THE OXFORD BET *VirginityGames*

Chapter 20 A Turning Point.

Francesca

That evening I sat in my room in the Summers home. The rain tapped like an impatient ghost's fingers on the glass window. I continued to sketch on my iPad. After an hour or two I was bored. So I picked up my book I had bought a few months ago, but hadn't even started yet. I dug in to my book, ready to embrace the world that was so far from my own. The hours flew by as I flicked through the pages of Women Don't Owe You Pretty, by Florence Given.

 I picked up my phone distracted, as it began to ring. As soon as I saw a goofy picture of Victoria and me, in a silly pose, flash up on my phone. I eagerly answered it, with a huge smile on  my face. "Hello Victor, Victoria?"

"Guess what?"

"What?"

"NO, guess!"

I groaned, "Oh I don't know, your marrying Richard because you luurve him!" I teased. Hoping to hear some forgiveness in her voice.

"Don't be a complete plonker Franny," she replied sarcastically "I hate Richard, well kind of, at the moment he's not allowed to enter my mind." I didn't quite know what she meant? She'd never even heard the whole story...that was if it was completely true and Richard wasn't lying to me...but Brandon's involvement had pretty much convinced me.

She breathed before continuing, huffily, "I'll just tell you if you are going to be such a child. Izzy is out of The Bet."

I frowned in disbelief. "Wait - What?"

"Yep."

"How? When? She's out? How the hell?" If Izzy was out, then maybe there was a way for Vicky and me to be free of the game that was getting way to complicated for my liking. I wouldn't mind if we had some super power that could tell us like a lie detector that these boy genuinely cared for us in some way, or if they were just trying to gain points in a game. Making us a bunch of points to a bunch of posh boys about to leave Oxford next year.

"Izzy has been taken out of The Bet and will be replaced soon. We will probably find out tomorrow afternoon, after the boys have met up and added another target."

I heard her sneer.

"But Vicky, why?"

"Because Brandon's rugby friend Luke let it slip yesterday that she wasn't a virgin when she joined the Bet, since he had a fling with her during Freshers week. Luke said she couldn't be a virgin anymore because they were bumping uglies for a few nights."

"I thought that was obvious in a way, we all knew Izzy liked her...fun" I giggled, unable to find the right wording.

"Yes, but it was never that way to the boys. I spoke to Brandon, who told me about this whole palaver. And he said 'if it's not confirmed definitely, then who are they to judge.' But since it has been confirmed by Luke that meant they had to follow the rules too. So Izzy is gone now, I guess."

I raised an eyebrow calculatingly, "Meaning any points the boys ever gained from her as a target are void?"

Which was bad luck for Daniel and his stupid game! Ha! I laughed aloud, but I curbed my laughter to continue talking to Vicky for a further 45 minutes.

"And If my calculations are correct, Daniel is now losing The Bet." I smiled in glee before saying goodnight to Victoria and hanging up the phone. I desperately wanted to go and find Amee and let her know the news. Or perhaps my main aim was just to accidentally bump into Daniel. So I could gloat and tease him that he was losing...that sounded like the perfect way to perk up my mood.