‘Don’t hang up! And before you say anything,’ I began, and then talked as fast as I could. ‘I want to say I’m sorry, actually no I’m not. I haven’t got anything to be sorry for . . .’
‘You’ve phoned to say that you’re sorry but you’re not?’
‘Yeah. No. Um. See it’s like this. I . . . yes, Eleanor did ask me to cheer you up but . . . actually even if she hadn’t asked me to, I would have wanted to. Actually no. That’s not right. Not cheer you up. That’s not what I wanted to do at all.’
‘Nesta. What are you on about? Sorry. Not sorry. Cheer me up. Not cheer me up. What?’
‘Yeah. No. Not cheer you up. You said you don’t need it and I agree. I mean I don’t think that you look miserable, so why would you need cheering up? Actually no, that’s probably wrong. You probably do some of the time as your situation must be very hard sometimes with your sister and you probably don’t show it being a boy and they don’t like to show their feelings sometimes . . . oh . . . what I’m trying to say is . . . oh Dunking Doughnuts! Can we start again? I . . . I like you. I would like to see you again and would have liked to see you even if Eleanor hadn’t said anything.’
There was a silence at the other end.
‘So?’ I prompted.
‘So,’ William finally said. ‘Me too.’
‘Me too what?’
‘Me too, I would have wanted to see you but I was well peeved with Eleanor for sticking her oar in. I don’t need her to do that.’
‘I know. I have an older brother who always thinks he knows what’s best for me. It can be very annoying but I think Eleanor was only trying to help.’
‘Well, it didn’t, did it?’
‘No. But maybe . . . maybe it’s not too late.’
‘Maybe. And actually, I guess I did fly off the handle a bit. I tend to do that sometimes, react and shoot my mouth off.’
‘What sign are you?’ I asked.
‘Aries,’ he said. ‘Why?’
‘You sound a bit like me. I’m Leo with Aries rising.’
‘What does that mean? Rising?’
‘Um, you’d have to ask Izzie as she’s our resident astrologer. But anyone with Aries in their chart tends to leap before they look kind of thing. As you said, shoot-their-mouth-off types of people.’
‘Sounds familiar,’ said William.
‘So. You know tonight’s the Diamond Destiny Dance?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Will you come?’
‘Sure,’ said William.
‘Sure? Oh. OK. Brilliant.’
I heard William laugh at the other end. ‘I was coming anyway,’ he said.
‘You were?’
‘Yeah. Olivia got me tickets ages ago. Just you be thankful you have only one brother. I have two sisters, both of whom think they know what’s best for me. And I wanted to see you in person. Find out if there was anything else that Eleanor asked you to do.’
‘Nope, nothing else. So you’re coming. Excellent,’ I said.
‘Yep. See you later then.’
As I turned to go back in, I was struck by how magical the hall looked with fairy lights twinkling around the door. It was a lovely warm evening. Cars were drawing up and people getting out. Cameras were flashing. Music was beginning to pound from inside.
Suddenly I got the feeling that it was going to be a great night.
Fortune favours the brave.
‘Hey Nesta, get over here,’ called Lucy when I got back into the hall. ‘Where have you been?’
‘In the car park. Why? What’s the matter?’
‘Nothing. Not a problem. Just Star gave us these gorgeous clothes to model and no one back here can fit into them. I think they’d be perfect on you, though. Come and try. And hurry. We’re due to start in five minutes.’
Gorgeous clothes? Understatement, I thought as I tried on one of the dresses. A white Armani evening dress with tiny straps. It was so elegant and fitted like a glove. I felt a million dollars in it. Next was a gorgeous floaty chiffon dress by Stella McCartney. Then a sophisticated Calvin Klein black dress slashed at the shoulder.
‘You’ll be the belle of the ball,’ said Star as she got changed next to me.
‘I can’t believe you’re getting rid of these,’ I said.
Star shrugged. ‘I have loads at home and quite honestly, when am I going to wear them all? Shopping at Sainsbury’s? I don’t think so.’
‘Places, girls,’ called Lucy as the music started up and Izzie signalled that everyone was in their seats and the show about to begin.
It was such a blast. Like a series of fantasies come true. Following Star out onto the catwalk. The flash of cameras. Mum and Dad cheering like mad. Boys ogling me. Classmates watching and clapping when I appeared. Izzie and TJ grinning like idiots out front. Lucy grinning like an idiot from backstage. And at the very back of the hall, a really gorgeous boy with collar length hair watching with quiet admiration. William. When I looked over at him, he smiled his killer watt smile and gave me the thumbs up.
