Stay Well Soon by Penny Tangey

goodbye.’
    April and Charlotte are walking towards us.
    â€˜Hi, girls,’ says April. ‘We thought you might like these.’ They throw some Glad Wrap and chip packets on the bench.
    â€˜This could be a necklace,’ says Charlotte, pointing to the empty Samboy packet.
    Brianna must have told them where we got our bracelets from. I’m not surprised; she can’t keep a secret.
    â€˜Go away,’ says Morgan.
    â€˜There’s no need to be rude,’ says April. ‘We were just trying to help. And we know Stevie is a recognised rubbish expert with a certificate to prove it.’
    April is just jealous because she’s never won a Certificate of Recognition for Leadership. I just ignore her.
    â€˜At least we don’t make jewellery out of compost,’ Morgan says.
    â€˜What?’ says April.
    â€˜Stevie told me about your jewellery. Dried orange peel is rubbish too.’
    Charlotte stares for a moment with her mouth open. She turns away and her shoulders are shaking.
    April says, ‘Charlotte makes sustainable jewellery from repurposed renewable resources. It’s not the same as finding stuff at the tip and wearing it.’ She turns and puts her arm around Charlotte. ‘Come on, let’s get out of here.’
    Morgan picks up the chip packet. ‘We could make jewellery out of these,’ she says. Morgan goes inside and gets scissors. She cuts down one side of the packet and across the bottom to make one flat piece. She cuts a strip from the packet in a spiral so that she ends up with a long piece of orange and silver packet. Then she wraps it around her neck and ties up the end. It looks amazing. I ask if she’ll make me one from a Twisties packet.
    When we go back into class Mr Parks says, ‘Nice to see some glamour in the classroom.’
    I know I am blushing like mad.
    Charlotte’s eyes are red and puffy. She is the last person to finish the maths sheet. Even Brendan James finishes before her and he gets sixes and nines confused.
    Morgan asks me during maths if I want to go to her house to play after school. The cemetery is near her house and we could look for Indigo and Jade’s graves. I say I’m not allowed to organise things for the same day, which is true.
    Finally, the bell rings for the end of the day.
    I say goodbye to Morgan and then I go to the toilets. I always go to the toilet before I leave school even if I don’t really need to, just in case.
    I am in the cubicle when I hear someone come in. I think it is Charlotte because of the way she shuffles. I don’t want to see her so I try to finish as quickly as possible, but she comes out when I’m washing my hands.
    She doesn’t say hello to me.
    â€˜I do like your jewellery,’ I say.
    â€˜Well then how come you don’t wear the earrings I made you for your birthday?’
    â€˜I’m saving them for special,’ I say. Actually, they went mouldy and Mum made me throw them out.
    â€˜Well then how come you’ve never bought anything yourself? Not any of the times we were at the market together. You never bought a single thing. Not even an anklet.’
    â€˜I’m saving up,’ I say.
    Charlotte snorts. ‘April’s bought three of my bracelets, and she’s only been here a term.’
    â€˜She gets more pocket money than me.’
    â€˜April’s right,’ she says. ‘There’ll always be an excuse with you.’ She walks out.
    I don’t understand why Charlotte is so upset. Why does she care about the jewellery when she has Cinnamon? If I had a horse, or even a pony, I wouldn’t care about anything else. I would always be happy.
    When I arrive at the Kidz Space the touchscreens are already being used (I don’t think I will ever get a turn) but Bananas in Pyjamas is playing on the television screen. I used to love this show when I was a little kid. I sit in a blue beanbag to watch.
    A voice beside