Shame, I thought. I’d been enjoying my new-found status as celebrity co-habitee.
The next day, at school, I found out just how hard it was going to be not to talk about the apartment block. My mates, Flo and Meg, were straight onto it. Pia and I often hang out with them and have regular sleep-overs and I tell them about most things that are happening to me – apart from my secret about Mum’s funeral. I still can’t bring myself to talk to anyone about that.
‘Hey, Jess, is it true that you’re going to be living in the same place as Tom Cruise?’ asked Flo as she wound her long golden hair back into a clip.
‘And Kylie, I heard that Kylie will be living there,’ said Meg. She was wide-eyed at the idea, because she’d done an impersonation of Kylie at the end-of-term concert last year and everyone had said how much she looked like her – petite, pretty and blonde.
We’re an odd-looking bunch of friends, really. Flo and I are tall, Meg and Pia are five inches smaller. And we have such different styles: like Flo is such a girlie girl, willowy and sugar sweet, wearing floaty tops in all shades of pink outside of school. Meg would gag if she had to wear pink. She’s more of a tomboy and lives in jeans and sneakers and is sports mad. We’d love to do a makeover on her and get her into a dress but, knowing her, she’d wear it with boys’ boots to make a point. Pia’s style is a mix of vintage and retro, and she often wears ethnic jewellery or a big flower brooch. And I like indie. Still, it doesn’t matter what we look like, the main thing is, we get on and we have a laugh most days.
In response to Meg’s comment, I shrugged a shoulder like I was oh so cool. ‘Kylie? Maybe. I’m not allowed to say.’
‘Oh, come on, Jess. We’re your mates, we won’t tell,’ pleaded Flo.
‘If I told you, I’d have to kill you,’ I said.
‘And if she doesn’t, one of the bodyguards will,’ Pia added as Chrissie Alberg and Sophie James from Year Ten sidled over to join us. ‘One family who’s going to live there has eight bodyguards.’
‘That’s probably Tom Cruise,’ said Chrissie. ‘I read somewhere that he has a huge entourage.’
‘So what’s it like there?’ asked Sophie.
The words big, cold and bland came to mind, although I’d only seen the one apartment, not that I was going to let on about that. ‘Imagine your most fabulous fantasy house,’ I replied, ‘then quadruple it.’
‘Awesome,’ said Flo. She was a total romantic and loved a fantasy of any kind. She read nothing else and her bedroom was done out with posters from Lord of the Rings and Eragon. I think she secretly fancied herself as an elfin princess.
‘Truly,’ I said.
‘Last week, Jess had to give her fingerprints,’ said Pia as the crowd of girls around us grew, ‘and someone has been round to take photos of her and Charlie’s eyes. The security system was designed by the SAS.’
‘Eyes?’ asked Sophie. ‘Why?’
‘Their irises,’ Pia continued. ‘People can fake loads of things but it’s virtually impossible to copy someone’s iris, isn’t that right, Jess?’
‘Er—’ I started.
But Pia was on a roll. You’d have thought she was the one moving into Porchester Park.
‘When you pass from the staff living area into the main building,’ Pia confided, ‘a secret face recognition camera scans your eyes to make sure that it’s really you.’
‘Wow,’ said Meg. ‘That’s cool.’
I pinched Pia to try and get her to shut up. What she’d just revealed was exactly the sort of thing Dad wouldn’t want being repeated.
She winced. ‘Ow! What did you do that for?’
I put my finger up to my lips to say be quiet, but it was too late, our audience was captivated.
‘I suppose that they have to be careful in case anyone captures you, clones you, then poses as you and tries to kidnap one of the mega richies,’ said Flo.
I rolled my eyes. ‘Yeah, right. That’d be it.’
‘It does happen,’ insisted Chrissie.
‘Yeah just like that time the aliens captured you and ate your brain,’ I said as I pulled Pia away. Not to be left out, Meg and Flo followed after us.
‘No need to be sniffy,’ called Sophie. ‘Just because you’re living there doesn’t mean you’re one of them.’
I was about to put her right and rub in the fact that I would be one of them actually, because I’d be living there and my dad was the general manager, but I remembered what Dad had said so I bit my tongue.
