The Desperate Bride’s Diet Club by Alison Sherlock

up her desperation and found comfort in food. Glorious food, which was always available, always there to soothe her pain.
    Kathy sighed and took another sip of her drink. The shop was too quietto make any money. It needed a complete overhaul to drag it into the new century, let alone the new decade, but Mavis was apt to be offended by any suggestion of change. So Kathy turned up each day, smiled at the infrequent customers and then went home.
    ‘Would you like a chocolate digestive?’ asked Mavis, fishing a packet out of her handbag.
    It was the first sensible thing she’d said all morning.

    Maggie was bored as well. She’d opted for a cereal bar for breakfast. It had needed two cups of tea to wash away the taste and to get some moisture back into her mouth. And there was no way she could have a cup of tea without a little something on the side.
    So it was only ten o’clock in the morning and she had already eaten her way through the packet of cake bars that she had bought earlier inthe week.
    The television blared out from the corner of the lounge. There was nothing else for her to do. The house was immaculate and it was too early to attack the garden. Not that there was much weeding to be done there either. She had hoovered every room the previous day. There wasn’t an inch of dust anywhere in the house. Except in her brain.
    Maggie felt like a prisoner in her own home.Gordon had never wanted her to go back to work when Lucy was growing up and Maggie had enjoyed spending the time with her daughter. But long gone were the days of gossiping with other mums outside the school gates. Lucy was all grown up and had left school two years ago. Whilst she was moving on with her life, Maggie’s had ground to a halt. She didn’t know what she wanted to do and so did nothing,day after day.
    Not that Gordon had complained at all. As long as his dinner was on the table every night, he didn’t care. It wasn’t as if Maggie could even talk to him about it. They barely spoke at all about themselves these days. The topics of conversation rarely ventured beyond Gordon’s business and Lucy. Then, as soon as dinner was over, the television was switched back on and they settleddown in front of the soaps with the biscuit tin.
    Maggie crumpled up the cake packet and flicked channels. At least the
Jeremy Kyle Show
made her feel better. The day’s topic was, ‘He slept with my mother and now she’s pregnant!’
    Those people had real problems, Maggie told herself as she reached for another packet of biscuits.
    The classroom was quiet. Everyone was concentrating on their fashiondesigns.
    The lecturer bent down to talk to Lucy. ‘Hi,’ she said in a low voice. ‘How’s it going?’
    Lucy crumpled up her piece of paper. ‘Crap. I can’t get the sleeves right.’
    She had been starving hungry after that ridiculous shake for breakfast and consequently pigged out on burger and chips at lunchtime in the college canteen. Now riddled with guilt, she couldn’t concentrate at all.
    The lecturersmoothed out the paper. ‘Let’s have a look.’
    Lucy shrugged her shoulders. The military jacket she had drawn was different but wearable. The design could grace any number of Top Shop stores.
    ‘It’s great,’ the lecturer told Lucy.
    ‘It’s not good enough,’ snapped Lucy, angry with herself.
    ‘For who?’
    ‘For me.’
    The lecturer smiled. ‘You’re a perfectionist, Lucy. And that’s good. But you’ve alsogot to start believing in your work.’
    Lucy shrugged her shoulders. What was the point?
    ‘Why else would I suggest you apply for Central Saint Martins?’
    Lucy stared up at her, her blue eyes wide with shock. ‘You’re kidding, right?’
    The lecturer shook her head. ‘You’re gonna walk your A levels in a month’s time. You’ll get top grades. Listen to me, you’ve got real potential. And I’m telling youto go for it.’
    Lucy sat back in her chair. She couldn’t imagine it. Her at Central Saint Martins College