selected! How could it be favouritism? I wasn’t anybody’s favourite! Up until the start of Year 8, I bet most of the staff thought I was a total pain. (Which I can see now that I probably was.)
Lots of people that hadn’t been selected said they wouldn’t have wanted to go, anyway. They said what could possibly be more boring than a stuffy old dinner and dance with teachers and governors and draggy old dignitaries from the Council. I didn’t mind them saying that cos it was what I would most likely have said in their position. You have to put a brave face on thingsand strictly speaking they were right, I mean there
were
going to be teachers and governors and draggy old dignitaries.
But there would also be reporters and photographers, and pictures in the paper and the school magazine, not to mention, as Hattie said, the honour and glory!
Christopher Pitts, who is this huge troublemaker who would never be selected to go anywhere, unless it was in chains, actually had the nerve to suggest I should invite him as my partner. He grinned this gappy grin at me (someone had recently knocked out one of his front teeth) and said, “Go on, I dare you! Why not?”
I said, “Apart from the fact that you’d probably start chucking bread rolls at people or puking all over the place, I happen to already have a partner.”
Christopher said, “Oh? Who’s that, then?”
I told him it was nobody he knew. “But it’s someone who won’t embarrass me!” He seemed to find that amusing, for some reason. I relayed the conversation to Hattie, thinking she would agree with me that Chris Pitts was gross (though he’s quite good looking, unfortunately) but Hattie just sighed and said, “I’m wondering whether I really want to come.”
I said,
“What?”
“I’m not sure,” said Hattie, “I really want to come.”
“Why not? What are you talking about? Of course you want to come!”
“But who can I ask to partner me?”
It came out almost in a wail. Hattie hardly ever wails. I do! I do it all the time. But Hattie is not a drama queen, and she is not as a rule self-pitying. Trying to cheer her up, I said, “You could always ask Christopher!”
“He wouldn’t want to go with me,” said Hattie.
“Well, he wants to go with someone!”
“No, he doesn’t. He wants to go with you.”
“You could ask him.”
“
No
!”
“What about Weed?” I said. “He’d go with you!”
Like,
Weed would go with anyone. Weed’s not fussy. He can’t afford to be.
The minute I’d said it, I could have bitten my tongue out. I felt so ashamed! Hattie had turned scarlet.
“Weed’s OK!” I said, quickly. “He’s not nearly as geeky as he looks. He’s not really geeky at
all.
You shouldn’t judge people by appearances. I mean … he’s actually quite a nice boy! He’s far nicer than Chris. Chris is just a thug, but Weed – well, what I mean is, I wouldn’t mind going with him. If I hadn’t already asked Matt. And I know he likes you!”
Hattie let me burble myself to a standstill. “I’ll think about it,” she said. “There’s no rush, it’s not happening till half term.”
“But you will come,” I said. “Promise me you’ll come!”
“I’ll think about it,” said Hattie.
“Yes,” I said, “and I’ll think, too … I’ll think of someone you can ask to go with you!”
I meant to think, I really did, but there were just so many other thoughts swarming about in my brain that the problem of Hattie got crowded out. Life was just too exciting! I’d been selected for Founder’s Day, Matt was coming with me, and on Saturday we were raising money for the tsunami victims – and having our beauty contest. And Matt was coming to that, as well! I’d asked him, and he’d said that he would; him and Simon. I was so looking forward to it all! But you just never know when fate is going to strike you down.
This has been the worst day in the entire history of my life. When I woke up this morning I
Lots of people that hadn’t been selected said they wouldn’t have wanted to go, anyway. They said what could possibly be more boring than a stuffy old dinner and dance with teachers and governors and draggy old dignitaries from the Council. I didn’t mind them saying that cos it was what I would most likely have said in their position. You have to put a brave face on thingsand strictly speaking they were right, I mean there
were
going to be teachers and governors and draggy old dignitaries.
But there would also be reporters and photographers, and pictures in the paper and the school magazine, not to mention, as Hattie said, the honour and glory!
Christopher Pitts, who is this huge troublemaker who would never be selected to go anywhere, unless it was in chains, actually had the nerve to suggest I should invite him as my partner. He grinned this gappy grin at me (someone had recently knocked out one of his front teeth) and said, “Go on, I dare you! Why not?”
I said, “Apart from the fact that you’d probably start chucking bread rolls at people or puking all over the place, I happen to already have a partner.”
Christopher said, “Oh? Who’s that, then?”
I told him it was nobody he knew. “But it’s someone who won’t embarrass me!” He seemed to find that amusing, for some reason. I relayed the conversation to Hattie, thinking she would agree with me that Chris Pitts was gross (though he’s quite good looking, unfortunately) but Hattie just sighed and said, “I’m wondering whether I really want to come.”
I said,
“What?”
“I’m not sure,” said Hattie, “I really want to come.”
“Why not? What are you talking about? Of course you want to come!”
“But who can I ask to partner me?”
It came out almost in a wail. Hattie hardly ever wails. I do! I do it all the time. But Hattie is not a drama queen, and she is not as a rule self-pitying. Trying to cheer her up, I said, “You could always ask Christopher!”
“He wouldn’t want to go with me,” said Hattie.
“Well, he wants to go with someone!”
“No, he doesn’t. He wants to go with you.”
“You could ask him.”
“
No
!”
“What about Weed?” I said. “He’d go with you!”
Like,
Weed would go with anyone. Weed’s not fussy. He can’t afford to be.
The minute I’d said it, I could have bitten my tongue out. I felt so ashamed! Hattie had turned scarlet.
“Weed’s OK!” I said, quickly. “He’s not nearly as geeky as he looks. He’s not really geeky at
all.
You shouldn’t judge people by appearances. I mean … he’s actually quite a nice boy! He’s far nicer than Chris. Chris is just a thug, but Weed – well, what I mean is, I wouldn’t mind going with him. If I hadn’t already asked Matt. And I know he likes you!”
Hattie let me burble myself to a standstill. “I’ll think about it,” she said. “There’s no rush, it’s not happening till half term.”
“But you will come,” I said. “Promise me you’ll come!”
“I’ll think about it,” said Hattie.
“Yes,” I said, “and I’ll think, too … I’ll think of someone you can ask to go with you!”
I meant to think, I really did, but there were just so many other thoughts swarming about in my brain that the problem of Hattie got crowded out. Life was just too exciting! I’d been selected for Founder’s Day, Matt was coming with me, and on Saturday we were raising money for the tsunami victims – and having our beauty contest. And Matt was coming to that, as well! I’d asked him, and he’d said that he would; him and Simon. I was so looking forward to it all! But you just never know when fate is going to strike you down.
This has been the worst day in the entire history of my life. When I woke up this morning I
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