Is she Really Going Out With Him

For days it wouldn’t stop raining. Kelly couldn’t take any more, so she got her umbrella out and went to her friend, Naomi’s house.

‘What you doing here?’ Naomi asked when Kelly turned up on her doorstep.

‘Sorry, I was going to text you to say I was coming over.’

‘You’re soaked. Couldn’t you get a taxi or something?’

‘I did ask my dad, but he was too idle to move. His idea of fun is watching horse racing on TV.’

‘What, in this weather?’

‘It’s probably not raining where the racing's taking part.’

‘You’d better come in. I’ll get a towel so you can dry yourself off.’

‘The two girls spent the afternoon in Naomi's bedroom talking, mostly about boys - one in particular - Darren. Both fancied him, but he seemed more interested in a girl called Tanya.

Kelly had a plan to get rid of Tanya, but she wasn’t going to tell Naomi that. It might put ideas in Naomi’s head, and she didn’t want that to happen. She wanted to keep Naomi far away from Darren as possible.

The next day it was back to work. The rain had eased, which suited Kelly; being stuck in the pouring rain waiting for a bus was what she didn’t need

When she got to work, she went looking for Tanya, only to be told that she was at home sick.

After work, she had an idea to go round to Tanya's house. She was going to tell her a few things she wasn’t going to like. So, when work finished, instead of getting her usual bus home, she got one to the other side of town, even if she had to wait over an hour for it.

Once off the bus, she still had quite a walk to Tanya’s. Why did she have to live so far out? Her house was at the end of a country lane. It was a wonder she ever turned up for work. It would have taken her ages to get there. But nearing Tanya's she passed this boy. Where had he come from, she thought to herself.

‘Who was that lad I passed on the lane?’ she asked Taya once she was inside her house.

‘Oh, nobody. Just a friend. He was calling to see how I was. What did you want, anyway? It’s miles out of your way, so don’t tell me you were just passing.’

‘Oh, I’ve just come to see if you were OK.’

‘Yeah, course you did. Come on, the truth.’

‘Tanya, on my life, that is the truth. You’ve been a good friend to me while we’ve been working in that supermarket. I got worried and thought I’d come and see you.’

Kelly wasn’t going to tell her why she really had popped by, and anyway now she had got all the proof she wanted to split her and Darren up since she had seen that boy coming from the direction of Tanya's house.

After making her way from Tayna's, she was meeting Naomi in town.

‘Seen Darren on your travels?’ once she had met Naomi in town.

‘No, why do you want to know?’

‘Just something I need to tell him - something I think he will be very interested in knowing.’

‘In knowing what ?’ Naomi asked.

‘I’m keeping it a secret.’

After leaving Naomi she went looking for Darren. Could she find him? She looked everywhere. She was just about to give up when she spotted him heading towards her. Did she have a tale to tell him? She couldn’t wait. She was going to drop Tanya well and truly in it.

‘Hi, Darren. You OK?’ she asked when she got close to him in the street.

‘Why shouldn’t I be?’

‘No reason. How’s that girlfriend of yours?’

‘Tanya? She’s fine.’

Kelly couldn’t wait to spill the beans. This was her golden opportunity to split Darren and Tanya up. She had been waiting for this moment for a long time, so she told Darren all about Tanya’s mysterious visitor, and Tanya's reluctance to say who he was. Darren looked intrigued at the news he had just been told. He then went on to tell Kelly that he was going to have a word with Tanya. He also told her that he was convinced she was cheating on him.

Days later, Kelly ran into Darren again.

‘You all right?’ he asked her.

‘Yeah, I’m fine.’

‘You were right, Tanya has been cheating on me.’

Those were the words that Kelly wanted to hear. That had made her day. All she had to do now was get the nerve to ask Darren out, and she did.

‘So, I’ll meet you outside the Odeon at seven, then?’ he said to her.

‘OK,’ said Kelly - her heart all of a flutter. She got exactly what she wanted. Wait till she told Naomi. She’d be so envious.

‘You’ve got a date with who?’ Naomi asked when the two girls ran into each other just after Kelly had finished work.

‘He’s taking me to the Odeon. I can’t wait.’

‘What about Tanya?’

‘He’s dumped her. She’s been well binned.’

Later that evening, Kelly went to get ready for her big date. She couldn’t wait. She spent a long time looking for something nice to wear. She had spent ages trying different tops on until she came across the right one. Then, she put on her jacket and headed to the bus stop, hoping it wouldn’t be late. She didn’t want Darren to think she wasn’t going to show.

When she got off the bus, Kelly headed down the high street towards the Odeon. She knew she was a few minutes late, but it wasn’t her fault the bus was late. It was always bloody late. When she got around the corner, she was hoping she would see Darren, and she wasn’t disappointed. There he stood - tall dark and handsome and waiting patiently.

‘Sorry I’m late, Darren,’ she said to him as soon as she got to the entrance of the Odeon, ‘but it was that bus. It was late.’

‘Not to worry,’ he replied. ‘Oh, I hope you don’t mind but I’ve brought a few friends with me. They are very keen to meet you.’

Kelly was confused. What friends? She just thought that there would just be her and Darren on this date. He never mentioned anyone else, then around the corner, the friends appeared.

‘Tanya, what are you doing here?’ Kelly asked.

‘To put the record straight, Kel. You’ve been telling tales to Darren, telling him I was seeing someone else. This is my cousin, Tanya said, pointing to the person who was with her and who was the boy Kelly had seen coming out of Tanya’s house. ‘We’ve been friends for years, long before I started going out with Darren.’

Kelly didn’t know where to put herself. She disappeared as quick as she could. The others just stood there laughing before making their way into the cinema.