‘Why did you pinch me?’ asked Pia as we turned a corner in the corridor.
‘Because we – I – have to be discreet.’
‘Since when? You’ve been telling everyone since we got back to school.’
‘I have not!’
‘You so have.’
‘Not.’
‘Have.’
‘Not – OK. So maybe I have, but it has to stop. Part of living there is being private about it. Like the residents don’t want anyone talking about them or discussing their lives.’
‘She’s right,’ said Meg, and Flo nodded too. ‘A-listers want privacy.’
Pia looked hurt. ‘Yeah, I can understand that but it’s you who’s been talking about it so much, Jess.’
‘I know, but Dad came round last night and told me and Chaz to keep it zipped.’
‘But you’ll always tell me, won’t you?’ asked Pia.
‘And us,’ chorused Meg and Flo.
I hesitated and an expression of hurt flashed over Pia’s face. ‘I don’t know if I’ll be able to,’ I said. ‘My life’s not going to be like it was any more.’ Images of the pool, the parties, the glamorous get-togethers to come flashed before my eyes. No doubt about it. I would be mixing with a very different set of people.
‘I’ll be able to come and see you there, won’t I?’ asked Pia.
‘And us,’ said Meg, with a nod to Flo.
‘I don’t know. I thought so, but now I don’t know. All I know is that I’m not allowed to talk about it.’
Pia went quiet for a few moments and chewed her bottom lip like she was biting back tears. ‘Not even to me?’ she said finally.
Meg and Flo exchanged looks then linked their arms through Pia’s.
‘Oh God, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you, P. Things are going to be different, that’s for sure, I just don’t know how much yet. We’ll still see each other at school and I’ll still be able to come to your house.’
‘Yes, but are you going to want to? Like, if you’re going to be mixing with glamorous people, like genuine celebrities, you might find me boring or start changing the rules like just now – telling me to shut up for talking about the place when I didn’t know not to.’
‘Hey, that’s not fair.’
‘Yes, it is. One day you’re basking in it, telling everyone, and we’re all in it together. Next day it’s totally hush hush, but you haven’t told me that things have changed. Best friends are supposed to tell each other everything, you know.’
Meg and Flo nodded. It felt like they’d all taken sides against me and I was the bad guy. I wanted to hit them.
‘I do. I will.’
‘But you just said you might not be able to tell me about what goes on in your life any more.’
‘I . . . Oh, I don’t know, Pia. Let’s not row. I just don’t know how it’s going to be, that’s all.’
The bell rang to say that break was over and as we made our way to our next class, Pia stayed linked with Meg and Flo and no-one linked with me, like they usually did. The atmosphere between us all was heavy. I felt bad. Pia was right. Up until now we had shared just about everything – from boy fantasies to lipgloss, music, mags, our hopes and fears, ambitions, hang-ups . . . And now she was upset with me. I ought to have been more sensitive. I knew things had been tough for her at home as it was tight on the dosh front for her and her mum. It can’t have been easy hearing all about me getting ready to move into La-di-dah Land, where people have money falling out of their pockets
. Knowing what to say and what not to say was difficult! Meg and Flo had clearly taken Pia’s side, and Sophie blooming James had accused me of being sniffy; all because I didn’t want to talk about where I’d be living. A card that Gran had pinned on the noticeboard in her kitchen flashed into my mind. It said, some days the windscreen, some days the bug. Now I knew what it meant.
5
Moving On
‘OK, got everything?’ asked Gran.
‘Yup,’ said Charlie.
It was a grey and blustery Sunday morning and we’d been up for hours, ready to go to our new home.
I nodded. ‘Just got to get Dave. I’ve put him in the front room. When Dad’s finished packing the car, I’ll put him in the cat basket.’
‘Good plan,’ said Gran. ‘Now, I’ve got a little something for each of you.’
She bustled off back to the kitchen, leaving Charlie and me in the hall with all our boxes and bags. I felt like I was going to cry and let out a long sigh. Charlie turned on me immediately.
