Read Online The Celeb Next Door by Hilary Freeman - Free Book Online
Authors: Hilary Freeman
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clouds, on its flight path into Heathrow.
‘Will you walk up to the top of the hill with me, Rosie?’ he asks, when the game has fizzled out and nobody can be bothered to start a new one.
‘Course,’ I say, clambering up. ‘Will you two be all right for a few minutes?’
Vix and Sky are still lying down, their eyes closed. ‘Sure,’ murmurs Sky, sleepily. ‘Have fun.’
Max and I trudge up the hill together. It’s hard to believe that I’ve only known him for a couple of days, because it feels like for ever. And I’m so pleased he’s getting on well with Sky and Vix, and that they seem to like him too. He’s just slotted in, as if he’s always been a member of the gang. Hanging out with him for the rest of the summer won’t be a bind at all. It will be fun.
‘What an amazing view,’ he says, at the top, a little out of breath. ‘It’s like looking at a postcard of London.’
‘I know,’ I say. ‘That’s probably why they’ve made so many films up here.’ I pause to take in the view myself. ‘If you look down there, to your left, you can see the zoo. See that high bit – that’s the aviary, where the birds live. I’ll have to show you it properly one day. It’s dead expensive to get in the main entrance, but if you walk round the back, along the canal, you can see some of the animals for free.’
‘I wish I lived in London,’ says Max. ‘As soon as I’m old enough, I’m going to move here.’
‘You should,’ I say.
We stand and look for a while longer before heading back down the hill to sit on the blanket with the others and chat. Max tells us about his school; it’s a boarding school, but he comes home every weekend. Rufus went there too. It’s no ordinary school: the pupils make the rules themselves, which sounds bizarre – not to mention extremely appealing. Why can’t my school be like that?
‘So you can choose whether to go to lessons?’ asks Vix.
‘Yeah, sort of. If I wanted to, say, go on a trip to a museum, instead of going to a history lesson, that would be OK. And there’s loads of drama and music and social stuff, which they think is just as important as academic work. It’s all about making you “a well-rounded person”, apparently. Most people end up with really good exam results in the end, so we must do some work, I guess. Loadsof famous people went there. Not just Rufus.’
‘God, sign me up!’ says Sky. She fills Max in on what it’s like at her comprehensive. ‘I bet you a million pounds it would be empty every day if we could choose whether to go to lessons or not.’
‘Are there girls at your school, Max?’ asks Vix.
‘Yeah, it’s totally mixed. I’ve got loads of girl mates.’
That figures, I think. It must be why he’s so relaxed in our company. Some of the boys I know treat me like I’m a strange creature from another planet. ‘Me and Vix go to a girls’ school,’ I tell him. ‘Although we do have some boys in the sixth form.’
‘Yeah,’ says Vix. ‘So do you have a girlfriend?’ It’s not like her to be so direct, and she blushes a little.
‘No, I was seeing someone last year, but it didn’t work out. What about all of you?’
‘Not me,’ says Vix. ‘I’m single. So is Rosie. But Sky’s got a boyfriend.’
‘Sort of,’ says Sky. ‘It’s a bit shaky at the moment. I’m not really sure where I stand.’ She looks sad.
‘Sorry to hear that. Anyway …’ says Max, immediately changing the subject.
So he is a typical guy, in some ways. None of them like talking about feelings, or relationships, especially tortured ones like Sky’s.
‘I’d actually better be going.’ He drags himself up from the ground and brushes grass and twigs from his jeans. ‘Ipromised Rufus I’d help him set something up on his PC this evening, and I’m already later than I said I’d be.’
‘Are you sure you know your way back on your own?’ asks Vix. ‘I’m going to have to go home myself, soonish, so I could walk you
‘Will you walk up to the top of the hill with me, Rosie?’ he asks, when the game has fizzled out and nobody can be bothered to start a new one.
‘Course,’ I say, clambering up. ‘Will you two be all right for a few minutes?’
Vix and Sky are still lying down, their eyes closed. ‘Sure,’ murmurs Sky, sleepily. ‘Have fun.’
Max and I trudge up the hill together. It’s hard to believe that I’ve only known him for a couple of days, because it feels like for ever. And I’m so pleased he’s getting on well with Sky and Vix, and that they seem to like him too. He’s just slotted in, as if he’s always been a member of the gang. Hanging out with him for the rest of the summer won’t be a bind at all. It will be fun.
‘What an amazing view,’ he says, at the top, a little out of breath. ‘It’s like looking at a postcard of London.’
‘I know,’ I say. ‘That’s probably why they’ve made so many films up here.’ I pause to take in the view myself. ‘If you look down there, to your left, you can see the zoo. See that high bit – that’s the aviary, where the birds live. I’ll have to show you it properly one day. It’s dead expensive to get in the main entrance, but if you walk round the back, along the canal, you can see some of the animals for free.’
‘I wish I lived in London,’ says Max. ‘As soon as I’m old enough, I’m going to move here.’
‘You should,’ I say.
We stand and look for a while longer before heading back down the hill to sit on the blanket with the others and chat. Max tells us about his school; it’s a boarding school, but he comes home every weekend. Rufus went there too. It’s no ordinary school: the pupils make the rules themselves, which sounds bizarre – not to mention extremely appealing. Why can’t my school be like that?
‘So you can choose whether to go to lessons?’ asks Vix.
‘Yeah, sort of. If I wanted to, say, go on a trip to a museum, instead of going to a history lesson, that would be OK. And there’s loads of drama and music and social stuff, which they think is just as important as academic work. It’s all about making you “a well-rounded person”, apparently. Most people end up with really good exam results in the end, so we must do some work, I guess. Loadsof famous people went there. Not just Rufus.’
‘God, sign me up!’ says Sky. She fills Max in on what it’s like at her comprehensive. ‘I bet you a million pounds it would be empty every day if we could choose whether to go to lessons or not.’
‘Are there girls at your school, Max?’ asks Vix.
‘Yeah, it’s totally mixed. I’ve got loads of girl mates.’
That figures, I think. It must be why he’s so relaxed in our company. Some of the boys I know treat me like I’m a strange creature from another planet. ‘Me and Vix go to a girls’ school,’ I tell him. ‘Although we do have some boys in the sixth form.’
‘Yeah,’ says Vix. ‘So do you have a girlfriend?’ It’s not like her to be so direct, and she blushes a little.
‘No, I was seeing someone last year, but it didn’t work out. What about all of you?’
‘Not me,’ says Vix. ‘I’m single. So is Rosie. But Sky’s got a boyfriend.’
‘Sort of,’ says Sky. ‘It’s a bit shaky at the moment. I’m not really sure where I stand.’ She looks sad.
‘Sorry to hear that. Anyway …’ says Max, immediately changing the subject.
So he is a typical guy, in some ways. None of them like talking about feelings, or relationships, especially tortured ones like Sky’s.
‘I’d actually better be going.’ He drags himself up from the ground and brushes grass and twigs from his jeans. ‘Ipromised Rufus I’d help him set something up on his PC this evening, and I’m already later than I said I’d be.’
‘Are you sure you know your way back on your own?’ asks Vix. ‘I’m going to have to go home myself, soonish, so I could walk you
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