she’s OK,’ said Miranda.
I thought the Snog Spin would be over now we’d all had a turn, but Miranda started spinning the bottle again. Miranda and Raj. Alice and Andy. Then Miranda again. The bottle slowed and stopped at Alice.
Raj whistled. Andy grinned. I blinked at them both.
‘Spin it again,’ said Alice.
‘No way!’ said Raj. ‘You’ve got to go with the bottle, that’s the whole point.’
‘But it’s meant to be a girl-boy,’ said Alice.
‘Well, it’s girl-
girl
this time,’ said Raj. ‘Go on, Alice, don’t be a spoilsport.’
Alice sighed but stood up, tucking her white hair behind her pearly ears. She stuck her tongue out at Raj. It was surprisingly pink in her pale face.
‘Come on, Alice,’ said Miranda, holding out her hand.
‘Don’t go outside. Stay in here, girls, and give us guys a treat,’ Raj begged.
‘Calm down, silly boy,’ said Miranda.
They disappeared outside.
‘Oh, man!’ said Andy.
Carl raised his eyebrows at me.
We all waited. We heard a lot of giggling going on, then slurpy sounds and moaning.
‘Listen!’ said Raj.
‘They’re just winding you up,’ said Carl.
‘And succeeding,’ said Raj.
Miranda and Alice came back into the den arm in arm, still giggling.
Miranda knelt to spin the bottle again. ‘
Now
whose turn will it be?’ she said.
‘Can’t we move on to some other game?’ said Carl. ‘Isn’t this getting a bit boring?’
‘I think it’s just starting to get really interesting,’ said Miranda, spinning away. The bottle stopped, pointing at Carl.
‘Aha! Your go again, Carl. So let’s see …’
She spun it again. Carl sighed, leaning back, hands behind his head, as if he couldn’t care less. I stared at the bottle for him, wondering if it would be me this time.
It wasn’t me. It wasn’t Miranda. It wasn’t Alice.
It was Raj.
‘Oh, no!’ said Raj.
‘Oh yes,’ said Miranda.
‘You’re cheating, Miranda. You’re doing it deliberately,’ said Raj.
‘Now who’s being a spoilsport?’ said Alice.
‘
I
am,’ said Carl, getting up. He held out his hand to me. ‘Come on, Sylvie. I think it’s time we went home.’
‘Oh don’t be so stuffy, Carl,’ said Miranda.
‘Loosen up, boys, it’s only a bit of fun.
We
did it,’ said Alice.
‘Well, just a quick peck, darling,’ said Raj in a silly camp voice, waving a limp wrist around.
‘It’s not fun, it’s childish,’ said Carl. He looked at me. ‘Are you coming, Sylvie?’
‘Yes,’ I said, knowing it was no use arguing with him once his mind was made up.
Miranda didn’t give up easily. She stood beside Carl, gazing up at him with her big brown eyes.
‘Don’t go, Carl. OK, you don’t have to kiss Raj. I agree, he’s not the most inviting prospect.’
‘Thanks a bunch!’ said Raj. ‘I have my followers, you know. Maybe I’m just not Carl’s type.’
‘We’ll play something else,’ said Miranda.
‘I’m tired of playing games,’ said Carl. ‘Night, Miranda. Thank you for inviting us. Night, everyone.’
He gave a quick wave and went out of the door. I shrugged helplessly and followed him.
Miranda didn’t come to see us out. We stumbled around in the dark, having to feel our way up the stairs because we couldn’t find the light switch. We emerged blinking in the brightly lit hall. The starburst clock hanging on the wall said it was only twenty to eleven.
‘Jules is not coming till eleven, Carl.’
‘Well, we’ll wait outside,’ said Carl. He fingered the stained glass on the front door one more time and then opened it.
It was cold outside and neither of us had jackets. I started shivering.
‘Jump up and down a bit,’ said Carl.
‘I can’t jump, I feel too dizzy. Do you think I’m drunk?’
‘I shouldn’t think so.’
‘Carl, what’s the matter?’ I said, tucking my hand into his arm.
‘Nothing. I’m fine.’
‘Why did you walk out like that?’
‘You know why. It was getting boring.’
