substance’?”
“Exactly what it says. That they’re self-obsessed and shallow.”
She scowls at me. “Do you think I’m shallow?”
Before I have a chance to say no, she jumps up.
“I thought we were friends, Amy. You know, I spend most of my time defending you to the girls. Saying what fun you are, how they should give you a chance. But all the time you’ve been mouthing off about me behind my back. Well, thanks a lot, Amy. Thanks for nothing.” She runs out the room and the next thing I hear is the front door bang. I’d go after her but Alex is still on my hip.
I feel like crying. Great, now I’ve lost my best friend. And it’s all my own stupid fault. I was trying to be clever, and, if I’m honest, I was trying to impress Seth. I should have kept my mouth and my Bebo site firmly shut.
I get Alex a rusk and a beaker of orange and then I settle down to MSN Seth. At least he’s still talking to me.
“I’ve just had a huge fight with Mills,” I type. “Bummer.”
“Want some company?” he writes back immediately.
I think about it for a second. “Do you like babies?”
“Love them. Especially with ketchup.”
Chapter 15
When the doorbell rings half an hour later I’m in the middle of changing Alex’s nappy. I give his bum cheeks one last swipe and throw the yucky baby wipe into a plastic bag.
“Stay put, buster,” I tell him. I grab another wipe, clean my hands and run into the hall.
“Sorry, Seth,” I say, opening the door, a smile plastered on my face. Even the thought of Seth makes me feel better. “I’m just changing—” I stop suddenly. It’s not Seth on the doorstep, it’s Mills.
I stand there for a few seconds, not knowing what to say. Eventually I manage, “Oh, hi.”
“Hi,” she says back. She’s holding her hands in front of her and twisting them round, the way she always does when she’s nervous. “I just wanted to—”
Just then Seth cycles up the path on a black mountain bike. The back tyre is a bit flat. His cheeks are flushed and his hair is windswept. I can’t help but grin. He looks so cute.
Mills turns, looks at him and then back at me. She’s not smiling. She raises her eyebrows. “I can see you’re busy.” She must think I was lying to her about Seth all along, which I was, I suppose.
I say, “Mills, wait,” but then Alex comes waddling out of the living room, his bum naked to the world.
“Da, da, da,” he says, clearly delighted with himself. He’s got the dirty nappy in one hand, and is trailing it behind him by one of its sticky tabs like a dog on a lead. Luckily I’d folded it into a parcel, so nothing evil is escaping. But the musky, sweet stench of baby poo fills the hall.
“Alex!” I yell, pulling the nappy out of his hand. “Gross.”
I turn round to talk to Mills but she’s halfway down the path. Seth says “Hiya, Mills” to her and she gives him a rather curt “Hi” back.
“Mills!” I shout after her. “I’ll call in later, OK? When Mum’s back.”
“Don’t bother,” she says without turning round. “I’m going out with Sophie and the girls.”
“What was all that about?” Seth asks. He gets off his bike and props it against the wall under the living room window.
“Do you have a lock?” I ask, putting the nappy in the wheelie bin. I don’t want to talk to Seth with a steaming nappy in my hand. He might think the yang is me.
“No,” he says.
“Better put it round the back then. The side gate’s open.” I point to the right of the house.
“Amy, is the baby allowed out there?” Seth asks. I follow his gaze.
Alex is sitting on the patch of rough grass on the pavement at the side of the road. He’s picking daisies and eating them. I shriek, then run out and scoop him up in my arms. “Bad baby.” I put my little finger into his mouth and hook out half a daisy head. I hope they’re not poisonous. He gives me a nip with his new front teeth for my trouble. “Ow! Alex.”
Seth is watching me,
“Exactly what it says. That they’re self-obsessed and shallow.”
She scowls at me. “Do you think I’m shallow?”
Before I have a chance to say no, she jumps up.
“I thought we were friends, Amy. You know, I spend most of my time defending you to the girls. Saying what fun you are, how they should give you a chance. But all the time you’ve been mouthing off about me behind my back. Well, thanks a lot, Amy. Thanks for nothing.” She runs out the room and the next thing I hear is the front door bang. I’d go after her but Alex is still on my hip.
I feel like crying. Great, now I’ve lost my best friend. And it’s all my own stupid fault. I was trying to be clever, and, if I’m honest, I was trying to impress Seth. I should have kept my mouth and my Bebo site firmly shut.
I get Alex a rusk and a beaker of orange and then I settle down to MSN Seth. At least he’s still talking to me.
“I’ve just had a huge fight with Mills,” I type. “Bummer.”
“Want some company?” he writes back immediately.
I think about it for a second. “Do you like babies?”
“Love them. Especially with ketchup.”
Chapter 15
When the doorbell rings half an hour later I’m in the middle of changing Alex’s nappy. I give his bum cheeks one last swipe and throw the yucky baby wipe into a plastic bag.
“Stay put, buster,” I tell him. I grab another wipe, clean my hands and run into the hall.
“Sorry, Seth,” I say, opening the door, a smile plastered on my face. Even the thought of Seth makes me feel better. “I’m just changing—” I stop suddenly. It’s not Seth on the doorstep, it’s Mills.
I stand there for a few seconds, not knowing what to say. Eventually I manage, “Oh, hi.”
“Hi,” she says back. She’s holding her hands in front of her and twisting them round, the way she always does when she’s nervous. “I just wanted to—”
Just then Seth cycles up the path on a black mountain bike. The back tyre is a bit flat. His cheeks are flushed and his hair is windswept. I can’t help but grin. He looks so cute.
Mills turns, looks at him and then back at me. She’s not smiling. She raises her eyebrows. “I can see you’re busy.” She must think I was lying to her about Seth all along, which I was, I suppose.
I say, “Mills, wait,” but then Alex comes waddling out of the living room, his bum naked to the world.
“Da, da, da,” he says, clearly delighted with himself. He’s got the dirty nappy in one hand, and is trailing it behind him by one of its sticky tabs like a dog on a lead. Luckily I’d folded it into a parcel, so nothing evil is escaping. But the musky, sweet stench of baby poo fills the hall.
“Alex!” I yell, pulling the nappy out of his hand. “Gross.”
I turn round to talk to Mills but she’s halfway down the path. Seth says “Hiya, Mills” to her and she gives him a rather curt “Hi” back.
“Mills!” I shout after her. “I’ll call in later, OK? When Mum’s back.”
“Don’t bother,” she says without turning round. “I’m going out with Sophie and the girls.”
“What was all that about?” Seth asks. He gets off his bike and props it against the wall under the living room window.
“Do you have a lock?” I ask, putting the nappy in the wheelie bin. I don’t want to talk to Seth with a steaming nappy in my hand. He might think the yang is me.
“No,” he says.
“Better put it round the back then. The side gate’s open.” I point to the right of the house.
“Amy, is the baby allowed out there?” Seth asks. I follow his gaze.
Alex is sitting on the patch of rough grass on the pavement at the side of the road. He’s picking daisies and eating them. I shriek, then run out and scoop him up in my arms. “Bad baby.” I put my little finger into his mouth and hook out half a daisy head. I hope they’re not poisonous. He gives me a nip with his new front teeth for my trouble. “Ow! Alex.”
Seth is watching me,
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