‘What, Nesta? I wouldn’t have thought she ever thought about anybody but herself.’
‘You’ve got to give her a chance, Lucy, she’s OK. And I think it’s a good plan. I mean, you could give your time and be a volunteer, or you could become mega rich like Nesta wants to be and give your money instead and pay to train volunteers .You know, actually do something with your money as well as having a good time with it. Best of both worlds.’
‘I guess,’ I said. I didn’t want to admit that Nesta’s idea was pretty smart. Nesta. Nesta. Nesta.
‘Finished shuffling?’
I nodded and she took the pack, sat on the floor and split the cards into three piles. Then she consulted her book.
‘This is a Grand Cross,’ she said, laying the cards out. ‘It tells you the Past, the Present and the Future.’
I flopped on the beanbag next to her. I felt happy. Iz and me. Me and Iz talking about stuff and Iz predicting my future.
‘What does it say, Madam Rose?’
‘Oh, interesting,’ Iz murmured. ‘Very interesting. The card that crosses you is the Wheel of Fortune. It signifies a new chapter. A turning point.’
‘Tell me about it,’ I said. ‘Decisions, decisions, decisions.’
‘The influence passing over you is the High Priestess. She indicates potential unfulfilled but it will be revealed.’
‘Oh, I hope so,’ I said.’It’s been awful lately with everyone knowing what they want to do but me.’ I pointed to the next card. ‘This looks très interesting.’
‘The Lovers. In your future, it indicates a love affair.’
‘Oh, fantastic …’ I was dying to tell her about the boy I’d seen.
‘But there’s some kind of trial or choice involved. Lucy, why are you blushing? You’ve gone scarlet.’
‘Izzie,’ I couldn’t hold it in any longer.’I’ve seen someone …’
‘Someone?’
‘A boy. I think he goes to St Michael’s …’
Izzie grinned. ‘And …?’
‘Well I’ve only just seen him. When I was driving here with Dad. He was coming out of the school gates and was absolutely gorgeous. Could that be what the Lovers means? Maybe I’m going to meet him. Does it say anything about him?’
Izzie looked at the card spread. ‘Maybe. Here. There’s the Page of Swords card in your future. That could be him.’
I looked at the card, a young man with a sword held high.
‘That must be him. Who else could it be? It’s amazing. He’s so gorgeous. I thought maybe we could hang out in Highgate after school one day …’
‘Well if it’s in the cards, you’ll meet him anyway.’ Izzie looked concerned as she read her book. ‘But he could be ruthless. The Page of Swords is sometimes deceitful. Not to be trusted. So go carefully, Lucy. You don’t even know what he’s like yet.’
Nothing could dampen my enthusiasm. ‘Oh, I could see he’s not like that. He had a really nice face.’
Izzie continued looking at the cards. ‘Well let’s see what the outcome is.’
‘I don’t like the look of the last card,’ I said. It had a picture of a tower on fire with a body falling out of the window.
‘Oh, that’s the Tower,’ said Izzie. ‘I know it looks a bit scary but actually it’s a good card to get. It represents the influences around you and means in order to move forward, old ways must be broken down but in their place comes greater freedom. See, the card after it is the World, the outcome of the reading. That’s a fantastic card to get. It means happiness, strength and success. The realisation of a goal. Wow. Lucy, this is a really positive reading. I mean, it says there will be a bit of confrontation, change and adjustment but the outcome is very good.’
I left Izzie’s that night feeling on top of the world. Even my personalised horoscope was good. And she was going to do one for Nesta as well. Astrology’s one of Izzie’s career choices. She might do it as well as being a songwriter. Lucky thing. It must be great, having not only one idea of what you want to be, but two. And I still haven’t decided on anything. Still, when Izzie printed my horoscope, it said pretty much the same as the cards. It was all going to be all right. Break down to break through, it said. It was all a process. I was going through a time of change and mustn’t resist. The outcome was good.
Things were looking up. It was going to be OK. Success. Achievement. Me and Izzie were all right with each other again. But best of all, the Page of Swords. I couldn’t wait to meet him.
Horoscopes
Lucy: May 24th. Gemini. Cancer rising. Moon in Taurus.
