He always commented on them and said that it was important to make our own things and not always rely on other people to manufacture them for us.
He thought a lot about the planet and resources.
She’d never known a boy like him before. That was why she had such strong feelings for him. Maybe, tonight, at the party, she could let him know in some way. There would be alcohol and it was always forgivable to do outrageous things when drunk. If she misjudged it then she could always say, ‘Oh, don’t mind me! I always get emotional when I’m drunk. You didn’t think I meant it, did you?’
She got dressed and put her beads on. Her mother was downstairs fidgeting with a duster in the hallway. She put on her coat.
‘What time shall Dad pick you up?’ her mother said.
‘I hate saying a time,’ Mandy said. ‘Can’t I just get a cab?’
‘He doesn’t mind staying up late. What time? Twelve? One?’
‘Can I just ring? I won’t be later than one. I promise.’
‘OK, I’ll tell Dad.’
Mandy walked round her.
‘Are those shoes new?’ her mother said.
‘Charity shop,’ Mandy said, trying on the lie to see how it sounded.
The party was crowded when she got there. She said hello to the kids she knew and Zoe took her to the kitchen area. She kept her coat on, not sure where to put it. Zoe pointed out her brothers and their mates. Then the bell rang and she left Mandy alone. Zoe’s brothers were taller and broader than most of the kids there and they had more hair on their faces. Mandy walked round them and headed for the table of drinks. She put down a bottle of wine and then looked for a can of beer. The room was semi-dark but someone had strung fairy lights across the cupboard doors. It looked welcoming, like Christmas. She began to relax.
She looked around to see who’d just come in. Her eye scanned the room, looking for Tommy. But it wasn’t him; just some kids she didn’t know.
‘Are you not staying?’ a voice said.
It was a Lucy, a girl from her history group. Mandy hardly knew her. She was pointing at her coat.
‘I’m feeling a bit cold,’ she said, not wanting to take it off yet.
‘How are you finding history? I wish the teacher would stop lecturing. I get so bored.’
‘Yeah.’
Actually Mandy didn’t get bored in history but that was because she was sitting beside Tommy. He kept her entertained. She thought it might be dreary otherwise.
‘What are you doing in English? I’m in the parallel group.’
Mandy screwed her face up, trying to think. She’d never spoken to Lucy before. She wondered why the girl had struck up this conversation.
‘I think we’re doing
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
.’
‘I wish we were! We’re starting
Antony and Cleopatra
after half-term!’
People were trying to get past them to get to the drinks. Mandy was moving here and there and couldn’t quite hear Lucy.
‘Do you want to come into the other room? There’s more space,’ Lucy said, in a louder voice.
‘Sure.’
She followed her out, looking around all the time in case Tommy had come and she had missed him. The living room was bigger and some people were sitting down on the sofa. The music was loud but no one was dancing. Lucy headed over to the window. Mandy noticed that she had really long hair. It had wispy ends like baby hair and Mandy wondered if she was one of those girls who’d never had a haircut.
She was feeling very hot in her coat. She shrugged her shoulders at Lucy and took it off.
‘Warm in here …’ she said.
‘Put it over there,’ Lucy said, pointing to a chair in the corner that had coats draped over it.
After she left her coat she stood by Lucy and kept her eye on the window where she could see the front garden and the path. When Tommy came she would see him.
‘I love your beads and bangles. You make them, don’t you? I heard you saying one day. I always wondered why
He thought a lot about the planet and resources.
She’d never known a boy like him before. That was why she had such strong feelings for him. Maybe, tonight, at the party, she could let him know in some way. There would be alcohol and it was always forgivable to do outrageous things when drunk. If she misjudged it then she could always say, ‘Oh, don’t mind me! I always get emotional when I’m drunk. You didn’t think I meant it, did you?’
She got dressed and put her beads on. Her mother was downstairs fidgeting with a duster in the hallway. She put on her coat.
‘What time shall Dad pick you up?’ her mother said.
‘I hate saying a time,’ Mandy said. ‘Can’t I just get a cab?’
‘He doesn’t mind staying up late. What time? Twelve? One?’
‘Can I just ring? I won’t be later than one. I promise.’
‘OK, I’ll tell Dad.’
Mandy walked round her.
‘Are those shoes new?’ her mother said.
‘Charity shop,’ Mandy said, trying on the lie to see how it sounded.
The party was crowded when she got there. She said hello to the kids she knew and Zoe took her to the kitchen area. She kept her coat on, not sure where to put it. Zoe pointed out her brothers and their mates. Then the bell rang and she left Mandy alone. Zoe’s brothers were taller and broader than most of the kids there and they had more hair on their faces. Mandy walked round them and headed for the table of drinks. She put down a bottle of wine and then looked for a can of beer. The room was semi-dark but someone had strung fairy lights across the cupboard doors. It looked welcoming, like Christmas. She began to relax.
She looked around to see who’d just come in. Her eye scanned the room, looking for Tommy. But it wasn’t him; just some kids she didn’t know.
‘Are you not staying?’ a voice said.
It was a Lucy, a girl from her history group. Mandy hardly knew her. She was pointing at her coat.
‘I’m feeling a bit cold,’ she said, not wanting to take it off yet.
‘How are you finding history? I wish the teacher would stop lecturing. I get so bored.’
‘Yeah.’
Actually Mandy didn’t get bored in history but that was because she was sitting beside Tommy. He kept her entertained. She thought it might be dreary otherwise.
‘What are you doing in English? I’m in the parallel group.’
Mandy screwed her face up, trying to think. She’d never spoken to Lucy before. She wondered why the girl had struck up this conversation.
‘I think we’re doing
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
.’
‘I wish we were! We’re starting
Antony and Cleopatra
after half-term!’
People were trying to get past them to get to the drinks. Mandy was moving here and there and couldn’t quite hear Lucy.
‘Do you want to come into the other room? There’s more space,’ Lucy said, in a louder voice.
‘Sure.’
She followed her out, looking around all the time in case Tommy had come and she had missed him. The living room was bigger and some people were sitting down on the sofa. The music was loud but no one was dancing. Lucy headed over to the window. Mandy noticed that she had really long hair. It had wispy ends like baby hair and Mandy wondered if she was one of those girls who’d never had a haircut.
She was feeling very hot in her coat. She shrugged her shoulders at Lucy and took it off.
‘Warm in here …’ she said.
‘Put it over there,’ Lucy said, pointing to a chair in the corner that had coats draped over it.
After she left her coat she stood by Lucy and kept her eye on the window where she could see the front garden and the path. When Tommy came she would see him.
‘I love your beads and bangles. You make them, don’t you? I heard you saying one day. I always wondered why
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