It was all over so fast. Up and down the catwalk. In and out of clothes. Back out. More flashes from cameras in the audience. (Mainly my dad who beamed with pride every time I stepped out.)
After the fashion show, while all the models got changed, Izzie and TJ got up and did this hysterical double act where they auctioned off the clothes and items from the charity shop. It sounded like a riot from backstage – we could hear them really getting into the part of barrow boys.
‘All wight, everyone,’ said Izzie in her best Cockney accent. ‘So what am I bid for this ’ere novel. It’s a first edition. Probably worf loadsa money.’
People started bidding from the audience and soon the sale was up and running with bidders trying to outbid each other for the fun of it.
‘Come on, you tight lot,’ called TJ. ‘What am I bid for this stunning skirt?’
‘How about if you’re in it?’ called a dark-haired boy from the back of the hall.
I went to stand with Lucy at the edge of the stage behind Izzie and TJ and looked round for William. ‘Hey look, Lucy,’ I said. ‘Eyes left. Cute boy alert. Just your type, he looks a bit like Tony.’
‘Oh yeah,’ said Lucy. ‘No. Not quite as gorgeous as Tony but not bad.’
I patted her on the head. ‘Poor thing,’ I said. ‘My brother clearly has you under some strange spell and all we can hope is that one day, you’ll awaken and see sense.’
‘Hey, I think that boy who called out must be Star’s brother, Ollie,’ Lucy continued. ‘See, he’s with Zac Axford, over there to the left, talking to my dad.’ She pointed at a man who was standing at the back of the hall talking to Mr Lovering. He looked like a rock and roller. He was in his forties or fifties with straggly dark hair and dressed in jeans and a leather jacket. ‘Dad didn’t waste much time getting talking to him. Star told me that he was coming and when I told Dad, he almost passed out with excitement. He has every one of his albums.’
‘Hhmm,’ I said as I watched Ollie banter with TJ over the skirt. ‘Methinks that yonder Ollie fancies our TJ.’
Lucy glanced back at Ollie and nodded. ‘Methinks you is right,’ she said. ‘Good. TJ could do with a bit of buff boy attention.’
After the auction, it was time for the music and King Noz soon got the place rocking. I looked around for William in the hope that he’d ask me to dance but couldn’t see him anywhere. Izzie did a number with the band and when she’d finished, Lucy’s dad got up to join them as well. As he got to the stage, I saw that Zac Axford had followed him over and was saying something. Mr Lovering then beckoned Ben who went over to join them and nodded in recognition at Zac. Ben suddenly beamed, got up and handed Zac a guitar. Next thing we knew, Lucy’s dad was up there with Zac Axford and both of them were playing with the band. It was incredible. The crowd went mad, dancing and stomping like there was no tomorrow. I didn’t think it could get any better until I felt two hands slip round my waist from behind.
I turned to see th
at it was William. I was about to say something but he just pulled me back so that I was leaning against him, his hands still round my waist. The sensation of being so close to him made me feel as if I’d turned to liquid. I didn’t want the moment to end. It felt so perfect, watching the band like a regular couple. It was only when they began to play a ballad and the pace slowed down that he pulled me to the edge of the crowd.
‘I just want to say sorry for my big mouth again . . .’ I started.
He leaned over, put a finger against my lips then pulled me to him and gave me a long-deep-to-the-tip-of-my-toes-and back-again snog. Heavenly, heavenly, heaven.
At the end of the night, when everyone had gone, TJ, Lucy, Izzie and the Dopey Doreens piled into the caretaker’s office. Miss Watkins made us tea and we sat around like a bunch of old businessmen to count the takings. I felt brilliant. William had left with Olivia but not before promising to call me in the morning. The future was looking bright.
‘Four thousand five hundred,’ said TJ who was doing the accounts. ‘Cheque for fifty, excellent. Five pounds, ten pounds. Hey, it’s looking good . . .’
And so she went on, five thousand. Six. The takings were good, but it didn’t look as if we would make our target. Nowhere near. I couldn’t help feeling disappointed and wished that there was more that I could have done.
