‘Climb every mountain,’ Lucy began to sing in a really awful warbly voice. ‘Follow every stream . . .’
‘And I am not going to pretend that I am Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music,’ I said. ‘She was a nun not a potential model.’
‘Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman,’ said TJ.
Izzie looked at her watch. ‘We’re running out of time, guys . . .’
‘OK. So think of why you’re doing it,’ urged TJ. ‘Try and remember that and you might find that it helps overcome your shyness.’
I nodded. ‘Yes. Course. I can do it. I will. Now you girls go and distract the guard we were talking to earlier while I try to get in.’
The girls did as they were told and soon had the guard’s attention. I flew up the steps behind them as if I was in a terrible hurry.
A lady to the left of the main door waved me over to her. ‘Where are you going, miss?’ she asked.
I decided to do a Tony after all. ‘Scusi,’ I said with an Italian accent. ‘Excuse. I here for show. My train late. I so sorry. Which way for model’s from Models Five? They going to keeel me.’
The lady didn’t even blink. She opened the door for me and pointed down a corridor. ‘Better hop it, love. It’s down there but you’d better hurry. Show’s almost over.’
‘Grazie, grazie,’ I said as I flew in and down in the direction she’d pointed.
Once inside I could hear loud throbbing music coming from behind wide doors. I quickly headed for the music and found myself inside a vast auditorium. Silver laser lights were swirling round the walls and it was hard to see properly in the dim light. My eyes soon grew accustomed to the dark and I could see the catwalk and stage spotlighted in the centre of the hall. It looked like a fun show as I got closer and stood behind the seating area. Models in silver and blue shiny outfits and enormous rubber platform boots danced and strutted down the aisle in time to a funky soundtrack that was pumping through ginormous speakers on either side of the stage. What a shame Lucy didn’t get in as well, I thought, as she would have loved this.
I made my way as close as I could and stood watching at the back. In front of me, I could see the back of heads of rows and rows of people all intent on watching the show.
I bent down to ask a lady sitting in front of me. ‘How much longer?’ I asked.
‘Almost finished,’ she whispered. ‘Now shhhhhh.’
A couple more models bounced and bumped along the catwalk but there was no sign of Star. I hoped she hadn’t been in the earlier show and then left. All of a sudden, all the lights went out. The hall was silent. And then out of the speakers blasted a funky version of the wedding march. Spotlights hit the stage and there she was. Star Axford.
She looked totally amazing in what looked like a wedding outfit for a character out of Star Trek. It was in ankle-length, figure-hugging, shiny silver silk fabric, with a train flowing out like a waterfall at the back. On her arms she was wearing long silver gloves. Round her head she was wearing a silver mesh veil and a space-age tiara, with what looked like three crescent moons and a star attached. Everyone cheered as she floated up and down in front of them. Moments later, a bald man with a pink goatee beard appeared and the crowd went mad again. All the models who had appeared earlier came out to join the man and Star and the cheers grew louder.
Now’s the time to get backstage, I thought as I edged my way closer and closer to the stage. Luckily, everyone was so intent on watching the catwalk that no one noticed me slip behind the vast black curtain and into the models’ dressing area.
‘Who are you?’ said an unfriendly voice behind me.
I turned to see a severe-looking lady all in black staring at me suspiciously. Blag it Nesta, blag it. It’s all for a good cause.
‘I Carla’s seester,’ I said getting back into my Italian persona. ‘She out there. She say meet her back here.’
The woman looked me up and down with a bored expression and she must have decided that I didn’t look like trouble, as she turned away and lit a cigarette.
After several encores, the models began to drift back into the dressing area. Bottles of champagnes started popping and glasses were filled. This is sooo glamorous, I thought, as I watched everyone, and for a moment, I was so caught up in it all that I almost forgot why I was there.
I quickly scanned the girls for a sign of Star and spotted her on the far side of the room. She was changing out of the wedding dress and into jeans and a T-shirt. I made my way over to her and watched for a second as she sat at a dressing table and began to wipe off her make-up. She really was pretty. A perfect pixie face with fabulous high cheek bones, beautiful silver blue eyes and short blond hair that was spiked up for the show. I could see exactly why the designer had picked her for his collection. She looked like an alien princess. I wondered what was the best moment to talk to her as I didn’t want to disturb her routine. I waited until it looked as if she had almost finished, then I crept a bit closer.
‘Er . . . Star . . .’
‘Yes?’ she replied as she turned round.
‘I’m Nesta Williams. Can I have a quick word?’
Star looked around the room. ‘Are you from a magazine?’
‘No. Nothing like that. I came to ask you an enormous favour.’
For a moment Star’s expression grew weary, but she didn’t say anything.
‘I . . . that is we . . . at our school we’re doing a fundraising event for a hospice for the terminally ill. And I wondered . . .’
‘Nesta, I think it’s lovely. And I wish you every success but I don’t carry my diary with me and you really need to talk to my agent as he deals with this kind of thing.’
‘Oh, but it won’t take a moment. Can you come to a dance a week on Saturday? We’re doing a fashion show as well and . . .’
