Cassie's Crush by Fiona Foden Page A

tissue-paper dye that stained my school top and left boob. I’d never noticed Sam’s eye colour before and it was making me a bit wobbly.
    â€œShe invited Ollie,” he added with a shrug. “In fact, she delivered an invitation to his house.”
    â€œDid she?” I squeaked, conscious of my cheeks going hot.
    â€œAre you all right, Cass?” Sam asked.
    â€œYeah, I’m fine…”
    â€œIt just, you’ve gone really red…”
    â€œEr, I feel a bit hot and faint, that’s all…” I grabbed the van’s bone-shaped door handle as if I might pass out unconscious at any moment.
    â€œThink you’re going to faint?” Sam asked, sounding alarmed.
    â€œEr, maybe,” I babbled. Why had I started this? I was only trying to cover up for my face inferno at his mention of the “O” word. Now I was acting as if I were on the verge of collapse.
    â€œWait there and I’ll get your mum,” Sam said, tearing off to the house with Kevin scampering along beside him.
    I was still clutching the van’s handle when Mum came out. As I staggered towards them, making sure I still looked “faint”, she looked past Sam and frowned at me. “Cassie, what on earth’s wrong?” she demanded.
    â€œI was just de-matting Kevin when I came over all faint and weird…”
    â€œShe looked hot,” Sam explained, flushing red himself as if Mum might have thought he meant hot as in gorgeous -hot and not just hot -hot.
    â€œYou’d better come in and lie down,” Mum said, giving me one of her looks, obviously knowing I was faking.
    I nodded, feeling my blush dying down at long last. I really need to find a cure for this. Surely there’s some kind of medicine you can take?
    â€œWell,” Sam murmured, “if you’re all right, I suppose I’d better be off.”
    I smiled weakly. “OK. See you tomorrow.”
    As he left, Mum turned to me and said, “Nice boy.”
    â€œYeah,” I said.
    â€œI think he likes you,” she added with a smile.
    â€œMum, he doesn’t, he’s just…”
    â€œHe said you look hot,” she sniggered.
    â€œHe just meant…”
    â€œAnyway,” she added, “how much did you charge him for that dog?”
    â€œOh, I didn’t do anything to Kevin, really,” I said quickly. “Sam just came over to say hi.”

The highlight today was driving with Dad to the chippy with all the windows open because of the cheese stink. This allowed rain to splatter in and soak us. Even worse, as we pulled into the high street, Ollie and Sam were coming out of the amusement arcade. I was nearly sick with shock. I didn’t want Ollie to spot us driving with the windows down and rain gushing in, so I “accidentally” dropped my ponytail band and scrabbled about on the floor, pretending to hunt for it. Dad said, “The funny thing is, Cassie, the car only stinks when you’re in it, so the smell must be coming off you.” Such glittering wit. Dad should obviously be on the stage, not working in a jam factory. At least Ollie and Sam didn’t notice us trundling by.
    â€œMaybe we should sell that car,” Dad suggested when we got home.
    â€œWhat kind of idiot would buy it?” Mum retorted.
    â€œSomeone with no sense of smell?” Ned sniggered, stuffing his face with fat chips.

Daniel came around to see Marcia after school, and she called as soon as he’d gone. “He’s actually quite sweet,” she said. “I mean, he seems really keen, Cass. What d’you think I should do?”
    What, she was asking me for boy advice? “It depends how much you like him,” I said.
    â€œWell, I’m not obsessed. Not like you are with Ollie,” she sniggered, which I chose to ignore.
    â€œSo what did you do?” I asked, switching the subject.
    â€œUm … we went to the kebab