Ruby by Heather Burnside (carter reed txt) 📗

couldn’t sit through the film while watching Zac with Rebecca she got up to leave.

‘Hang on! Where are you going?’ asked Ryan.

‘Home!’

‘But you haven’t seen the film yet,’ he said.

‘I’ve seen enough,’ she said. ‘Don’t worry, you don’t have to come with me. You can stop and watch.’

Then she went, leaving Ryan to watch the film alone.

A maelstrom of thoughts ran through her mind. She was annoyed, upset and humiliated. He hadn’t even had the decency to finish with her before he started parading his new girlfriend around. Damn Rebecca Statton! Trina was so consumed with anger at Zac’s treatment of her that it didn’t occur to her that she had also been seen with other boys. In her mind the other boys were nonentities anyway but Rebecca Statton was something else altogether. All the boys fancied her!

Trina felt like crying, but it was more a feeling that she should be crying although she knew she wouldn’t. It was only when she got over her initial shock at Zac’s behaviour that she realised she wasn’t really upset about losing him. Trina wasn’t actually in love with Zac; she was in love with the idea of being a part of Zac’s life and her upset was more concerned with losing face now she had been officially dumped.

She was dreading facing everyone at school when they found out she was no longer with him, but Trina knew she’d get through it. She’d play it down and pretend she wasn’t really that bothered anyway. It wasn’t that far from the truth because Trina had used Zac for her own ends, same as she’d done with the other boys. She was beginning to realise more and more that boys just didn’t appeal to her in that way.

25

September 1997

Trina was now fifteen and had just begun her last year of secondary school. Zac Poole had left school the previous summer and she hadn’t heard from him since. Trina didn’t know what she wanted to do once she had sat her GCSEs. Ideas about working in a hairdressing salon or a fashion shop had floated around in her head but she hadn’t yet decided. What she was certain of was that she didn’t want to go on to sixth form. She was bright and astute but hated studying and knew it wasn’t for her.

For the last year she’d drifted in and out of short-term relationships with boys. Although none of them appealed to her on a long-term basis the relationships were mutually beneficial. She gave the boys sex and they treated her to cinema and bowling trips whilst also enabling her to fit in with the crowd. Currently she wasn’t seeing anybody and, if she was honest with herself, she was happier that way. All boys got on her nerves after a while.

It was the weekend and Trina was sitting in her mother’s living room watching TV when a car pulled up outside. Large, silver-coloured and gleaming, it was much flashier than the cars that usually parked on her street and Trina went to the window, curious about who was driving.

She gazed in awe at the beautiful vehicle, but when the driver stepped out, she felt a mixture of disappointment and intrigue. It was her cousin Josh, and his brother, Calvin, was getting out of the passenger side. She was disappointed that they were visiting because, at eighteen and nineteen they hadn’t outgrown their spitefulness and were still mean to her, but she was also intrigued as to why they were driving such a flash car.

Without waiting for them to ring the doorbell, Trina rushed into the hallway and answered the door.

‘Oh, it’s you,’ said Calvin. ‘Is Aunty Daisy not in?’

‘She’s in the kitchen,’ Trina bit back. Then she shouted. ‘Mam, Josh and Calvin are here to see you.’

They strutted through to the lounge, each of them dripping in gold. They were wearing chunky gold chains around their necks and sovereign rings on their fingers. In addition to the jewellery was the usual mix of expensive designer sportswear.

When Daisy came through to the lounge she eyed them cautiously and nodded at them. ‘Would you like a drink?’ she asked formally.

Josh grinned. ‘Yeah that would be nice. Coffee, three sugars.’

‘Same for me,’ said Calvin.

‘Can’t Trina make the brews?’ said Josh. ‘I’ve come to show you my new car.’

Just then Trina’s three younger brothers ran into the house. ‘Is that your car, Josh?’ Tyler gushed. ‘Can I have a ride in it?’

‘Me too,’ said Ellis and Jarell but Trina stayed silent, refusing to join in with their adulation.

Josh smiled widely as Daisy walked over to the window to examine the car. ‘Sure,’ he said, cocking his head back smugly. ‘Once we’ve had a drink.’

‘Good grief!’ said Daisy. ‘How on earth did you come by the money for that?’

‘Hard work,’ said Josh.

‘Yeah, hard work and good contacts,’ said Calvin, grinning.

Daisy tutted and backed out of the room. ‘I’ll make you both a drink then I suppose you can let us all have a run out in it, the boys first then me and Trina.’

While Daisy made the drinks, Trina’s younger brothers fussed over Josh and Calvin, asking them about their clothing, jewellery and car. Trina hated the way her cousins patronised her younger brothers and showed off what they had. But, although she was loath to admit it, she wanted a run out in the car just as much as her brothers did.

When she grew tired of listening to their condescending and scornful comments, Trina went to help her mother fetch the drinks through to the living room. She was glad when it was finally time for her and her mother to have a run out in Josh’s car. Calvin came with them while the younger boys waited in the house and, as she stepped out of the front door, Trina swelled with pride at the admiring glances from neighbours.

Trina jumped straight into the front seat, enjoying the feel of the plush