to me, it just didn’t seem fair that she was sleeping like a baby. I was the innocent person here. So how come it was me tossing and turning all night long?
I don’t know about you, but when I have a bad night, with the flu or something, I’m usually longing for the first signs of morning. But that night, I was dreading the moment when the sky changed colour over Cuddington and all the little birds began to tweet.
Because I knew that no matter how miserable I felt tonight, it was nothing LIKE as bad as I was going to feel tomorrow.
Don’t worry, I promise to spare you the rest of the depressing details.
I’m going to fast forward to the part where I was getting dressed for school – in the bathroom, actually, because not only wasAmber using up my oxygen without permission, she’d also totally invaded my privacy.
And as I finished brushing my hair and putting it up in a tidy school ponytail (Mum says a girl should never let herself go, no matter HOW bad she feels), I looked my reflection in the eye.
“Fliss,” I said bravely. “Here’s your chance to become a stronger, better person, just like Kenny. These are your friends. Just tell them the truth, OK? They’ll understand.”
My bathroom resolution lasted all the way to school. Right up till the moment I joined my friends in the playground.
The minute she saw me coming, Frankie started humming. The others all joined in, grinning. You won’t need me to tell you that this was not the ideal moment for my mates to break into Here Comes the Bride .
They looked so incredibly happy that I almost burst into tears. How could Mum make me hurt my friends like this?
“Oh, hi,” I said, trying to force a smile.
Rosie giggled. “We’ve all been gettingtotally over-excited, Flissy! We just realised there’s only THREE days to go before You Know What!”
“I SO hope I don’t get hiccups at the vital moment!” Lyndz bubbled.
Kenny rolled her eyes. “Don’t we all,” she agreed.
But I’d stopped listening. Suddenly, in a flash of inspiration, I knew where my miracle was coming from. It wasn’t like she WANTED to be a bridesmaid, I told myself. I’d practically had to beg her. She’d only agreed in the first place because I went on and on about how much it mattered to me.
As I turned to Kenny, I could already feel a big smile spreading over my face. Miracles happened. They did. You heard about them all the time.
“What about you, Kenz?” I said casually. “Don’t tell me you’re dying to climb into that meringue, because I won’t believe you.”
Kenny grinned. “Then you’re wrong, Miss Smarty Pants. I know I wasn’t keen to begin with. But now I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Oh,” I said. “That’s so, erm – sweet.” I heard myself sounding like a total fake.
Can you believe it took me until lunchtime to pluck up the courage to tell them the truth? By then I’d worked myself into such a state, I was in extreme danger of going into orbit.
I waited until everyone had finished eating. Everyone except me, that is. I was so nervous, I couldn’t eat a thing.
“I think someone’s got wedding jitters,” grinned Frankie.
I’ll do it fast, I thought. Then maybe it won’t hurt so much. So in the end, I took a big breath, and blurted out the whole sorry story.
It’s weird. I was prepared for just about every reaction, except the one I got. They didn’t believe me. Everyone fell about laughing.
“Nice one, Fliss,” Kenny chortled. “You really had us going there.”
Rosie clutched her chest. “You bad girl!” she giggled. “You gave me a total heart attack!”
“Flissy, sometimes you have the weirdest sense of humour!” said Lyndz in a wondering tone.
Then Frankie’s face changed. “She isn’t joking,” she said. “Look at her!”
Everyone stared at me, and I saw all the laughter go out of their eyes. Tears prickled behind my lids.
“Your mum actually told you to like, SACK one of us to make room for
I don’t know about you, but when I have a bad night, with the flu or something, I’m usually longing for the first signs of morning. But that night, I was dreading the moment when the sky changed colour over Cuddington and all the little birds began to tweet.
Because I knew that no matter how miserable I felt tonight, it was nothing LIKE as bad as I was going to feel tomorrow.
Don’t worry, I promise to spare you the rest of the depressing details.
I’m going to fast forward to the part where I was getting dressed for school – in the bathroom, actually, because not only wasAmber using up my oxygen without permission, she’d also totally invaded my privacy.
And as I finished brushing my hair and putting it up in a tidy school ponytail (Mum says a girl should never let herself go, no matter HOW bad she feels), I looked my reflection in the eye.
“Fliss,” I said bravely. “Here’s your chance to become a stronger, better person, just like Kenny. These are your friends. Just tell them the truth, OK? They’ll understand.”
My bathroom resolution lasted all the way to school. Right up till the moment I joined my friends in the playground.
The minute she saw me coming, Frankie started humming. The others all joined in, grinning. You won’t need me to tell you that this was not the ideal moment for my mates to break into Here Comes the Bride .
They looked so incredibly happy that I almost burst into tears. How could Mum make me hurt my friends like this?
“Oh, hi,” I said, trying to force a smile.
Rosie giggled. “We’ve all been gettingtotally over-excited, Flissy! We just realised there’s only THREE days to go before You Know What!”
“I SO hope I don’t get hiccups at the vital moment!” Lyndz bubbled.
Kenny rolled her eyes. “Don’t we all,” she agreed.
But I’d stopped listening. Suddenly, in a flash of inspiration, I knew where my miracle was coming from. It wasn’t like she WANTED to be a bridesmaid, I told myself. I’d practically had to beg her. She’d only agreed in the first place because I went on and on about how much it mattered to me.
As I turned to Kenny, I could already feel a big smile spreading over my face. Miracles happened. They did. You heard about them all the time.
“What about you, Kenz?” I said casually. “Don’t tell me you’re dying to climb into that meringue, because I won’t believe you.”
Kenny grinned. “Then you’re wrong, Miss Smarty Pants. I know I wasn’t keen to begin with. But now I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Oh,” I said. “That’s so, erm – sweet.” I heard myself sounding like a total fake.
Can you believe it took me until lunchtime to pluck up the courage to tell them the truth? By then I’d worked myself into such a state, I was in extreme danger of going into orbit.
I waited until everyone had finished eating. Everyone except me, that is. I was so nervous, I couldn’t eat a thing.
“I think someone’s got wedding jitters,” grinned Frankie.
I’ll do it fast, I thought. Then maybe it won’t hurt so much. So in the end, I took a big breath, and blurted out the whole sorry story.
It’s weird. I was prepared for just about every reaction, except the one I got. They didn’t believe me. Everyone fell about laughing.
“Nice one, Fliss,” Kenny chortled. “You really had us going there.”
Rosie clutched her chest. “You bad girl!” she giggled. “You gave me a total heart attack!”
“Flissy, sometimes you have the weirdest sense of humour!” said Lyndz in a wondering tone.
Then Frankie’s face changed. “She isn’t joking,” she said. “Look at her!”
Everyone stared at me, and I saw all the laughter go out of their eyes. Tears prickled behind my lids.
“Your mum actually told you to like, SACK one of us to make room for
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