‘You’ve got to hold it together, Jess,’ he said. ‘Gran’s been putting on a brave face all morning and if she sees you getting upset, it’ll finish her off. She was close to tears last night when she was making dinner. She swore it was the onions, but I knew it wasn’t.’
I sniffed back a sob. From the look on Charlie’s pale face, he was giving himself a talking-to as much as me. Poor Charlie. I knew he missed Mum every bit as much as I did and this move was taking him away from familiar territory in just the same way as it was taking me. Gran’s house hadn’t just been a home, somewhere to stay; it had been a link with Mum, our childhood and happier times. Charlie was right. I had to keep it together or it would be Blub City round here.
‘I’m fine,’ I said. ‘It’s going to be great. A new chapter.’
Charlie squeezed my arm. ‘Good girl.’
He picked up a box to take out to the car and Gran came back and handed me two torches. ‘One for you, one for Charlie,’ she said.
‘Oh. OK, thanks,’ I said. I didn’t want to appear ungrateful but her gift made me laugh. I don’t know what I’d been expecting – maybe a photo or one of her paintings – but definitely not a torch.
‘Hey! You can never have too many torches,’ she said. ‘You never know when one might come in handy.’
‘Exactly, Gran,’ I said with a grin and switched mine on and held it under my chin like we did at Halloween to make ourselves look spooky.
It didn’t take long to pack the car and as soon as I had Dave in the cat basket, we were ready to get on our way. Gran gave me a huge hug and the familiar rose scent of her made me want to cry again. She felt so safe and solid. She let me go, pushed me towards the car and, when I was in the back seat, handed the cat basket in to me. Dave looked most put out, probably thinking cat baskets meant the vet’s, and howled his objections loudly, which made us all laugh. I felt like he was crying for all of us as we tried to stay brave and cheery.
As we drove away, I turned back to wave to Gran and then my eyes did fill up. She looked as if someone had let the air out of her. Her shoulders had sagged and her figure was stooped, but she immediately stood up when she saw me looking back and waved until we turned the corner. Sometimes I wished things could always stay the same. This last year I was finding out fast that was not the way life goes. Things change constantly and you just have to go with it, whether you like it or not.
Choose, I thought. I can sink or swim – and I choose to swim.
I made myself sit up straight. ‘So, Dad, what happens when we get there?’
As we left the familiar roads near Gran’s, Dad drove along the King’s Road, turned left at Sloane Square and went up Sloane Street, past Prada, Armani, Jimmy Choo, Dior, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and then up to Knightsbridge. I knew all the shop names from Mum’s magazines but had never been in any of them. Hovering at the entrance of most of them were big black men in dark suits and shades, wearing earpieces. They radiated an aura that said, ‘Don’t even think of coming in here if you need to ask the price of anything.’
‘They’re like bouncers at a nightclub,’ said Charlie as he glanced out at them.
‘Definitely not to be messed with,’ I said as I watched one say something into his walkie-talkie. ‘Though he’s probably just calling his wife to say, “Emergency, I need chips and egg for me tea and a packet of HobNobs.”’
‘Or maybe he’s calling his mate in the next-door shop, saying, “I’m bored out of my mind – let’s pretend we’re in a Bond movie. Bagsy I be 007.”’
Dad looked over. ‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘They’re probably pussycats underneath.’
Yeah right, I thought as we took a left turn and headed along towards Number 1, Porchester Park. Pussycats with sharp claws. Somehow I didn’t think I’d be checking those particular shops out any time soon.
The rest of the week flew by. I was busy at school, then my evenings passed at the house, in a haze of unpacking and rearranging. Dad had moved in the previous week, so had stocked the fridge and kitchen cupboards, put curtains up and even bought flowers for the living room – some white tulips – which I thought was a nice touch.
Pia came over to help on the first Saturday morning after we’d moved in. We’d soon made up after our blip. I’d apologised straight after class and promised her that I would always tell her everything. She was quick to forgive and when Meg and Flo saw that we were mates again, they dropped the cool act too. One thing that Mum drummed into me before she died was not to waste time when it came to people I cared about and to always say sorry if I’d upset anyone, because life was too short. So that’s what I did. Anyway, Pia and I could never stay mad at each other for long. When I’d asked Dad about her coming to visit, he’d said that it would be fine as long as she phoned just before she arrived so I could let her in the side entrance. In the end, she’d arrived at Porchester Park first thing in the morning, so Dad had greeted her and brought her up to my room.