‘You didn’t
I thought the Snog Spin would be over now we’d all had a turn, but Miranda started spinning the bottle again. Miranda and Raj. Alice and Andy. Then Miranda again. The bottle slowed and stopped at Alice.
Raj whistled. Andy grinned. I blinked at them both.
‘Spin it again,’ said Alice.
‘No way!’ said Raj. ‘You’ve got to go with the bottle, that’s the whole point.’
‘But it’s meant to be a girl-boy,’ said Alice.
‘Well, it’s girl-
girl
this time,’ said Raj. ‘Go on, Alice, don’t be a spoilsport.’
Alice sighed but stood up, tucking her white hair behind her pearly ears. She stuck her tongue out at Raj. It was surprisingly pink in her pale face.
‘Come on, Alice,’ said Miranda, holding out her hand.
‘Don’t go outside. Stay in here, girls, and give us guys a treat,’ Raj begged.
‘Calm down, silly boy,’ said Miranda.
They disappeared outside.
‘Oh, man!’ said Andy.
Carl raised his eyebrows at me.
We all waited. We heard a lot of giggling going on, then slurpy sounds and moaning.
‘Listen!’ said Raj.
‘They’re just winding you up,’ said Carl.
‘And succeeding,’ said Raj.
Miranda and Alice came back into the den arm in arm, still giggling.
Miranda knelt to spin the bottle again. ‘
Now
whose turn will it be?’ she said.
‘Can’t we move on to some other game?’ said Carl. ‘Isn’t this getting a bit boring?’
‘I think it’s just starting to get really interesting,’ said Miranda, spinning away. The bottle stopped, pointing at Carl.
‘Aha! Your go again, Carl. So let’s see …’
She spun it again. Carl sighed, leaning back, hands behind his head, as if he couldn’t care less. I stared at the bottle for him, wondering if it would be me this time.
It wasn’t me. It wasn’t Miranda. It wasn’t Alice.
It was Raj.
‘Oh, no!’ said Raj.
‘Oh yes,’ said Miranda.
‘You’re cheating, Miranda. You’re doing it deliberately,’ said Raj.
‘Now who’s being a spoilsport?’ said Alice.
‘
I
am,’ said Carl, getting up. He held out his hand to me. ‘Come on, Sylvie. I think it’s time we went home.’
‘Oh don’t be so stuffy, Carl,’ said Miranda.
‘Loosen up, boys, it’s only a bit of fun.
We
did it,’ said Alice.
‘Well, just a quick peck, darling,’ said Raj in a silly camp voice, waving a limp wrist around.
‘It’s not fun, it’s childish,’ said Carl. He looked at me. ‘Are you coming, Sylvie?’
‘Yes,’ I said, knowing it was no use arguing with him once his mind was made up.
Miranda didn’t give up easily. She stood beside Carl, gazing up at him with her big brown eyes.
‘Don’t go, Carl. OK, you don’t have to kiss Raj. I agree, he’s not the most inviting prospect.’
‘Thanks a bunch!’ said Raj. ‘I have my followers, you know. Maybe I’m just not Carl’s type.’
‘We’ll play something else,’ said Miranda.
‘I’m tired of playing games,’ said Carl. ‘Night, Miranda. Thank you for inviting us. Night, everyone.’
He gave a quick wave and went out of the door. I shrugged helplessly and followed him.
Miranda didn’t come to see us out. We stumbled around in the dark, having to feel our way up the stairs because we couldn’t find the light switch. We emerged blinking in the brightly lit hall. The starburst clock hanging on the wall said it was only twenty to eleven.
‘Jules is not coming till eleven, Carl.’
‘Well, we’ll wait outside,’ said Carl. He fingered the stained glass on the front door one more time and then opened it.
It was cold outside and neither of us had jackets. I started shivering.
‘Jump up and down a bit,’ said Carl.
‘I can’t jump, I feel too dizzy. Do you think I’m drunk?’
‘I shouldn’t think so.’
‘Carl, what’s the matter?’ I said, tucking my hand into his arm.
‘Nothing. I’m fine.’
‘Why did you walk out like that?’
‘You know why. It was getting boring.’
‘You didn’t
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