By this time, a security lady had noticed me and was making her way over. ‘This girl bothering you, Star?’ she asked.
Star shook her head. ‘No. Not bothering exactly . . .’
‘So will you come?’ I asked.
Star stood up and picked up her bag from the dressing table. ‘I have to go now Nesta and I’m sorry. I get at least a hundred requests like this every week. That’s why I have to let my agent deal with them.’ She slipped her hand into her bag and pulled out a card. ‘Here’s the number for his direct line. You can call him and see how the next few weeks are fixed but usually we book charity events months ahead.’
For a moment she hesitated, sighed and gently touched my arm. Then she was gone.
Winners never quit and quitters never win.
‘There are other celebs,’ said Lucy on the Tube home from Olympia.
‘Yeah,’ said Izzie. ‘We don’t need her. We have clothes, we have a venue, we have models to show the clothes.’
‘And Mrs Owen said we can have a free rein in the charity shop on Saturday to look for anything for the show,’ said TJ. ‘She said she’s already got a couple of bags of designer gear to give us.’
‘And Lucy’s been working late every night,’ said Izzie. ‘Haven’t you Luce? She’s got some hot little numbers ready to go.’
Lucy nodded. ‘And Steve has been putting together a great soundtrack for the models to show the clothes to. He’s been really enjoying it, I think. And he’s offered to take photos on the night.’
I smiled weakly. I could see that they were doing their best to be positive but I knew that behind it all, they felt as disappointed as I did. ‘But we still need to sell more tickets and we’ve only got one week left. I’d hoped Star coming would have boosted the sales.’
Lucy put her hand over one of mine. ‘You tried, Nesta. That’s all anyone can do.’
It was true. I had tried. I’d got my mobile out and phoned the number on the card that Star had given me as soon as I’d left the hall. A brisk sounding man answered and after I’d made my request, he had laughed and said that Star was booked up with events for the next year. ‘Give us a bit of notice next time, love,’ he said in a sarc
astic tone before hanging up.
For the rest of the journey, we all sat in silence, lost in our thoughts. I kept thinking of what Tony had said this morning. Only losers give up.
‘There must be a way,’ I said to the girls when I reached my stop at Highgate and got up to get off the Tube.
‘Yeah,’ Izzie said, nodding. ‘Speak later. We’ll think of something.’
As I walked up the hill outside the station and made my way back to our flat, I passed a house where the occupants were doing some decorating. It was a funny sight because, through a window, I could see a father plastering paste onto wallpaper on a table and two of his kids were ready with the next piece from a roll to hand to him. They were struggling to keep the roll open and it kept curling back up, taking them with it.
When I got home, I went straight to my computer to see if William had responded to my questionnaire. My chest tightened when I saw that there was a message from him in the inbox. I was just about to open it when my mobile rang. It was Lucy.
‘Star Axford’s on TV,’ she said. ‘Channel Four news.’
I quickly flicked my set on and sure enough there was Star. The interviewer was asking her about her life as a supermodel.
‘I suppose it’s the high life and limos everywhere for you, is it?’
Star shook her head. ‘Actually, no. I don’t believe in waste when I have a perfectly good pair of legs. And here in London we have a great Tube system. I usually get the Tube to work and back. It’s often far quicker than being stuck in traffic.’
‘But don’t you get recognised?’
Star laughed. ‘I don’t look like I do on the front covers when I’ve taken all the make-up off,’ she said. ‘So no, I don’t often get recognised.’
Huh, I thought to myself. All that trouble to get into Olympia and I could have just waited by the Tube station for her!
I flicked off the telly and was about to go back to the computer when an idea flashed through my head. I quickly dialled Lucy.
‘Did you see Star?’ she asked.
‘Yeah. I did. And I think we ought to go and try her again,’ I said.
‘Again? But why? Why do you think she would change her mind?’
‘I’ll tell you tomorrow my little munchkin. I have a plan that I think might just work.’
After I’d hung up, I went back to my computer, took a deep breath and opened William’s e-mail.
There was no dear Nesta or anything. Just the questionnaire returned with his answers. Oh dear, I thought as I began to read his replies.
1) What is your star sign?
The Starbucks coffee sign. They do a mean coffee and walnut muffin.
2) What is your idea of a perfect date?
23rd January 1893.
3)
Your girlfriend is out of town for a weekend and the school hot babe makes a play for you.
Do you:
a) Let her seduce you. What your girlfriend doesn’t know won’t hurt her?
b) Reject her advances. You would never be unfaithful to your girlfriend?
I haven’t got a girlfriend at the moment. Can you help?
4)
Your best friend is a love rat and cheats on his girlfriends do you:
a) Stay out of it and mind your own business?
b) Tell the girls what is going on?
I haven’t got a best friend. I have lots of friends. But no girlfriend. Can you help?
5) How many girlfriends have you had?
803, if you count my past life as a rabbit.
6) Are you still a virgin?
Not if you count my past life as a rabbit.
7)
Describe your ideal woman?
My mum. Ahhh . . .
8) What turns you off a girl?
