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

Mandy, I felt a little guilty; Mandy would be thinking I was angry at her, but here I was instead, having fun with Ashley. Mandy would have a fit, if she came to know. I giggled at the thought even though there was no reason to laugh.

"You are happy?" Jake suddenly asked.

"Huh? What?"I asked.

"Ashley just dared you to eat all these mushrooms"

I tuned back into the conversation.Oh God, the mushrooms were so smelly and all. Yuck. But it was a dare so I had to do it.

"Go, Steph, show them." Everyone started cheering. As they cheered me on, I ate hand after hand full of mushrooms .This was the feeling of pure happiness, of being complete. I loved this feeling ‘.I only wish Mandy was here too’, I thought, then quickly whisked the thought out of my mind.

 

 

 

I stopped at my locker some days later. There was a note stuck on it. Something like this:

                                    "I am sorry I hurt you, I was upset and taking it out on you. That's a rotten trick. But...Hey! We are friends. Right? Friends forever.

                                                                          _Mandy

P.S. Please meet me in the auditorium after lunch break. I want you to be there  when I audition.

 

I smiled. Almost a week had passed and we hadn't talked to each other but I had known Mandy would come to her senses sooner or later. It seemed that she had. I smiled again to no one at particular. It was so weird; sometimes I could be so angry at Mandy, and at other times even thinking about her made me smile.

  After lunch break, I went into the auditorium. Mandy waved at me, we both hugged. I don’t know why it felt like I hadn't seen her in years. I just wanted to keep on hugging her, to know she was safe and secure, being best friends for almost the whole of your life can result to this. I hugged her again. Mandy looked at me questioningly. She then smiled.

"That's for luck."I said.

She smiled again. We both took our places as the auditions began to start. Lots of other kids performed for the smaller roles, then Ashley got onstage for Sandy, the female lead role. I had to admit that she was wonderful like a real pro. Anyone could see that she was really into acting. I said so and received a glare from Mandy. It would be very hard for Mr. Owens to decide between Ashley and Mandy. At last Mandy’s name was called. I felt her body tense. She got on stage. She had chosen Act 2 in which the soldiers would be coming to get her and she would hide in a cupboard.

Slowly the scene began, Mandy opened the cupboard and..............BLIM! BLAM! TUCH!.

And then a scream. A scream which sounded very like Mandy's. Everyone jumped up. It seemed that a box full of shoes had been in the cupboard and it had fallen on Mandy. Kids helped Mandy to her feet, I felt awful, Mandy’s audition was destroyed, someone had done this, though it was a cupboard so it was only natural that there would be shoes in the cupboard but still.

I looked around. Ashley was already there, asking Mr. Owens to let Mandy take an audition again, what?! Ashley was doing that? She should be happy, she would easily be Sandy now that Mandy was out of the game. But despite Ashley’s efforts Mandy stood up and came to Ashley.

"I’ll get you for this!" She screamed, her eyes red with anger. I gasped. I had never seen her like this."I’ll not let you get away with this!"

God, I thought, did Mandy really think Ashley had put a box of shoes there? It was a cupboard. It was common for it to have clothes or something. But I had been having the same thoughts myself, so I couldn’t blame her. Though I hadn’t thought Ashley must have done it. The Sister must have forgotten to take this box out before the audition. But it was kind of sad; Mandy's audition was destroyed.

Suddenly Mandy ran towards Ashley, trying to push her down.

"Mandy! Stop!"I tried to get her away from Ashley. This was getting wild, I couldn’t let Mr. Owens or anyone else see her like this; no one would ever respect her anymore. But unfortunately, Mr. Owens was already there and so were hundreds of other people who had came to watch the auditions.

"Miss McHugh." Mr. Owens said coldly. "Stop this nonsense, I will let you take an audition again because of Miss Ashley here, she has proven to be quite a good sport, though your behavior towards her is unbearable"

"Aaaaaa...ugh!" Mandy screamed again and ran out of the auditorium. I followed her.

"She destroyed my audition, she’s taking over my life!"

Mandy was screaming madly, running down the hall; her hands flying. God, I needed to stop her, children were staring at her as if she was some kind of alien. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me to catch up with her.                                                                                         

 

Chapter 4

A few hours later.

"This is ridiculous"I said as Mandy dried her hair.

"It IS, I dont know what to do,I know I should be thankful to Ashley, because of her, I am getting a chance to audition again,But all I feel is anger and hatred towards her"Mandy said.

"Dont worry,it will work out in the end,I am sure of it, Mandy."

"But how? I mean, it just makes me angry whenever I look at Ashley."

"Have you ever tried to figure out WHY it makes you angry?"