Saturn the taskmaster is forcing you to look deeper into your goals. It’s only by experiencing testing circumstances that we learn where our 4estiny lies. Don’t resist.
With Neptune and Venus so close, romance is in the air but tread warily as things may not be as they appear.
Nesta: August 18th. Leo. Aries rising. Moon in Gemini.
Mercury is moving retrograde at the moment so causing you to misread signals. Misunderstandings are likely to occur. Around the New Moon, you’re more positive and productive as new opportunities present themselves.
Izzie: January 26th. Aquarius. Gemini rising. Moon in Scorpio.
The relationship between the Sun and Neptune means that you may misjudge a situation which needs careful handling. Don’t be surprised if people overreact. Close relationships may be tense until this phase is over.
Chapter 5
Disaster
Strikes
I don’t believe it. I just don’t believe it. What started out as a brilliant week has just ended in complete, total and utter disaster.
Course Izzie told Nesta I’d seen someone I liked. That part was OK, in fact Nesta was really enthusiastic, though I did feel a prat when I had to admit that I hadn’t even spoken to him.
‘So how do you know what he’s like?’ she said.
‘I don’t. I just know we’ll get on,’ I replied.
‘Then first of all, we have to get him to notice you,’ she said.
‘I know,’ I replied.
I’d been thinking about it a lot. Is he going to be another in a long line of people who think I’m twelve and don’t even register me? No. I was being positive. I’d find a way.
Don’t wait for your ship to come in, swim out to it.
I had a plan.
Luckily I had Izzie to myself for the week. Nesta’s in the school play and has rehearsals every night and, I have to say, I was relieved. Not wanting to be mean or anything, but she’s what Lal calls a Top Babe and the chances were if He saw her, I wouldn’t even get a look-in.
So. The plan was that Izzie and I’d get the bus up to Highgate and hopefully bump into him, sort of accidentally on purpose.
Tuesday p.m.: went to Highgate. I like it up there. Tall white Georgian houses set back behind wrought iron railings around the square. Très posh. And the village isn’t like the rest of London with big supermarkets and chain stores. The shops up there are all individual and interesting. Litde jewellery shops and nick-nacky places. We got so absorbed in looking in the windows at first that we almost forgot to look for Mr MC. Mystery Contestant. (That’s Izzie’s nickname for him.)
We tore ourselves away from the shops and walked past the school about twenty times. We hung around at the bus stop. Boys of every shape and size were pouring out. But did He appear? No.
Wednesday p.m.: Highgate. This time we went to the cafés. Café Uno. Café Rouge. Costa’s. I was getting cappuccinoed out by the time we’d finished. Everywhere was full of St Michael’s boys. But Mr Top Totty? (My nickname for him.) No.
‘Maybe he’s off with flu or something,’ said Izzie.
‘Maybe I imagined him,’ I said. His image was already starting to fade in my mind.
Thursday p.m.: walked past the school and did the cafés. I was running out of pocket money. It’s an expensive business looking for the Mystery Contestant. Still no show.
Friday: Izzie was convinced he’s off with a bug.
‘But you don’t know for definite,’ I said.’And if he was, he might be better by now.’
We did our usual walk past the school but, once again, he didn’t appear.
‘Let’s go to Costa’s,’ said Izzie. ‘That’s where most of them go.’
Just at that moment, we saw Nesta crossing the road and waving. She looked amazing. Although we don’t have to wear school uniform, she sometimes wears her own version and puts on a shirt, tie, skirt and three-quarter stockings. Every schoolboy’s fantasy babe. She’d hitched her skirt up and her legs looked fantastic. Cars were almost driving into lampposts as male drivers did double-takes.
‘Rehearsal was cancelled so I thought I’d come and join the boy-chasing troops,’ she grinned.
My heart sank as Izzie told her our plan and we set off for Costa’s.
‘I’ll meet you in there,’ she said, ‘I’m just going to get a copy of Bliss. There’s a piece in there on the Clothes Show I want to read.’
Izzie and I went to the café and settled ourselves at a table by the window so we could look out as well as in. I did a quick check of the customers. No, he wasn’t there.
