Cathy Hopkins - [Mates, Dates 05] by Dates Mates, Sole Survivors (Html) Read Free Book Online

you broken up? Gone off you, has he?’
    Tactful as ever, my
brother. ‘We were never really
together
together,’ I said. ‘And no, he
hasn’t gone off me, he…’
    ‘Want me to beat him
up?’
    I laughed. I knew he
didn’t mean it. ‘Yeah. Like you could.’
    ‘No one messes with my
sister,’ he said. ‘Are you upset?’
    ‘I’ll live.’
    ‘That means you are.’
    ‘Leave off her,’ said
Steve.
    ‘Boys are only after
one thing,’ said Lai. ‘Did he finish with you because you wouldn’t… you know…
put out?’
    ‘
Lai
,’ said
Steve. ‘It’s none of your business.’
    ‘He never said
anything about that,’ I said, ‘but it probably had something to do with it.’
    ‘So put out,’ said
Lai. ‘Then he’ll have you back.’
    ‘And when did you
become the expert on relationships?’ I asked.
    Lai shrugged. ‘Boys
like girls who put out. Everyone knows that.’
    I felt myself starting
to get really miffed with him. ‘And what about your
treat-’em-mean-to-keep-‘em-keen philosophy?’ I asked. ‘Last month that’s what
you told me. You can’t follow two different sets of rules. I can’t put out
and
treat ’em mean to keep ‘em keen, can I?
Can
I?’
    Lai looked confused
for a moment.
    ‘And since when did
your angle win the girls?’ I went on. ‘I know you might have snogged a lot but
how many of them have hung around to go out on proper dates? You’ve never even
had a proper girlfriend, so you can’t talk.’
    ‘Don’t want a
committed girlfriend,’ said Lai sulkily. ‘Girls are nothing but trouble when
you get to know them properly.’
    ‘Not all boys are like
Lai,’ said Steve. ‘
Some
boys like girls for their company.’
    ‘Who are you kidding?’
asked Lai. ‘I’m just being honest here.’
    ‘So am I,’ said Steve.
‘I want to be with a girl who’s got a good personality. Who I like being with.
You just want to snog as many as you can so that you can boast to your mates
about it.’
    ‘And what’s wrong with
that? No, you take my advice, Lucy. Put out.’
    ‘What? So that he can
put me on his conquest chart?’ I asked. ‘There’s more to relationships than
scoring points, you know.’
    Lai has a chart on the
back of his door — The Snog Chart. He and his mate Harry are having a
competition to see who can snog the most girls per week. When they get off with
one, they come home and mark it on the chart. Like when Lai was at the party,
they’re not at all choosy about who they kiss or even if they like the girl,
only that it’s another conquest for the chart. Lai’s winning by two this week.
    ‘You should be more
like me,’ said Lai. ‘Don’t get hung up on one person and get your heart broken.
Play the field. You need more experience. Snog loads of boys and boost your
confidence.’
    I’d had enough. ‘I
think I’ll go and call TJ,’ I said, getting up. ‘Thanks so much for the advice,
boys. I’m
so
lucky to have brothers like you. “Uh” from Steve and “put
out” from you, Lai. Thanks, it’s really helped.’
    I couldn’t believe it.
Lai looked chuffed. Maybe he actually thought I
meant
it and was
genuinely thanking him!
    After I’d called TJ to
wish her a happy holiday, Nesta rang to check I was OK after last night.
    ‘I’m fine,’ I assured
her. ‘It would be no biggie if all of you didn’t keep going on about it. So
first, I want you to stop trying to find boys for me. And second, don’t worry.’
    ‘So, don’t you want to
know about Tony?’
    ‘Um, maybe.’
    ‘He says he’s tried
your mobile a hundred times but you keep it switched off these days so he asked
me to ask you to call him.’
    ‘I’ve got nothing to
say to him,’ I said. ‘Anyway he’s got a new girlfriend now, so why does he want
to speak to me?’
    Part of me was hoping
that she’d say because he realised that he’d made a terrible mistake and wanted
to go out with me after all.
    ‘He says he still
wants to be friends,’ said Nesta.
    ‘And we