"Well, no, but it surely must be because she has that kind of personality, which makes you dislike her, doesnt she,Steph?"

"Well,er....yes, ofcourse."

Waht else could I say? In the past few days I had learnt two aspects of Ashley's personality, one which made people dislike her, according to Mandy, and one which made people like her, according to Jake. Which one did I agree with? Most likely with Jake, but I couldnt tell Mandy that.

"So..I have to audition again now."

"Hmm...you have got to be really good this time, Mandy, after what you did last time.screaming like that?"I said."Mr Owens didn't look VERY happy,I think he would be quite happy to make Ashley Sandy"

"Why are you being so negative?"Mandy muttered.I felt guilty,Some days ago I had said that to her.You cant help being negative,I realised now.I gave her an apologetic smile.

"Okay,Okay"I said"But you need to stop being so pathetic at such little things.

"Yes,madame"Mandy teased"I will do as you say,Your Highness".

I smiled, it was impossible not to smile, so I smiled again.

 

 

I clapped as Mandy came onstage.It was her audition the next day.Thankfully,it went smoothly.No up's and down's.

"The results and the handing out of roles will be done a weak later"Mr Owens announced,so we all left.Mandy was beaming happily as we rode the four blocks to my house.
            "Do you think I will get it?"Mandy asked.

"I am sure you will"I said"But you have  to admit, Ashley was good too"

"Yeah"Mandy made a face."Tha's why I have a feeling that I will not get it"

"Then throw away that feeling, Mandy, if Ashley was good, then so were you, the only thing I am worried about is...."

"Is what? tell me, Steph, I have to be prepared."

"Well, you know, that day, the way you were screaming, Mr Owens may not have got a very good impression."

"Oh,well, if that happens, then I wont have lost because Ashley was better then me in  acting, it would be just my wildness."

"Meaning?" I really didnt understand when Mandy talked in codes, like she was doing now. Alien language, I called it. Why not talk in simple easy english?

"Nothing, I just meant that Ashley isnt better then me in acting."

"She isnt better, Mandy, but she is just as good as you."

"Good then, its gonna be a tough competition."

   "YOU are saying that, Mandy?" 

"So?Cant I?" Mandy smiled."You have got a very bad impression of me, Steph."

"Oh,okay then."This was going to take some time to digest.I had to make sure."So,just in case you dont get the lead, you wont get wild or anything,Okay?'I said.

"Okay,Come on,I am gonna be late"Mandy nodded," and then my MOTHER is going to get wild."She added.We both laughed happily,and pedaled faster on the road.

 

 

At about eleven in the night,I lay down to sleep.According to my mom I had been asleep since eight,but then she didn't know that I had been reading novels under the covers with a torch.I found it hard to sleep, all that had passed in the last few days was going through my brain.

              Mandy had made a new enemy and I had found a new friend, or maybe two new friends? Did Ashley consider me a good friend of hers? I would never find out, but maybe I could ask Jake about it.And what about Ashley being poor? Really,that couldnt be.But whyever would Jake lie?He had seemed really honest when he had told me about it.If Ashley WAS poor, then maybe that was why she so wanted the lead this year, she had got admitted in this school through a scholarship, if she got the lead, then that would secure her position.

    But maybe it was Ashley who had lied to Jake,but whyever would SHE lie?It was all too confusing, Jake and Ashley had seemed really close, they were best friends afterall,Ashley wouldnt have lied to Jake.

And was Ashley really an enemy of Mandy? It was just Mandy who had made Ashley her enemy, Ashley had never been rude to Mandy.I would never be able to figure this out.

         I finally went to sleepbut then I woke at about twelve when someone threw stones at my bedroom window.Thinking that it must be Mandy or someone,I got out of bed and opened the window,To my surprise,it was Jake. 

"Jake!!" I cried"What are you doing here?"

"Sshh.......look down there"Jake pointed below.I looked down,there was Ashley and a whole group of their friends.I gasped and looked at Jake questioningly.

"We decided to have a secret party at the last minute"he explained."Thought you would like to come too"

  "Ummm...its a school night, Jake."

"So what?"

"I am sorry,I cant go"I said. REALLY sorry.They were going to have such fun.Hanging out at this time of the night.But if someone found out I would be dead meat.

"Steph,please"Jake made his most charming smile.

"Okay,fine"I said, I didnt know why I had agreed, I had never done something this outrageous, If mother or father ever found out, I would be grounded for sure."but let me go change first".

Noone would find out,and even if someone did,I would handle it, atleast I thought I would be able to handle it. 

"Great"Jake said"I am waiting for you down below".and he was gone.

I quickly changed and then quietly sneaked down the