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

me, Merope?"

   "Yes..."

Thankfully it went smoothly. And I even performed all the other scenes too. Without once forgetting my lines. Just when I had began to have fun, the play was over. I could hardly believ it. All the scenes had been performed. And the changing dresses part wasnt even that difficult. In the end, all of us assembled together on the stage and bowed. Mummy smiled at me. Everyone stood up and clapped. We walked down the stairs and towards our parents.

  "Thankyou to all of the students, for making it possible to act such a good play."Mr Owens started to speak,"Now I would liike to call Mr Harry to say a few words."

   Everyone clapped, Mr Sutton climbed up on the stage.

"It was a wonderful play." Everyone clapped,"I would select all of you if I could. Everyone acted just as well. But the person who I have selected for my movie, or rather the girl who I have selected is..."

  I held my breath. Not Ashley. Not Ashley. Please not Ashley.

"Mandy McHugh!!"

 I stood up and clapped. Mandy stood up too, looking around as if she couldnt believe it. Her parents were huggging her, she looked around for me.

"Steph! I won!!"

  "Yeah! You won, Mandy!!!"

I hugged her. she held on to me tight.

   "Mandy. Go to the stage."

"Oh, oh, yes."

   She walked towards the stage and climbed up. I looked around for Ashley. She was crrying, and Jake was trying to cheer her up. Yes! Finally, the culprit gets what she deserves.

  "I mean, she's the lead, Mr Harry is sure to select her."

Oh, Jake. You were wrong! I smiled and clapped harder as Mandy shook hands with Mr Harry and held the contract in her hands, then waved it for everyone to see. She smiled at me, even though she could barely see me from so far. I smiled back. It was over. Everything was okay. The evil had subsided. Virtue had won.

 

 

Chapter 26

"You were wonderful, Steph."

   "Really?"

"Yes. I really did think you would forget your lines, the way you walked on the stage, so shyly, but you were excellent after that."

"Thankyou so much,Mummy, where's father?"

"He's gone to to do all the preparations, it's already 9. Our flight is at 10."

   "Oh. Well, I'll be back in a sec."

I went over towards Ashley. Jake looked up when he saw me coming and motioned for me not to say or do anything to upset Ash more. Huh! Why shouldn't I ? I didnt care how upset she was. I sat down beside her,grinning. I knew I shouldnt be happy in another persons sorrow, butI couldnt control myself. The measures Ashley had taken to seperate me and Mandy made me feel even more strongly against her. I looked over at Jake. Poor Jake. He had got caught up in all this trouble. Girl trouble.

Ashley looked up. I smiled at her.

  "So, Ashley, how about celebrating? Mandy won. Dont you think that calls for a celebration?"

 "Steph, be-" Jake started but Ashley stopped him.

     "No, let her speak." She looked at me,"Where is she? Where is that little sneak Mandy?"

"Dont you dare call Mandy anthing bad infront of me!"

   "Oooh. Where did all this emotion come from?" Ashley snorted. I stared back into her eyes determinedly,"Now that Mandy has won, you are after her again?"

  "Shut up!" I stood up,"You are just jealous because you lost."

"I have no need to be jealous of someone like Mandy. There has obviously been a mistake.I'll go and correct it now."

"Huh?" I stared at her. Ashley climbed down the stairs towards the stage.

"Stop her!" Jake shook me," Stop her. She's going to make a fool of herself."

    "Really?" I smiled,"Then I suppose we should let her, shouldnt we? Shes used to getting her own way afterall."

Jake glared at me,"How CAN you, Steph? You are supposed to be her friend!"

  I stood up on my toes and stared into Jake's brown eyes.

"Well. Surprise!" I glared at him,"I am not."

   Jake grabbed my hand, forcing me to stop,"I dont believe you."

"Then dont!" I said angrily,"Where are her parents anyway? They should be with her."

"Her parents arent here. But why would you care? The great Miss Stephanie Moore doesnt care for anyone else beside her dear Mandy. Does she?"

"Yeah, right!" I pulled my hand, but without sucess,"Let go of me,Jake."

I tried to pull my hand away from him, he pulled me towards him.

   "I said let go of me, Jake!"

"No-"

   The rest of his sentence was impossible to hear because there was aloud noise from the stage. We both turned to look at the stage, my hand still firmly clasped in his. I screwed my eyes so that see clearly. Mandy was on the stage. Ashley was there beside Mr Harry. She seemed to be..begging?

   Jake let go of my hand and then with one last angry look at me, ran towards the stage.I followed him and ran towards the stage. I followed him and ran towards Mandy, she gave me a worried look. Now that I was near enough, I could hear what Ashley was saying.

  "Mr Sutton, Mandy is only the second lead. I was the main lead. I deserve to be given that role-"

"I am sorry, but I watched the play very carefully, I am confident that I gave the role to the most deserving."

 "But-"

"Ashley!" Jake stepped forward and placed his arms around her, dragging her towards the corner of the stage."Hush. Everything's okay. Just calm down."

  Ashley rested her head on his shoulder and started sobbing, Oh,Jake!"

"I know. Come on. Lets just go home." Jake carried her to the door of the auditorium and then they were gone. I started to run after them, but Mandy stopped me.

