I’m just sorting through a box of old dress-up clothes, looking for some out-there outfits to wear for our camp skit, when Lexi arrives. She plonks herself down in Cushion Land and helps herself to my muesli bar.
‘Hey!’ I tell her. ‘I was going to eat that.’
‘Should have been quicker then,’ she tells me, taking a couple of enormous bites then popping what’s left back on the wrapper. ‘Here you go. I left you some.’
‘Wow, thanks,’ I say, picking up the tiny piece that’s left and stuffing it into my mouth before Lexi can gobble it up. I hold up a black shift dress that’s covered from top to bottom with layers of gold fringing. ‘How about this for our skit?’ I ask her.
Lexi makes a face. ‘If we were doing a number about lampshades, sure,’ she tells me. ‘Did someone actually wear that?’
‘I guess so. I got it at a market last year. I always thought it was kind of cute. I think it’s from the ’60s.’
‘The 1960s or the 18 –’
My phone suddenly rings and I jump up to answer it. Probably Leesh calling to let me know she’s been held up somewhere. Yeah right. More likely she’s had a last-minute invitation from Princess Paige and she’s bailing on us. And Michi will still be in her ‘meeting’ with Ben. Unless whatever the important thing he had to say to her was so important that she has to share it with me, right now …
‘Mia?’
It’s Dad. His voice sounds strange. Kind of choked up.
I turn away slightly from Lexi.
‘Is something wrong? Is Mum okay?’
I can hear traffic noises and a siren in the background. I will myself not to panic. Please don’t let anything bad have happened …
‘Your mum’s fine, darling. No, it’s your nonno. He’s had a fall.’
‘A fall? Is he okay? Where is he?’
Dad’s voice is calmer now. ‘At the hospital. Your nonna is with him. And you don’t need to worry, he’s going to be fine. Just a little fall, that’s all.’
‘But if he’s at the hospital … Did he break something?’
‘They think his hip maybe. He’s having it X-rayed right now. But like I said, no need for you to be worried. The doctors will look after him. You’ll see.’
This is bad. This is very bad. Nonno hates hospitals. He’ll be anxious. Frightened. ‘Are you there now?’ I ask. ‘Can I come in to see him?’
Dad coughs. ‘No, darling. I think it’s best you stay there. Your mum will be home soon. Is there someone there with you? Michi, or one of your other friends?’
‘Lexi’s here,’ I tell him, giving her a quick smile.
She smiles tentatively back, aware that something’s wrong.
‘Good,’ says Dad. ‘That’s good. I have to go now, darling. I’ll ring you when I’ve got more news. Okay?’
‘Okay,’ I say, biting my lip. ‘And Dad? Tell Nonno I love him, okay?’
‘Of course,’ Dad says. ‘Take care now.’
His line cuts out and I shut my phone.
Lexi moves closer to me. ‘What’s happened?’
‘It’s Nonno,’ I tell her. ‘He’s had a fall.’
‘Your grandad? Is he going to be okay?’
‘I hope so. He’s at the hospital. Dad thinks he’s broken his hip.’
‘Oh. Poor guy,’ Lexi says. ‘But he’ll be okay now, though, yeah? If he’s at the hospital and everything.’
‘I hope so,’ I sigh.
I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to Nonno. He and Nonna are totally devoted to each other. They’re so full of life. Always joking and laughing. Whenever we have a big family gathering like a wedding, they’re always the first to get up on the dance floor. And Nonno always has special cuddles or little treats in his pockets for me, even though I’m now officially too old for them. He calls me his piccola principessa – ‘little princess’.
Lexi puts the fringed dress back in the box and rummages around inside. ‘C’mon, let’s see what other crazy clothes we can find. These are cool,’ she says, pulling out a slinky evening dress and strappy silver sandals with towering heels. ‘Can I try them on?’
‘If you like,’ I say. I’ve suddenly lost all interest in clothes. I’m too worried about Nonno.
Lexi changes out of her school uniform and into the dress-up clothes, then parades up and down in front of the mirror. She piles her hair up on top of her head with one hand. ‘Hey, this outfit makes me look heaps older, don’t you reckon?’
I watch numbly as she releases her hair, then scrabbles around in the make-up box. ‘Have we got any bright red lipstick? That would look perfect with this dress.’
