magazine as we approached. She looked totally underwhelmed to see us.
“Hi,” I said in a jolly voice. “How's it going?”
“Go away,” snapped Kiran. “I know you're only here because Mr. Arora sent you.”
“Oh, that's nonsense,” Geena blustered.
“I saw you in his classroom,” she said coolly. “And he's watching us right now.”
We all turned round just in time to see Mr. Arora dive out of sight behind a cupboard.
“Er—all right, I admit it,” I muttered. “But at least we're
here
—”
“Excuse me,” Jazz murmured, sidling away, “I need the bathroom.”
“So why don't you try being a bit more pleasant?” I went on. “We might end up getting on better.”
“Sorry,” whispered Geena, backing away from me. “Something I've got to do.”
“You think we could be friends?” Kiran asked with a fixed smile on her face.
“Well, maybe
friends
is a bit strong,” I said cautiously. “How about distant acquaintances?”
“Speaking of friends”—Kiran's smirk was getting wider—“your sisters seem to be getting on awfully well with that boy.”
“Which boy?” I roared, spinning round.
There was Rocky, and there were Geena and Jazz fluttering around him like flirtatious butterflies. How sneaky is that?
“Sorry,” I threw over my shoulder at Kiran. “Something just came up.”
“Don't worry,” Kiran called after me sarcastically. “Tell Mr. Arora I'll be fine.”
Call me an idiot (Jazz and Geena do, often), but I felt a
teeny
bit guilty as I charged over to elbow my way between Rocky and Geena. But why should I? If Kiran wasn't going to try to be friendly, then why should I?
“I see you're playing it cool with Rocky,” Kim remarked as we headed into school a little later for afternoon lessons.
“I was only hanging on to his arm because I felt a bit faint,” I said dismissively
“I could tell that Jazz and Geena were concerned,” Kim replied, “by the way they were trying to shove you aside.”
I ignored her. “You know, this isn't getting me anywhere,” I said.
“Oh, good.” Kim looked relieved. “Are you going to forget about this ridiculous bet, then?”
“I didn't mean that,” I said. “I meant that my strategy to get Rocky to like me best isn't working.”
Kim raised her eyebrows. “I didn't know you had a strategy.”
“I was relying on my natural charm.”
“Well, that was bound to be a mistake, wasn't it?”
I resisted the urge to put my hands round Kim's throat and squeeze. “I need to find out more information about him,” I said thoughtfully. “Where he lives. What he likes doing at weekends. His hobbies.”
“There was a bhangra CD sticking out of his bag,” remarked Kim.
I stared at her. “Are you sure? I didn't notice.”
“You were too busy fluttering and twittering around like a lovesick parrot,” Kim replied. “Yes, I'm sure.”
“Nice work, Sherlock.” I grinned, slapping Kim heartily on the back. “That's just the kind of inside information I need.”
The following day, Friday, started promisingly. This time I had a plan, and I laughed smugly and silently as I watched Geena and Jazz falling over themselves
to impress Rocky before school. The obvious was no longer for me. I was going to be subtle. I was going to be cool. And I would win.
Yes,
he would be mine, all mine.
Break time was the appointed hour for me to put my plan into action. Before Miss Jackson had finished giving out German homework, I was sneaking my books into my bag. When the bell went, I leaped to my feet like a light-footed gazelle.
“Shall we—” Kim began.
But I never did hear what she was proposing. I whisked out of the classroom and into the playground to make my move, leaving Kim far behind me.
I was actually the first person out there, which has never happened to me before or since. But seconds later doors opened all round the building, and streams of other kids came pouring out.
I waited and watched. It was essential that Rocky
“Hi,” I said in a jolly voice. “How's it going?”
“Go away,” snapped Kiran. “I know you're only here because Mr. Arora sent you.”
“Oh, that's nonsense,” Geena blustered.
“I saw you in his classroom,” she said coolly. “And he's watching us right now.”
We all turned round just in time to see Mr. Arora dive out of sight behind a cupboard.
“Er—all right, I admit it,” I muttered. “But at least we're
here
—”
“Excuse me,” Jazz murmured, sidling away, “I need the bathroom.”
“So why don't you try being a bit more pleasant?” I went on. “We might end up getting on better.”
“Sorry,” whispered Geena, backing away from me. “Something I've got to do.”
“You think we could be friends?” Kiran asked with a fixed smile on her face.
“Well, maybe
friends
is a bit strong,” I said cautiously. “How about distant acquaintances?”
“Speaking of friends”—Kiran's smirk was getting wider—“your sisters seem to be getting on awfully well with that boy.”
“Which boy?” I roared, spinning round.
There was Rocky, and there were Geena and Jazz fluttering around him like flirtatious butterflies. How sneaky is that?
“Sorry,” I threw over my shoulder at Kiran. “Something just came up.”
“Don't worry,” Kiran called after me sarcastically. “Tell Mr. Arora I'll be fine.”
Call me an idiot (Jazz and Geena do, often), but I felt a
teeny
bit guilty as I charged over to elbow my way between Rocky and Geena. But why should I? If Kiran wasn't going to try to be friendly, then why should I?
“I see you're playing it cool with Rocky,” Kim remarked as we headed into school a little later for afternoon lessons.
“I was only hanging on to his arm because I felt a bit faint,” I said dismissively
“I could tell that Jazz and Geena were concerned,” Kim replied, “by the way they were trying to shove you aside.”
I ignored her. “You know, this isn't getting me anywhere,” I said.
“Oh, good.” Kim looked relieved. “Are you going to forget about this ridiculous bet, then?”
“I didn't mean that,” I said. “I meant that my strategy to get Rocky to like me best isn't working.”
Kim raised her eyebrows. “I didn't know you had a strategy.”
“I was relying on my natural charm.”
“Well, that was bound to be a mistake, wasn't it?”
I resisted the urge to put my hands round Kim's throat and squeeze. “I need to find out more information about him,” I said thoughtfully. “Where he lives. What he likes doing at weekends. His hobbies.”
“There was a bhangra CD sticking out of his bag,” remarked Kim.
I stared at her. “Are you sure? I didn't notice.”
“You were too busy fluttering and twittering around like a lovesick parrot,” Kim replied. “Yes, I'm sure.”
“Nice work, Sherlock.” I grinned, slapping Kim heartily on the back. “That's just the kind of inside information I need.”
The following day, Friday, started promisingly. This time I had a plan, and I laughed smugly and silently as I watched Geena and Jazz falling over themselves
to impress Rocky before school. The obvious was no longer for me. I was going to be subtle. I was going to be cool. And I would win.
Yes,
he would be mine, all mine.
Break time was the appointed hour for me to put my plan into action. Before Miss Jackson had finished giving out German homework, I was sneaking my books into my bag. When the bell went, I leaped to my feet like a light-footed gazelle.
“Shall we—” Kim began.
But I never did hear what she was proposing. I whisked out of the classroom and into the playground to make my move, leaving Kim far behind me.
I was actually the first person out there, which has never happened to me before or since. But seconds later doors opened all round the building, and streams of other kids came pouring out.
I waited and watched. It was essential that Rocky
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