shoes,’ she’d said. ‘For special occasions.’
They were a bit grown-up at the front, but the heels were high and thin. I shoved them on my feet and stood up. I wasn’t used to being three inches taller than normal. I walked across the clothes still strewn over the floor, onto the landing.
6.52.
I knew I was walking awkwardly, but there was no time to change the shoes. I took a deep breath and tottered downstairs, holding on to the stair rail to steady myself.
Mum was waiting in the hallway as I reached the front door.
I grabbed my coat and glanced up at her. ‘See you later.’
‘Have a nice time,’ she said. She paused, her eyes flickering up and down my outfit.
How do I look?
I should have just gone, but I hesitated, really wanting her to say something encouraging about my appearance.
‘Very nice.’ She pursed her lips. ‘Though a bit shop-girlish. I thought you . . .’
But I didn’t wait to hear what she thought. I tore through the front door and up the road, walking as fast as my heels would let me, sniffing back the tears that threatened to smear mascara all down my cheek.
I just had time to catch my breath and put on a slash of lip gloss outside the busy school gates before Theo turned up. He was in jeans and a thick jacket, a backpack over his shoulder.
I stared at his face as he walked towards me, soaking up the shape of it, the way his hair fell round it, how perfect it was. He smiled at me.
I forgot that it was cold and my breath was misting in front of me. I forgot that there were people all around us, swarming in through the gates. I forgot everything except his face. I smiled back.
‘Okay?’ he said. I could see the anxiety behind his eyes. ‘This is Roy. Remember?’
I shifted my gaze slightly to the right. The thickset guy who I’d seen peering through the window at Max’s house was there. Theo’s bodyguard. Standing right next to him.
I hadn’t even noticed.
‘Hi,’ I said.
Roy nodded grumpily at me.
There was a pause. Theo appeared to be waiting for me to do something. Of course.
‘Er . . . down here.’ I led him and Roy through the gates.
My heart was pounding as we walked inside the school building. I wondered if Jemima was here yet.
The entrance hall was crackling with excitement. Nearest to us were several groups of boys, mainly from Princedale’s I assumed, standing in line to show the teacher at the desk their invitations. Most of them were mucking about, shoving each other or else chatting loudly with their hands in their pockets – but I could see their eyes darting everywhere.
I looked round myself. Oh God .
I was so wearing the wrong clothes. Further inside the entrance hall, loads of girls were shrugging off their jackets, all talking at the tops of their voices. Most of them were wearing short skirts and really clingy tops. A few were in jeans – but they had the tightest tops of all – either cropped above the stomach, or low cut over their boobs. And they were almost all in high, clumpy shoes and wearing masses of make-up.
My stomach churned. Everything I had on was completely wrong. I glanced at Theo. He was staring open-mouthed at the girls across the hallway. Humiliation burned my cheeks.
Roy caught my eye. He dug Theo in the ribs with his elbow.
Theo jumped. Then blushed.
‘Where’s your invitation?’ Roy said to him, roughly.
I pulled the one I’d taken for Theo out of my pocket and handed it to him. ‘You better queue to sign in,’ I said. ‘I’ll see you in the Assembly Hall.’
I shuffled off to the back of the entrance hall. I had to concentrate really hard on walking so as not to fall over in my shoes on the slippy tile floor. I left my coat on while I walked down to the Assembly Hall. I wanted to put off being seen in my clothes for as long as possible.
Thankfully the Assembly Hall had an unslippery wooden floor. And it was darker in here than out in the corridor, just a few soft, yellow wall lights round the sides
They were a bit grown-up at the front, but the heels were high and thin. I shoved them on my feet and stood up. I wasn’t used to being three inches taller than normal. I walked across the clothes still strewn over the floor, onto the landing.
6.52.
I knew I was walking awkwardly, but there was no time to change the shoes. I took a deep breath and tottered downstairs, holding on to the stair rail to steady myself.
Mum was waiting in the hallway as I reached the front door.
I grabbed my coat and glanced up at her. ‘See you later.’
‘Have a nice time,’ she said. She paused, her eyes flickering up and down my outfit.
How do I look?
I should have just gone, but I hesitated, really wanting her to say something encouraging about my appearance.
‘Very nice.’ She pursed her lips. ‘Though a bit shop-girlish. I thought you . . .’
But I didn’t wait to hear what she thought. I tore through the front door and up the road, walking as fast as my heels would let me, sniffing back the tears that threatened to smear mascara all down my cheek.
I just had time to catch my breath and put on a slash of lip gloss outside the busy school gates before Theo turned up. He was in jeans and a thick jacket, a backpack over his shoulder.
I stared at his face as he walked towards me, soaking up the shape of it, the way his hair fell round it, how perfect it was. He smiled at me.
I forgot that it was cold and my breath was misting in front of me. I forgot that there were people all around us, swarming in through the gates. I forgot everything except his face. I smiled back.
‘Okay?’ he said. I could see the anxiety behind his eyes. ‘This is Roy. Remember?’
I shifted my gaze slightly to the right. The thickset guy who I’d seen peering through the window at Max’s house was there. Theo’s bodyguard. Standing right next to him.
I hadn’t even noticed.
‘Hi,’ I said.
Roy nodded grumpily at me.
There was a pause. Theo appeared to be waiting for me to do something. Of course.
‘Er . . . down here.’ I led him and Roy through the gates.
My heart was pounding as we walked inside the school building. I wondered if Jemima was here yet.
The entrance hall was crackling with excitement. Nearest to us were several groups of boys, mainly from Princedale’s I assumed, standing in line to show the teacher at the desk their invitations. Most of them were mucking about, shoving each other or else chatting loudly with their hands in their pockets – but I could see their eyes darting everywhere.
I looked round myself. Oh God .
I was so wearing the wrong clothes. Further inside the entrance hall, loads of girls were shrugging off their jackets, all talking at the tops of their voices. Most of them were wearing short skirts and really clingy tops. A few were in jeans – but they had the tightest tops of all – either cropped above the stomach, or low cut over their boobs. And they were almost all in high, clumpy shoes and wearing masses of make-up.
My stomach churned. Everything I had on was completely wrong. I glanced at Theo. He was staring open-mouthed at the girls across the hallway. Humiliation burned my cheeks.
Roy caught my eye. He dug Theo in the ribs with his elbow.
Theo jumped. Then blushed.
‘Where’s your invitation?’ Roy said to him, roughly.
I pulled the one I’d taken for Theo out of my pocket and handed it to him. ‘You better queue to sign in,’ I said. ‘I’ll see you in the Assembly Hall.’
I shuffled off to the back of the entrance hall. I had to concentrate really hard on walking so as not to fall over in my shoes on the slippy tile floor. I left my coat on while I walked down to the Assembly Hall. I wanted to put off being seen in my clothes for as long as possible.
Thankfully the Assembly Hall had an unslippery wooden floor. And it was darker in here than out in the corridor, just a few soft, yellow wall lights round the sides
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