted, slamming her locker door shut before storming off.
Melanie just smirked.
Selina made her way straight to the back oval of the school and saw Jerome.
"Do you think I'm a trollop, Jerome?" Selina asked him angrily.
"Melanie!" Jerome said, realising Melanie tried to turn him and Selina against the other.
Selina took a deep breath.
"Did she say something?"
"Yes, she did." Jerome said. "I think she wanted us to turn against each other."
Now realising herself, Selina laughed.
"What's funny?" Jerome asked her.
"You just gave me a really great idea." Selina said.
"And what's that?" Jerome asked smiling.
Selina whispers in his ear.
"I like the sound of that." Jerome laughed.
Meanwhile, Stephanie and Tiegan are having lunch at the Bayside Diner.
"How are you feeling now?" Stephanie asked.
"Much better." Tiegan replied.
"Sonia hardly said a word once she came back to class." Stephanie laughed.
"If I were Mr Fisher, I would've kept Sonia and her bitchy friends out of class for good." Tiegan said.
"It would be even better if she dropped out or left school." Stephanie said.
Tiegan noticed Melissa talking to Ailsa Stewart.
"Steph?"
"Yeah?"
"Who's that girl talking to Ailsa?"
Stephanie looked over and responded, "Oh, that's Melissa. She works at the diner some days."
"She's very pretty." Tiegan said.
"I know." Stephanie said.
"Uh, would it be okay if we left?" Tiegan asked Stephanie.
Stephanie looked concerned.
"Sure. Is something wrong?"
"I need someone to talk to." Tiegan said.
Once outside, Stephanie and Tiegan started walking.
"What's wrong?" Stephanie asked.
"Do you think I'm a bad person?" Tiegan asked.
"Of course not." Stephanie replied.
"It feels like I am." Tiegan said.
"Don't say things like that." Stephanie said firmly.
Tiegan sighed sadly.
"Talk to me, Tiegan." Stephanie said. "I'm your friend."
"My real parents couldn't give a toss about me! They didn't care that I caught the train to Hartley High from Panania station and back. I was out at all hours of the night some nights because of Mum and Dad's violent arguments. Things came to a head one night when Mum broke my nose during one of her drunken moods in front of our next-door neighbour. She ended up ringing welfare and I ended up being placed in foster care." Tiegan said, her voice breaking.
"It's okay." Stephanie said quietly. "My life wasn't exactly perfect either."
"What do you mean?" Tiegan asked.
"I told you about my father and sister being killed in separate massacres in Somalia." Stephanie reminded her.
"Right." Tiegan said.
"Why did you leave your previous foster family?" Stephanie asked.
"Shelley Farrell, my previous foster mother, died." Tiegan replied.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Stephanie said.
"Why did you leave yours?" Tiegan asked.
"This nasty piece of work named Heather was to blame for my departure. She made racial comments about me and was a compulsive liar." Stephanie replied.
"What a bitch!" Tiegan said angrily.
"You said it." Stephanie said.
Tiegan smiled before saying, "I'm just glad to have a best friend like you."
"I wouldn't say we're best friends." Stephanie said. "More like sisters from another mister."
"Really?" Tiegan asked her.
"Yeah." Stephanie said.
"You know, we've only been friends for two days now." Tiegan said.
"I know. Look how close we are." Stephanie said.
"I think it's safe to say that we got on like a house on fire." Tiegan said.
"I totally agree." Stephanie responded.
Stephanie and Tiegan then linked arms as they continued walking.
After school, Melanie arrived at the Surf Club to find Selina and Jerome playing pool together. Selina happened to notice her standing there.
"Just the person I want to see." Selina said before putting her pool cue down and going over to Melanie.
"What are you two doing?" Melanie asked them, shocked that her plan backfired.
"You thought you could turn us against each other? You are more pathetic than I thought, Melanie Dolan!" Jerome said.
"No, it wasn't like that..." Melanie's voice started to trail.
"Are you THAT desperate to try and get Jerome back?!" Selina asked Melanie, her voice filled with anger.
"I still love him." Melanie whined.
"Well, you blew that all by yourself when you cheated on him with Jeremy!" Selina shouted.
"Exactly." Jerome said. "And you say that Selina is a slut? Look at yourself, Melanie!"
Melanie didn't say another word and walked away crying.
"I just hope that she gets the point this time." Selina said.
"And her tears are nothing more than crocodile tears." Jerome said.
Selina and Jerome started to laugh.
NEXT TIME...
- Tiegan is shocked when she gets a phone call from one of her old school friends at Hartley High
- Stephanie comforts a depressed Melanie
- Selina uncovers a dark secret about Joanne Brennan