"Not now, Steph."

"But Jake...." I sighed. Jake and you are over. You and Jake are over. Yes, I didnt care for Jake anymore.

    "Stephanie, come here."

"I looked around,"Mummy, are you guys leaving already?"

   "Yes." Father emerged from behind Mummy," The flight will take off in 15 minutes."

Mother bent down and held my face in her hands,"You'll be alright, Steph?"

   I nodded.

"You'll go straight to the McHughs after here. Here's a number of Aunt Hilda's house. You can contact at this. You have our mobile numbers already?"

I nodded again.

   "Oh, Steph,"Mummy hugged me,"please be safe, Dont get in trouble."

"Yeah, mummy, I'll be good."

Father bent down to hug me too.

"Arent I going with you to the airport, Father?"

"No, Steph. You better stay here with Mandy.Ok? We'll be back by the 13th."

    "Ok. I am gonna miss you too."

"We'll call you as soon as we reach. Bye now."

   "Bye."

 I waved until they reached the gate and were gone. Then I turned to look around for Mandy.

 

 

"Stephanie dear. You wont mund sleeping with Mandy, will you?"

   "No, ofcourse not, Mrs McHugh."

"Excellent. Then you can sleep in Mandy's room."

   I nodded. It was later in the night and I was at Mandy's house. Mandy had already gone up to bed. I climbed the stairs and opened the door to the room in which I had slept such a lot of times, just in different circumstances. I looked around at the bed, Mandy had her eyes closed but I knew she was awake. I walked over to the spare bed and straoghtened the bed covers, making as much noise as I could. Finally, I plopped down upon it, preparing to ask Mandy to forgive me.

"Mandy, I know you are awake."

No answer. Mandy just turned to the other side, her eyelids flickering.

  "Mandy, I....I want to tell you... I am sorry."

"Atleast you can reply, Mandy, I know you are listening, I am ever so sorry for doubting you, I should have never. I am so lucky to have you."

 I sat up on the bed.

"Mandy? Listen, that day, that I came over, and you said that you hadnt stolen either my necklace or those pics, I know now you didnt. I knew then too, but I just couldnt say it. It was Ashley, she did everything, Mandy, and I...I blamed you. I am so sorry."

 "Mandy, please....You KNOW how sorry I am, why wont you reply?"

I waited for an answer, there was no reply, except that a weird noise filled the room. Like something crunching agaist another. Remebering the last time I had investigated a noise like that, I decided to ignore it.

  "Mandy, please..tell me if you are still angry at me, please."

Why wouldnt she reply? She could atleast say that she was angry and then not talk to me for the rest of the night. I got up and sat on the bed beside her.

"Mandy?"I shook her,"Mandy?"

  Suddenly I knew what that weird noise had been. Snoring. Mandy was snoring. She hadn't heard a single word of what I had said. I stared down at her with horror. Mandy was snoring. Mandy was asleep.

 

 

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Mandy picked up the phone,"Hello? Oh, right, I'll hand it over."

"It's for you." She said, pointing at me, coming towards the breakfast table. The whole McHugh family including me were sitting around the breakfast table.

Have I ever mentioned the fact that Mandy is an only child? That was what had got us together in the first place. We both talked to each other about how bad it was, not having a sibling, and them we both kind of got together. Jake had a younger brother, but I didnt know about Ashley. I had never bothered to ask her.

    I hadn't been able to talk to Mandy last night. I didnt have the heart to wake her.

"Who is it?" I asked, getting up.

  "Your friend Jake Wilson." Mandy said sarcastically and pulling down a chair, sat down. I walked over to the landline phone.

"Hello, Jake?"

  "Yeah, hi."

"How did you get this number?"

   "Got it from Ash."

"How is she? Ashley?"

   "Much better, thankyou." Jake replied coldly, I cringed at the tone.

"Why did you call, Jake?"

  "Nothing personal. I am holding an after party at my house today. All the cast members are invited. Just thought I should let you know."

"I thought you would do something like this." I chuckled, Mandy stared at me.

    "Dont come if you dont wanna, Stephanie,I am not inviting you personally, all the members of the play are going to come."

  "I'll be there." I said, "Shall I bring Mandy too?"

"I just told you, Steph," Jake said in a raised voice,"ALL the members of the play are invited. Not just you. It's an afterparty.Do you understand the meaning of that?"

"Ok, fine,I get it." I said angrily.

"Good. Finally, you do get it,I only wish you had understood other things too."

"What do you mean?"

   "Nothing." Jake stopped,"Bye."

"Jake, listen-"

   The line went dead. I placed the phone into the receiver, and walked out of the room. I felt Mandy's eyes follow me as I left. I went and sat down on the sofa in the TV room. There was a three day holiday, so there was no school today. Neither tomorrow. After a while, Mandy opened the door and peeped inside.

"What are you watching?"

"Oh, nothing. I am just sitting here."

  "Then lets watch something."

"If you want to."

Mandy came and sat down beside me and switched on the TV. We sat silently for a while. None of us really watching the TV but pretending to.Then I spoke,

"Mandy?"

 "Yeah?"

"I