That’s when my brilliant plan took on a life of its own.
Izzie went to get the cappuccinos and I looked out at the passers-by.
Suddenly my mouth dropped open. Nesta was coming out of the shop and down the road. And guess who she was with? Him. MC. Two minutes in the shop and she’d got talking to him. Talk about fast worker. He was even laughing at something she said. I knew this would happen if Nesta came along.
Oh no. Even worse, she was coming over the road. With him. Coming into the café. She couldn’t possibly know that he was my He and I decided not to let on. But I felt myself going red and prayed no one would notice.
She burst in with him in tow and came up to us just as Izzie came back with the coffees.
‘Iz, Lucy. This is Tony,’ she said.
Close up he was even better-looking than I remembered. Sleepy brown velvet eyes, thick black eyelashes and a gorgeous mouth with a full bottom lip.
‘Tony’s my brother,’ said Nesta.
My jaw dropped and Nesta started laughing.
‘I know what you’re thinking,’ she said. ‘How can that be?’
I was thinking exactly that. I mean, Nesta’s half Jamaican. Skin like coffee ice-cream. Tony’s complexion is more Mediterranean. Luckily no one had noticed my face which by this time was bright scarlet. Everyone was too busy looking at Tony.
‘He’s my half-brother,’ she explained. ‘My mum is his dad’s second wife. A year after he married my mum they had me. So same dad, different mums.’
She’d told us she had a brother but I didn’t expect this! No wonder she and Izzie have so much in common. But brother. He’s Nesta’s brother. Half, step or whatever. Oh NO. Now I can never tell anyone, not Izzie, not Nesta. With Nesta’s big mouth, she’s bound to blab to him that I fancy him and have been up here looking for him. I’d end up looking really desperate. Can life possibly get any worse?
‘Hi,’ he smiled at us. ‘Which one of you is Lucy?’
I felt all wobbly and faint when he looked at me.
‘I am,’ I said weakly and blushing even more furiously.
‘Nesta tells me you’ve got your eye on one of the St Michael’s kids. I go there so I might know him. What year is he in? What does he look like?’
‘Er, tall, er … hair,’ I stuttered, trying my best not to describe the vision standing in front of me. ‘He was too far away for me to get a really close look.’
Izzie and Nesta cracked up laughing.
‘Gorgeous, apparendy,’ said Izzie, coming to my rescue. ‘We know that much at least. Just find us the best-looking boy at your school. He’ll do.’
‘Well you’re looking at him,’ boasted Tony. ‘But I’ll try and look out for the next best thing.’
‘Big-head,’ said Nesta.
I wanted to die.
Thankfully Tony didn’t stay around too long and after a while I got up to go as well. I wanted to run away and hide.
All the St Michael’s boys were oggling Nesta and one even sent her over a coffee and a Danish. Izzie got chatting to some strange-looking boy with long hair in the corner who was reading Mojo magazine. She went over to him and soon they were busy discussing music and the charts. I felt like a spare part. No one noticed me. It’s like I’m invisible. It’s weird: when I feel good, I can make people laugh but when I’m down, I disappear. And Tony’s gone home. Not only is he Nesta’s brother but he was right about him being the best-looking boy at the school. I can’t believe Izzie didn’t clock that he was the One.
‘I’m off,’ I said.
‘Don’t you want to stay and see if Mr Right appears?’ said Nesta, spooning the froth from her cappuccino. ‘See I reckon the reason you haven’t seen him is that he’s been doing some class after school. They do all sorts of extra-curriculum stuff – fencing, music, drama. Tony told me. He’s often late because he’s been doing something or other. Hang around another half hour or so and another lot of guys will be out.’
How could I tell her that He was out? That He was Tony. Tony, who was now, thanks to Big Gob Nesta, only too happy to help me find my mystery boy.
I didn’t want her to suspect so I sat down again and went along with the pretence that I was still looking for Mr Right.
Luckily Nesta changed the subject. She’s too excited about the up-and-coming Clothes Show to think about anything else at the moment.
