Suddenly Izzie clapped her hand over her mouth and gave me a strange look. ‘Ohmigod,’ she said. ‘OhmiGOD.’
‘What?’ chorused Nesta and I.
‘Tony,’ said Izzie. ‘Tony.’
She knew. I knew she knew. I went purple and now she definitely knew.
‘What?’ said Nesta.
Izzie crossed her arms and looked at me as if to say, I’m not saying, are you going to?
I glanced at Nesta and decided I could trust her.
‘What?’ she said.
‘Tony,’ I said.
‘I know,’ she said. ‘Tony, Tony. Tony what?’
‘A boy that we didn’t see in Highgate because he stays late for classes after school?’ said Izzie, waiting for the penny to drop.
Nesta thumped her forehead. ‘Except we did see him, didn’t we? Obvious. Obviouso. Tony is the MC.’
I nodded.
‘And he made you kiss him,’ said Izzie.
‘And I told him to stay away from you,’ said Nesta. ‘No wonder you hated me. Why didn’t you say, Lucy?’
‘I thought you’d tell him I fancied him and then I’d, I’d look stupid. If he knew I’d been waiting for him to come out of school, I’d look like a real desperado.’
At that moment, we heard someone coming in the front door.
Oh, let it be her dad back from America, I prayed but of course, Murphy’s law, it was Tony.
‘Hiya, everybody,’ said Tony. ‘Wow. Is that little Lucy? Hey, you look great. Gorgeous.’
He came and sat next to me. ‘Want another kissing session?’
Nesta and Izzie just sat there gaping.
‘What?’ said Tony. ‘Why are you all staring at me? What? What’s happened?’
Suddenly I got the giggles and couldn’t stop. That set Izzie off then Nesta and soon the three of us were holding our sides laughing.
Tony got up and stomped to the door. ‘Girls. Sometimes you lot can be really juvenile.’
‘I thought he liked girls with a sense of humour,’ I said, still laughing.
‘Not when it’s directed at him,’ said Nesta. ‘And I won’t say anything, about, you know, him being the MC, if you don’t want.’
‘Thanks,’ I said. ‘I don’t want.’
‘Anyway,’ said Izzie. ‘I reckon you could get anyone you want looking like you do now. Play the field a while.’
‘Ah, but I have been kissed by the Master,’ I said, giggling again.
‘Then you owe it to yourself,’ said Izzie, ‘to see if anyone else can match up.’
Chapter 15
Decisions,
Decisions . . .
‘So, girls,’ said Wacko a fortnight later. ‘Next week I want your subject choices in. You’ve all had plenty of time to think about it so I expect your papers on my desk on Monday.’
Eek. Double eek. I hadn’t thought about it at all. Not for ages. I’d been too busy having a good time with Nesta and Izzie and making clothes and doing my bedroom.
We’d spent the last two weekends painting. Lal and Steve had helped and it looked fantastic. I chose lilac mist for the walls and, as I’d seen in the interior magazine, we painted the woodwork pale powdery blue. The room was transformed and looked much bigger, as well as cleaner and brighter.
Mum took me down to a market in the East End to look for fabrics for the curtains and cushions but we didn’t see any I liked at any of the stalls. Then we passed an Indian shop. Rolls of beautiful materials were spilling out on to the pavement. I had to stop. Lovely shimmering jewel colours with silver and gold borders.
‘Mum, let’s look in there,’ I said, pulling her in.
I found a roll of sky blue sari fabric with a silver embroidered border. It would look stunning against the lilac walls and it wasn’t too expensive. We made our purchase then bought some lining and some curtain rails.
When I got home, Mum helped me do the curtains and we made them so that the lovely silver border was at the bottom. We even had enough to swathe some at the top. It was the finishing touch and made the room look floaty and soft.
The overall effect was lovely but had taken up all my spare time. Subject choices hadn’t even got a look-in.
Things were looking up on the boy front too. When I go out with Izzie and Nesta now, boys look at me as well. And not just the nerdy ones that no one else wants. Some quite cute ones have given me the eye. But to my mind, no one came close to Tony.
