Awful Amber?” gasped Lyndz.
I nodded, and two hot little tears trickled down my cheeks. I kept seeing their happy faces as they sang Here Comes the Bride . Now all my friends looked like I’d slapped them.
“Did your mum say which bridesmaid is getting the sack?” Rosie asked finally.
“No,” I choked. “She said we’ve got to figure it out amongst ourselves.”
“But HOW?” said Lyndz.
“I don’t know,” I wept. “I can’t believe this is even happening.”
I was longing for my friends to comfort me. But they just went scarily quiet. And for a few seconds no-one looked at anyone else.
Then, still carefully not looking at anyone, Rosie said, “Well, I suppose it’s got to be Kenny. I mean, we all remember what a terrible time Fliss had getting her to put on a bridesmaid’s dress in the first place, right?”
Kenny looked hurt. “How come you’re talking about me as if I’m not here?” she demanded in a huffy voice. “But then I suppose you wish I wasn’t.”
“Don’t be stupid, Kenz,” said Frankie at once.
Rosie scowled. “I was only saying that it’s not fair for one of US to miss out, when everyone knows Kenny hates dressing up and being girly.”
Kenny stared at her. “One of US?” she blazed. “What does that mean, exactly? I mean, one of US can’t play Let’s Dress Up, so suddenly I’m like this ALIEN creature who isn’t US?”
“I don’t think that’s – that’s what Rosie meant,” I stuttered miserably.
Kenny scraped back her chair.
“I wondered what that was all about this morning,” she said in a shaky voice. “All thatrhubarb about me and my meringue. It was because you didn’t have the guts to tell me the truth!”
“Sssh, Kenny,” said Rosie uncomfortably. “Everyone’s looking.”
But Kenny didn’t stop for breath. “Why didn’t you just say, ‘Laura McKenzie, you’ll make a rubbish bridesmaid, so you’re FIRED!’” she screamed. Then she ran out of the hall, sobbing as if her heart would break.
The M&Ms must have thought Christmas had come early. It was obvious they were lapping up every moment of our misery.
Then I saw Frankie and Lyndz both glaring at me.
“This is your fault, Felicity Sidebotham,” Frankie choked. “I’ll never forgive you for hurting Kenny’s feelings like that.”
“Me neither,” said Lyndz.
“Hey!” said Rosie. “It’s not Flissy’s fault if her mum got a bee in her bonnet about Amber being a bridesmaid.”
But Frankie and Lyndz just pushed back their chairs and stalked out of the hall.
Have you ever been so upset that youcan’t even cry? I sat there at that table with my elbows in everyone’s crumbs, the whole school staring at me, and I really wished I could die.
Yet it was like I couldn’t even find the energy to get up and leave.
It had all happened so FAST! Like Andy’s precious mirror, the Sleepover Club had just shattered into pieces, and I didn’t understand why . I didn’t even know whose fault it was. Was it Amber’s, or Mum’s, or was it really all down to me, like Frankie said?
As we left the hall, Rosie tucked her arm through mine. “I’m your friend, Fliss,” she said fiercely. “I don’t care what they say.”
All the rest of the day, Kenny sat by herself at the back of the class. I wanted to go up to her and explain that she’d totally got it wrong. But she looked so blank and cold, I didn’t dare. It was like she’d put up an invisible force-field which totally stopped the rest of us going near her.
Lyndz and Frankie sat together. When Mrs Weaver wasn’t looking, they whispered toeach other, darting poisonous looks at me and Rosie.
Without any warning, tears started splashing down my face. Some of them fell on my rough book, smudging the sum I’d been working out in pencil. I scrubbed my hand across my face.
“Don’t cry,” Rosie whispered. “It’ll be OK. I know it will.”
I truly couldn’t see how. I still believed in miracles and everything. I
I nodded, and two hot little tears trickled down my cheeks. I kept seeing their happy faces as they sang Here Comes the Bride . Now all my friends looked like I’d slapped them.
“Did your mum say which bridesmaid is getting the sack?” Rosie asked finally.
“No,” I choked. “She said we’ve got to figure it out amongst ourselves.”
“But HOW?” said Lyndz.
“I don’t know,” I wept. “I can’t believe this is even happening.”
I was longing for my friends to comfort me. But they just went scarily quiet. And for a few seconds no-one looked at anyone else.
Then, still carefully not looking at anyone, Rosie said, “Well, I suppose it’s got to be Kenny. I mean, we all remember what a terrible time Fliss had getting her to put on a bridesmaid’s dress in the first place, right?”
Kenny looked hurt. “How come you’re talking about me as if I’m not here?” she demanded in a huffy voice. “But then I suppose you wish I wasn’t.”
“Don’t be stupid, Kenz,” said Frankie at once.
Rosie scowled. “I was only saying that it’s not fair for one of US to miss out, when everyone knows Kenny hates dressing up and being girly.”
Kenny stared at her. “One of US?” she blazed. “What does that mean, exactly? I mean, one of US can’t play Let’s Dress Up, so suddenly I’m like this ALIEN creature who isn’t US?”
“I don’t think that’s – that’s what Rosie meant,” I stuttered miserably.
Kenny scraped back her chair.
“I wondered what that was all about this morning,” she said in a shaky voice. “All thatrhubarb about me and my meringue. It was because you didn’t have the guts to tell me the truth!”
“Sssh, Kenny,” said Rosie uncomfortably. “Everyone’s looking.”
But Kenny didn’t stop for breath. “Why didn’t you just say, ‘Laura McKenzie, you’ll make a rubbish bridesmaid, so you’re FIRED!’” she screamed. Then she ran out of the hall, sobbing as if her heart would break.
The M&Ms must have thought Christmas had come early. It was obvious they were lapping up every moment of our misery.
Then I saw Frankie and Lyndz both glaring at me.
“This is your fault, Felicity Sidebotham,” Frankie choked. “I’ll never forgive you for hurting Kenny’s feelings like that.”
“Me neither,” said Lyndz.
“Hey!” said Rosie. “It’s not Flissy’s fault if her mum got a bee in her bonnet about Amber being a bridesmaid.”
But Frankie and Lyndz just pushed back their chairs and stalked out of the hall.
Have you ever been so upset that youcan’t even cry? I sat there at that table with my elbows in everyone’s crumbs, the whole school staring at me, and I really wished I could die.
Yet it was like I couldn’t even find the energy to get up and leave.
It had all happened so FAST! Like Andy’s precious mirror, the Sleepover Club had just shattered into pieces, and I didn’t understand why . I didn’t even know whose fault it was. Was it Amber’s, or Mum’s, or was it really all down to me, like Frankie said?
As we left the hall, Rosie tucked her arm through mine. “I’m your friend, Fliss,” she said fiercely. “I don’t care what they say.”
All the rest of the day, Kenny sat by herself at the back of the class. I wanted to go up to her and explain that she’d totally got it wrong. But she looked so blank and cold, I didn’t dare. It was like she’d put up an invisible force-field which totally stopped the rest of us going near her.
Lyndz and Frankie sat together. When Mrs Weaver wasn’t looking, they whispered toeach other, darting poisonous looks at me and Rosie.
Without any warning, tears started splashing down my face. Some of them fell on my rough book, smudging the sum I’d been working out in pencil. I scrubbed my hand across my face.
“Don’t cry,” Rosie whispered. “It’ll be OK. I know it will.”
I truly couldn’t see how. I still believed in miracles and everything. I
Similar Books
