me yourself, not leave me to walk to school on my own. Bet you and
Ben
had a right laugh about that.’ I feel a bit ill as I say this, wondering why Alice would do such a thing.
‘No!’ says Alice, sounding shocked. ‘It wasn’t like that, I promise. I don’t want to have this conversation right now, but meet me after school and we’ll sort this out. Please?’
‘Whatever,’ I say, and busy myself copying the date and the learning objective from the board.
Madame D. walks into the room and everyone reluctantly gets into their seats. I sit in total silence for the rest of the lesson, not moving or saying a word. At one point, it looks like Alice is wiping a tear from her face but I don’t care.
What’s she got
to cry about
, I think.
Nothing, that’s what. She obviously doesn’t think losing my friendship is very important, so let her cry
.
I get through the rest of the day, sitting alone in maths and science so that I don’t have to talk to Alice. Moronic Louise tries to ask me if I’m OK but I snarl at her and even she has the sense to back off. After the longest school day ever, I’m the first to leave the school gates and I run all the way home, desperate not to catch sight of Alice and Ben together.
Mum is lying asleep on the sofa when I slam through the front door.
‘Liv?’ she calls drowsily. ‘Is that you?’ I go through to the living room and flop on to the floor next to her. ‘What’s wrong, sweetheart?’ she asks and I tell her everything.
Mum listens and gives me a box of tissues, and hugs me and listens a bit more while I go over and over what went on today. It’s a bit hard for her to understand what’s actually happened to begin with, cos I’m crying so much that I can’t get any words out properly.
‘I’ll never speak to that disloyal cow again!’ I sob when I’m able to make myself understood. ‘She doesn’t deserve me as her friend.’
‘What did Alice actually say happened?’ asks Mum, stroking my hair.
‘She didn’t – I didn’t really give her the chance,’ I say, taking a deep breath and trying to get a bit of a grip. I actually feel like I might throw up. ‘Why would I want to hear a load of lies from her?’
‘Has she ever lied to you before?’ asks Mum.
‘Nooo!’ I wail, starting to cry again. ‘She’s the best friend I’ve ever had.’
‘So, sweetheart, what makes you think she won’t tell you the truth if you ask her?’
I haven’t really got an answer for that so I think for a bit. ‘Well, it wasn’t a very honest thing to do, was it? She could have told me herself.’
‘But that doesn’t mean that she’s lied to you, does it?’ insists Mum. ‘Don’t you think that she deserves the chance to talk to you?’
‘She
had
her chance, in French.’
‘Oh, come on, Liv, you told me yourself that everyone was listening. I bet Alice was really scared about seeing you – people don’t always behave their best when they’re nervous.’
I think a bit more. ‘She’s still done a horrible thing, though. She could have told me herself and she must have planned it cos she wasn’t waiting for me this morning!’
‘You were really late,’ Mum reminds me. She sinks back on to the sofa and I can tell she needs to rest. ‘You know, one real, true friend is worth more than twenty sort-of friends – and they’re worth fighting for. I know what I’m talking about, Liv – I learnt that the hard way when I was your age. Bring me my old diaries and I’ll show you.’
I plod upstairs, feeling pretty sure that Mum’s diaries are not going to be of any help to me. I don’t want to be unkind, but my problem is a little bit more difficult than a dead guinea pig or whether the back door is locked. I get the diaries out from my wardrobe and take them back to Mum. Her eyes are closed when I walk into the room, but she opens them as soon as she hears me and pulls herself up so that she’s resting on the cushions.
‘Pass them here,’ she
Ben
had a right laugh about that.’ I feel a bit ill as I say this, wondering why Alice would do such a thing.
‘No!’ says Alice, sounding shocked. ‘It wasn’t like that, I promise. I don’t want to have this conversation right now, but meet me after school and we’ll sort this out. Please?’
‘Whatever,’ I say, and busy myself copying the date and the learning objective from the board.
Madame D. walks into the room and everyone reluctantly gets into their seats. I sit in total silence for the rest of the lesson, not moving or saying a word. At one point, it looks like Alice is wiping a tear from her face but I don’t care.
What’s she got
to cry about
, I think.
Nothing, that’s what. She obviously doesn’t think losing my friendship is very important, so let her cry
.
I get through the rest of the day, sitting alone in maths and science so that I don’t have to talk to Alice. Moronic Louise tries to ask me if I’m OK but I snarl at her and even she has the sense to back off. After the longest school day ever, I’m the first to leave the school gates and I run all the way home, desperate not to catch sight of Alice and Ben together.
Mum is lying asleep on the sofa when I slam through the front door.
‘Liv?’ she calls drowsily. ‘Is that you?’ I go through to the living room and flop on to the floor next to her. ‘What’s wrong, sweetheart?’ she asks and I tell her everything.
Mum listens and gives me a box of tissues, and hugs me and listens a bit more while I go over and over what went on today. It’s a bit hard for her to understand what’s actually happened to begin with, cos I’m crying so much that I can’t get any words out properly.
‘I’ll never speak to that disloyal cow again!’ I sob when I’m able to make myself understood. ‘She doesn’t deserve me as her friend.’
‘What did Alice actually say happened?’ asks Mum, stroking my hair.
‘She didn’t – I didn’t really give her the chance,’ I say, taking a deep breath and trying to get a bit of a grip. I actually feel like I might throw up. ‘Why would I want to hear a load of lies from her?’
‘Has she ever lied to you before?’ asks Mum.
‘Nooo!’ I wail, starting to cry again. ‘She’s the best friend I’ve ever had.’
‘So, sweetheart, what makes you think she won’t tell you the truth if you ask her?’
I haven’t really got an answer for that so I think for a bit. ‘Well, it wasn’t a very honest thing to do, was it? She could have told me herself.’
‘But that doesn’t mean that she’s lied to you, does it?’ insists Mum. ‘Don’t you think that she deserves the chance to talk to you?’
‘She
had
her chance, in French.’
‘Oh, come on, Liv, you told me yourself that everyone was listening. I bet Alice was really scared about seeing you – people don’t always behave their best when they’re nervous.’
I think a bit more. ‘She’s still done a horrible thing, though. She could have told me herself and she must have planned it cos she wasn’t waiting for me this morning!’
‘You were really late,’ Mum reminds me. She sinks back on to the sofa and I can tell she needs to rest. ‘You know, one real, true friend is worth more than twenty sort-of friends – and they’re worth fighting for. I know what I’m talking about, Liv – I learnt that the hard way when I was your age. Bring me my old diaries and I’ll show you.’
I plod upstairs, feeling pretty sure that Mum’s diaries are not going to be of any help to me. I don’t want to be unkind, but my problem is a little bit more difficult than a dead guinea pig or whether the back door is locked. I get the diaries out from my wardrobe and take them back to Mum. Her eyes are closed when I walk into the room, but she opens them as soon as she hears me and pulls herself up so that she’s resting on the cushions.
‘Pass them here,’ she
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