‘I don’t know. Probably,’ I snap.
Lexi drops the handful of make-up tubes she’s holding and comes back over to where I’m sitting. ‘Hey, sorry, Moo,’ she says, patting my arm. ‘Guess you’re feeling pretty upset right now, yeah?’
I force myself to smile. This isn’t Lexi’s problem. I shouldn’t take it out on her. ‘Yeah. I mean I know Dad said everything’s going to be fine, but I –’ The curtain swishes across and Michi – her face blotchy and tear-stained – lurches into the room.
Oh no, he didn’t …
‘He … he dumped me,’ she wails, flinging herself down onto the couch.
Looks like he did. Poor Mich …
‘He what?’ Lexi looks shocked.
‘He said he wanted to tell me something after school,’ Michi sobs. ‘And I thought it was going to be a nice something.’ She turns to me. ‘Didn’t I, Mia?’
‘Uh-huh,’ I say carefully.
‘Cos he was like, so nice to me when I saw him before lunch. But that was obviously all just an act.’
I pat her shoulder soothingly.
‘So what did he say when you met up?’ Lexi asks her, wide-eyed. ‘Did he come right out with it, or did he string you along for a bit? Or maybe he –’
‘That’s just it,’ Michi cries, her sobs growing louder. ‘We didn’t meet up.’
‘You didn’t?’ I say, confused. ‘But –’
She unzips her backpack and pulls out her mobile. ‘I waited for him, for ages and ages, and he didn’t show up. And then … then …’
She brings up her text message list, selects the top one, then pushes the phone at me. ‘Then he sent me this.’
‘A text?’ Lexi says, shocked. ‘He dumped you by text?’
Michi nods, her eyes downcast.
I take the phone from her, read the message, then silently hand it back to her. Poor Michi. It’s pretty final, all right. I just wish Ben had had the guts to tell her to her face.
‘It’s really over, isn’t it?’ Michi’s voice is glum.
‘I think so, yeah,’ I tell her gently. ‘But don’t worry. You’re worth ten of him.’
Michi settles back into the couch in a pool of misery, and Lexi and I do our best to cheer her up. Next thing, Alysha’s turned up, and Michi has to tell the whole sad story all over again.
I want to – need to – talk about Nonno, and how worried I am about him, but I guess there’s nothing to say. He’s safe in the hospital, with Dad and Nonna there to help look after him.
Michi’s heartbreak is what’s important right now, and I’ll do anything I can to help her get through it.
Chapter 4
tuesday afternoon
Mum and I creep down the hospital corridor, the shiny linoleum squeaking under our feet. Everything smells so clean. They must use a ton of antiseptic every day. Busy nurses scuttle from room to room and I can hear steel trays and teacups rattling in the distance.
The corridors are like a maze, with twists and turns that lead us to dead ends. Mum’s face is taut and anxious – she hates hospitals as much as I do. More, probably. Too many painful memories.
Mum adjusts the huge bunch of flowers she’s carrying and scans the numbers on the wall. ‘Rooms B35–45 are this way,’ she tells me. I follow her around a corner and count off the rooms till we find B43. Nonno’s room.
Th
e door is open and he’s sitting in bed, propped up by a million fat pillows, swapping jokes with a nurse. His eyes light up when he sees us hovering in the doorway.
‘Principessa!’ he calls, beckoning us inside with his hands. ‘Come! Come in!’
The tight knot that has been filling my stomach ever since I heard the news about Nonno’s fall gradually unravels. I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect, but he looks fine. Finer than fine, as Michi would say. I run over to his bed to give him a giant hug.
‘Whoa, careful!’ Nonno laughs. ‘Don’t want any more broken bones, do we?!’
‘Yes, careful, Mia!’ cries Mum.
I pull back, alarmed that I might have hurt him. The nurse tut-tuts around Nonno, straightening his pillows and smoothing back the blanket, but I can see that she’s smiling. She checks a chart at the end of his bed. ‘I’ll pop in a bit later to take your temperature, Mr Zugaro. Do you think you can behave yourself while I’m gone?’