I saw him a couple of times at Nesta’s but he ignored me. I don’t think he had recovered from us all laughing at him. Then one evening, he came out of his room when I was going to the bathroom.
‘Psst,’ he said. ‘Lucy, in here.’
I followed him in and he shut the door. I stood there nervously wondering what he wanted. Then before I could say anything, he pushed me back against a wall, put my arms around his neck and kissed me. A long deep sensual kiss that went right down to my toes and back again.
Then he stood back. ‘So, do you want to go out some time?’
I remembered everything that Nesta had said about him. He likes a challenge then dumps the girl. Nesta said he’d even chucked the girl I saw there a couple of weeks ago. Izzie’s words also went through my head. Don’t be too easy. Boys like a challenge. Although it was very tempting, I took a deep breath and moved away from him.
‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘I’ll think about it.’
He looked taken aback then shrugged. ‘Suit yourself.’
Then he opened the door to let me out. ‘You’re probably too young for me anyway.’
But he was smiling as he said it.
Time was running out. Monday was D-day for Wacko and Saturday was the Clothes Show. When was I going to have time to choose my subjects? I got my file out and sat at the kitchen table with what I had done so far in front of me. Three lines.
‘Lucy, shouldn’t you be in bed?’ said Mum. ‘It’s almost eleven o’clock.’
‘We have to hand this in on Monday and I still haven’t a clue what I want to do when I grow up. Too many choices. It’s driving me mad.’
Mum sat down at the table next to me. ‘I remember feeling the same,’ she said. ‘In fact even now I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.’
‘But you are grown up. And you have a job.’
‘Yes, but I still feel nineteen sometimes. There’re always choices, aren’t there? I mean, I know I have a job. I’m a psychotherapist. But that’s not what I am. It’s only what I do. Who I am is changing all the time and I could change my job any time I want.’
‘I wish I could decide on just one thing, never mind think of changing. It’s such a nuisance.’
‘Choice isn’t a curse, Lucy. It’s a blessing. And there will always be choices. Every day, every week. They’ll keep coming.’
I groaned.
‘There are easy choices, like do I want tuna pizza or four cheeses? Shall I paint my nails pink or purple? And there are the bigger choices, more serious stuff like career or relationships. And those choices will seem to keep changing depending on how you’re feeling inside as well as how outside influences affect you.’
‘It all sounds so complicated,’ I sighed. ‘Oh for an easy life.’
‘I’ll drink to that,’ said Mum. ‘How are you getting on with that boy you like?’
‘He says I’m too young for him. But it’s not that. One of the girls he went out with, I thought she was sixteen but turns out she’s the same age as me. I just look young for my age.’
‘You’ll see that as a gift one day,’ smiled Mum. ‘It’s a family gene, none of our family looks their age. Believe me, when you’re thirty or forty you’ll be glad you look younger. But for now, come on, up to bed. Sleep on it. You never know, it might all become clear in the morning.’
Fat chance. I’ll never be able to sleep. What if I pick the wrong subjects and regret it? I wish, I wish I knew what to do. Decisions, decisions, decisions.
Chapter 16
The Way i
s
Clear
I made a special outfit for the Clothes Show. Halter tops are turning out to be my speciality and I ran one off out of some of the leftover sari material using the silver to make criss-cross straps at the back. Then I made a grey crêpe wrap-over skirt to go with it.
I met up with Nesta and Izzie at the tube station. Nesta looked sensational wearing her black leather trousers and a short jacket. And I was so pleased to see that she had my red top on underneath.
Izzie was wearing a long hippie dippie outfit in purple with some amethyst jewellery she found at a stall in Camden.
The hall was heaving with people when we got there. We paid for our tickets then went to join the crowds wandering around the many stalls and shopping areas. Izzie was soon absorbed in a stall selling New Age lotions and crystals. Nesta was busy craning her head looking for talent scouts.
‘Aren’t they supposed to spot you, not the other way round?’ I asked. ‘Just relax, Nesta. Enjoy yourself. The talent scouts will be doing just that, scouting.’
We were wandering into one of the shops when I stopped in my tracks.
