The Chain (A Catherine Diary) - Stamfield. Complete

Chapter 14

14

Carla didn't pause for a second, arriving at the door and slamming her palm on the door, before pushing it open and marching in, tugging me along with her. Obviously her fury hadn't quite diminished.

There were three boys in the changing room, which looked very different from the previous time the girls had entered. The clutter of the boys clothes has been replaced by the smell of dirty socks and the stains of mud. All three boys looked as though they were just about to depart and I regretted not waiting the extra few seconds.

They all turned around to the sound of the door being pushed open and in turn a smile appeared on each of their faces. Instantly, I recognized Jack and a rush of blood flooded my face, as I lowered my head to study a piece of mud that had attached itself to my left foot.

'Girl's, so nice of you to join us', Jack said approaching us.

'Shut the crap, we had enough of it already. Just give Catherine her bag back'.

Jack turned his attention to Carla, unlike Aiden he didn't seem to get upset by her aggression towards him, he smiled genuinely, at least it looked pretty genuine and shocked the three of us with his next statement. 'Why such anger, from such a stunningly gorgeous girl'

"Did he just call Carla gorgeous", I thought, I looked up at him and he actually looked genuine. Maybe, he had a certain attraction to black, aggressive girls.

He approached Carla and I could see, even though Carla's back was to me, that she had melted in his words. He maintained eye contact with her throughout.

I looked over to Gemma and I could see the lack of trust emanating from her.

'Jack, can we just have Catherine's bag.....please', Carla's strength had diminished and although she still had the desire to succeed, she no longer saw Jack as the enemy.

'I have a proposition', he said turning his gaze away from Carla breaking his hypnotism of her, he turned to face me.

Without Jack staring directly into her eyes, a new sternness entered Carla's voice when she asked, 'what proposition?'. The accusing tone made Jack swing his eyes back to Carla.

'Don't worry, it's nothing rude or crude'

'Good. So what is it?'

Jack didn't answer, instead he turned to the other two boys, who seemed fascinated by the conversation and asked them to leave. They reluctantly did. He turned back to Carla. 'I didn't catch your name?'

Carla was desperately trying not to lose her momentum, she crossed her arms over her stomach and stared at him, after a moment she said, 'your proposition, what is it?'