(side by side, but not quite touching) when Harry’s alarm sounded in the next room. Penelope breathed deeply, trying to block out the motorbike sounds. This was an important day in her life. She was determined to stay good, sensible and calm. Today had to be perfect.
Unfortunately, the kitchen was terribly messy, with all the dishes from last night’s dinner still out on the bench. Penelope opened the fridge and sniffed the carton of milk. It didn’t smell too bad, but she decided to play it safe, opting for wholegrain toast rather than cereal.
Penelope forced herself to pay no attention to Harry’s alarm, which was still buzzing at regular intervals. Ignoring an alarm, even if it did sound more like a mosquito than a motorbike at this distance, was extremely difficult. But, truly, Penelope had enough to do this morning preparing to meet Brittany O’Brien.
If Harry kept on pressing the snooze button, it shouldn’t be her problem.
As she waited for her toast, Penelope sent her dad a screenshot of her timetable for the week. It hadn’t changed much from last week, except that her Wednesday art session was being replaced by a music lesson. But Penelope liked her dad to have up-to-date details about her days. That way, when he thought about her, he would be able to picture her in the right place at the right time.
Penelope ate her toast sitting on a bar stool at the kitchen bench. She could see her reflection in the stainless-steel fridge. She tried to imagine she was seeing herself for the very first time. As though she were Brittany O’Brien.
She sat up very straight, trying to make herself look taller. Although her grandpa always said that good things came in small packages, Penelope was very impatient to have a proper growth spurt. Sitting up straight definitely helped.
The girl in the ref lection had a neat, dark brown bob. From the side, her nose was a little pointy, but from the front Penelope thought it looked rather nice.
Penelope made a mental note to face Brittany O’Brien front on.
After breakfast, Penelope packed her school lunch. She put in a wholemeal roll with cheese, an apple and a tub of yoghurt. She was pleased to see that (this time at least) her mum had bought everything she had put on the shopping list.
As she fastened the seals on her lunchbox, Penelope wondered about Brittany’s height and hair and nose. It might be nice to have a tall friend. Then again, it would be lovely to have a friend her own size.
Then another muffled motorbike/mosquito noise broke into Penelope’s thoughts, causing the image to fade. Penelope looked at the time on her phone. As annoying as Harry was sometimes, Penelope couldn’t stand the thought of him being late to school again. A few weeks earlier Harry had received a detention for being late, and had missed an important soccer game. He’d been very upset.
Penelope could not resist for one more second. She traipsed up the stairs. Then she pinched her nose to manage the pong of smelly socks and opened Harry’s bedroom door. Ignoring her brother’s groans, she pulled the doona right off him and put it over by the door. He’d have to get up to put it back on.
Next, Penelope went into her mum’s room.
‘Morning, Poss,’ Penelope’s mum greeted her.
Her mum was sitting on the edge of her wrinkly, unmade bed, pulling on her shoes. There was a messy tangle just under the surface of her hair. Penelope found a brush under the jumble of things on her mum’s dresser and pointed out the spot.
‘Thanks, love,’ her mum said. She gave the spot just three strokes of the brush, even though Penelope was sure it would need at least seven or eight to untangle the knot properly.
When her mum stood up, Penelope noticed that her shirt (which was mauve, and quite pretty) was missing the second button from the bottom.
Penelope tried extremely hard not to mention the button. In fact, she struggled for thirty-two seconds. For the first seventeen seconds she
Unfortunately, the kitchen was terribly messy, with all the dishes from last night’s dinner still out on the bench. Penelope opened the fridge and sniffed the carton of milk. It didn’t smell too bad, but she decided to play it safe, opting for wholegrain toast rather than cereal.
Penelope forced herself to pay no attention to Harry’s alarm, which was still buzzing at regular intervals. Ignoring an alarm, even if it did sound more like a mosquito than a motorbike at this distance, was extremely difficult. But, truly, Penelope had enough to do this morning preparing to meet Brittany O’Brien.
If Harry kept on pressing the snooze button, it shouldn’t be her problem.
As she waited for her toast, Penelope sent her dad a screenshot of her timetable for the week. It hadn’t changed much from last week, except that her Wednesday art session was being replaced by a music lesson. But Penelope liked her dad to have up-to-date details about her days. That way, when he thought about her, he would be able to picture her in the right place at the right time.
Penelope ate her toast sitting on a bar stool at the kitchen bench. She could see her reflection in the stainless-steel fridge. She tried to imagine she was seeing herself for the very first time. As though she were Brittany O’Brien.
She sat up very straight, trying to make herself look taller. Although her grandpa always said that good things came in small packages, Penelope was very impatient to have a proper growth spurt. Sitting up straight definitely helped.
The girl in the ref lection had a neat, dark brown bob. From the side, her nose was a little pointy, but from the front Penelope thought it looked rather nice.
Penelope made a mental note to face Brittany O’Brien front on.
After breakfast, Penelope packed her school lunch. She put in a wholemeal roll with cheese, an apple and a tub of yoghurt. She was pleased to see that (this time at least) her mum had bought everything she had put on the shopping list.
As she fastened the seals on her lunchbox, Penelope wondered about Brittany’s height and hair and nose. It might be nice to have a tall friend. Then again, it would be lovely to have a friend her own size.
Then another muffled motorbike/mosquito noise broke into Penelope’s thoughts, causing the image to fade. Penelope looked at the time on her phone. As annoying as Harry was sometimes, Penelope couldn’t stand the thought of him being late to school again. A few weeks earlier Harry had received a detention for being late, and had missed an important soccer game. He’d been very upset.
Penelope could not resist for one more second. She traipsed up the stairs. Then she pinched her nose to manage the pong of smelly socks and opened Harry’s bedroom door. Ignoring her brother’s groans, she pulled the doona right off him and put it over by the door. He’d have to get up to put it back on.
Next, Penelope went into her mum’s room.
‘Morning, Poss,’ Penelope’s mum greeted her.
Her mum was sitting on the edge of her wrinkly, unmade bed, pulling on her shoes. There was a messy tangle just under the surface of her hair. Penelope found a brush under the jumble of things on her mum’s dresser and pointed out the spot.
‘Thanks, love,’ her mum said. She gave the spot just three strokes of the brush, even though Penelope was sure it would need at least seven or eight to untangle the knot properly.
When her mum stood up, Penelope noticed that her shirt (which was mauve, and quite pretty) was missing the second button from the bottom.
Penelope tried extremely hard not to mention the button. In fact, she struggled for thirty-two seconds. For the first seventeen seconds she
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