cream. I can handle this.’
He thinks I’m a ditz! Furious, I pick up a pot and shake it at him. ‘How do you know I’m not writing a piece on animal testing?’
Suddenly the lid frisbees off the pot and a dollop of cream splatters his leather jacket.
Oh, no! I am a ditz! My confidence shrivels like a crisp packet in a microwave.
Sam explodes with laughter and drags his earphones out. ‘Great aim, Gem!’
Cindy looks up from her desk. ‘Oh, dear.’ A smile breaks over her face. ‘Rub it in, Will. It might soften you up.’
Eyes blazing, Will pushes back his chair and storms from the room.
‘Not bad, Gemma.’ Cindy’s clearly enjoying my embarrassment. ‘You should test some other products on him when he gets back. Maybe wart remover. Banish him for good.’ She switches her gaze to Sam, beckoning him over with her pen. ‘There’s a new band I want you to review.’ As Sam leans in, she taps the pen on her screen. ‘They’re playing Friday night. I thought we could check it out.’
Sam’s nodding. ‘Great.’ He glances at me. ‘We could all go. A webzine night out.’
Cindy cuts him off. ‘Sorry, Sam.’ She lets remorse darken her big blue eyes. ‘I’ve only got two tickets.’ She pouts. ‘So only enough for you and me, I’m afraid.’
‘Oh.’ Sam shoves his hands into his pockets. ‘OK.’ He’s so easy-going! No wonder Cindy’s got her eye on him. A few more pouts and she’ll have him following her round like a happy puppy. Like Barbara. Both of them high on her deadly perfume trail.
I screw the lid back on the pot and pull a tissue from my pocket. Silently fuming, I wipe up the cream dotting my desk. Sometimes it seems as if everybody is having fun except me.
By the next Monday I’m determined that Jeff sees his horoscope asap.
Everyone seems to be starting to believe in Jessica Jupiter’s predictions and the column has been getting some very unexpected results. On Thursday mousey Susan Noakes stunned the whole class by declaring that she wanted to sing ‘Bad Romance’ by Lady Gaga for the Valentine’s assembly. When Miss Davis asked her why, Susan stammered that she felt it was really important to present both the positive and negative sides of love. Then she muttered under her breath that the assembly was also a great opportunity to shine.
I don’t think anyone else heard her – they were all probably trying to picture Susan tottering round the stage in a pair of platform shoes made from lamb chops. But I remembered my prediction for Virgo about turning shy into shine and realised what had happened. Susan had clearly taken Jessica Jupiter’s words to heart. And hopefully, so will Jeff. I need to help Treacle kick-start her love life as soon as possible.
The school bell’s rung for the last time and the webzine team have crowded into the storeroom to check issue two before it goes out on Wednesday.
This time Cindy’s allocated us one article each. I’ve been given Barbara’s latest stink-piece. I glance nervously at Jeff, wondering what Cindy gave him. Just to be sure he doesn’t miss Jessica’s personalised prediction, I slide quietly out from behind my desk and sidle across the room.
‘Hey, Jeff.’ I hold out a copy of this week’s predictions. ‘Would you mind checking Jessica’s column too? She just emailed it over to me and I never know how to spell Pisces.’
Jeff looks up. ‘The horoscopes?’ He waves his own print-out. ‘I’m already checking Phil and Dave’s tech piece.’
‘It’s really short,’ I wheedle.
‘I can check that if you want, Gemma,’ Cindy says. She prickles like a nervous cat whenever someone else takes the initiative.
Will’s on to it like a dog on a bone. ‘Chill, Cinders. The kid’s handling it.’ He glances up from his piece on knife crime. It’s going to be a two-part series: facts this week, interview next week. I was hoping to proofread it and have an early look, but Will likes to check his own copy. As
He thinks I’m a ditz! Furious, I pick up a pot and shake it at him. ‘How do you know I’m not writing a piece on animal testing?’
Suddenly the lid frisbees off the pot and a dollop of cream splatters his leather jacket.
Oh, no! I am a ditz! My confidence shrivels like a crisp packet in a microwave.
Sam explodes with laughter and drags his earphones out. ‘Great aim, Gem!’
Cindy looks up from her desk. ‘Oh, dear.’ A smile breaks over her face. ‘Rub it in, Will. It might soften you up.’
Eyes blazing, Will pushes back his chair and storms from the room.
‘Not bad, Gemma.’ Cindy’s clearly enjoying my embarrassment. ‘You should test some other products on him when he gets back. Maybe wart remover. Banish him for good.’ She switches her gaze to Sam, beckoning him over with her pen. ‘There’s a new band I want you to review.’ As Sam leans in, she taps the pen on her screen. ‘They’re playing Friday night. I thought we could check it out.’
Sam’s nodding. ‘Great.’ He glances at me. ‘We could all go. A webzine night out.’
Cindy cuts him off. ‘Sorry, Sam.’ She lets remorse darken her big blue eyes. ‘I’ve only got two tickets.’ She pouts. ‘So only enough for you and me, I’m afraid.’
‘Oh.’ Sam shoves his hands into his pockets. ‘OK.’ He’s so easy-going! No wonder Cindy’s got her eye on him. A few more pouts and she’ll have him following her round like a happy puppy. Like Barbara. Both of them high on her deadly perfume trail.
I screw the lid back on the pot and pull a tissue from my pocket. Silently fuming, I wipe up the cream dotting my desk. Sometimes it seems as if everybody is having fun except me.
By the next Monday I’m determined that Jeff sees his horoscope asap.
Everyone seems to be starting to believe in Jessica Jupiter’s predictions and the column has been getting some very unexpected results. On Thursday mousey Susan Noakes stunned the whole class by declaring that she wanted to sing ‘Bad Romance’ by Lady Gaga for the Valentine’s assembly. When Miss Davis asked her why, Susan stammered that she felt it was really important to present both the positive and negative sides of love. Then she muttered under her breath that the assembly was also a great opportunity to shine.
I don’t think anyone else heard her – they were all probably trying to picture Susan tottering round the stage in a pair of platform shoes made from lamb chops. But I remembered my prediction for Virgo about turning shy into shine and realised what had happened. Susan had clearly taken Jessica Jupiter’s words to heart. And hopefully, so will Jeff. I need to help Treacle kick-start her love life as soon as possible.
The school bell’s rung for the last time and the webzine team have crowded into the storeroom to check issue two before it goes out on Wednesday.
This time Cindy’s allocated us one article each. I’ve been given Barbara’s latest stink-piece. I glance nervously at Jeff, wondering what Cindy gave him. Just to be sure he doesn’t miss Jessica’s personalised prediction, I slide quietly out from behind my desk and sidle across the room.
‘Hey, Jeff.’ I hold out a copy of this week’s predictions. ‘Would you mind checking Jessica’s column too? She just emailed it over to me and I never know how to spell Pisces.’
Jeff looks up. ‘The horoscopes?’ He waves his own print-out. ‘I’m already checking Phil and Dave’s tech piece.’
‘It’s really short,’ I wheedle.
‘I can check that if you want, Gemma,’ Cindy says. She prickles like a nervous cat whenever someone else takes the initiative.
Will’s on to it like a dog on a bone. ‘Chill, Cinders. The kid’s handling it.’ He glances up from his piece on knife crime. It’s going to be a two-part series: facts this week, interview next week. I was hoping to proofread it and have an early look, but Will likes to check his own copy. As
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