I had a present waiting for her. I’d been working on it all week. It was a compilation of songs by our favourite girl singers. I knew she’d love it because we were always swapping tracks we liked, so I knew just who her current faves were. I’d wrapped the CD up in silver paper tied with a pink ribbon, so it looked pretty. As soon as she came in, I handed it to her.
‘To say I’m sorry again for being such a pigolette that day and that I can’t imagine doing anything without you and that I hope you’ll always be my best friend,’ I said.
Pia smiled. ‘Thanks, Jess, but that day is ancient history – forgotten.’ She took the CD then reached into her bag and pulled out a similarly-packaged present. ‘This is for you. A house-warming gift.’
I quickly unwrapped it. It was a scented candle. ‘Perfect,’ I said and gave her a hug.
‘Mum says that it’s important to get a house smelling the way you want it as quickly as possible.’
I sniffed the candle. It smelt divine. Spicy and sweet.
I showed Pia around and she looked impressed, even though it was an ordinary house. I wished I could show her the real Poshville and apologised that I couldn’t take her into the main area without Dad being around. After he’d let Pia in, he’d gone for the day because some of the residents were due to arrive the following week and he was busy, busy, busy.
‘It’s not my dream house,’ I said to Pia, after we’d done the tour and had gone into the garden, ‘but I reckon we can make it nice. Dad said I can redecorate my room and do it whatever colour I want.’
‘Least you’ve got a house,’ she said. ‘I don’t know what Mum and I are going to do when the lease is up on the one we’re in now.’
I squeezed her arm. ‘Your mum will sort something. She always does.’
Pia smiled wistfully. ‘Yeah. Maybe. Yeah. Course she will. At least we have until the end of November to find somewhere else. Maybe we’ll buy one of the apartments here, hey? What are they? Only twenty million?’
‘Yeah. Cheap at the price!’
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br /> ‘In that case, we may even buy two, dahling. One for each of us. What does Charlie think of the place?’
‘I’ve no idea. He’s the usual Charlie. Unfazed. He bounces along in his own little bubble. He’s out today with his band. He just dumped his stuff, hung up a few clothes and that was it. Done. Moved in. Moved on. If he has any feelings about it, he’ll probably write about it in one of his songs. Me, I want to get the house feeling cosy. I want to get cushions in and put my pictures up otherwise I think it looks too bland, too new.’
‘I like it,’ said Pia. ‘And although it’s not as big as your gran’s, you do have all the perks of the complex.’
‘Exactly,’ I said. ‘Swimming pool, spa, fab new people.’ I saw Pia flinch, and I grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. ‘More friends for both of us. Dad says that some of the families have kids. As well as the Lewis family, there’s a Japanese family coming, they have two girls, I think. And a French couple. They sound interesting. Dad says that the man is an art dealer. There’s also a Russian family, though I can’t remember if they have children. Um . . . and an American lady. She sounds old, family in banking etcetera and also – tadah, drum roll, though we mustn’t tell anyone else – a Saudi family – royalty – and they have a son so I’ll get to know a real prince!’
‘Royalty! Wow,’ said Pia. ‘Cool.’
‘I know. There’ll be loads of new people because there are about fifty apartments up there. I’ve decided to be really positive about this move, you know. I’ll get to know them, make friends. It’ll be fab. Different, but fab and I’ll share it all with you, you do know that, don’t you?’
‘Course,’ Pia replied. ‘Friends for life.’
‘For richer for poorer, etcetera.’
‘Exactly.’
We headed inside and I closed the back door behind us. I looked through the window over the sink back out at the empty garden. ‘We really need to plant some stuff. Maybe we could do it together? Dad said that one of the staff gardeners would help, but I’d rather do it myself. Gran said she’d bring some cuttings from her garden to get things started and Dad says we can go to the garden centre to get some pots for the patio and some pansies to give it a bit of colour. It certainly needs it on a grey day like this.’
Million Dollar Mates Page 4