Chapter Thirteen
Goals, Schmoals
Tuesday went by. Wednesday. Thursday. I hadn’t heard from Marcie, I hadn’t heard from Sam, I hadn’t heard from Mario, the Mars person, even though Nessa said that I had an encounter coming up with him. I knew I didn’t have much time left and that I had to have decided my subjects by the end of the week. I had been up late every night trying to decide, talking it over with Mum and even with Jane and Clare. They all offered what advice they could and depending on who I last talked to, my career choice kept changing. Fashion, lawyer, vet, art, science, languages – I still couldn’t decide. It felt hopeless. I just couldn’t make up my mind.
And then on Friday, in school assembly, Mr Fitzpatrick, our headmaster, announced at assembly, ‘We have a very special guest visiting the school today. Mario Ares, teacher of martial arts, ex-soldier and expert careers advisor. If you’re in any doubt what your goals are, this is the man to talk to.’
Tadah! I thought. He’s my man.
I signed up immediately and got an appointment for lunch time. My session was to take place in the library, so as soon as the bell went I made my way down there. I knew it was him as soon as I walked in. A tall handsome black man sitting behind the desk, he had the same charisma as the other people in the planet business, larger than life. He smiled when he saw me, revealing a perfect set of Hollywood white teeth. Nessa and her pals must have the same dentist because they all have perfect teeth, I thought as I approached him. I felt a rush of adrenalin, like I was about to meet a famous person.
‘So, Zodiac Girl,’ he said when I took the seat that he indicated in front of me. ‘Third week in. How’s it going?’
‘OK, I guess. Nessa said I only get to be Zodiac Girl for four weeks.’
‘One month, one girl,’ said Mario, repeating the words that Uri had said. ‘I trust you have been making the most of it.’
‘Yes . . . um, maybe, but what exactly does it mean?’
‘Didn’t Nessa or one of the others explain?’
‘Sort of. She said that for one month, I got the guidance of her as my guardian plus the other planets that were prominent in my chart. At first I thought it was just to do with business. Like the ones I met all seem to be in the wedding market. But why the planet theme? I’m beginning to get the feeling that there’s more to it. And you’re not to do with weddings and you know about the Zodiac thing, so who exactly are you?’
Mario considered me for a moment like he was weighing up who I was and whether I had a brain or not.
‘My connection with weddings is that I work with brides and grooms wanting to tone up and get fit for the day,’ Mario replied. ‘You know, as a personal trainer. I set the goals, I put them through their paces. I get results. I get them looking their very best physically. That’s my involvement. But there’s more to it than that, and I think deep down, you know that.’
I thought about all the times that Nessa and the others had seemed to know exactly when I needed them, about how weird it was that they just happened to offer all of the weddings on the list, and how everything about them felt a bit magical. Maybe I would never totally understand what being a Zodiac Girl was all about but for the moment I was happy just to let them help me, so I decided not to ask any more questions. ‘Yes, I think I do!’
Mario looked at me as if he was trying to gauge me and I looked back at him with the same expression.
‘So, Miss Zodiac. Career choices. Subject choices for your GCSEs?’ he finally asked.
‘Haven’t a clue. At least, I had ideas but I keep changing my mind. That’s because I am a Libran – see, I don’t know much about astrology, Mr Ares, but I do know that Librans are represented by the symbol of the scales – that’s because they like to weigh and balance all sides of an argument before they make up their mind. I used to think it was a weakness but now Nessa has helped me to understand that actually it’s a strength.’
Mario looked amused. ‘Is that so?’
‘Why are you laughing? Why do all of you in the planet business laugh at me?’
‘Not laughing at,’ said Mario, ‘laughing with. It’s a joy to have astrology explained to me . . . And so articulately.’
‘Well, I don’t know how much you know about it,’ I said. ‘I don’t assume that everyone knows as much about it as I do now. Uri and Nessa explained a bit about it ever since I became Zodiac Girl.’
‘They are to be commended,’ said Mario.
‘Anyway, with the gift of seeing all sides of an argument,’ I continued, ‘I could be a lawyer or a counsellor but then, on the other hand, Librans have a good sense of beauty and harmony so I could do art or design or something. I’m still not sure though.’
‘Follow your gut, then go for it,’ said Mario. ‘From all I have heard, I would have thought that your perfect job was staring you in the face.’
‘My face? My perfect job? No. What?’
‘Sometimes people miss what is right in front of them. I can’t tell you though. It has to come from you.’
‘Give me a clue,’ I said.
‘It’s a natural talent. It’s something you love.’
I sat and thought. And thought. And thought. Fashion. Art. Animals. All options I had considered before casting them aside.
‘Cast your mind back,’ said Mario. ‘Back over the years.’
Home. Parents. Mum and Dad splitting up. Jane. Clare. Marcie. The Bridesmaids’ Club. That was my best memory – getting that started, collecting all my data, going to the wedding shows, planning weddings with Demi and Maryam. What else? No. Not what else, that was it! The Bridesmaids’ Club!
‘The Bridesmaids’ Club. Of course! But could I? Would I be allowed to? It wouldn’t be like a job. It would be like all my dreams come true.’
‘Best sort of job, I’d say,’ said Mario.
