Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne Page A

not-so-new-any-more friends. I was sunbathing with Jane, Joel, Guy, Lottie and Amber. Although Amber was attempting to use her sketchbook to shield her face from the rays.
    â€œI’m so jealous of your skin, Lottie. You tan so easily, whereas I’m going to have to spend my entire ginger life plastered in factor 30.”
    Lottie arched an eyebrow. “Yes, but think of all the wrinkles you won’t have when you’re older?”
    â€œAnnnnnd, I’m going to stop complaining now.”
    Lottie smiled. “Never stop complaining, Amber. It is why I love you so very dearly.”
    Guy snorted. “Who is this guy any way?” he asked, an unlit fag dangling from his lips.
    Lottie tilted her head up from the cushion she’d made out of her jumper and answered for me. “He’s this super sweet guy from her film class. But he’s so shy it’s ridiculous.”
    â€œHe’s not shy,” I said, defending him. “He’s just…umm…shy.”
    Guy lit his cigarette, took a deep drag then exhaled deliberately into my face. I coughed and glared at him.
    â€œHe sounds like a pussy.”
    â€œHe’s not a pussy!”
    â€œOh yeah?” he said, tauntingly. Then, with no notice, he grabbed my phone out of my hand.
    â€œHey,” I said, clambering to get it back but he fended me off with his cigarette.
    â€œHey, what animals do you like? I’ve always wanted a monkey,” he read off the screen. He made a look of utter disgust and chucked my phone back at me. “See, told you. Puss. Ay.”
    I collected my phone off the grass and dusted the mud off it. “He’s just making conversation. I like monkeys too.”
    â€œWhoop whoop, why don’t you just marry the guy?”
    Amber sat up and joined in. “He has a point,” she said. “Did he honestly just message you about animals?”
    â€œJust this one time.”
    â€œAnd what else does he message you about?” Lottie asked. I had everyone’s attention and I didn’t like it. I felt defensive of Oli, and his cheekbones, and our future children’s cheekbones.
    â€œUmm. Films sometimes.”
    â€œAnything else?”
    â€œEr. What we did at the weekend?”
    Guy finished his fag and stubbed it out in the grass. “And yet he’s never said, ‘Why don’t we do something this weekend?’”
    I didn’t reply, just looked at his fag butt. Wanting so badly to pick it up, carry it over to the bin and then wash my hands twice. Maybe three times.
    My phone beeped again. I looked at the screen and broke into a huge grin. “HE’S ASKED ME OUT,” I yelled, waving the phone at all of them.
    Lottie and Amber shrieked and ran over to read the message. Lottie read it aloud.
    â€œâ€˜Fancy cinema this weekend?’ Aww – finally! I’d about given up hope.”
    I beamed at everyone, then quickly stuck my tongue out at Guy. A date! With a boy! To the cinema! Like people do!
    BAD THOUGHT
    You’ll have to sit on a cinema seat that’s already been sat on by hundreds of thousands of dirty people.
    BAD THOUGHT
    He’ll want to buy you popcorn. How can you explain that you won’t be able to eat the popcorn?
    BAD THOUGHT
    What if he realizes within minutes that you’re a massive weirdo freak and runs out leaving you alone to fester in the germs?
    â€œSo…?” Lottie said, examining my suddenly pale face. “Are you going to message him back?”
    â€œShouldn’t I wait a while?”
    â€œYes,” Guy said.
    â€œNo,” Amber butted in, ignoring Guy. “Message him back. He’s shy, he’ll be dying by now.”
    I flicked through our plans for this weekend. “Isn’t Anna having another party on Saturday? Should I invite him to that?”
    Amber thought about it and shook her head, sunrays bouncing off her hair. “Hmm. No… See how the cinema goes and