Back in the hall, Ms Curtis was standing at the podium, saying something. Seeing me, she broke off. ‘Ah – there she is. People; let’s show our support for Delilah – or Lola.’
And they all started clapping. And smiling. Kiyoshi gave me a thumbs-up and even Vee gave me a little smile and a nod. Overwhelmed, I nodded and smiled at everyone, before slinking back to my seat.
‘That wasn’t so bad, was it?’ Fletcher said, radiant beside me.
‘Um,’ I said. ‘No, I suppose not.’ I felt giddy with relief and exhaustion – the way I felt when we finished the race.
I knew this wasn’t the only time I would have to explain myself. I’d have to do it many, many times over in the future. But now that I knew how to do it, I hoped the next time would be easier – and the time after that.
‘Well done,’ said Tariq, beside me. ‘That was really great.’
I wanted to throw myself into his arms, but I was too self-conscious of doing it in front of the whole school. He wasn’t, though. Before I knew it, I was wrapped in his arms. I noticed a few people looking at us, but he was paying them zero attention, so I did the same.
‘I think that deserves a crepe. Would you agree?’ he asked me.
I nodded gratefully.
Neither of us had class. School was basically over, and Paris was all ours. Until I had to go home – but I was hoping to spin out my time here as long as I could. Tariq was staying here over the summer, and I still hadn’t been up the Eiffel Tower.
‘So – what should I call you now?’ he said, taking my hand.
‘How do you mean?’ I said, smiling.
‘Well – I know you as Lola. But now I know you’re … really Delilah? Technically Delilah? Which do you prefer?’
I let out a sigh. The truth was I didn’t exactly feel like Delilah any more. I wasn’t the same person who arrived in Paris with newly dyed hair and a fake name.
‘I’m starting to prefer Lola,’ I admitted. ‘But I know that’s not really, officially me.’
‘OK,’ he said.
‘So … maybe I’ll stay Delilah Hoover officially – but have Lola as a nickname. Do you think that would work?’
Tariq leaned in and kissed me. ‘Of course.’
I smiled. I was beginning to feel, for the first time in a long time, that things might – just might – be OK. More than OK. Online, and offline.
Acknowledgments
Nobody can do anything entirely on their own, let alone publish a book. A big thank-you to the brilliant team at Hachette especially Felicity Johnston, Jennie Skinner, Helen Thomas, Julia Sanderson, Stephanie Stahl and Stephanie Allen. Thank you to the perennially wonderful Rowan Lawton, Liane-Louise Smith and Isha Karki at Furniss Lawton: I can’t believe this is our fifth book together! Thanks to Neil Allen, Jennifer Thompson, Mayuri Perera and the students and staff of the International School of Brussels, who welcomed me to their beautiful campus and let me ask questions. Jean Monnet, though, is a completely fictional institution (sadly). Thank you to Hisham Wyne for Lahore intel; thanks also to Aoibhlinn Hester-Wyne.
As ever, my biggest thank-you goes to Alex: for telling me I can do it, for cheering me on, and for meeting me at the finish line with ice cream.
Juno’s about to discover there’s nothing
more scary than falling in love …
Available now
Nicola grew up in Monkstown, Co. Dublin before moving to London after university. She worked in publishing for several years before writing her first book, The Out of Office Girl, which was shortlisted for the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year 2013. Her second book, If I Could Turn Back Time, was published by Headline in 2014 and her third book Girls on Tour is available as a series of ebook shorts and in print. Nicola lives in Highbury, north London, with her husband and no cats (yet).
nicoladohertybooks.com
To Alex
AN ORION CHILDREN’S BOOKS EBOOK
First published in Great Britain in 2017 by Hodder and Stoughton
This eBook first published in 2017 by Hodder and Stoughton
This eBook edition published in 2017
Text © Nicola Doherty, 2017
The moral rights of the author have been asserted.
All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
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ISBN: 978 1 5101 0052 7
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