Jules grabbed my arm and just about dragged me up to her room.

“But Jules!”
“Stop complaining and go get washed up” Jules was in dictator mode and to be honest she scares me!
“Come on Gaby, hurry up!”
“Why can’t I just stay up here?”
“And when Maddy gets here?”

I could sort of see where she was coming from which is worrying in itself.

“Okay I give in”
“Good girl, lets get you into that underwear you had on yesterday”

By the time Jules was done, to my disgust ‘cousin’ Gaby was very much back. I’d been wearing the small gold hoops that Mad bought me all weekend, Jules added a pair of white crystal studs and another hoop in that hole at the top of my ear. Apparently her friends thought that was cool and would expect me to still have a ring in it.

At least she went a bit easier on the rest of my attire! A pair of her jeans weren’t too bad but the cropped t that revealed the black bustier underneath was a bit much. A high ponytail, a bit of light makeup and some of Jules jewellery completed my ‘look’.

“Go and wait downstairs, I wont be a minute” she ordered

When she joined me in the kitchen a surprisingly few minutes later, she was wearing her ‘Leeds’ outfit and had put her hair up. Not a moment too soon either, the door bell went announcing the girls arrival. Jules opened the door and Kazza, Kirsty, Sonia, Charlie and Anna poured in.

“Guess who’s here?” I heard Jules ask
“Who?”
“Gaby!”
“Brill!” Kazza exclaimed

The girls came through to the kitchen.

“Hi Gaby” Anna mentioned
“Hiya” Kirsty mentioned, I noticed she was wearing a ring in her nose today

The others variously greeted me and I did my best to give an upbeat return performance.

“Er you’ve kept the nose then?” I mentioned to Kirsty, sorry about that”
“Well my Mum was a bit pissed but I really like it”
“I guess I got off lightly” I mentioned

She whispered in my ear

“Charlie’s eyebrows still haven’t grown back” she giggled

I risked a quick look at Charlie; yep her brows were drawn on her hairless forehead!

“What are you two giggling about?” Jules asked
“Nothing” I told her

I forgot to mention that Anna’s hair was back to its natural white blonde but with a carmine stripe on one side. So I guess I won’t be calling her Pinkie anymore! I guess those extra couple of year’s get you a bit more license

“We were just talking about the forfeits from Anna’s party” Kirsty added

“Lets sit in the lounge” Jules suggested leading the way

This was really weird; I was included in the group as though I always hang out with them. I was however a bit shocked when Jules piped up a bit later.

“Hey Gab, show the girls your bustier”
“What?” I panicked
“Come on Gab” Kazza encouraged
“Yeah you’ve been teasing us with it all morning” Charlie agreed
“It’s not as though that dweeb Drew is about eh Jules” Sonia mentioned to which Anna smirked
“Just pull your top up” Jules instructed

Shit, shit, shit! I was backed into a corner. With a sigh I pulled the top up to reveal the lacy bustier and my falsies.

“Oh cool” Kirsty stated
“I don’t know why you’re wearing that t shirt, that is just so brill” Sonia mentioned
“Where’d you get it?” Kazza asked
“It was a present” I replied carefully
“She’s even got matching pants” Jules supplied
“That is just soo sexy” Anna told everyone

To say I was frightened and embarrassed would be putting it mildly! Frightened that one of them would spot that the breasts they were looking at were not real and embarrassed that I was stood there showing off my underwear.

“Well I reckon Anna and Gaby got off too lightly at the party” Sonia of the shaved pubes stated a bit later.
“What do you mean?” Anna asked
“Well, Charlie lost her eyebrows, Kirst got her nose done, I had a erm, intimate experience with a razor and Jules did that streak. Gab only had to dress up and you just wore that nappy, it’s hardly the same is it?”
“It was equal chance Sonia” Kirsty tempered
“Well I guess” Sonia allowed

I breathed a sigh of relief. But not for long.

“Tell you what,” Anna started just to show we were up for it me and Gab will do an extra forfeit today”
“I’m not…” I started
“Ooh that’s a brill idea” Jules jumped in cutting me off.

I was done for now!

“So what are the forfeits then?” Charlie asked
“Well we can’t do the streak thing and the ones they already did are out” Sonia mentioned
“So that leaves, what? Shaving bits and piercing bits” Kazza filled in.

I was getting real worried now.

“I know, the four of us make a list and Gaby and Anna each pick a number and they get that forfeit” Kirsty suggested
“Sounds fair” Jules agreed
“Okay with you two?” Kazza queried
“I’m up for it” Anna enthused
“I guess” I reluctantly agreed.

Jules ushered Anna and me into the kitchen.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure there’s nothing too bad” she whispered
“Come on Jules!”
“Coming”
“Sorry Drew, I said it without thinking” Anna admitted
“I don’t suppose we could just do a runner?” I proposed
“They’d only get us later”
“I guess” I allowed, totally forgetting that Gaby wouldn’t be around later to get.
“Okay you two” Charlie called through

We returned to the living room to discover our fate.

