The Dating Club

Memories Moral Support and Meeting Mathew

Chapter Five: Memories, Moral Support and Meeting Mathew

I have never been good at keeping secrets. It's my one big weakness - I just have this natural urge to gossip.So you have no idea how hard it was to keep the real identity of the club a secret from Luke for the next three days until the day my date came.

I was constantly paranoid that he knew something was up. Any time I caught him looking at me I would blush so badly I thought it was obvious to anyone I was hiding something. It felt like it was going to burst out of me any moment, so I tried to distance myself from him. It wasn't until Marissa warned me that all this space between us might allow Parma to just swoop in and snatch him when I wasn't looking that I gave up and went back to walking around school with Luke like I usually do.

Huh, listen to me. I'm beginning to sound obsessive. And who am I to try and stop Luke and Parma getting together?

Pfft. The idea, however much it makes me want to burst into tears and jump in front of a train, is also very, very amusing. You see, Luke has as much against Parma as I do. He knows how I feel about her, and has one too many times called her out on the number of stunts she has used to try and wrap him around her little finger.

I remember when we had our first end-of-year prom, and I was 14. That was the same year that I became friends with Luke, and, both of us having no one to go with, we resolved to go together.

I had been out with my mum the previous day to pick out an outfit, and I was donning a cute pink and black polka dot dress with leggings and pumps when I entered my tacky school hall, hand in hand with my 'escort' - Luke Tripe. It was around then that I had began to develop feelings for my best friend, and I was unbelievably happy that he was there with me.

"You look pretty," he said bashfully. I went red right down to the tips of my toes and hung my head low.

"Thanks," I said.

We were silent and gradually went our own ways, and I joined Marissa. She was being escorted by her boyfriend of the time; Daniel Corton, but she left him to go with me to the drinks table.

"I didn't know you were coming with Luke," she said, grinning. I nudged her and she went to pour herself some juice.

Just then Parma and Brittany approached the table and I felt my heart sink. Parma had an evil look on her face -

Well, she always does, but it was even worse tonight -

- and I had a feeling she was about to try and ruin my night.

"Jess, the dance is about to start," Marissa whispered to me, and I walked towards Parma to get to the dance floor.

"I noticed you came here with Luke," Parma said, pushing me backwards as I went to go past her. I looked at her, angry and crossed my arms. "Get out of my way, Parma."

"Are you two, like, an item now or something?" She said, standing her ground.

"What's it to you?" I spat.

"Oh nothing. You can go now," she said quietly.

It puzzled me that she had given up so quickly, but I still went to walk past her, and as I did a cold, ice cold liquid cascaded down my back and over my shoulders, freezing me to my spot. My beautiful dress was ruined.

"Oh, em, gee! I am like, soooo sorry Jess, wow! Looks like you'll have to go home to get that cleared up!" gushed Parma with her fake apologies. I scrunched my face up and concentrated on breathing.