In Ecstasy Read Online Free Page A

Lewis Scott!
    â€˜It’s your dad’s weekend.’
    â€˜I know, but I’ve got stuff on. I’m meeting with Soph tonight and anyway, I don’t want to be around Kylie.’
    â€˜I thought you liked her.’ Mum looked at me over the top of her cup.
    â€˜She’s getting too big for herself now. Thinks she can talk to me like she’s my friend, or my mother.’
    Mum winced. The subject of Kylie is still painful for her. Dad and Kylie had been business partners, and he left home a month before my twelfth birthday to be with her. Even though Mum’s got a new boyfriend and has moved on from the train wreck of her marriage, Kylie still touches a nerve.
    â€˜You’ll have to ring him,’ she said finally. ‘I don’t want him thinking I’ve put you up to this. You’ll have to tell him that you’ve got your own life now.’
    Fine with me. Dad was a pushover anyway.
    I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was in limbo, waiting for Lewis to text me but worried he might not. I studied myself in the mirror. There was a monumental pimple lurking beneath the surface of my chin. I didn’t want it erupting tonight. But it wasn’t ready to squeeze, and anyway that could be deadly—turning it into a mountain worthy of its own postcode. I stopped myself from touching it and plucked a few stray hairs out of my eyebrows. Then I gave myself a pedicure. My poor heel was so sore. I was sticking on a bandaid when my mobile vibrated. A message from Lewis!
    party on. pick u up @ shops
    Immediately I texted Sophie. My stomach was fluttering as I assessed my wardrobe. I had to wear something ultra cool. He had to think I was hot. The shoes posed the biggest problem—what could I wear without turning into a cripple? My phone beeped again.
    cant mum freakd bout 2 much partyn
    No way! I needed Soph there. I wasn’t ready to do it on my own. Her parents are super strict. In fact her mum’s a mega control freak, picking on Sophie for just about everything. Nothing is ever good enough for Mrs Spencer. First she thinks Soph spends too much time at my house—but then she says I’m a good influence because I’m sensible and don’t go stupid over every guy I see. She says this in front of Soph. Can you imagine how bad that makes Soph feel? We both hate her.
    say ur @ my place my mum out tonite I’ll b @ yours
    Her message came back.
    ok meet at shops
    I was smiling happily. It was going to be another great night.
    I called Dad, but Kylie answered.
    â€˜Can I speak to Dad?’ I asked.
    â€˜Sure, sure,’ she said, and put the phone down. She knew I was off her after the argument we’d had last time I was there.
    I’d always got on pretty well with Kylie. And Mum had always tried not to slag her off in front of us. So I guess I’d never really thought about how hard it was for Mum to let us stay with her and Dad. Anyway, the visit before, Kylie had bought me a bra. It was pink, with underwire and diamantes. I loved it. When I got home I showed it to Mum.
    â€˜That’s nice,’ she said, smiling. But her face was tight and her eyes weren’t smiling too. Her reaction really bothered me. I sat in my room trying to figure out why she was so hurt when I suddenly understood. She didn’t want Kylie buying me things that a mother should buy. She didn’t want Kylie taking me to expensive lingerie shops and having me professionally fitted instead of getting a 10A off the rack at Target. From where Mum was standing, Kylie had taken her husband and now she was trying to take her children. I felt so ashamed for betraying my mum like that, and an overwhelming rush of hatred for Kylie.
    So when I saw Kylie next I dropped the bra in its plastic bag in her lap.
    â€˜What’s all this?’ she asked nervously. She’d known from the minute I’d arrived that something was going on. I could barely look at her. I