“Jules insisted that everything on the list we’d all do if it was us” Kazza advised us

Somehow knowing this bunch that was cold comfort.

“Pick a number between one and ten” Charlie invited
“Seven” I told them
“I’ll go for three” Anna stated
“What have they got?” Kazza asked my sister who was apparently in charge of the list.
“Let’s see,“ Jules consulted the paper, “three that’s … ooh head shave!”

Anna gulped and went pale

“It doesn’t have to be all of it, we’ll settle for part” Sonia allowed
“What about Gaby?” Kirsty enthused
“Okay, seven that’s… “

Brrrrng! Brrrrng! Yesss! Saved by the bell. I scampered to the door.

“Oh hi D..” I cut Mad off
“Jules friend’s are here” I whispered, “they think I ‘am’ Gaby”
“It’s Maddy” I informed my tormentors
“Hi guys” Mad greeted the older girls
“Oh hi Maddy” Jules replied
“I’ve just brought some stuff for Drew, is he about?”
“Yeah where is that little pipsqueak?” Sonia asked

Sonia really seemed to have it in for me today.

“I think he’s out on his bike” Jules stated
“Come on Jules, what’s Gab’s forfeit?” Charlie demanded
“Seven wasn’t it, It’s one of yours Charlie. Gaby you’re not allowed to wear knickers or trousers of any kind for a week. If any of us see you wearing any you have to do another forfeit”

Mad giggled

“What am I supposed to wear then?” I enquired
“Well dur, skirts and dresses” Kazza mentioned
“Yeah short ones too” Sonia enthused. What is it with her?
“You start straight away” Charlie told me
“You can borrow one of my skirts Gab” Jules advised me
“Thanks cuz”
“I’ll help you pick one” Mad offered
“That okay Jules?”
“Good idea, you know where my room is”

I led the way upstairs, once we were safely out of hearing Mad started the questions

“What’s all this about then?”
“Sonia reckoned me and Anna got off too lightly at Anna’s party”
“Off what?”
“Forfeits”
“Forfeits?”
“Yeah you know like having to pay a penalty”
“I know what a forfeit is dumbo!”
“Well we each had to do one at the party, I thought I told you”
“I don’t remember you saying anything about that”
“Oh well guess I can tell you. Kazza had to shave her pubes, Kirsty got her nose pierced, Jules had to run down to road naked and Sonia had to drink three shorts in a minute. Charlie had her eyebrows shaved off I had to wear Anna’s Mum’s clubbing dress and Anna had to wear a nappy all night!”
“Wow! That explains a few things though, like Kirsty’s nose”
“Yeah well things got a bit heated before you came and Anna suggested that me and her do another forfeit today”
“So what’s Anna’s then?”
“She’s got to have at least some of her head shaved, I’m just glad I didn’t choose three!”
“So I suppose we’ll have to do this for now at least”
“Everyone will find out who I am” I panicked as the reality sank in
“No they won’t” Mad mentioned, “we’ve only got to convince them for a short while and that gaff thing is pretty convincing. Come on get those jeans off” she instructed

When I returned with Mad to the front room the others had literally tied a now struggling Anna to one of the dining chairs.

“We thought you’d got lost, lets see then” Sonia instructed

I picked up the front of the denim mini I was sort of wearing to expose my crotch.

“Nice beaver” Kazza mentioned
“I bet it would look nice shaved” Sonia stated
“Leave her alone, that wasn’t the deal” Jules told her as I returned the skirt to a more modest position.
“What are you doing to Anna?” Mad asked
“Didn’t Gab tell you? We’re shaving her head” Sonia informed her
“Guys!” Anna implored
“Deals a deal” Kirsty told the captive
“Jules?” Anna looked hopefully at my sister
“Best get it over with” Charlie consoled
“Who’s gonna do it?” Kazza queried
“I reckon Gaby should” Sonia suggested
“Yeah that’s a good idea” Kirsty agreed

“Higher!” Sonia urged

I carefully moved the clippers up Anna’s neck

“Come on Gaby, you’ve hardly got any off” Kirsty complained
“Let her be” Jules tempered

I continued the task I’d been forced into, slowly moving higher up her head.

“How’s that?” I asked
“Well it’ll do I suppose” Sonia allowed
“We just need to shave it clean now” Kazza noted
“Well you can do that” I told them

Half an hour later they freed Anna with her new hairstyle. I’m sure Anna realised that I’d become involved under duress. From a distance you couldn’t really tell but her head was shaved up to the top of her ears, the longer hair on top covered it but if it was put in a ponytail there would be no mistaking the semi punk cut. I really did feel for her, her Mum was sure to go ballistic!

