‘A message from Tom! He and Josh have been on the facebook site and left some tips for us about boys.’
‘No way,’ said Pia. ‘Let’s have a look.’ She squeezed next to me on my chair and peered at the screen.
‘And look, a party invite at last!’ I said. ‘He says, “Hey Hall, been missing your particular brand of madness. Party at my place New Year’s Eve. Bring your strange midget friend.” Do you think he means you?’
‘Probably. Blooming cheek. He can stuff his invite. I mean, you’re not going to go are you? Not after the way he’s treated you?’
‘There’ll be other boys there. I will go, but I’ll ignore him. I’ll get off with another boy or maybe even a few boys and show him that I’ve moved on and don’t care.’
Pia raised an eyebrow. ‘Yeah, right,’ she said. ‘I can see that.’
‘But a party . . . It would be fun.’
Pia frowned. ‘I don’t want to see you get hurt.’
‘I’ll risk it. It’s been so boring. Chaperoning Riko. Being Miss Goody-two-shoes on Christmas Day with Aunt Maddie, even though I did enjoy it in the end. It’ll be so nice to hang out with some people our own age from school and not think about stuff like who’s rich, who’s poor, how to save the world, end poverty and bring peace on Earth and all before my sixteenth birthday. It’s all right for you, you’re all loved up at the moment.’ She was too. I’d tried not to mind but it was hard having a best mate with a boyfriend who wasn’t as available as usual. When ever I called she was over at Henry’s listening to music or he was at hers watching a DVD. I felt like a great, goosing gooseberry and although Pia always invited me along to whatever they were doing, it felt like another case of them and me. The rich and me. The homeless and me. Henry, Pia and me. Charlie, Tom and me. Mainly me out of a limb on my own with a million mixed feelings. I was getting fed up of it and I wanted to have a night having a laugh with nothing more serious to think about than pulling boys – although actually that was very serious.
‘So. What nuggets of wisdom have they sent us?’ asked Pia as she scrolled down to see what they’d written. I began to read. ‘“You don’t need to try too hard. Most of us are grateful for any attention from a girl.” Ah, Josh would have written that. It’s true. His only criteria for a girl is that she’s breathing.’
‘“If you like a boy, TELL HIM,”’ I read. ‘“We are not mind-readers and never will be. We need all the guidance and help we can get. We are useless when it comes to reading girls. Think of us as emotionally dyslexic and you won’t go far wrong. Most of us don’t recognise flirting even when it’s coming right at us.” Hmm. Doubt Tom wrote that so I reckon that’s one from Josh again.’
‘“We will never be slushy with you in front of our mates,”’ read Pia. ‘“We might be nuts about you but it’s not cool to show it.” Hmm. I think Tom might be trying to tell you something.’
‘No way. He’s the King of Confidence,’ I said and read on. ‘“Try to understand that a boy wants to be with you but simultaneously wants to be left alone. Us boys can be contradictory and complicated too, but mainly we’re just simple.” That doesn’t sound like Josh, does it? Maybe Tom is trying to tell me something.’
Pia read the next line from the screen. ‘“Boys are very anxious about rejection. Be kind to us. We have feelings too.”’
‘Definitely Josh again!’ we chorused.
‘Tom’s probably never been rejected,’ I added.
‘“Boys are intimidated by beautiful girls,”’ read Pia.
‘Josh again,’ I said. Pia nodded in agreement.
‘“Be kind when dumping us, treat people as you expect to be treated yourself,”’ I continued. ‘That’s a good point.’
‘“Don’t try and change us. We don’t like it,”’ Pia read out. ‘Tom?’
I nodded. ‘Yeah. Charlie says that too. He says he hates it when
‘No way,’ said Pia. ‘Let’s have a look.’ She squeezed next to me on my chair and peered at the screen.
‘And look, a party invite at last!’ I said. ‘He says, “Hey Hall, been missing your particular brand of madness. Party at my place New Year’s Eve. Bring your strange midget friend.” Do you think he means you?’
‘Probably. Blooming cheek. He can stuff his invite. I mean, you’re not going to go are you? Not after the way he’s treated you?’
‘There’ll be other boys there. I will go, but I’ll ignore him. I’ll get off with another boy or maybe even a few boys and show him that I’ve moved on and don’t care.’
Pia raised an eyebrow. ‘Yeah, right,’ she said. ‘I can see that.’
‘But a party . . . It would be fun.’
Pia frowned. ‘I don’t want to see you get hurt.’
‘I’ll risk it. It’s been so boring. Chaperoning Riko. Being Miss Goody-two-shoes on Christmas Day with Aunt Maddie, even though I did enjoy it in the end. It’ll be so nice to hang out with some people our own age from school and not think about stuff like who’s rich, who’s poor, how to save the world, end poverty and bring peace on Earth and all before my sixteenth birthday. It’s all right for you, you’re all loved up at the moment.’ She was too. I’d tried not to mind but it was hard having a best mate with a boyfriend who wasn’t as available as usual. When ever I called she was over at Henry’s listening to music or he was at hers watching a DVD. I felt like a great, goosing gooseberry and although Pia always invited me along to whatever they were doing, it felt like another case of them and me. The rich and me. The homeless and me. Henry, Pia and me. Charlie, Tom and me. Mainly me out of a limb on my own with a million mixed feelings. I was getting fed up of it and I wanted to have a night having a laugh with nothing more serious to think about than pulling boys – although actually that was very serious.
‘So. What nuggets of wisdom have they sent us?’ asked Pia as she scrolled down to see what they’d written. I began to read. ‘“You don’t need to try too hard. Most of us are grateful for any attention from a girl.” Ah, Josh would have written that. It’s true. His only criteria for a girl is that she’s breathing.’
‘“If you like a boy, TELL HIM,”’ I read. ‘“We are not mind-readers and never will be. We need all the guidance and help we can get. We are useless when it comes to reading girls. Think of us as emotionally dyslexic and you won’t go far wrong. Most of us don’t recognise flirting even when it’s coming right at us.” Hmm. Doubt Tom wrote that so I reckon that’s one from Josh again.’
‘“We will never be slushy with you in front of our mates,”’ read Pia. ‘“We might be nuts about you but it’s not cool to show it.” Hmm. I think Tom might be trying to tell you something.’
‘No way. He’s the King of Confidence,’ I said and read on. ‘“Try to understand that a boy wants to be with you but simultaneously wants to be left alone. Us boys can be contradictory and complicated too, but mainly we’re just simple.” That doesn’t sound like Josh, does it? Maybe Tom is trying to tell me something.’
Pia read the next line from the screen. ‘“Boys are very anxious about rejection. Be kind to us. We have feelings too.”’
‘Definitely Josh again!’ we chorused.
‘Tom’s probably never been rejected,’ I added.
‘“Boys are intimidated by beautiful girls,”’ read Pia.
‘Josh again,’ I said. Pia nodded in agreement.
‘“Be kind when dumping us, treat people as you expect to be treated yourself,”’ I continued. ‘That’s a good point.’
‘“Don’t try and change us. We don’t like it,”’ Pia read out. ‘Tom?’
I nodded. ‘Yeah. Charlie says that too. He says he hates it when
Similar Books
