[Wordsmiff]

CHAPTER 5


“Hello?” Gemma said into the phone in the hallway.

“Hello? Gemma? How’s everything?” It was her mother calling.

“Oh, okay mum.”

“Are Tiffany and Jessica in bed?”

“Yes, mum.”

“Listen sweetie,” Gemma’s mother said, “We’ll be staying at my sister’s tonight, so will you be okay getting Tiff and Jess up in the morning?”

“I suppose so,” Gemma said, “There’s no school tomorrow so I might let them have a lie-in.”

“Great,” her mother said, “We’ll be back about midday and we’ll bring you a takeaway for lunch.”

“Okay, mum,” Gemma was only half-listening. She was hoping that the others didn’t make too much noise.

“If you need us for anything, just give us a call.”

“Yes, mum.”

“See you tomorrow noon then.”

“See you, mum.”

“Goodnight, and don’t stay up too late.”

“Won’t mum. Goodnight.”

She hung up the phone and went back into the lounge.

James and Rebecca were sitting at separate ends of the sofa, looking innocent.

Amelia was kneeling on the carpet, rummaging through the DVD cabinet.

“Who was on the phone?” Amelia asked without looking up from the DVDs.

“Mum,” Gemma said, “Looks like I’m going to be home alone tonight and tomorrow morning.”

“Home almost alone you mean,” Rebecca said.

“What do you mean?” Gemma asked.

Rebecca turned to Amelia. “Meels, go round and tell mum we’ll be staying at Gemma’s tonight.”

“Do what?” Gemma said in disbelief.

“It’ll be fun,” Rebecca said, “Like a sort of sleepover.”

Amelia got up from the floor. “Shall I bring our nightwear?”

“No,” Rebecca said. “You know I sleep naked.”

James coughed and cleared his throat.

“I’ll get mine, then,” Amelia said.

“I can’t believe you two,” Gemma said.

“I know,” Rebecca said, “We’re so kind to you.”

Gemma shook her head in disbelief.

“Can I stay too?” James asked.

“Why not?” Gemma said sarcastically, “Let’s have a party.” Realising that Rebecca might take that statement seriously, she added, “There’ll be NO partying.”

“Meels,” Rebecca said to her sister, “Bring my box of tricks too. It’s in my bedside cabinet. And NO looking at my diary. It’s alarmed.”

“I’d be alarmed if I knew the things you got up to, Bex,” Amelia said, walking out of the lounge.

Gemma heard the front door open and close. “Right,” she said, “I’m having a cup of coffee. Anyone else want one?”

James shook his head.

Rebecca shook her head.

Gemma went out to the kitchen to make her cup of coffee and took it back into the lounge.

“What was that DVD you mentioned,” James asked her, “The one with a bit of sex in it?”

“American Werewolf In London,” Gemma said, “You just see Jenny Agutter and the American actor...”

“David Naughton,” Rebecca said.

“Go on,” James said, “What else?”

Gemma sighed. “You just see Jenny Agutter and David Naughton naked on the bed, writhing around in ecstasy while they’re having passionate sex, to the soundtrack of Van Morrison’s Moondance. No big deal.”

“You could say that David Naughton has... nought on.” Rebecca burst out laughing at her own joke.

Gemma gave out an exaggerated mock laugh. “Very funny.” She sat down on the sofa between James and Rebecca.

“Are we going to watch it then?” James asked. “I’ve fancied Jenny Agutter ever since I first saw The Railway Children.”

“Pervert!” Rebecca said from the other end of the sofa. “She was a child then.”

“It was the way she said: ‘Daddy, my daddy’, I think, ” James added.

“Pervert!” Gemma said.

“So,” James said, “Are we? Going to watch it?”

Rebecca got up and went over to the DVD cabinet. “Which shelf, Gem?”

“The top one.” Gemma took a sip of her coffee. All thoughts of intimacy with James had now gone and she guessed they would not return.

Rebecca found the DVD and put it into the appropriate slot below the TV. She switched it on.

The movie started with a view of the rolling Yorkshire moors and a truck approaching from the far distance, to the soundtrack of ‘Blue Moon’.

“Is this good?” James asked.

“Just be quiet and watch it,” Rebecca said.

The truck comes into view and, as the song ends, you see the two American tourists sitting in the back of the tuck surrounded by sheep.

Rebecca laughed when she saw it.

“Shh,” Gemma said.

“Sorry.” Rebecca stopped laughing.

They continued to watch the movie in silence.

There was a knock on the front door.

Gemma jumped up, scared that Tiffany and Jessica might be woken again. “I’ll get it.”

“It’ll be Meels,” Rebecca said.

Gemma went out and let Amelia in.

Amelia had two carrier bags.

They went back into the lounge.

“What you watching?” Amelia asked.

“American Werewolf In London,” Rebecca said, “We’re waiting for the bit where Jenny Agutter gets fucked by David Naughton.”

“Why don’t you fast-forward it?” Amelia suggested, sitting on the sofa in the place recently vacated by Gemma.

“We want to watch it properly,” Rebecca said, “It’s a good film.”

“How much have I missed?” Amelia asked.

“Not much,” Rebecca said, her eyes fixed on the screen, “They’re on the moors. You haven’t missed the bit where they get attacked by the wolf yet.”

“Cool,” Amelia said, “That’s the best bit. I like gore.”

“Did you get my box?” Rebecca asked.

“Yeah,” Amelia said, “It’s in the blue carrier. The other one’s my nightie.”

“Is it a see-through nightie?” James asked her.

Amelia winked at him. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

“Excuse me,” Gemma said, “I think I’m going to be sick.”


To be continued...