Girl Trouble (Completed) - Ayesha Azhar (graded readers .TXT) 📗

alone."

   "What do you mean by others,Steph?"

"Look! There's the bus. Bye,mummy!"

    "Yeah. Bye."

I rushed  up the steps and into the bus.  Where was Mandy? She wasn't in our usual seat. I walked to the end of the bus but she was nowhere around. She must have missed the bus. And I had to talk to her today! I would just have to make do with tomorrow.

  The bus entered the school and I got off. The scene was of utter confusion. There were only a few special classes today, as it was the last day before the play. I only had Algebra. As usual, Jake and Ashley werent here. I felt sort of uncomfortable. Jake should be looking for me. He was my friend afterall. Where was he?

   Soemwhere around with Ashley, ofcourse. Where else? I only had to attend my Algebra  class and then I could leave. I walked towards the hall and into my Algebra class. I sat on seat, with the seat beside me empty.

     "Hi."

I turned, expecting to find Ashley or Jake and then gasped when I saw who it was.

   "Mandy?"

"Yeah. How are you??"

   "I am good. So, I am going to stay with you tomorrow."

"Yes, Mother told me."

   "Do you mind?"

"No! Why would I?"

   "Er..Ok, I guesss."

"You know about Ashley and Jake now?"

     "Yes." I turned away, that was a topic I never wanted to talk about with anyone, even if it was only Mandy. FOrtunately, Mr Stevenson, our Algebra teacher, started his lecture just then, so Mandy just stared at me for a moment and then started her work. When the class ended, I expcted her to wait for me, but she didnt. She got up as soon as the bell rang, and without even saying Bye, left. I soon knew the reason why.

  "Hey, Steph."

"Jake."

   "So, are you prepared for tomorrow?"

"Lets see. Wheres A..No, where were you in the morning?"

    "With Ash, we had something to do."

I scowled, something to do.Yeah, right.

    "Where is she now?"

"She has another class, History."

    "Oh, ok. Well, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes. Umm..Steph?"

    "What?"

"Are you okay with me and Ash?"

    I almost dropped my books."Ofcourse. Why would I care? I mean, it's your choice."

       "No, the way you reacted then-"

"That was only because I was angry that you didnt tell me yourself."

    "Are you sure?"

  "Yes. I'' see you later, Jake."

  "Yeah. Later."

 Ugh. Why was Jake always asking things like that? He knew ofcourse that I liked him. He only wanted me to say that. As if I ever would. No, as if I liiked him. I walked towards my house, taking the short way this time, through the dark alley, I was too preoccupied to think otherwise. I had just entered the alley when I heard it. A noise. As if somethingwas banging against another. Something light. A sewerage lake passed through here. Maybe something was stuck inside it. My better instincts told me that I should just run for it, but even so, I bent down the side of the lake. It was so dark that I could hardly make out anything. I put my hand in my backpack and tried to feel around for a torch or something. I took it out and switched it on.

   I directed it towards the dirty lake. There was an awful smell around.It didnt seem like there was anything here, except dirty water. Wait! There was something. An object, floating around the other corner. Even with the light of the torch, it couldnt be seen clearly from this far. I had to take it out. There must be a peice of wood or something around. I picked up a log and tried to take that thing out.

     Finally, it got stuck on the log and I pulled it back. I put my light on it and when I saw what it was, I gasped. It was a picture. It was one of me and Jake. What was it doing here? This was among those pictures which had gone missing. Someone had stolen this and then thrown it in this sewerage tunnel. Who had done this? And where were the other missing pictures? I showed my light on the lake. There was another one, some yards ahead. I couldnt make out what it was, but it must be another one of the missing pictures. I ran alongside it,yes, it was. I could just make out Jake's face. There! Another one! I could make out another one just beside it, and another! And just a little ahead of it, another! I ran wildly along the side of the lake. The whole alley was full of them!

    I reached out when I saw a picture in which me and Jake both could be seen clearly. The other pictures had been damaged, but this one was safe. I had to get it out. In my worry, I forgot to use the log and reached out myself.

   Aaaaaah!" I screamed as I slipped and fell right into the lake. I looked at myself, I was covered in dirty water, and God knows, what else from head to foot. But what was more worrying then that, was the fact that the lake was carrying me, carrying me with the flow to wherever it lead. I screamed again, but there was no one to hear me. Pictures and all thoughts of Jake forgotten, I screamed again, and tried to hold on to something. I couldnt even make out where I was, how far the lake had carried me, I could only see darkness ahead. I didnt recognize this side of the alley, and the path seemed far away.

    There was a  pipe dangling into the lake from above. I prepared to jump as  I neared it. I jumped and caught hold of the pipe and held on for dear life. Where was I? I had to get out of here. I tried to swing from the pipe on the path, but the path was beyond my reach. I tried to go back from where I had came from, I swung here and there, and once the path looked reachable, I jumped  and landed on the hard blocks. I was covered in Sustenance water. I looked around, there was a tree here that I could recognize. Not even caring that my backpack was left behind, I screamed agin and ran wildly in the direction towards my house.