‘What? Who have you seen?’ asked Nesta.
I pulled Nesta behind a rail of clothes and pointed. There was Josie Riley and a bunch of her mates. Josie was flirting with a boy who was standing in the middle of them lapping up the attention. She was flicking her hair about and doing all that touchy feely stuff, brushing the boy’s arm and looking deeply into his eyes.
It was Tony.
‘Oh, don’t worry, Lucy,’ said Nesta. ‘He may be a big-head but he’s not stupid.’
I wasn’t so sure. He’d said how much he liked confident girls and Josie was certainly that. Plus he looked like he was really enjoying himself.
Suddenly Josie spotted us and gave us a sick smile and a wave.
‘Want to go over?’ said Nesta.
‘Oh no,’ I said, darting behind another clothes rail. ‘I couldn’t bear it if he likes her.’
‘Suit yourself,’ said Nesta. ‘Anyway he hasn’t seen us.’
There was so much to take in. Hours flew by as we tried clothes on, experimented with new eye colours and plastered ourselves with free samples of moisturiser and perfume.
Izzie wanted to return to one stall to have a toe ring fitted so Nesta and I decided to go and watch one of the catwalk shows. We turned a corner and I walked smack into Josie.
‘Ah, the midget,’ she said, then looked me up and down and laughed. ‘What have you got on? The Eastern look was out years ago. You look like an advert for curry in a hurry.’
All her friends started laughing and suddenly my newfound confidence failed me.
‘She made those clothes herself and I think she looks fantastic,’ said Nesta, coming to my defence. ‘I don’t suppose someone with your IQ could even sew on a button.’
‘Ahhhh,’ said Josie. ‘Made them yourself, did you? Poor thing. Can’t afford new clothes.’ She did a twirl. ‘My mum brought my outfit back from Milan.’
‘There’s a big difference between buying expensive labels and having style,’ said Nesta. ‘Lucy has style. Something you’ll never, ever know about.’
‘And I suppose you do,’ said Josie, then smiled smugly. ‘Oh and Michael Brenman, you can have him. I’ve met someone much better.’
Nesta shrugged. ‘Oh clear off, Josie, I’m not in the mood,’ she said and tried to get away. But as she walked to the right, Josie and gang walked with her. She tried to walk to the left, but again they blocked her way. It was starting to feel uncomfortable as there were four of them and only the two of us, then Josie stepped forward and trod on Nesta’s foot.
‘Ow!’ she cried. I winced even though it wasn’t my foot. Josie was wearing high, spiky-heeled shoes.
‘Oh sorry,’ said Josie insincerely. ‘Did that hurt?’
‘Need a hand?’ said a male voice.
We all turned. It was Tony. Josie and her mates sprang back straight away.
‘No, I’m fine,’ said Josie, going all coy and girlie.
‘Not you,’ he said, brushing her aside and putting his arm round Nesta. ‘You all right, Nesta?’
Josie looked shocked. Of course she couldn’t know that he was Nesta’s brother, and he was clearly the best-looking boy in the hall.
‘We were just admiring Lucy’s outfit,’ lied Josie, and her friends started sniggering again.
Tony turned to me. ‘Looking good, kiddo,’ he said. ‘Come on, girls, I’ll buy you a cappuccino.’
Josie obviously thought he meant her as well, as she trooped along after us.
He put his arms round Nesta and me and turned back to Josie. ‘Sorry, three’s company. Four’s a crowd.’
Ha ha. That showed her.
‘I thought you liked girls who are sure of themselves,’ I said as we walked towards the coffee bar.
‘Do me a favour,’ he said. ‘Yeah, I like confident girls but I don’t like the music turned up quite that loud if you get my meaning.’
Tony. I think I’m in love.
As Tony went to find a table, Nesta and I queued up to get our drinks. As we stood waiting, I noticed the redheaded lady in front of us staring. I felt embarrassed and wondered if my homemade stitching was so obvious.
‘Nice top,’ the woman said.
I blushed. ‘Thanks.’
‘Where did you get it from?’ she asked.
‘I made it myself,’ I said.
