swept out, saying he was impossible, and pretending not to notice that everyone was laughing at her.
âHow is Jake?â Mum asked me to change the subject.
âForget about Jake!â Flora cried from the landing. âThey havenât even
kissed
yet!â
âIâm glad to hear it!â Dad roared back at her.
If you could die from blushing, I would be stone-cold dead.
âActually,â I muttered, âI have a date with him this afternoon.â
âThatâs wonderful!â Mum patted my hand. âAnd you mustnât worry about the kissing.â She yawned. âThereâs plenty of time for that.â
And just like that, she fell asleep. Jas and I stared at her, amazed.
âDo you think sheâs all right?â Jas whispered.
âShe looks quite peaceful,â I whispered back.
âPlenty of time for kissing,â
Jas smirked.
âShut up,â I said.
Flora is so right not to want Zach to meet our family.
Â
MONDAY, DECEMBER 9
I couldnât bring myself to write about my date with Jake yesterday. It was sort ofâhurtful. I stayed in my room all of Sunday, and thought about not going to school at all today, except unlike Zachâs mother Mum doesnât believe in people missing school unless they are ill.
Dodi pounced on me straight after registration, having already heard the most essential details.
âTom and Colin went too?â she cried. âI donât believe it!â
âHow did you know?â I asked.
âCressida saw you on line. She couldnât believe it either. She says you went to see
X-Men
!â
âI happen to like
X-Men
,â I lied. I couldnât tell her the truth, either about the film, or about the fact that Jake hardly talked to me the whole time.
Dodi said that the point wasnât whether I liked it or not, the point was it just wasnât the sort of film you took someone to on a first date, with or without a posse of your best friends.
âI canât believe Cressida is gossiping about me,â I said.
âThe problem is that youâre too familiar,â Dodi said. âJake sees you too much as a friend.â
âThe problem,â I corrected her, âis that he obviously doesnât want to go out with me anymore.â
âYou have to make yourself more alluring,â Dodi decided.
âHow?â I asked.
âMore seductive.â
âHOW?â I repeated.
âPout, or flutter your eyelashes or something. Maybe giggle when he talks to you. Put on some more lip gloss. I havenât seen you wear makeup once since your makeover.â
âLip gloss makes my lips sticky,â I said. âAnd I refuse to giggle. Flora does it all the time with Zach and itâs really annoying.â
Dodi rolled her eyes like I was the annoying one.
âSmile,â she ordered.
I grinned, baring my teeth.
âNot at me!â she screeched. âAt him! And
nicely
! Take off your glasses.â
I put my glasses in my pocket and smiled more softly.
âGood,â said Dodi. âYou know, you really are so pretty when you try. And now Iâm going to talk to Jake again.â
âIâd really rather you didnât,â I told her, but she was already gone.
Â
THE SAGA OF BLUEBELL AND JAKE
THE KISS (take 2)
BLUE, accompanied by DODI, comes out of the school gate. JAKE is waiting on the pavement. Dodi nudges Blue, who removes her glasses. She is wearing lip gloss. Jake leaves TOM and COLIN and marches up to her, looking determined and still a little bit tanned and therefore quite handsome.
JAKE
(sounding as determined as he looks)
Walk you home?
Â
BLUE
(beaming, trying not to look like this whole episode isnât mortifying)
Why thank you, kind sir.
Â
Together, they head off toward the park. Blue steals a glance over her shoulder. Dodi pouts and blows kisses. Colin and Tom see her and snigger. Jake ignores them.
Saud Alsanousi
Derek Robinson
J.D. Cunegan
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Audrey Carlan
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