didn’t think you’d come, with all the Americans underfoot.”
“We missed you!”
You’d think I’d been off exploring the Amazon for a year, not going to school for three months. But the ride had been freezing
(and maybe, just maybe, a tiny bit stupid on my part) and the pub was warm, and it felt good to be welcomed and see the smiles
on the faces of my childhood friends.
Carrie grabbed my arm and dragged me to a table, where Lily, Kirsten, Terrell, and Gordon pulled chairs over and crowded round
it with us. I remembered the day when the sum of my and Carrie’s ambition had been to get Gordon to notice us. That was a
long time ago. Now he was just one of my friends, and I was still looking for someone who could put the same look on my face
that Brett put on Carly’s.
So far he hadn’t shown up, and I was getting rather tired of waiting. In the meantime, this lot filled that space inside.
Outside, too. “Move over,” I told Carrie. “You’re squashing me.”
“Am not. Move your chair back. What’s going on wi’ you? Too much chicken-fried steak?”
“I’ll have you know I’ve lost half a stone over the term. All those California salads.”
Carrie grimaced. “Revolting.”
“Have you been surfing?” Gordon wanted to know. “You said you were going to.”
I nodded. “Lissa had us down to Santa Barbara for the Thanksgiving holiday and I actually got up on the board. It’ll be Newquay
next.” The Cornish beach was famous for its waves and surfers came from all over the world to ride them. I know. Right here
in the UK. Who knew?
Carrie made a rude noise. “I can think of things I’d rather do. So what’s she like, this Lissa?”
“Well, you saw the pictures from the premiere, yeah?”
They all nodded. “Never thought I’d see you hobnobbing it in Hollywood,” Terrell said with a grin. “They know about that episode
with old Macaulay’s goats?”
“No, and they never will. Besides, I was only ten. How could I know they were some experimental breed and worth a fortune?”
“So what’s it like?” Lily wanted to know, her sloe eyes alight with interest. “Hollywood, I mean.”
“It’s difficult to say.” I thought for a second. “The red carpet was all about camera angles and which of the news crews would
get the stars the most coverage. We all stuck together, but the spotlight was mostly on Shani.”
“That girl who was dating the prince?” Kirsten asked. “Is he ever a looker.”
“And he’s just as nice as he looks.” I smiled. “He’s ever so good at political science—probably the only reason I managed
to float above a C-plus.”
“Princes and Hollywood types,” Carrie mused. “I’m surprised you condescended to hang wi’ the likes of us.”
“Oh, don’t take that tone with me,” I said impatiently. “You’re my friends. Nothing will ever change that.”
“She’s been horrid these last couple of weeks,” Lily said with a glance at Carrie. “Always on about would you be different,
were you going to come at all, blah, blah.”
“And here you are, same as ever,” Kirsten said. She turned to Carrie, who was sucking up the last of her shandy. “See? I told
you.”
“She isn’t the same.” Carrie gave me the once-over. “She’s lost half a stone, didn’t you hear? She’s all into the California
image thing now.”
“Would you give over?” What had brought this on? Carrie couldn’t seriously be jealous. “I’m eating salad instead of chips,
yeah, and playing an appalling game of football because they don’t have field hockey. But that has nothing to do with anything.
You’re the one who’s all about appearances if you think my losing weight is going to make me less your friend.”
“I’m all about appearances?” Carrie pushed away from me, then got up altogether. “You have no reason to say that about me.”
“Oh, come on.” I reached over and tugged on her arm. “Don’t go getting upset
“We missed you!”
You’d think I’d been off exploring the Amazon for a year, not going to school for three months. But the ride had been freezing
(and maybe, just maybe, a tiny bit stupid on my part) and the pub was warm, and it felt good to be welcomed and see the smiles
on the faces of my childhood friends.
Carrie grabbed my arm and dragged me to a table, where Lily, Kirsten, Terrell, and Gordon pulled chairs over and crowded round
it with us. I remembered the day when the sum of my and Carrie’s ambition had been to get Gordon to notice us. That was a
long time ago. Now he was just one of my friends, and I was still looking for someone who could put the same look on my face
that Brett put on Carly’s.
So far he hadn’t shown up, and I was getting rather tired of waiting. In the meantime, this lot filled that space inside.
Outside, too. “Move over,” I told Carrie. “You’re squashing me.”
“Am not. Move your chair back. What’s going on wi’ you? Too much chicken-fried steak?”
“I’ll have you know I’ve lost half a stone over the term. All those California salads.”
Carrie grimaced. “Revolting.”
“Have you been surfing?” Gordon wanted to know. “You said you were going to.”
I nodded. “Lissa had us down to Santa Barbara for the Thanksgiving holiday and I actually got up on the board. It’ll be Newquay
next.” The Cornish beach was famous for its waves and surfers came from all over the world to ride them. I know. Right here
in the UK. Who knew?
Carrie made a rude noise. “I can think of things I’d rather do. So what’s she like, this Lissa?”
“Well, you saw the pictures from the premiere, yeah?”
They all nodded. “Never thought I’d see you hobnobbing it in Hollywood,” Terrell said with a grin. “They know about that episode
with old Macaulay’s goats?”
“No, and they never will. Besides, I was only ten. How could I know they were some experimental breed and worth a fortune?”
“So what’s it like?” Lily wanted to know, her sloe eyes alight with interest. “Hollywood, I mean.”
“It’s difficult to say.” I thought for a second. “The red carpet was all about camera angles and which of the news crews would
get the stars the most coverage. We all stuck together, but the spotlight was mostly on Shani.”
“That girl who was dating the prince?” Kirsten asked. “Is he ever a looker.”
“And he’s just as nice as he looks.” I smiled. “He’s ever so good at political science—probably the only reason I managed
to float above a C-plus.”
“Princes and Hollywood types,” Carrie mused. “I’m surprised you condescended to hang wi’ the likes of us.”
“Oh, don’t take that tone with me,” I said impatiently. “You’re my friends. Nothing will ever change that.”
“She’s been horrid these last couple of weeks,” Lily said with a glance at Carrie. “Always on about would you be different,
were you going to come at all, blah, blah.”
“And here you are, same as ever,” Kirsten said. She turned to Carrie, who was sucking up the last of her shandy. “See? I told
you.”
“She isn’t the same.” Carrie gave me the once-over. “She’s lost half a stone, didn’t you hear? She’s all into the California
image thing now.”
“Would you give over?” What had brought this on? Carrie couldn’t seriously be jealous. “I’m eating salad instead of chips,
yeah, and playing an appalling game of football because they don’t have field hockey. But that has nothing to do with anything.
You’re the one who’s all about appearances if you think my losing weight is going to make me less your friend.”
“I’m all about appearances?” Carrie pushed away from me, then got up altogether. “You have no reason to say that about me.”
“Oh, come on.” I reached over and tugged on her arm. “Don’t go getting upset
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