small.
“Er, yes,” I said, trying to sound normal. “It’s all arranged, but it can easily be unarranged. There’s a new part coming up, but…” Just at that moment Pilar arrived with two drinks, and Nydia and I both took ours and drank them down in one.
“But it’s ridiculous! How can I teach you to kiss?” Anne-Marie said. “It’s not something you teach, it’s something you sort of just learn.”
I sighed. “I can’t just learn it, Anne-Marie. I haven’t got time to learn it or anyone to learn it with. It’s supposed to be my first kiss: I want it to be my first kiss with Justin. It’s got to be perfect.” Anne-Marie grinnedlike the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. “You fancy Justin de Souza, don’t you? Justin, the star of the show, the teen hunk! You fancy him and you seriously think that he might like you! You! Poor guy, has he read the script yet? He’ll probably resign when he does and you won’t have to worry any more.”
I stood up and looked at Nydia.
“This is pointless,” I said. “Let’s just go.” Nydia was about to stand up too when Anne-Marie waved for her to sit back down again. She did with a plonk.
“Hang on,” Anne-Marie said. “Kissing scenes are easy, really. You don’t even have to worry about tongues. You just need to get the mood right, get your nose in the right place and you’ll be fine. And as you’ve so got the hots for Justin, you’ll have no problems. You just need someone to practise on. I’ll arrange it, OK? If you stick to your side of the agreement.” I looked uncertainly at Nydia.
“OK, but when? I’m on set tomorrow and I got the new scripts today with the kiss scene in them. The read through will be on Monday and we’ll start shooting it Thursday.”
Anne-Marie thought for a moment.
“Tomorrow evening. Here. No one will be here anyway.”
“OK,” Nydia and I said together.
Nydia picked up her bag. “Listen, Anne-Marie – thanks a lot for doing this…” she began.
“Don’t thank me , retard. You know why I’m doing it. I must be the only movie producer’s daughter in the world whose father won’t pull any strings to get her parts. He says if I want respect in the business I have to make my own way. Well, I’m making my own way. I’m pulling your strings and that’s all, so don’t start getting all excited and thinking we’ll be friends. We won’t. Ever.” She picked up a magazine from under her chair and opened it. “You can go now. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
We walked through the house and down the long drive at the front, back to the real world of traffic fumes and noise.
“Well that was…hideous,” I said. “I’m so sorry I was late.” Nydia scowled at me. “I’m sorry, Nydia! I wouldn’t have been, honest, but Mum wanted to ‘talk’ to me and I couldn’t just go, could I? Not with her and Dad…you know.”
Nydia sighed. “I know,” she said. “But she’s so horrible to me, Ruby. She’s even more horrible to me than she is to you. I just don’t get why, I really don’t. What have I ever done to make her hate me so much? She makes me feel like I’m not even…a person. Like I don’teven have feelings that count.” I put an arm around Nydia’s shoulder and we bump-walked together along the road.
“She treats you like that because that’s how she feels about herself,” I said, using a line I’d thought of for one of my problem-letter replies. “Nydia, you’re not only a person, you’re the best person in the whole world ever. A million times better than Anne-Marie. You’re always there for me and I know how horrible it was for you sucking up to her today. But you know I’d always do the same for you, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I do,” Nydia said. “Although so far the worst thing I’ve got myself into was double detention for two weeks.” She grinned at me. “Poor Anne-Marie, it must be so hard being all thin and blonde with those big blue eyes and all those millions of
“Er, yes,” I said, trying to sound normal. “It’s all arranged, but it can easily be unarranged. There’s a new part coming up, but…” Just at that moment Pilar arrived with two drinks, and Nydia and I both took ours and drank them down in one.
“But it’s ridiculous! How can I teach you to kiss?” Anne-Marie said. “It’s not something you teach, it’s something you sort of just learn.”
I sighed. “I can’t just learn it, Anne-Marie. I haven’t got time to learn it or anyone to learn it with. It’s supposed to be my first kiss: I want it to be my first kiss with Justin. It’s got to be perfect.” Anne-Marie grinnedlike the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. “You fancy Justin de Souza, don’t you? Justin, the star of the show, the teen hunk! You fancy him and you seriously think that he might like you! You! Poor guy, has he read the script yet? He’ll probably resign when he does and you won’t have to worry any more.”
I stood up and looked at Nydia.
“This is pointless,” I said. “Let’s just go.” Nydia was about to stand up too when Anne-Marie waved for her to sit back down again. She did with a plonk.
“Hang on,” Anne-Marie said. “Kissing scenes are easy, really. You don’t even have to worry about tongues. You just need to get the mood right, get your nose in the right place and you’ll be fine. And as you’ve so got the hots for Justin, you’ll have no problems. You just need someone to practise on. I’ll arrange it, OK? If you stick to your side of the agreement.” I looked uncertainly at Nydia.
“OK, but when? I’m on set tomorrow and I got the new scripts today with the kiss scene in them. The read through will be on Monday and we’ll start shooting it Thursday.”
Anne-Marie thought for a moment.
“Tomorrow evening. Here. No one will be here anyway.”
“OK,” Nydia and I said together.
Nydia picked up her bag. “Listen, Anne-Marie – thanks a lot for doing this…” she began.
“Don’t thank me , retard. You know why I’m doing it. I must be the only movie producer’s daughter in the world whose father won’t pull any strings to get her parts. He says if I want respect in the business I have to make my own way. Well, I’m making my own way. I’m pulling your strings and that’s all, so don’t start getting all excited and thinking we’ll be friends. We won’t. Ever.” She picked up a magazine from under her chair and opened it. “You can go now. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
We walked through the house and down the long drive at the front, back to the real world of traffic fumes and noise.
“Well that was…hideous,” I said. “I’m so sorry I was late.” Nydia scowled at me. “I’m sorry, Nydia! I wouldn’t have been, honest, but Mum wanted to ‘talk’ to me and I couldn’t just go, could I? Not with her and Dad…you know.”
Nydia sighed. “I know,” she said. “But she’s so horrible to me, Ruby. She’s even more horrible to me than she is to you. I just don’t get why, I really don’t. What have I ever done to make her hate me so much? She makes me feel like I’m not even…a person. Like I don’teven have feelings that count.” I put an arm around Nydia’s shoulder and we bump-walked together along the road.
“She treats you like that because that’s how she feels about herself,” I said, using a line I’d thought of for one of my problem-letter replies. “Nydia, you’re not only a person, you’re the best person in the whole world ever. A million times better than Anne-Marie. You’re always there for me and I know how horrible it was for you sucking up to her today. But you know I’d always do the same for you, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I do,” Nydia said. “Although so far the worst thing I’ve got myself into was double detention for two weeks.” She grinned at me. “Poor Anne-Marie, it must be so hard being all thin and blonde with those big blue eyes and all those millions of
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