Suddenly TJ’s face registered shock. ‘Ohmigod, ohmigod,’ she said as she held up one cheque.
‘What? What is it?’ asked Miss Watkins.
TJ was speechless as she handed over the cheque. Miss Watkins glanced down at it and she too looked surprised.
Her face lit up. ‘Ohmigod,’ she said.
‘Whaaaaat?’ I asked.
Miss Watkins beamed. ‘Our celebrity guest left us a little donation,’ she said and she turned the cheque around so that we could all see. It was signed by Zac Axford and it was for the sum of forty-five thousand pounds.
Later, when everything was locked up, I went to sit with TJ, Izzie and Lucy on the wall in the car park while we waited for Lucy’s dad to come back and taxi us all home.
‘That was totally top,’ said TJ as she moved over to make room for me between her and Lucy. ‘And did you see the faces of the Dopey Doreens when Miss Watkins held that cheque up?’
‘Yeah,’ said Izzie. ‘We showed them but they were cool in the end, weren’t they? At least they had grace to say well done to everyone.’
‘But you don’t seem so thrilled, Nesta,’ said Lucy. ‘We did it. So what’s the matter?’
I looked back at the hall. Only hours before, it had been so full of life, lights on, music blasting out of it. And now it was dark, silent, empty. I looked up at the sky. It was a clear night and up there in the heavens, the stars were twinkling down on us. I felt so small and insignificant.
‘I am thrilled,’ I said. ‘Really. It’s a great result. Just . . . now it’s all over I can’t help but think so what? So we raised the money. Big deal. A drop in the ocean. There’s still so much pain the world.’
‘Hey, Nesta’s gone all deep on us,’ teased Izzie. ‘Usually it’s you telling us to lighten up.’
‘Yeah. Don’t be sad, Nesta,’ said Lucy. ‘Not tonight. It’s been a great night. It couldn’t have gone better and you and William . . .’
‘But that’s just it. William. I really like him. And we’re going to see each other. We have a future but I can’t help thinking what about Eleanor? What kind of future has she got? What has she got to look forward to?’
The others fell quiet and I could see that I’d put a real dampener on their good mood.
‘Sorry, guys,’ I said. ‘Can’t help it. I feel sad. And small and helpless.’
Lucy put her arm through mine. ‘I think we have to remember what Mrs Owen said. That day at the jumble sale, remember? Be happy. Do what you can, while you can. Be happy. Enjoy life. All aspects.’
‘Yeah,’ said Izzie as she linked arms with Lucy. ‘Who knows how long we’ve all got? Any of us. It would be great if our birth certificate came like Mum’s credit cards. You know, showing the date of issue and the date of expiry. Then we’d know. But we don’t. Thing is to make the most of it while we’re here and we’re healthy.’
‘Yeah,’ said TJ as she linked my other arm. ‘And while we’ve got each other.’
I felt my eyes fill up with tears. I was so lucky to have such great friends. It must be so hard for William knowing that he was going to lose his sister. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing Izzie or TJ or Lucy or any of my family. But for the time being, here we were. My mates. On a wall in a car park in East Finchley under the stars. Who knows what life had in store for any of us. But one thing I did know and that was that summer was around the corner. I was going to do my best to appreciate every single second of it.
Also available by Cathy Hopkins
The MATES, DATES series
1. Mates, Dates and Inflatable Bras
2. Mates, Dates and Cosmic Kisses
3. Mates, Dates and Portobello Princesses
4. Mates, Dates and Sleepover Secrets
5. Mates, Dates and Sole Survivors
6. Mates, Dates and Mad Mistakes
7. Mates, Dates and Pulling Power
8. Mates, Dates and Tempting Trouble
9. Mates, Dates and Great Escapes
10. Mates, Dates and Chocolate Cheats
11. Mates, Dates and Diamond Destiny
12. Mates, Dates and Sizzling Summers
Companion Books:
Mates, Dates Guide to Life
Mates, Dates and You
Mates, Dates Journal
The TRUTH, DARE, KISS OR PROMISE series
1. White Lies and Barefaced Truths
2. Pop Princess
3.Teen Queens and Has-Beens
4. Starstruck
5. Double Dare
6. Midsummer Meltdown
7. Love Lottery
8. All Mates Together
The CINNAMON GIRL series
1. This Way to Paradise
2. Starting Over
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Mates, Dates and Diamond Destiny Page 14