The woman looked me up and down thoroughly. ‘I’m impressed.’
‘She made this top as well,’ said Nesta, doing a twirl for her.
‘Really?’ the woman said. ‘You’ve got a good eye. Simple designs always look the best.’
Then she put her hand in her bag and pulled out a card. ‘Here. Remember me when you’ve finished college.’
‘College?’ I said.
‘I presume you are going to do fashion. Design?’
I was taken aback. I’d never thought of it. Then it felt like the clouds lifted. The way was clear.
‘Yes,’ I grinned back at her. ‘Course I am.’
‘Well good luck and get in touch when you finish. I’m always on the look-out for fresh talent and innovative design.’
Then she bought her drink and moved away.
Nesta took the card. ‘Ohmigod,’ she said.
‘What?’
‘That was Viv Purcell.’
The name meant nothing to me.
‘The Viv Purcell. She’s one of the hippest designers around. Anyone who’s anyone is fighting to wear one of her outfits.’
I felt myself glowing with pleasure. She’d picked me out and told me to keep her card. And, best of all, she’d put her finger on the spot. What I want to be when I grow up. A designer. Of course, of course.
I spent the next hour cruising round in a rosy glow of happiness. Tony hung round with us for most of the morning and every time we spotted Josie and crew, she looked sick with jealousy. Especially when at one point, Tony put his arm round me.
When he was leaving, he winked and smiled at me. Maybe. I thought. Maybe one day. It wasn’t over yet.
Of course Nesta got spotted by her talent scout. She stood out from the crowd like she always does and was approached by not one but two talent scouts who asked her to get in touch with them.
We went home, over the moon. Nesta, her head in the clouds with dreams about being a model. Me, over the moon because now I knew what made me ‘me’. I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I’d be able to choose my subjects.
Later that evening, I sat working on my What makes me ‘me’? project when the phone rang.
‘Lucy, it’s me,’ said Nesta. She sounded as if she’d been crying.
‘What’s the matter?’
‘My mum,’ sobbed Nesta. ‘She won’t let me phone the agencies.’
‘Why not?’
‘She says I have to focus on my studies. My life is over. My one chance and she’s ruining it all.’
‘Does she hav
e to know?’
‘Yes. That’s just it. Both the scouts said, if I go in to see them I have to take Mum with me.’
‘What does your dad say?’
‘Same. I rang him in LA and he said I shouldn’t even think about it yet. My life is over. What else can I do? You’re so lucky you know what you’re doing. And your mum and dad aren’t likely to object.’
I knew how she felt. Wow. Did I know how she felt.
‘Nesta,’ I said, remembering what Mum had said. ‘There will always be choices. Always. Anyway, being a model isn’t your only one. You can be an actress as well. And if you don’t want to do that, you can join a model agency later. You’re not going to lose your looks.’
We chatted on for about half an hour and at the end Nesta said, ‘Thanks, Lucy. You’re a really good friend.’
As she put the phone down, I realised she was right. I am.
Lucy Lovering. What Makes Me ‘Me’?
My name is Lucy Lovering. I am a person that makes choices.
They change. I change. That’s life.
Who am I? Astrologically, I’m Gemini with Cancer rising and the Moon in Taurus. That makes me the individual I am but how I feel can change according to the stars and the sun and moon depending where they are in the sky.
At the moment I am four foot eight. And a half. That will change.
I like pepperoni pizza. That might change.
My favourite colour is blue. That also might change.
My pop star name is Smokey Kinsler and my Mills and Boon name is Charlotte Leister. But I doubt if I will take up either of those names as I have other plans.
What are my interests? Art, design, fashion. I hate maths and I hate science. I doubt if that will change but you never know.
What are my strengths and weaknesses?
Strengths are making clothes and design. And being a good friend.
Weaknesses, ice-cream, Tony and any animal with sad eyes.
What would I like to do as a career? Easy. Design. Maybe fashion, maybe interiors. I’m told I have ‘the eye’.
Best of all, I have two best friends, Izzie Foster and Nesta Williams.
That will never change.
Mates, Dates and Inflatable Bras Page 9
