we’ve known each other forever. It turns out that although he’s always lived locally, he’s been away at boarding school since he was eleven, but decided to come home for the Sixth Form because they didn’t get enough freedom there, and besides it was a single sex school and he was fed up with having single sex. I go bright red at the mention of sex and laugh nervously – then shut up quickly in case I sound hysterical.
Then we both have a good moan about our families. Seth’s parents are divorced as well but his dad has just remarried and he’s living with him and the new family most of the time because he doesn’t get on with his mum’s new boyfriend, although he says it’s a bit of a toss up as to which is worse: his mum’s boyfriend or his new step-sister. She sounds like the step-sister from hell. I tell him about ‘the little brother from hell’ and how awful my mum is, but I don’t tell him that I’m hoping to go and live with Dad because I don’t want to jinx it.I’ll wait until I’ve arranged it and then tell him. If he wants to see me again, that is.
Eventually, I tear my eyes away from Seth and look around the café. I want to see if the Sixth Form girls are noticing how well we’re getting on. Pathetic, I know, but I’ve never been so happy. I realise that the rest of the people from school, who were here when we arrived, have all disappeared and been replaced by adults in suits who have obviously just finished work.
‘Oh my God! What time is it?’ I ask Seth, panic creeping into my voice.
‘Five-twenty. Is there a problem?’
God, I hope not. I’m struggling to get my blazer on when my phone rings. I grab it and fumble with the buttons. I don’t recognise the number. It can’t be Dad or Trish or even Mrs Archer because my phone would recognise those numbers. I’m about to answer it when Seth says, ‘Can I see you on Saturday?’ so I turn it off.
‘Yes.’ I hope I haven’t answered too quickly. It’s difficult not to sound keen when you’re so keen you could die.
‘Here’s my number,’ he says, pushing a napkin into my hand. ‘Ring me.’
‘Thanks, got to go,’ and I grab my bag and run.
Chapter Six
Sitting on the bus, I grab my phone to see if I can work out who it was that rang me and it rings again and I nearly drop it. This time it’s a text. It says,
Where are you?
Oh my God! It must be Seth, and we’ve only been parted about five minutes. I’m about to reply,
On Cloud Nine
when I remember that he doesn’t have my number. I get out the napkin to check, and sure enough it isn’t him. Great, my first phone call and I don’t even know who it is. What if it’s some perv randomly dialling numbers, hoping to get an unsuspecting girl to reply. I think about texting
Mind your own business
, but decide that if it is some perv I’d be better off ignoring it. I hope this phone isn’t going to be more trouble than it’s worth. Then I remember I’ve got Seth’s number, and I’m back on Cloud Nine.
When I reach Mrs Archer’s front gate I have to stop and get my breath back. I ring the bell and fix a smile on my face, all ready to apologise profusely. But when she answers thedoor she tells me that Mum picked Rory up half an hour ago.
Hell! Now I’m in for it. Mum will want to know where I’ve been, and I’ll probably be grounded. She’ll go on at me about how she’s had to pay Mrs Archer for an extra two hours and I’ll scream back that she shouldn’t treat me like an unpaid slave – that
she’s
Rory’s mother, not me, that I need a life . . . anyhow, when I go and live with Dad she’ll realise how much she uses me and then she’ll get a reality check.
Still, it’s not going to be pretty, I think as I open the front door. Oh God! What if she stops me from going to Imogen’s on Saturday? Aaargh! Saturday! Seth! Imogen! I’ve double booked! I need to go and shut myself in my room so that I can think this through, but the minute I open the front
Then we both have a good moan about our families. Seth’s parents are divorced as well but his dad has just remarried and he’s living with him and the new family most of the time because he doesn’t get on with his mum’s new boyfriend, although he says it’s a bit of a toss up as to which is worse: his mum’s boyfriend or his new step-sister. She sounds like the step-sister from hell. I tell him about ‘the little brother from hell’ and how awful my mum is, but I don’t tell him that I’m hoping to go and live with Dad because I don’t want to jinx it.I’ll wait until I’ve arranged it and then tell him. If he wants to see me again, that is.
Eventually, I tear my eyes away from Seth and look around the café. I want to see if the Sixth Form girls are noticing how well we’re getting on. Pathetic, I know, but I’ve never been so happy. I realise that the rest of the people from school, who were here when we arrived, have all disappeared and been replaced by adults in suits who have obviously just finished work.
‘Oh my God! What time is it?’ I ask Seth, panic creeping into my voice.
‘Five-twenty. Is there a problem?’
God, I hope not. I’m struggling to get my blazer on when my phone rings. I grab it and fumble with the buttons. I don’t recognise the number. It can’t be Dad or Trish or even Mrs Archer because my phone would recognise those numbers. I’m about to answer it when Seth says, ‘Can I see you on Saturday?’ so I turn it off.
‘Yes.’ I hope I haven’t answered too quickly. It’s difficult not to sound keen when you’re so keen you could die.
‘Here’s my number,’ he says, pushing a napkin into my hand. ‘Ring me.’
‘Thanks, got to go,’ and I grab my bag and run.
Chapter Six
Sitting on the bus, I grab my phone to see if I can work out who it was that rang me and it rings again and I nearly drop it. This time it’s a text. It says,
Where are you?
Oh my God! It must be Seth, and we’ve only been parted about five minutes. I’m about to reply,
On Cloud Nine
when I remember that he doesn’t have my number. I get out the napkin to check, and sure enough it isn’t him. Great, my first phone call and I don’t even know who it is. What if it’s some perv randomly dialling numbers, hoping to get an unsuspecting girl to reply. I think about texting
Mind your own business
, but decide that if it is some perv I’d be better off ignoring it. I hope this phone isn’t going to be more trouble than it’s worth. Then I remember I’ve got Seth’s number, and I’m back on Cloud Nine.
When I reach Mrs Archer’s front gate I have to stop and get my breath back. I ring the bell and fix a smile on my face, all ready to apologise profusely. But when she answers thedoor she tells me that Mum picked Rory up half an hour ago.
Hell! Now I’m in for it. Mum will want to know where I’ve been, and I’ll probably be grounded. She’ll go on at me about how she’s had to pay Mrs Archer for an extra two hours and I’ll scream back that she shouldn’t treat me like an unpaid slave – that
she’s
Rory’s mother, not me, that I need a life . . . anyhow, when I go and live with Dad she’ll realise how much she uses me and then she’ll get a reality check.
Still, it’s not going to be pretty, I think as I open the front door. Oh God! What if she stops me from going to Imogen’s on Saturday? Aaargh! Saturday! Seth! Imogen! I’ve double booked! I need to go and shut myself in my room so that I can think this through, but the minute I open the front
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