Nonno waves her away with his fingers. ‘Not a chance,’ he tells her. ‘Not now that my piccola principessa is here.’ He reaches over and gives my hand a squeeze. ‘Now, off you go and find some sick people to look after. Everyone’s okay in here.’
The nurse bustles off and I grab two chairs from the side of the room and drag them closer, so Mum and I can sit down. But she’s not ready to do that just yet. She holds up the flowers. ‘I’ll just go down to the nurses’ station and find a vase for these,’ she tells us. ‘Won’t be a minute.’
I know she’ll want to talk to the nurses about Nonno while she’s there, so it’s up to me to keep him entertained till she gets back.
‘Does it hurt?’ I ask him, pointing to his hip.
‘Not as much as a mosquito bite,’ he tells me. ‘And only when I laugh. Or dance.’ He leans towards me, his warm eyes twinkling. ‘Not that they allow much of that in here,’ he whispers, like we’re co-conspirators in a spy movie.
He takes a sip of water, then pats the side of the bed.
‘So, Mia, move a little closer. Tell me what’s been happening with you.’
‘Not much since I saw you at Antoinetta’s christening on the weekend,’ I tell him. ‘School’s back.’
‘That’s a good thing, isn’t it?’
‘I guess. I’d rather be on holidays, though.’
‘And your friends? How are they all doing?’
‘Well, you know,’ I sigh. ‘Up and down.’
I think back to Michi’s sad face at school today. She locked herself away in the library at recess and lunchtime, too scared to go out into the school ground in case she ran into Ben. I’d tried to coax her out a couple of times but she wouldn’t come. And no way was she going to go to orchestra practice after school. She caught the early bus home instead. And on top of that, Lexi and Alysha had been squabbling about some throwaway comment Lexi made about Alysha’s weight. And, as usual, I got stuck in the middle, helping to make the peace before they stopped talking to each other forever and ever.
But Nonno doesn’t want to hear all that. I try to think of something bright and cheery to tell him instead.
‘We’re all going on school camp next week,’ I say.
‘That sounds like fun,’ Nonno says. ‘Do you think they’d let me come, too?’
‘You could be our dancing instructor,’ I joke. ‘Or lead the hike, maybe. It’s an adventure camp. We’re going to be bushwalking, kayaking, all that outdoorsy stuff.’
Nonno pulls a face. ‘In the middle of winter? I think I’ll be better off in here, where it’s nice and warm. Next year, maybe.’ He pats his right side. ‘My new hip will be well and truly settled in by then. I’ll be able to lead the hike and the bungly jumping by then.’
‘Bungee jumping,’ I correct him, laughing.
And then I realise something. Dad told us last night that the doctors said Nonno’s hip was broken so badly he would need a full hip replacement. What if …
‘Nonno,’ I say, my stomach in knots again. ‘When are they … you know … doing the operation on your hip?’
‘Next week some time,’ he tells me.
Next week? When I’m on camp? What if something goes wrong? What if I’m not here and Nonno … Nonno …
I try not to let my feelings show on my face but it’s too late – Nonno’s already picked up on them.
‘Mia, darling, don’t look so worried.’ Nonno’s voice is calm. ‘I might be getting on a bit but I’m still fit and healthy. And the doctors are smart. They know what they’re doing.’
‘But –’
‘But nothing. Mia. Principessa. I’m going to make you a promise, okay? But only if you promise me something in return.’
I nod, fighting against the tears welling up in my eyes. I don’t want Nonno to see me crying. ‘What is it, Nonno? What do I have to do?’
Nonno smiles at me gently. ‘I promise that I will be here to dance with you on your thirteenth birthday. Your parents will give you a big party, yes?’
I nod again. We’ve been planning it for months.
‘So. We will dance together. The first dance, okay?’ he says, waggling his finger at me. ‘The very first one. Your other boyfriends will have to wait in line.’
I giggle. Like I’m going to suddenly acquire a queue of boyfriends by the time my birthday comes around. ‘Of course, Nonno,’ I tell him. ‘You can have all of the dances, if that’s what you want.’ Then I remember the second part of his request. ‘But what do I have to promise you in return?’
He grins. ‘That you won’t spend one minute – not even one! – worrying about me and my silly hip on this camp of yours next week. You will go and you and your friends will have a wonderful time. The time of your lives. And then you will come back and tell your old nonno all about it. Capisce?’
