Page 51 of The Best Friend
‘We’ll go over there.’ Nicole pointed across the playing field, back to where Cal was hidden in the alleyway.
‘Why can’t we have one here?’ Derek said.
‘Cos the older kids will nick them off us, stupid.’
Derek flushed. ‘Oh, yeah, right.’
‘Come on. We’ll have a quick puff, then you can share the rest with your mates.’
‘Okay.’ Derek stuck his hands in his pockets and made his way out of the swing park with Nicole, his friends jeering as they walked away together.
They trudged across the field in silence. Nicole loosened her school tie, her heart pounding ferociously. She’d get this cocky little shit back for picking on her brother. He’d be sorry.
Once they neared the alleyway, Derek hesitated. ‘Where’s these ciggies, then?’ he asked.
‘Let’s go in there,’ Nicole replied, pointing to the entrance up ahead. ‘No one can see us, then.’
It looked like he was about to object, so she linked arms with him and led him into the shady, grey alleyway. As soon as she saw it was clear of people, apart from Callum up the other end, Nicole let go of Derek’s arm and shoved him hard in the back so he went sprawling face down on the concrete. Next, she slid off her tie, jumped on top of him and yanked his arms behind his back, tying them together. He’d been stunned for a few seconds but now he was trying to wriggle out from under her, swearing and cursing, yelling and kicking out at her.
‘Get over here, Cal!’ she yelled, sitting on Derek’s legs.
‘What you doing?’ Derek cried. ‘Get off me, you mad cow!’
Callum’s footsteps slapped the concrete as he ran towards her.
‘Gimme your tie!’ Nicole cried to her brother. ‘And help me pin him down.’
Callum slipped his tie over his head and thrust it at Nicole. She snatched it off him, and yanked Derek’s legs together, slipping the ready-made loop over both of Derek’s feet, and tightening it around his ankles so he could no longer kick out at her.
‘Gotcha!’ she said triumphantly, rolling Derek onto his back and standing over him so he was now staring up at her, shock in his eyes.
‘Let me go,’ he said. ‘My arms… you tied them too tight. They’re hurting.’
‘Tough,’ Nicole snarled. ‘Say sorry to my brother for kicking him, and for saying he wets the bed.’
Derek’s eyes wandered over to Callum. ‘That weirdo’s your brother?’
Nicole planted a savage kick on Derek’s calf.
‘Owww! Okay, okay, I’m sorry. Now let me go.’
‘Not yet,’ Nicole said. ‘First, Callum’s got a present for you.’
‘I don’t want a present,’ Derek said, his bravado wavering. ‘I wanna go home.’
‘Callum,’ Nicole said, turning to her brother. ‘Remember I gave you that can of Fanta to drink?’
Callum nodded.
‘Well, you probably need a wee now, don’t you?’ She grinned and then turned to look at Derek.
Derek’s eyes flicked from Nicole to Callum and back again. She saw the confusion in his eyes, and then the disbelief as he began to realise what was about to happen.
Her stupid brother still didn’t get it, though, his puzzled frown beginning to annoy her.
‘Oh, for God’s sake, Cal. Wee on him.’
‘Eurgh. That’s gross, Nic.’