‘Premier, Storm and Select are all sending talent scouts to the show,’ she read from her magazine, ‘and both Erin O’Connor and Vernon were discovered at shows in the past. And we could get a makeover. There will be people there giving a whole new look.’
Izzie came back to sit with us and her and Nesta spent the next half hour gabbing about what they were going to wear and what they were going to do there. Makeovers, accessories, manicures.
‘What are you going to wear, Lucy?’ asked Nesta.
‘I haven’t thought about it,’ I said. I’d been miles away, thinking about Tony. I had a million questions I wanted to ask Nesta.
What birth sign is he? Izzie could do his chart to see if we were a good match.
What does he like doing?
What sort of girls does he like?
What did Nesta and Izzie think he thought of me? He had smiled at me very warmly.
And why doesn’t he live with his mum? Usually when a couple split up, the children stay with their mum. So how come Tony lives with his dad but Nesta’s mum? Where’s his mum?
And oh! Worst of all. What if Izzie fancies Tony? She’s bound to. He’s so cute. Irresistible. Magnifique. How can I find out without her guessing that he’s the MC?
But I couldn’t ask anything. It had to be my secret.
That ship I was going to swim out to? I think it just sunk.
Chapter 6
The New
Me
Izzie’s just phoned. Apparently Tony told Nesta he thought I was a sweet kid. What kind of word is that? Sweet? It’s like being told you’re nice. Pleasant. Agreeable. Urggghhh.
What makes me ‘me’? I’m sweet. Yuk.
I don’t want to be sweet. I want to be a Babe. A Boy Magnet.
But no. I’m sweet.
Sweeeeet. A sweet kid. Kid.
But at least he noticed me. And said something to Nesta.
I look at myself in the bedroom mirror. I suppose I do look kind of sweet. Small, flat-chested, not the slightest evidence of a bust. And that’s another thing. Izzie and Nesta both have breasts, in fact Izzie says hers have taken on a life of their own lately. But me, nothing. Pinpricks. Pimples. I have the body of a nine-year-old boy.
I could have my hair cut. It’s been long for years. I could have it done spiky. And highlighted. Although it’s blonde, I could have white blonde streaked through it. Yeah, I thought. Like how? On my pocket money?
I look around my bedroom. It was last p
ainted when I was ten. Pink. The beginning of my pink phase. And fluffy toys everywhere, on the window ledge, the wardrobe, the bed. I picked up Mr Mackety my favourite teddy. He’s fat and grumpy-looking and I’ve had him since I was five. I thought about chucking him out. Nope. Mr Mackety in a bin liner? Too awful. No way. Can’t. We’ve been through too much together. Still, I can’t deny the overall effect of my room is sweet. Sweeeeet.
I went downstairs to see what everyone was doing but the house was quiet for a change. Mum was out doing her Saturday shop, Dad was at the health shop and the boys were out at football.
I spied Mum’s Angel Cards in a bowl on the kitchen table. I took the pack and shuffled them.
‘OK, oh clever clogs cards, let’s see what words of wisdom you have for me today.’ I picked a card and read.
‘“The people who get on in the world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want. And if they can’t find them, make them.” George Bernard Shaw.’
Well, that’s telling me! If they can’t find them, make them.
OK. I will, Mr Shaw. I’ll do my own makeover. I’ve had enough of mooching about feeling miserable. Feeling like second best. I’m not like that normally. It’s only lately I’ve been feeling peculiar. But I’m going to fight back. I’ll show them all who’s a sweet kid.
I sat at the table and made a list of all the changes I want to make.
1 My hair.
2 My bedroom.
3 My clothes.
4 My life.
Mum came in the back door laden with carrier bags of groceries.
‘What’re you doing?’ she asked.
‘Changing,’ I said, then read her my Angel Card.
‘But you’re lovely the way you are,’ she said and hugged me. ‘My lovely sweet Lucy.’
Arggggghhhh. That word again.
‘I don’t want to be sweet any more.’
‘Well what do you want to be?’
‘I don’t knOWWWW.’
Mum sat down and looked at me with concern. ‘Are you happy, Lucy? That’s the main thing.’
‘Yes. No. Sort of. Sometimes.’
Mates, Dates and Inflatable Bras Page 4
