Read Love and Other Drama-Ramas! for Free Online

creeping across her cheeks, I can tell she knows it’s true.
    “And I wish you’d stop with the kissing in front of me. It’s embarrassing.”
    “We never kiss in front of you, Amy . . . Well, hardly ever.”
    “Mills! Come on. The D4s are calling you Leech Lips.”
    “Leech Lips? That’s disgusting. And most unfair.”
    I sigh. “Mills, I know you’re crazy about Bailey, but you’re going to have to cool it in school. And it might be worth playing just a little bit hard to get, don’t you think?”
    She gasps. “Do you think he’s going off me? Did Seth say something?”
    “No, of course not. But you guys spend so much time together, it’s not healthy.”
    Her back stiffens. “That’s just your opinion, Amy.”
    Now she’s really starting to annoy me. “For the record,” I say, “Clover thinks you’re behaving like a sap.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Dumping your mates once you have a boyfriend is classic D4 behavior, she said, and utterly beneath you.”
    Mills swallows and looks away. I can tell she doesn’t like what she’s hearing, but it might just be sinking in. Mills thinks Clover is
the
expert when it comes to love.
    “Do you agree with Clover, Amy?” she asks finally.
    “Yes,” I say firmly.
    “Have I really been that obsessed?”
    “And then some.”
    She plays with her ponytail, flicking it around a finger. “I guess I have some making up to do.” One of the nice things about Mills is that she admits her mistakes. “How about shopping tomorrow?” she suggests. “Just the two of us.”
    “I’m at Dad’s this weekend. And I’m going out with Clover tonight. But she said you’re welcome to tag along. We’re meeting at my place at seven. She won’t tell me where we’re going — but knowing Clover, it’s bound to be fun. Will you come? Please?”
    “I said I’d go to a movie with Bailey tonight. There’s this horror thing he wants to see.”
    I stare at her. Hasn’t she been listening to a word I’ve said? “Mills, you hate scary movies more than I do.”
    “Don’t say a word to Bailey — I told him I was a big fan. And besides, I can’t cancel now. Bailey goes mad if I try to rearrange things at the last minute.”
    “Fine,” I say in a clipped voice, and then start marching toward the train station.
    Mills runs after me and grabs my arm. “Slow down, Amy. What’s wrong?”
    “If you don’t know, then I’m not telling you.”
    “Don’t be like that. I’m sorry, but I promised Bailey . . .” She trails off.
    “As I said, it’s fine. Look, I just realized I forgot my classics homework, and Miss Sketchberry will have a fit. You go on — no point in both of us being late.”
    “Are you sure? I don’t want to leave you, but—” Mills hates being late for school; she has her heart set on being Head Girl.
    “See you later.” I walk back toward my house, blinking back angry tears. I don’t go all the way home but wait at the corner of my street to put enough distance between us to ensure we’re on different trains. Bailey normally catches that train too, and right now I don’t think I could bear to watch another episode of
The Mills and Bailey Show.
    That evening I’m surprised to find Mills on my doorstep just before seven.
    “What are you doing here?” I ask her, a little crossly. “Thought you were going to the movies with love’s young dream.”
    “I thought I’d go out with my best bud instead. I rang Clover this afternoon, and she said it was ‘Coolio, babes.’”
    “Then she’ll also have told you that I intend to park my bum on the sofa all night.” I’d had a lousy day at school since Seth wasn’t in — sometimes he stays off to go to the hospital with Polly — and I’d spent most of the time trying to avoid Mills and Bailey. I rang Clover earlier and told her I wasn’t in the mood for going out.
    But Mills is having none of it. “I told her we were both definitely on for it. Said I’d talk you round. So you’d