Girls with one eyebrow and three sets of nipples. Yuk.
9) What’s your favourite chat-up line?
I have a questionnaire I’d like you to do before I’ll go out with you. A very nice girl used this line on me recently.
10)
What is the best way to break up with someone?
a) By text?
b) Get your friend to do it for you?
c) By phone?
d) In person?
By carrier pigeon.
His replies made me laugh out loud and all the doubts I’d had over the holidays melted away. He was interested in me. Part of me felt like phoning him and setting up a date right there and then but I remembered my resolve to listen to my own advice and take it slow this time.
Instead I e-mailed him:
Mr Lewis. You did not take your test at all seriously. You will get detention. To be taken with Nesta Williams.
He e-mailed back later that evening:
Sorry I wasn’t in touch before. Been back and forth to hospice with Eleanor. Long story but she’s stable again. So when for my punishment? Soon I hope.
I e-mailed back:
L8R. Will be in touch. Probably weekend as first have a V. important mission.
The next day, I got up early and went into school in time to catch Mrs Allen before school assembly. Luckily she was in her office and I asked if I could make another appeal for volunteers at assembly.
‘Well, I have to admire your tenacity, Nesta,’ she said after she’d heard me out. ‘Why not? Give it a go.’
Ten minutes later, I was up on stage and once more looking out on that same sea of faces but this time I didn’t have the giggles.
‘Hi,’ I said. ‘Me again. Nesta, that is. As you know we’re trying to raise funds for a hospice for the terminally ill, a place where their families can also stay so that the patients are not on their own all the time. It’s not going great and I won’t embarrass myself by telling you the paltry amount raised so far. But we still have another week to go until the dance – I hope you’ve already got your tickets. It’s going to be a great night.
‘The Diamond Destiny Dance will now also include a fashion show, and I’ve been trying to get a supermodel to come and join us. But first we need to get her to notice us. She told me that she gets a hundred requests a week like mine, so I thought, how about if she gets a request that she can’t ignore? What I’m asking is that as many people as possible turn up at the Tube at Olympia tomorrow.
‘The plan is that we line the area from the Tube to the hall. I’ll be there with my mates with rolls of wallpaper and glue. All you have to bring is a letter asking if Star will come to the dance. Make the letters as bright as you can. Stick stars all over them. We’ll stick the letter to the wallpaper and make a long roll of invites. That’s all. Simple. And no one can say we didn’t try. So that’s it. Olympia Tube station. Four-thirty-ish tomorrow. Thank you and good night. I mean, good morning.’
‘Nice one,’ said TJ after I’d got down from the stage and made my way over to them. ‘Good plan.’
‘Absurd,’ said Doreen coming up behind us. ‘Invites on wallpaper. That’s so tacky. No one will show. You wait and see.’
‘I take it that you won’t be coming then?’ I asked.
Doreen gave me a look as if to say, ‘Are you mad?’
I didn’t care. It was worth a try.
On Saturday morning, Mum took me to Homebase and we bought rolls and rolls of plain wallpaper which Mum insisted on paying for as her contribution to the cause.
‘That should be enough,’ she said as we paid at the till. ‘How many people are you expecting?’
‘Um, seven so far,’ I said. ‘TJ, Lucy, Izzie and I. Tony said he’d come and so did Lucy’s brothers, so that’s Steve and Lal.’
‘Lal?’ asked Mum. ‘Didn’t you say that he was a liability?’
‘He wants to make up for drinking all the booze,’ I replied. ‘Lucy said that she’d make sure he behaves. And Ben told Izzie that he’d come and he might bring a few guys from the band. It’s a start.’
‘I think it’s marvellous what you’re doing,’ said Mum. ‘Now let’s get back because I have to get to work this afternoon.’
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br /> At three o’clock I met Izzie, TJ and Lucy at the Tube where they were waiting with Lal, Steve, Tony, Ben and Baz. Soon we were in place at Olympia ready to catch Star at the end of the show.
Izzie pulled her jacket tight round her, looked up at the sky and frowned. ‘It’s looking a bit like rain,’ she said. ‘I’m glad I brought my brolly.’
‘No, no, it can’t,’ I said. ‘Please, God. No rain.’
Ben began to do a mad Native American-type dance but instead of going round in a circle, he danced backwards.
‘What on earth are you doing?’ asked Izzie.
‘You’ve heard of the rain dance,’ he replied. ‘This is the no-rain dance.’
We’d all cracked up and did it with him and miracle of miracle, it did seem to dry up a bit. I like Ben. He’s not my type – but he is cute with his stuck in the Sixties John Lennon look. It’s a shame he and Izzie didn’t work out because they are good together but then they’ve stayed friends which is more than I’ve managed to do with my ex-boyfriends. I might be friends with Simon if he wasn’t up in Scotland but Luke, I haven’t even seen him since before Christmas and he doesn’t live far away. As we continued waiting outside Olympia, I wondered if William had said anything about us to him and how he’d feel if he knew that one of his friends was going to date one of his exes.
Mates, Dates and Diamond Destiny Page 11