you didn’t do matching earrings.’
‘That’s a bit too technical for me. I collect nice and unusual beads. I can string them but I haven’t mastered anything as clever as earrings.’
‘My mum could show you. She makes earrings and sells them on a market stall. My mum made these!’
Lucy pulled her hair back and showed off a beaded earring. It was striking: long and colourful. A little wasted hidden behind Lucy’s heavy hair.
‘They’re really pretty.’
‘My mum’s really artistic. I’m the opposite. All I seem to do is study. I want to go to Oxford. So I have to get high grades. Are you planning to go to uni?’
‘I might. I haven’t thought that far ahead.’
‘Oh you need to. Do some research on universities. There are some good ones and some terrible ones. You don’t want to waste your student loan.’
The music had stopped and there were a few moments of silence. Mandy gazed out of the window. She saw Tommy come up the front path of the house. She stood up straight. He was here. She felt herself smiling. Lucy must have noticed the difference in Mandy because she looked out of the window as well.
‘I really like Tommy,’ Lucy said, ‘don’t you? He’s so different from the other guys, so easy to talk to.’
Mandy nodded, looking down at the red shoes, wondering whether she should have worn them or not.
‘I was surprised about him and Leanne getting together!’
‘What?’
‘Tommy and Leanne. They’ve been seeing each other. I saw them after school yesterday afternoon. I had a tutorial with my English teacher and I was leaving late and I saw them holding hands.’
‘Leanne?’
Mandy was touching the beads on her necklace, spinning them.
‘I was amazed. I knew he was always hanging out with Toni and Leanne but I guess I thought it was Toni he liked. She seems much more like him. You know, a bit zany in the way she dresses. But Leanne?’
Mandy felt herself weaken. Her shoes seemed higher all of a sudden and she felt she might topple off them. She looked for somewhere to put her beer can.
‘Are you OK?’ Lucy said.
The front door bell rang. Tommy was coming in and Mandy couldn’t face him.
Leanne?
He was with
Leanne
?
‘I just …’
Lucy’s face changed. She frowned and seemed to squeeze her lips together.
‘You didn’t know.’
Mandy stood back, behind the living room door, and Lucy moved to stay with her. The music was louder and a couple of girls were dancing, which made the living room look crowded. From behind the door Mandy could hear the sound of Tommy’s voice. Was Leanne with him? That was something she couldn’t face. Lucy was staring at her with concern.
‘You like him, don’t you? I didn’t realise. I just thought you were mates. I’m really sorry I said anything.’
Tommy didn’t come into the living room and Mandy knew he must have gone straight towards the kitchen like most of the partygoers, heading for the table with the drinks.
‘Can you get my coat for me?’ she said.
‘Oh, don’t go. There are lots of guys here …’
‘Please.’
Lucy seemed to think for a moment, then she strode across the room, and sorted out Mandy’s coat.
‘Thanks,’ Mandy said, putting it on. ‘If anyone asks, just say I didn’t feel very well.’
‘Sure. Will you be all right?’
Mandy walked out of the living room, leaving the music behind, and went through the front door as a group of kids came in. No one noticed her; no one said anything. It was like she was invisible. As if she’d never gone to the party at all.
Nine
She walked home. She didn’t call her dad but made her own way back. She trudged through the streets by herself for almost an hour. She thought about the party and felt wave after wave of embarrassment. She’d not been there for longer than thirty minutes. Maybe she should have stayed, seen Tommy, made a show of pretending
‘That’s a bit too technical for me. I collect nice and unusual beads. I can string them but I haven’t mastered anything as clever as earrings.’
‘My mum could show you. She makes earrings and sells them on a market stall. My mum made these!’
Lucy pulled her hair back and showed off a beaded earring. It was striking: long and colourful. A little wasted hidden behind Lucy’s heavy hair.
‘They’re really pretty.’
‘My mum’s really artistic. I’m the opposite. All I seem to do is study. I want to go to Oxford. So I have to get high grades. Are you planning to go to uni?’
‘I might. I haven’t thought that far ahead.’
‘Oh you need to. Do some research on universities. There are some good ones and some terrible ones. You don’t want to waste your student loan.’
The music had stopped and there were a few moments of silence. Mandy gazed out of the window. She saw Tommy come up the front path of the house. She stood up straight. He was here. She felt herself smiling. Lucy must have noticed the difference in Mandy because she looked out of the window as well.
‘I really like Tommy,’ Lucy said, ‘don’t you? He’s so different from the other guys, so easy to talk to.’
Mandy nodded, looking down at the red shoes, wondering whether she should have worn them or not.
‘I was surprised about him and Leanne getting together!’
‘What?’
‘Tommy and Leanne. They’ve been seeing each other. I saw them after school yesterday afternoon. I had a tutorial with my English teacher and I was leaving late and I saw them holding hands.’
‘Leanne?’
Mandy was touching the beads on her necklace, spinning them.
‘I was amazed. I knew he was always hanging out with Toni and Leanne but I guess I thought it was Toni he liked. She seems much more like him. You know, a bit zany in the way she dresses. But Leanne?’
Mandy felt herself weaken. Her shoes seemed higher all of a sudden and she felt she might topple off them. She looked for somewhere to put her beer can.
‘Are you OK?’ Lucy said.
The front door bell rang. Tommy was coming in and Mandy couldn’t face him.
Leanne?
He was with
Leanne
?
‘I just …’
Lucy’s face changed. She frowned and seemed to squeeze her lips together.
‘You didn’t know.’
Mandy stood back, behind the living room door, and Lucy moved to stay with her. The music was louder and a couple of girls were dancing, which made the living room look crowded. From behind the door Mandy could hear the sound of Tommy’s voice. Was Leanne with him? That was something she couldn’t face. Lucy was staring at her with concern.
‘You like him, don’t you? I didn’t realise. I just thought you were mates. I’m really sorry I said anything.’
Tommy didn’t come into the living room and Mandy knew he must have gone straight towards the kitchen like most of the partygoers, heading for the table with the drinks.
‘Can you get my coat for me?’ she said.
‘Oh, don’t go. There are lots of guys here …’
‘Please.’
Lucy seemed to think for a moment, then she strode across the room, and sorted out Mandy’s coat.
‘Thanks,’ Mandy said, putting it on. ‘If anyone asks, just say I didn’t feel very well.’
‘Sure. Will you be all right?’
Mandy walked out of the living room, leaving the music behind, and went through the front door as a group of kids came in. No one noticed her; no one said anything. It was like she was invisible. As if she’d never gone to the party at all.
Nine
She walked home. She didn’t call her dad but made her own way back. She trudged through the streets by herself for almost an hour. She thought about the party and felt wave after wave of embarrassment. She’d not been there for longer than thirty minutes. Maybe she should have stayed, seen Tommy, made a show of pretending
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