Free The Bad Girls' Club by Kathryn O'Halloran

and…
    ‘What are you doing, Juliette?’ asked Beth.
    ‘ I’ve never had boobies before,’ I confessed. ‘Look at me. I’m perky.’
    ‘ Just don’t play with them like that in public. Now, come on. It’s time to take you out. Now, where to for dinner? There’s a new Thai place just opened down the street that’s really funky,’ said Beth.
    ‘ What about Chinese?’ I replied.
    ‘ Maccas?’ asked Imogen. She walked back out to the lounge room.
    Beth walked behind her, muttering in disgust. ‘Maccas! What are you thinking? Who goes to Maccas? We’re going on a girl’s night out not a five-year-old’s birthday party.’
    ‘ Forget it,’ said Imogen. ‘Let’s just get going. I’m starving. We can decide on the way. Come on, Jules. What are you doing anyway?’
    ‘ Just a minute.’
    I needed to take one last look in the mirror before we left.

Chapter 8:                       Beth
    We finally found somewhere to eat then Imogen dragged us up Hyde Street. Not the nice end with the designer stores and hip cafes either but the really grungy end.
    A busker, with his dog curled up at his feet, sang a country song in a doorway. His friend danced out in front of us, holding out his cap for money. I shrugged him off. It wasn’t as if we could stop, even if we wanted to, with Imogen marching on ahead like some kind of Contiki tour leader.
    A group of guys at an outdoor café yelled as we passed. ‘Yo, sexy. Come sit with us.’
    I couldn ’t believe it. Juliette turned and winked at them, like she was Paris frigging Hilton. They all hooted and whistled until I dragged her away. The makeover was going to her head. Although, I must say I’d even amazed myself with my makeover magic. Who’d have thought that Juliette would blossom into such a sex kitten? I was so right about the blonde highlights and, in that short skirt, she looked all legs. I must be a natural at this.
    ‘ What now?’ Juliette asked, when Imogen stopped to light a cigarette.
    I didn ’t care. I’d have been happy to go to a nice bar but all the nice bars were way down the other end of the street.
    ‘ Maybe a club?’ Juliette added.
    ‘ Clubs are boring,’ said Imogen. ‘How about that?’ She pointed to the sleazy pub across the street advertising male dancers.
    I shrugged.
    ‘Well, why not? Isn’t that what bad girls do on a night out?’ asked Imogen.
    We crossed the road and huddled outside the doorway, looking up the rickety stairs leading into blackness. I did not want to go in there.
    ‘This place looks dodgy,’ I whispered.
    ‘ Yeah. Let’s go somewhere else,’ said Juliette.
    ‘ No frigging way,’ said Imogen. ‘And do what? Sit around some boring club? This is a girl’s night out and that means strippers.’
    She dropped her cigarette and ground it with her heel then disappeared up the stairs.
    ‘Doesn’t look like we have a choice,’ said Juliette and followed her.
    At the top of the stairs, a group of girls milled around the front desk. One of them turned to us, snapping her gum.
    ‘Is this your first time?’ she asked. ‘This place rocks. Wait until you see Tony. He’s a real hottie.’
    A short girl with white belly rolling over the top of her jeans grabbed her arm. ‘Sandra, stop it. You’re an old married woman now, remember? You shouldn’t be such a perv.’ She slapped Sandra on the arm.
    Sandra spun on the heel of her white boots and popped a bubble in her friend ’s face. ‘You’re just jealous.’ She gave us a wink. ‘It’s Deb’s hen’s night tonight. She’s pissed off ‘cos I beat her down the aisle.’
    Before we could reply, a woman appeared through the doorway. She grabbed a blue clipboard folder off the desk and checked off the hen ’s party. Then she turned to me.
    ‘ You girls got a booking?’ she asked.
    I shook my head. We needed a booking? That was the best thing I ’d heard all night. We could get out of this dive. I swear, the fumes from cheap