Read Online Golden Girl by Cathy Hopkins - Free Book Online

for us. I haven’t told JJ about the messages but I don’t feel that I’m being dishonest because I
don’t answer them. It isn’t as if anything’s happening with Tom or is ever going to.
    ‘You’re right,’ I said, ‘but I don’t think Shreya sees it that way. I saw the way her face lit up when she saw JJ and how she didn’t like it when she saw me.
But OK, I get it. Rule one, trust. Rule two, don’t be needy. What’s rule three?’
    ‘Enjoy being with each other,’ said Pia. She looked around the room and spied the mini bar. ‘Now, what haven’t we tried out in here? I bet there’s some chocolate .
. .’
    As Pia raided the tiny fridge, someone pushed an envelope under the door. I leapt up, hoping that it might be a note from JJ. I ripped open the envelope. It was from Mrs Lewis. Our itinerary for
the week, partly typed, partly handwritten.
    I shook my head and sighed. ‘Study, study, study,’ I said as I read the message. ‘Sorry, Pia. No trips out for us, I’m afraid.’
    She got up and grabbed the paper from me, then picked up a pillow and biffed me with it.
    She read the schedule out loud. ‘ Tuesday: morning, study . Bleurgh. No, we can do it. I suppose we have to if we’re going to get good grades. Afternoon, explore part of the
City Palace . Yay. Evening , oh my God! Watch filming at the City Palace . Did you see this, Jess? We get to go and see Jefferson Lewis in action!’
    ‘Shreya’s playing the Maharaja’s daughter, isn’t she?’ I asked.
    Pia nodded. ‘A part I feel she plays in real life too,’ she said, then read on. ‘ Wednesday: morning, study . Hmm. Can’t wait. Afternoon, visit to Udaipur .
Wow. It gets better. Treatments in the spa ready for the party. Evening, movie wrap party at the Shiv Niwas hotel which is in the City Palace complex. ’
    She read on. Thursday morning was more study, followed by a trip to Jaipur. Friday morning, studying again, then exploring the region in the afternoon. Then on Saturday we were all going to
Deogarh, to celebrate JJ’s birthday with dinner on the Imperial Barge. Sunday was the day we headed home.
    ‘Awesome,’ said Pia. ‘This is easily the most amazing place I’ve ever been to.’
    ‘And it’s only just begun,’ I said.
    Pia switched on the TV, sat back on the bed and began flicking channels. She finally settled on one showing Indian dancers doing line dancing. They were dressed in cowboy outfits but it was
still pure Bollywood. ‘Perfect,’ she said, as she made herself comfy.
    I looked at my watch. It said midnight but I wasn’t tired as it was only around seven p.m. UK time and I hadn’t adjusted to Indian time yet. ‘I’m going to go for a bit of
an explore. Might even go and find JJ,’ I said. ‘Want to come?’
    Pia stretched and yawned. ‘Not tonight. I can’t be bothered with putting my clothes back on and I think I might try and Skype Henry before I go to sleep. But Jess, I’d leave
JJ. Another rule about having a relationship is to give each other space. I think you need to be cool after today, not that I think you have anything to worry about with Shreya, but you need to
show that it didn’t bother you at all. You went to bed and slept without a care in your mind. Because you are the One.’
    I stepped out onto the small balcony leading off the alcove and marvelled again at where I was. I felt like I’d stepped onto another planet. As I gazed over the water towards the City
Palace, I wondered again what had gone on there. Who the people were who’d lived there and what their stories were. It looked so ancient. It was so ancient. A few boats with soft
lights moved around the lake under a canopy of stars. The whole atmosphere was completely magical.
    A movement to my left made me realise that there was someone on the jetty, where a boat was waiting. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I saw that it was JJ with, by the shape of the other person,
Shreya. Before she got onto the boat, she moved