All the time I thought Anna was the leader of this little posse, instead it’s actually that bully Sonia. I heard from Jules later on that Charlie’s continued lack of eyebrows was because Sonia insisted she wax them off and she’d even put superglue on Kirsty’s nose ring so she couldn’t take it out. Oh and Kazza had to keep her pubes hair free too, Jules, Anna and the others were sort of in thrall to her.

“Come on lets go up the rec.” Sonia ordered
“Gaby and me have got to finish getting ready for the weekend” Jules told her
“Okay, see you tomorrow then and don’t forget no knickers Gaby”
“I won’t”

The others followed Sonia off up the street

“Okay you two, how did you do it?” Jules asked after she closed the door.
“What” I asked innocently
“You know what”
“Oh that!”
“Well we sort of improved Drew’s gaff thing, it looks pretty much like a thingy we just used a bit of tape and a few bits of hair so it looks like a bush!”
“Just out of interest Jules what else was on the list?”
“Well it could have got messy, Sonia wanted all sorts of gross stuff but she didn’t know what order I’d got stuff on the list. Yours was the best chance not to be found out or get extra holes, I made sure you got that, whatever number you said.”
“What about Anna?” Mad mentioned
“Well like I said there were several chances for piercing different bits, tongue, lip, eyebrow and belly button, I think Sonia’s a sadist! Then there was dyeing your hair some bizarre colour, going down the rec. in just your undies, wearing nappies for a week or being treated like a dog all week”
“You girls are weird!” Mad stated
“Sonia wouldn’t really insist you do that piercing stuff would she?”
“I think she would, she’s getting a bit out of hand,” Jules admitted
“Let’s get these off my chest” I suggested hefting my bosom
“Okay, I’ve got the stuff in my bag” Mad confirmed

What a day! Mad helped us with our removals after I returned to Drewism and stayed for tea, Dad dropped her home about eight. I didn’t sleep too well, all I could think of were Sonia’s potential tortures, all happening to me!

“Morning Jules”
“Hi Drew”
“I’ve been thinking, do you think the others would help if we came up with a plan to take Sonia down a peg?”
“Might do, got anything in mind?”
“Not yet but I hate bullies”
“I suppose she is a bully really”

I went for a ride, only about twenty miles but its race night tonight! Afterwards I met the others at Mad’s and we went for a walk and swim at ‘our’ spot. I did at least remember my swimming cozzie this time. We had tea courtesy of Mrs P and Maddy walked back home with me, we had a race to go to!

This time everything’s official, Mad’s borrowing Mum’s bike again and I get to use my new wheels for the first time.

“You both riding again?” John asked as we pulled up

“Yes please”
“Okay, number nine for you Madeline”
“Thanks”
“And twelve for you Gaby”
“I might just catch you Mad”
“Not if I can help it” she enthused

The weather being a bit flat and humid was not really very good for racing and it was quite surprising that our times were so close to last week. I caught Mad half way back but she was tenacious and while I did 24.50 despite my new wheels, she held on for an improvement to 29.10!

“Well done!” I exclaimed when John shouted our times over, “you’ll make a racer yet”

We made our way back via the chippy as usual and Mad came back to mine, one of Dad’s loan conditions was that the bike stayed in our ‘secure’ garage! To that end, he landed himself with chauffeuring Mad home again.

“Hello everyone, it looks like you are all having a good holiday” noted opening the exchange meeting on Wednesday morning.
“Yes sir” we all replied to Mr Woods statement
“Okay, has anyone got any problems?”

No one seemed to so he went on.

“I’ll try to keep this short, our visitors will get here about six thirty on Friday so I’d like you and your parents here about six please. If everything goes to plan you should be off again by seven with your exchange partners. There’s a programme here for each of you, if there are any problems, my home number is on there. If you don’t tell us, we can’t fix it!”

There was an uneasy laugh.

“Drew can you pass these out please” he indicated the pile of booklets, “then we’ll have a quick run through”

Well the quick run through took over an hour!

“God he goes on a bit!” Ally mentioned
“You’re not kidding” Anna added
“What happened to your hair?” Rhod asked
“I just fancied a change” she lied

I thought now was a good time to mention revenge!

“Come on Anna, tell them the truth” I suggested
“Okay, well it all started…”

“Bummer!” Bernie declared from her seat above us in the tree house.
“Are you up for getting some revenge” I addressed the older girls
“You bet” Charlie agreed, “I hate having to draw eyebrows on every day, I’m not sure they’ll ever grow back”
“Mum reckons it takes quite a few goes to get that far, if you’ve only done it once they should grow back” Rhod advised
“Okay, here’s the plan”

Well I’m not telling you lot, you might tell Sonia!

Everyone agreed the plan, the only potential problems were Kazza and Kirsty, they were both victims but where are their loyalties?

Maddy Bell 13.01.04