MADE IN ESSEX. Laura Ziepe
in.’
‘Ah thanks girls! This is going to be so much fun,’ Lisa smiled. ‘Right, I’d better go then.’
‘Good luck with Alex,’ Jade said.
‘Thanks.’ Lisa opened the dog bag and turned to Kelly. ‘Okay Kelly, hand Cupcake back now.’
Kelly didn’t move or even acknowledge she’d heard.
Lisa repeated herself, her voice louder. ‘Kelly, hand me back the dog please.’
There was still no response.
Lisa took a deep breath. ‘Kelly! You can see her tomorrow. Give her back!’
Kelly handed her back with a sulky pout. ‘Okay, okay, fine.’ Then she looked thoughtful for a minute. ‘It’s lucky you got a girl actually. I remember Lord McButterpants used to hump everything in sight until we had him circumcised, especially my cream Ugg boots.’
Jade and Lisa burst into laughter.
‘Kelly, do you mean castrated? It’s only people that get circumcised, silly! Not animals!’
Kelly grinned, before laughing with them. ‘Oh come on, you know what I mean.’
*
The following day, the girls were walking down Queens Road, with Cupcake securely in the pink bag over Kelly’s shoulder.
‘Make sure you don’t trip over and drop her in those shoes,’ Lisa said, concerned by Kelly’s four-inch black Jimmy Choo heels, which she was wearing with shiny black skinny jeans and a black peplum top with a diamanté collar.
‘Stop worrying. I would never fall over,’ Kelly said confidently, jutting her chin skywards. ‘I’ve been wearing heels since I was about seven.’
‘I doubt it,’ Jade frowned.
Kelly turned to her sharply, appalled that it was being questioned. ‘Yes I have, actually. I had black patent Kickers remember? They were big thick heels. We were in Mrs Horne’s class, so we were seven.’
‘Oh my God, so you were,’ Jade remembered, shaking her head in disbelief.
‘I might get a blow dry while we’re down here too,’ Kelly announced, as they passed a blow dry bar.
‘Going somewhere tonight?’ Lisa asked.
‘Me and Bill are going to go for a nice meal somewhere. I always like to look nice for him. I’ve had a spray tan as well,’ Kelly explained as she looked down at her bronzed arms.
Jade glanced at Kelly, who looked tanned, as she always did. Jade didn’t even know Kelly’s natural colour at all anymore; she never went out without a bit of fake tan and though Jade hated to admit it, neither did she nowadays. At Jade’s uni, in Bath, it had been a different story. Jade wasn’t even sure if she had owned any fake tan for the three years she was there.
‘What about you, Jade?’ Lisa asked.
‘Just going to the cinema with Sam. How did your date with Alex go, by the way?’
‘Mmm … he was okay,’ Lisa said thoughtfully. ‘I haven’t fallen head over heels for him or anything. He’s nice, but I really wasn’t keen on his shoes.’
Jade and Kelly laughed heartily.
‘You can’t not like someone because of their shoes!’ Jade exclaimed. Lisa was so fussy, she thought, but as she glanced at her, with her beautiful shiny long dark hair, slender legs and striking coffee-coloured eyes, Jade realised she could afford to be.
‘Well I didn’t really like his shirt either. It was far too baggy and didn’t do him any justice,’ Lisa told them before stopping. ‘Right girls, here it is up here on the right. Puppy Kit Pet Couture.’
‘Oh my God. Is that an actual four-poster bed for a dog in the window?’ Jade asked, completely astounded by what she was seeing. How had she never spotted this shop before? It was madness! As they walked in, Jade was mesmerised. There were dog coats, jackets, t-shirts, dresses, skirts, fancy dress costumes. There was even dog perfume! They were surrounded by everything you could ever need for your pet and more.
‘Hi girls,’ the lady that worked there greeted them, ‘awww … let me have a look at her,’ she said as she approached them and spotted Cupcake poking her tiny head out of the bag.
As the lady chatted to Kelly and Lisa, Jade walked around the shop, amazed at some of the things she was seeing. She picked up a gorgeous Swarovski collar and bracelet set, thinking Cupcake would look adorable in it, and then reeled in shock at the £150 price tag. This one is better, she thought, picking up a little white one with pink crystals, which was only £17.95. As Jade browsed through the adorable little dresses, picking up some as she went, she froze. She could hear a girl talking loudly behind her to the lady at the till. How did she know that voice?
‘Jade?’ the husky voice said, sending shivers down her spine.
She turned around, to be confronted with her worst nightmare. It was Adele. Memories of Marbella last year came flooding back to her. Not only had Adele, who was Sam’s ex-girlfriend, tried to keep them apart by telling lies about Jade and snogging Sam right in front of her face, but she had also stolen their bag of sequins and jewels from the market and put them on her own bikini! She’d denied it of course, but Jade and Kelly knew the truth. She was just a complete bitch and Jade had hoped she’d never see her again. She had spotted her once since Marbella down Loughton High Street, but she had hid in a shop until she had gone. There was nowhere to escape in here.
‘Oh, hi Adele,’ she said, about to turn back round to the shelves of clothing. The last thing she wanted was to actually have a conversation with her.
To Jade’s surprise, Adele practically jumped on her, kissing her cheek. ‘Oh my God, I haven’t seen you for ages! How are you, hun? Who are you with? Oh my God, shut up! It’s Kelly. Kelly!’ she shouted, flapping up and down and interrupting Kelly’s conversation with Lisa and the shop assistant.
Kelly’s face dropped and she waved unenthusiastically, looking like she’d seen a ghost.
‘Come over here, babe!’ Adele signalled, a huge grin plastered on her face.
Kelly said something to Lisa, who looked over, and they made their way to where Jade and Adele were standing.
Adele grabbed Kelly as soon as she was within reach, hugging her tightly. Jade had to stifle a laugh as she watched Kelly’s terrified face.
‘Hi Adele,’ she said, trying to pull back from her forceful embrace.
‘How are you, babe? Can’t believe how long it’s been! I’ve been hoping to bump into you two for ages.’
‘I’m good thanks,’ Kelly replied, taking another step back. ‘This is Lisa by the way; I don’t think you met her in Marbella?’
‘No,’ Adele shook her head, ‘I do recognise you from Marbs though. I saw you with Jade and Kelly a few times. Hi, hun.’
‘Hi,’ Lisa nodded, looking bored. She knew all about Adele and how much of a cow she was.
‘Oh my God! Your dog is amazing!’ Adele roughly put her hand through the opening of the bag to stroke Cupcake, who cowered and hid further into the safety of the blanket. ‘What a lovely Chihuahua.’
‘Thanks,’ Lisa replied, looking at her watch.
‘I’m buying a miniature Yorkshire Terrier, so just getting some little bits for him now. He’s completely adorable. Costing my dad a fortune because he’s like, from the best breeders ever. Think his dad was a winner at Crufts and everything. Over one and a half grand he is. Oh well, it’s worth it, isn’t it babe?’ she said to Lisa, as though they understood each other because they both had dogs. ‘What’s she called?’
‘Cupcake,’ Lisa replied.
‘Princess