‘Yes, Nonno,’ I tell him. ‘Understood.’
Then he puts out his arms and I creep into them, being careful not to put any weight on his poor broken hip. I stay there like that for a long moment, Nonno gently stroking my hair. Then Mum comes back in with the flowers, beautifully arranged in a glass vase, and I turn back into bright and cheery Mia again.
Chapter 5
monday morning … a week later
Mum pulls up outside the school and turns off the engine.
‘So. Here we are,’ she says, giving me a big smile. ‘Ready to go?’
I smile back tentatively. Half of me is busting to get out of the car and join my friends. I’ve been hanging out to go on this camp for ages. The other half is reluctant to leave the cosy warmth of the car. It looks freezing out there. And … Nonno’s having his hip operation today. If something goes wrong, I’ll be so far away …
I peer out the window at the groups of kids gathering on the nature strip. Everyone’s smiling and laughing and thumping each other on the back as they greet their friends. Especially the guys. Nonno was right. Camp is going to be fun. I’m not going to let my silly fears spoil my week.
‘Yep,’ I say finally. I unbuckle my seatbelt and slide out of the front seat. The cold morning air hits me as soon as I open the door. I grab my bags from the boot, then come back round to the driver’s side so I can say goodbye to Mum.
‘Got everything?’ Mum asks brightly. ‘Camera? Toothbrush? Plenty of undies?’
I roll my eyes. ‘Yes, Mum,’ I say. ‘You helped me to pack, remember? My bag weighs a ton.’
In the distance I can see Lexi and Mich waving at me frantically. I wave back.
‘Okay,’ I say to Mum. ‘Gotta go. Give Nonno a kiss from me when you see him tonight, yeah? Dad too.’
‘Of course,’ Mum says. She leans towards me, her cheeks dimpling. ‘Aren’t you going to give your mum a kiss right now?’
I grin at her. ‘No way. Not with half my class watching. They’ll think I’m a baby.’
Mum puts the car into gear. ‘We can’t have anyone thinking that,’ she smiles. ‘Have a good time. But not too good a time, okay? There’re some good-looking boys out there. I wish they looked
like that when I was twelve.’
‘Nearly thirteen,’ I remind her. ‘And they’re not that great once you get to know them, believe me.’
I wave goodbye then head over to join the Pink HQ crew. Michi and Lexi give me a welcoming hug. Poor Leesh seems to be having some kind of power struggle with Ms Hayes.
‘No, Alysha,’ she’s telling her, ‘you most definitely cannot take your hair straightener to camp.’
‘But miss … my hair will go all frizzy when it gets wet!’
‘Tough,’ says Hazy. ‘It’d be a waste of time anyway. There won’t be anywhere in your cabin to plug it in.’
Alysha reluctantly hands the straightener over to our teacher, dumps her pack and sleeping bag in the luggage pile, then comes back to where we’re waiting.
‘Hey, Leesh,’ I greet her. ‘How did Hazy know you even had your straightener? Did she go through your bags?’
‘Nah,’ says Alysha. ‘The side pocket on my pack came open and it fell out. Silly witch. Just because her hair is naturally thick and straight … Is she always that mean?’
‘Pretty much,’ Michi says. ‘At least she’s not a slavedriver like Makris. He’ll probably have us doing laps of the camp as soon as we arrive.’
Mr Makris is our PE teacher. So no surprises that he was picked to come on camp. He loves all that outdoorsy stuff. At least our music teacher, Mr C, is coming too. He’s going to be organising the camp concert on the last night. And Mrs Vella, who’s pretty easy to get along with.
‘I wouldn’t mind doing some laps now,’ says Lexi, stamping her feet to keep warm in the early morning drizzle. ‘It’s freezing and we haven’t even left the city yet. Imagine what it’s going to be like up in the mountains.’
‘Yep,’ I say. I’m glad Mum made sure I packed all my winter woollies. I’ve even brought my pink fleecy penguin PJs with me. It’s not like there’re going to be any hot boys on the camp that I’m trying to impress on my way to the shower block.
‘Here come the buses,’ Lexi says. ‘Let’s go, guys!’
A Year in Girl Hell Page 16