Read Cathy Hopkins - [Mates, Dates 06] for Free Online Page A

rehearsed in the
house, they’d have gone mad with all the din.
    Ben adjusted his
glasses and looked up from one of the song sheets. ‘So, Iz, got any new
material?’
    ‘Almost,’ I said. ‘I’m
cooking a few ideas.’
    Ben nodded. ‘Well, let
me have a look when you’ve got something down.’
    ‘Will do,’ I said and
I kicked my shoes off and lay on the sofa. The boys started jamming, so I
closed my eyes and drifted off. I’ve no regrets about finishing with Ben, I
thought. Everyone said I was mad, as we got on so well, but the excitement had
gone. We’d become mates, that’s all. I wanted something more. Though I think
I’ll probably stay friends with Ben for life. He’s the type of person that’s
really easy to be with - laid back, like nothing ever phases him. Not even me
finishing with him. He was like, Whatever you want, babe.
    My thoughts turned to
the boy in the cafe this morning and I felt a shiver of anticipation. I
wondered who he was, what he was into and if I’d bump into him again. It was
weird seeing him twice in just two days. I’m a great believer in fate and I
think that if something’s meant to happen it will. I looked at my watch. It was
only six. Dad lives in a flat near Chalk Farm, behind the shops on Primrose
Hill Road. Maybe I’ll get the tube to Camden then walk through the park over to
Dad’s instead of going up the main road, I thought. See if Park Boy’s around.
    At that moment, a
noise to my right distracted me. I opened my eyes to see Biff over at the tap
at the back wall. The others couldn’t see what he was doing, but I could. He
was filling a plastic bag with water. Biff’s a bit of a nutter and likes
nothing better than a water fight. I decided to get out while I was still dry.
Last week, I’d joined in with gusto, hurling water bombs like the best of them,
but… I don’t know. Suddenly, it all seemed a bit childish. I wasn’t in the
mood. I felt restless, so I decided to go off to the park to see if fate had
anything more interesting to offer.
     
    On the journey down,
my sense of anticipation grew. I really hoped Park Boy would be there. It was a
lovely summer’s evening and it felt like there was magic in the air. As I walked
from Camden to Primrose Hill, there were loads of people around, standing
outside the pubs, sitting outside cafes. For some reason, it felt really
romantic. I walked up Parkway then right and along and into the park. As I
walked through, there was no sign of him and I couldn’t help feeling
disappointed. Never mind, I told myself, what will be, will be. Anyway, he
might have a girlfriend. All the fanciable boys are usually involved, one way
or another.
    As I got closer to
Dad’s flat, my thoughts turned to another cute boy. Tom. He’s my three-year-old
half-brother. One of my favourite things is giving him his nighttime bath, but
he was already in bed when I got there.
    Dad and Anna were just
ordering an Indian takeaway and they ordered a mixed vegetable one for me, as
I’ve been vegetarian for the last year. When the food arrived, we settled down
to a really nice supper. It’s always so relaxed at Dad’s. The total opposite of
Mum’s, where there’s not a thing out of place and everything is pristine and
clean. Here, there are books, magazines and mess everywhere. It looks lived-in,
not like the Ideal Home display at Mum’s.
    ‘Got a new book for
you, Izzie,’ said Dad, throwing me a paperback. ‘
The Catcher in the Rye
,
by JD Salinger. I think you’ll enjoy it.’
    ‘Thanks,’ I said. He’s
always giving me stuff to read. He lectures in English literature and sometimes
I think that he forgets that I’m his daughter and imagines I’m one of his
students. Some of the books he gives me are OK, but some of them are heavy
going. I try and read them all, though, as I don’t want him to think that I
don’t appreciate it.
    Inevitably, Dad asked
how things were at home, so I told him about the stud incident. I thought that