Free Love and Other Drama-Ramas! by Sarah Webb

then she tinkles her fingers at us and leaves in a waft of musky perfume and hairspray.
    “I’m so sorry,” Paddy says as soon as she’s gone. He looks genuinely upset. “I had no idea she’d given Amber that slot. It’s such a shame. The magazine needs a good shake-up. Cliona’s running it into the ground. She’s a good writer when she wants to be, but she always plays it safe. There’s nothing about music or design or cutting-edge street fashion. It’s all university balls and parties. And don’t get me started on the website! She just won’t listen to anyone else’s opinion. I really hope things get better soon. Here.” He hands Clover a smart gray and white business card, and she puts it in her pocket absently.
    “Please stay in touch,” he says. “I’m sure Cliona will change her mind. The magazine needs someone like you.”
    “She will,” I say, adding, “sorry, Clover hasn’t seen Cliona for a long time, I think she got a bit of a fright.”
    “I understand,” he says kindly. “Sounds like Cliona’s changed a lot.”
    “Every day,” Clover says softly on the DART home. “I’m going to have to face that witch every single day. And what about
him
? I thought I was over him, Beanie. I’m such a mess.”
    “Forget about Cliona,” I say. “And Kendall. They’re not worth it.”
    Poor Clover. She’s nervous enough about college without this horror hanging over her head.
    She nods and then stares out of the window, her eyes glazed, her mind miles away. I could kill Cliona Bang. Clover’s college career is at stake. I wish there was something I could do. But what?

“Seth, are you all right? You’ve been very quiet all day.” I nudge him gently with my shoulder. It’s lunchtime on Tuesday, and we’re walking toward the pitch — but mentally he’s miles away. Bailey is standing by the wall on the far side of the rugby fields with Annabelle and a gang of D4s and Crombies.
    “It’s Bailey,” Seth says, nodding in his direction. “I tried talking to him about Mills earlier, but he just shut me down. Said he didn’t want to discuss it. They were all over each other in Dundrum. I can’t believe he did that to her on Friday night. And with Annabelle Hamilton. I thought he hated the D4s — but look at him now, fawning over them. I don’t get it. It’s all so weird.”
    “I know. It doesn’t make sense.” I think back to how he was when I confronted him at the gig. I can still see his eyes now, days later: hurt, dark, afraid. I shake my head. “I just get the feeling there’s something going on with Bailey — something we don’t know about. Have you met his family?”
    “No. But I’ve been to his house in Bray. It’s pretty nice, mega kitchen, loads of steel, and this really cool oven thing. He calls his old man “Mac.” He’s a chef. Bailey says the joke is he rarely cooks at home. Said they’d both starve if it wasn’t for the local takeout.”
    “And his mum?”
    “Didn’t mention her. She certainly wasn’t in the house.”
    “Did you not ask him where she was?”
    “We’re not all as nosy as you are, Amy. And we were more interested in playing Xbox than in talking about our female parentals.”
    I shake my head. Boys really are clueless sometimes. How can you find out about people if you don’t ask questions?
    “I don’t think he’s interested in being friends with me anymore,” Seth adds glumly. “And after what he did to Mills — But do you know something weird? Polly spotted him on Killiney Beach on Saturday afternoon. He was teaching a bunch of kids to surf.”
    “Really? Kids? Are we talking about the same Bailey? And he’s never said anything about surfing.”
    Seth shrugs. “I know. Strange, isn’t it? Polly was surprised to find him there, all right. She hung around for a while and watched them bodyboarding. Said Bailey looked really happy just messing about in the water with the kids. He saw her and waved. He’s been at our place a few