Read Online Girls in Love by Jacqueline Wilson - Free Book Online

like that,” says Magda, rushing over to her and putting her arm round her neck.
    “Get off me, Magda!”
    “I just want to talk to you, Nadine.”
    “Yeah, but I don’t
want
to talk about it, OK?”
    “We’re mates, aren’t we?”
    “But this isn’t about you and me and Ellie. It’s just to do with me and Liam. So you keep your nose out of it, OK? And you too, Ellie,” says Nadine, and she stalks off by herself.
    “Shall we go after her?” says Magda.
    “We’ll be wasting our time,” I say miserably.
    I know Nadine too well. She’ll never listen to either of us now. I feel I’ve really blown it. I’ve betrayed Nadine’s confidence—and I haven’t helped her in the slightest.
    She barely talks to either of us all day. When school is over she goes rushing off to meet up with Liam, who’s waiting for her by the wall.
    “So let’s have a word with him, eh?” says Magda.
    “No! You can’t! And Nadine would kill us,” I say.
    We don’t get the chance anyway, because Nadine and Liam hurry away. It’s cold, so Liam is wearing this incredible black leather jacket.
    “That is a seriously sexy jacket,” Magda says wistfully. “He might be a pig but he sure looks good. Why can’t Greg wear a leather jacket? He’s got this naff zippy thing that is practically an anorak.”
    “How’s it going with Greg, anyway?” I ask.
    “Well . . . ,” says Magda, and sighs.
    “
He
doesn’t want you to . . . ?”
    “Per-lease!” says Magda. “Greg??? No, he’s OK, he’s quite sweet, actually, but all we seem to do is talk homework and hang out at McDonald’s. Ah! Which reminds me. One of Greg’s mates, Adam, is having a party this Saturday. His parents are away for the weekend so they’re planning a serious rave-up. Want to come?”
    I stare at her, heart beating fast.
    She mistakes my hesitation. “Look, I know you and Dan are an item and the last thing you want is to meet someone new at a party. I mean, you’ve
got
a boyfriend.”
    Oh, Magda! If you only knew. A party. I’ve never ever been to a party before. Well, of course I’ve been to
parties
—the little-girly balloons-and-birthday-cake kind. But I’ve never been to a party with
boys
.
    “Please come, Ellie. It should be a laugh, if nothing else. Maybe
I’ll
meet a new boyfriend. Greg is OK, but he’s seriously lacking when it comes to street cred. His mates might have more potential.”
    I don’t know what to say, what to do. A serious rave-up. No parents. And boys, boys, boys.
    It sounds incredible.
    It sounds incredibly scary. I think drink. I think drugs. I think bedrooms.
    I want to go. Maybe I’ll meet a
real
boyfriend. One of Greg’s mates. Although perhaps they’ll have girls already.
    “Are you sure it won’t be just a couple party?” I say.
    “
No,
that’s the point. This Adam is inviting along half of Year Eleven at Anderson, and most of them are totally
un
coupled. They’re desperate for more girls. Greg practically begged me to ask some along. I was thinking—who else shall we ask, eh?”
    There doesn’t seem much point in asking Nadine. Magda asks Chrissie, but she’s already going to a party that night. She asks Jess but she says it’s not her kind of thing, thanks. She asks Amna, who says she’d give anything to go but her dad would go bananas.
    “Maybe
my
dad won’t let me,” I mumble.
    “Rubbish. Your dad seems really cool to me,” says Magda.
    Dad always makes a fuss of Magda when she comes round to our house.
    “I’ll ask him for you if you like,” says Magda. “OK?”
    I don’t really want her to. I don’t know if I really want to go to this party. What will I wear? What will I say? What am I expected to
do
?
    “What’s up?” says Magda. “He knows you’re going out with Dan so you won’t let any other boy try it on at the party—so he can’t object, can he?”
    Oh, help. I’ll have to keep Magda away from Dad at all costs. Dad thinks it hilariously funny that I write so much to the