 

 

"Mummy!" I cried as soon as I opened the door and ran wildly towards the kitchen.

   "Steph? Whar happened?" Mother said when she caught sight of my appearence. I ran and fell into her armms, crying"Oh, Mom!"

   "Steph, are you allright? come, sit here."

She dragged me towards the sofa and made me sit down. "What happedned?"

    "Jake! I...I was in the alley, mother, the one which has the sewerage lake, and, and, there were pictures! pictures of me and Jake INSIDE the lake! And I fell in!"

   "Pictures?Oh, Stephanie, you must have imagined it-"

"No! I didnt! I actually took one out and then I fell in-"

   "You are talking nonsense, Steph, where's your backpack?"

"Its...Its back there, near the lake somewhere. But mummy, there were pictures!"

    "No, everything's fine-"

"I'll show you! Come with me, mummy, please, we'll get my backpack back too."

     "No, you have to change first, Steph-"

"PLease!"

    "Ok. Where is this alley?"

We got out of the house and I lead her back to the dark alley. Peple stared at me as I passed them. They must think that I was a criminal or someone. I was covered in dirt. I lead her towards the lake.

"There!" I cried out, as we reached the spot where my backpack was lying on the floor."There! There were the pictures!"

   "Where, Steph? I cant see anything."

"They WERE here, the lake must have carried them somewhere-"

    "Theres' nothing here, Steph, come on, you need to have some rest-"

"No! They were here-"

  "Steph! You need rest, you are tired, that's why you are imagining things. Come on."

     "But, mummy-"

"Stephanie!"

   I sighed and let mother drag me back. I picked up my backpack and looked behind. As I stared into the black water, I knew. I knew that someone had bee here in the time that I had ran back home and called Mummy. Someone had hidden those pictrures again. Why! I had actually held one picture in my hand! I had shown my torch on it!

  "Come on, Steph."

I looked back again, andI knew. I WOULD be back. I would come back and find those pictures, Wherever they were.

 

 

"Wake up, Stephanie."

Is it morning already?"

 "Yes. It's almost midday. Dont you all have to assemble early in the auditorium? When is the play going to start?"

 "6:00. We have to be there by 4. What time is it?"

   "2:00. Come on, wake up, dont you have to practise?"

"Yes, I have too. Did anyone call for me?"

    "No, Steph, what IS up with you? No one has called for you in days, and you are acting so weird now and then-"

"Nothing, mummy. But that was real. I didn't imagine those pictures-"

    "Not again, Steph."

"But-"

  "We have talked over that for more then necessary, there was nothing there, you were just tired, so you imagi-"

"I didnt imagine it! Even if I did, then why dont I have those pictures now?Where are they?"

   "You must have placed them here somewhere-"

"Ugh."

   I got up and brushed my teeth, Mummy stared at me for a while and then shrugged and went back downstairs. I stared after her, no one would believe me. I had to go back ang get all those pictures out myself. Maybe If I talked to Mandy....No, not now.Later.

     It was while I was climbing down the stairs that it hit me. Today was the 11th! Today was the day of the play! Oh God! Today I would be performing before thousands of people! How would I do that? Oh!

   "Come on down, Steph. Your father will be home early today."

I pulled out a chair and sat down.

   "When are you guys going to leave?"

"Around 10. Your play will be over by then?"

   "I guess."

"Now, while we are not here, dont do anything idiotic,Steph, you are going to stay at the McHughs. Dont go running back to that dark alley, promise me you wont?"

    "Mummy, you know I have to chec-"

"Promise me, Steph."

    "Ok, fine. Promise."I made a face.

 "And dont go out anywhere. We will be back by the evening of 13th."

    "Ok. I'll be good."

 

 

I pulled the crtain and peeped at the audience. The auditorium was almost full. It made me feel sick.Such a lot of people. I could hardly make out Mummy and father sitting in the far end. Mr Harry Sutton was sittting right in the front row.

"Miss Moore."

  I turned.It was Mr Owens.

"Please dont peep through the curtain."

  I nodded. It was 5:57 and I was backstage. The play was about to start. The first scene would be of Ashley talking to her mother, Serena. Everyone was already in their dresses. There had been such a lot of confusion that I had not caught sight of anyone else except Mandy. We had only passed a smile as I had seen her come out of the changing room. The curtain opened, I shrunk back.

  "Mother! you putteth me to death!"

I ran back and hid in one of the changing rooms. How was Ashley performing before such a huge audience? Oh! Someone kill me! I was having a very bad dose of stage fright.

"Steph? Are you in there?"

    I kept quiet. I planned to hide here forever. But something in the voice made me speak.

"Mandy?"

  "Yes.Come out,Steph.Why are you hiding?"

I unlocked the door and rushed out.

  "Oh. I cant, Mandy, I cant perform-"

"I know. But you'll be okay."

   "I-"

"Trust me."

I stared at her."Come on." She lead me towards the stage.

   "Now you just walk in and say your lines. ok?"

   I nodded and walked on the sage. Thankgod my first scene was with Mandy. I walked towards her.

"You calleth