girls start telling him how to dress or wear his hair. Big no no.’
‘“Have fun in a relationship before you get serious,”’ read Pia. ‘I think deffo Tom is trying to tell you something.’
‘That’s decided, then,’ I said. ‘I will go to his party and I will have fun.’
‘Will come to party and bring strange midget friend,’ I typed quickly then pressed reply before Pia could object. ‘There. Done. I’m sure you can bring Henry now that you’re joined at the hip.’
Pia gave me a salute. ‘Yes, SIR – and as for being joined at the hip, for that, you’re coming to the movies with me and Henry this afternoon and I won’t take no for an answer.’
I saluted her back. ‘Yes, SIR.’
As we were getting ready, my phone rang. It was Riko.
‘Jess, what are you doing this afternoon?’ She sounded agitated.
‘Apparently going to the movies with Sergeant Major Pia,’ I said. I was glad I had something to do in case Riko wanted to hang out.
‘Cool. What time are you going?’
‘In about half an hour.’
‘Where?’
‘A cinema down the King’s Road.’
‘Great. OK. I’ll meet you in reception. I can get my dad’s chauffeur to drive us.’
‘I . . . er—’ It was too late to object. She’d gone.
I put down the phone.
‘What was all that about?’ asked Pia.
‘I think we’ve just been outdone in the Sergeant Major stakes,’ I said. ‘That girl is a master!’
Riko was waiting for us in reception and once again, we were driven in her dad’s limo. Luckily this time, the journey was further so I could enjoy the ride. I could really get used to this , I thought as the car purred along the road and I stared out at all the pedestrians, buttoned up against the dull, cold day. Riko wasn’t saying much. She still seemed agitated and kept looking at her watch. I felt uncomfortable about the whole deal. It was as if she was con trolling my life and I didn’t like it. Pia and Henry sat holding hands, seemingly oblivious to it all. In their love bubble , I thought. They were even wearing matching red scarves and red Converse sneakers.
‘How’s the survey going, Jess?’ Henry asked.
I didn’t feel much like talking so I shrugged a shoulder.
‘It’s about what boys want, isn’t it?’ he asked.
‘And what girls want too,’ said Pia.
Henry laughed. ‘Ask a girl what she wants and you’ll get lectured for days.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘Communication. Growing as a couple. Respect.’
Pia slapped his arm. ‘Hey mister, I’m not like that. So come on, then, tell us. What do boys want?’
Henry grinned. ‘Come naked. Bring beer.’
This time, it was mine and Pia’s turn to roll our eyes. Riko didn’t appear to be listening. She was busy texting someone and when I glanced down I was sure she’d written the road we were going to as if she was giving someone directions. When she saw me looking, she turned away so I couldn’t see.
‘You OK?’ I asked, after the driver had let us out of the car and we went to join the line to get our tickets.
‘Yeah, I’m good,’ she said unenthusiastically as she got out her phone again and checked for texts. It appeared that there was one and she turned away to read it and reply.
What’s with all the secrecy? I wondered.
‘What’s up?’ I asked when she turned back to me then quickly put her phone away.
‘Oh, you know,’ she said. ‘Same ole. My dad. He won’t get off my case. I’m sixteen, no longer a kid but that’s how he treats me.’ We got our tickets then Riko waved hers to the driver who was now hovering a short distance away. ‘We’ll be fine now,’ she called to him. ‘See you here after the movie.’
The driver nodded and got back in his car. I noticed a couple of girls from our school going in to see the film with their boyfriends. Even though Riko was weird, part of me was glad she’d come along because at least I didn’t look like the only sad singleton.
‘Yeah, dads,’ I said. ‘Tell me about
‘“Have fun in a relationship before you get serious,”’ read Pia. ‘I think deffo Tom is trying to tell you something.’
‘That’s decided, then,’ I said. ‘I will go to his party and I will have fun.’
‘Will come to party and bring strange midget friend,’ I typed quickly then pressed reply before Pia could object. ‘There. Done. I’m sure you can bring Henry now that you’re joined at the hip.’
Pia gave me a salute. ‘Yes, SIR – and as for being joined at the hip, for that, you’re coming to the movies with me and Henry this afternoon and I won’t take no for an answer.’
I saluted her back. ‘Yes, SIR.’
As we were getting ready, my phone rang. It was Riko.
‘Jess, what are you doing this afternoon?’ She sounded agitated.
‘Apparently going to the movies with Sergeant Major Pia,’ I said. I was glad I had something to do in case Riko wanted to hang out.
‘Cool. What time are you going?’
‘In about half an hour.’
‘Where?’
‘A cinema down the King’s Road.’
‘Great. OK. I’ll meet you in reception. I can get my dad’s chauffeur to drive us.’
‘I . . . er—’ It was too late to object. She’d gone.
I put down the phone.
‘What was all that about?’ asked Pia.
‘I think we’ve just been outdone in the Sergeant Major stakes,’ I said. ‘That girl is a master!’
Riko was waiting for us in reception and once again, we were driven in her dad’s limo. Luckily this time, the journey was further so I could enjoy the ride. I could really get used to this , I thought as the car purred along the road and I stared out at all the pedestrians, buttoned up against the dull, cold day. Riko wasn’t saying much. She still seemed agitated and kept looking at her watch. I felt uncomfortable about the whole deal. It was as if she was con trolling my life and I didn’t like it. Pia and Henry sat holding hands, seemingly oblivious to it all. In their love bubble , I thought. They were even wearing matching red scarves and red Converse sneakers.
‘How’s the survey going, Jess?’ Henry asked.
I didn’t feel much like talking so I shrugged a shoulder.
‘It’s about what boys want, isn’t it?’ he asked.
‘And what girls want too,’ said Pia.
Henry laughed. ‘Ask a girl what she wants and you’ll get lectured for days.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘Communication. Growing as a couple. Respect.’
Pia slapped his arm. ‘Hey mister, I’m not like that. So come on, then, tell us. What do boys want?’
Henry grinned. ‘Come naked. Bring beer.’
This time, it was mine and Pia’s turn to roll our eyes. Riko didn’t appear to be listening. She was busy texting someone and when I glanced down I was sure she’d written the road we were going to as if she was giving someone directions. When she saw me looking, she turned away so I couldn’t see.
‘You OK?’ I asked, after the driver had let us out of the car and we went to join the line to get our tickets.
‘Yeah, I’m good,’ she said unenthusiastically as she got out her phone again and checked for texts. It appeared that there was one and she turned away to read it and reply.
What’s with all the secrecy? I wondered.
‘What’s up?’ I asked when she turned back to me then quickly put her phone away.
‘Oh, you know,’ she said. ‘Same ole. My dad. He won’t get off my case. I’m sixteen, no longer a kid but that’s how he treats me.’ We got our tickets then Riko waved hers to the driver who was now hovering a short distance away. ‘We’ll be fine now,’ she called to him. ‘See you here after the movie.’
The driver nodded and got back in his car. I noticed a couple of girls from our school going in to see the film with their boyfriends. Even though Riko was weird, part of me was glad she’d come along because at least I didn’t look like the only sad singleton.
‘Yeah, dads,’ I said. ‘Tell me about
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