It was like a light had come on in my head. Ping! Obvious. So obvious what I should do. I got up and hugged him.
It was perfect, better than perfect, and I’d been preparing for it all my life. Wedding planner. Wedding planner. That’s what I’d do.
Hallelujah! I thought. I couldn’t wait to tell Demi and Maryam. We could start an agency. A photographer and a designer, just what was needed. It needn’t be my agency, it could be our agency. We could be a team. Nessa had said that what I had learned in the last few weeks would last me a lifetime and it was suddenly all fitting into place, like pieces of a jigsaw. Marcie’s wedding, not mine. People’s weddings, not mine. I had learned that there were many ways of doing things, many sides to an argument, and that was OK. I wouldn’t press my clients into my perfect wedding, instead I would help them to create their perfect day. Yay! I had never felt so happy.
‘Thank you, Mr Ares. You really are the best career guide I have ever met,’ I said.
Mr Ares smiled. ‘You’re welcome, although I wouldn’t say that I did very much.’
‘You pointed me in the right direction and that’s what I’ll do too when I work as a wedding planner. I won’t impose my ideas, I’ll point people in the direction of what’s best for them.’
‘Sounds good to me,’ said Mr Ares as I headed for the door. Now all that was needed was for Sam to win back Marcie and I could get back to planning my first job – their wedding.
Chapter Fourteen
For Sam
‘I know what I want to be,’ I said to Demi and Maryam, who were waiting for me outside the library.
Demi rolled her eyes. ‘OK. So what’s this week’s career choice?’
‘No. This is it. Really it. I feel so happy, I can’t tell you,’ I said. ‘Least I can tell you, finally, I have decided.’ I did a little skip and a jump, I felt so good about it.
‘OK, so what is it?’ asked Maryam.
‘Wedding planner.’
‘Wedding planner?’ they chorused and their faces broke into grins. ‘Wedding planner! Of course!’
‘Totally utterly brilliant,’ said Demi.
‘Why didn’t we
think of it?’ said Maryam. ‘It was staring us in the face.’
‘I know,’ I said. ‘That’s what Mario said too.’
‘No doubts, no changing your mind?’ asked Demi.
I shook my head. ‘Nope. I am one hundred per cent up for this and I think it should herald the end of the Bridesmaids’ Club—’
Demi and Maryam’s faces dropped. ‘No,’ gasped Demi. ‘But—’
‘The end of the Bridesmaids’ Club and the beginning of the Wedding Planners’ team,’ I said. ‘We run our own agency. You. Me. Weddings R Us. We do the whole thing . . . Outfits, shoes, locations, photos. Honeymoons, themed ceremonies. Whatever you want. Emphasis being on whatever you want, and we’re talking Velcro, bungee, Bridezilla, etc., etc., here. We will offer traditional and alternative.’
Maryam clapped her hands. ‘Yay!’ she said.
We put our hands on each other’s shoulders and did a skip round.
‘And why stop at weddings?’ I said after we’d let go. ‘If these last weeks have taught me anything, it’s to expect the unexpected, right? To be flexible or else you feel let down. Know what I mean?’
‘Yeah,’ said Demi. ‘I guess. So?’
‘So. I think we should think bigger than just wedding planners. Why stop at weddings? That week with Marcie’s mad list really did teach me to push the boundaries. We could plan all sorts of events. Parties . . . You name it! We could do anything because there’s one thing we’re good at and that’s planning.’
‘And research,’ Demi added.
‘We could maybe even get into TV production and films,’ said Maryam.
‘We could. OK. So we start with our wedding and party agency and see where we go,’ I said. ‘We plan, but like we did with Marcie, we go with the flow too.’
I felt ecstatic. My future career was sorted and I’d be doing something that I loved. Thanks to Marcie and Sam and their mad wedding list, it couldn’t have turned out better.
‘In the meantime, we have our first job,’ I said.
‘Ah, yes,’ said Maryam.
‘I think I know,’ agreed Demi.
I nodded. ‘Sam and Marcie. But our job isn’t to plan their wedding. Our job is to get them back together.’
We spent the next few days doing what we did best, and as it was my last week as Zodiac Girl, I decided to make the most of it and ask for Nessa and her friends’ help. Together we sourced the best fresh flowers flown in the same morning from Holland. Joe Jupiter let me have his source for the most scrummy soft centre chocolates from Belgium and also gave us a list of the most romantic locations for a cosy candlelit supper. We researched the best music to play to tug at the heartstrings. We found candles that smelt of tuberose and aftershave for Sam to wear, guaranteed to melt the last of Marcie’s resistance.
Hermie found me a limo company perfect to take Marcie to the chosen restaurant and I instructed the chauffeur to treat her like a princess.
Uri sourced fun gifts like fluffy teddy bears, balloons that said I Love You, T-shirts that had I’m Sorry written on the front. Hermie found a website that helped write poems in any style – funny, passionate, apologetic. By the time we had finished, not even a person with a heart of stone would be able to turn Sam down.
I made a list of ‘ways to win your girlfriend back’ and we went round to Sam’s house early on Thursday evening. He opened the door looking pale and stressed, just like Marcie had done when she had been over last night.
‘And you really think this might work?’ he asked, after he let us into his hall and we stepped over roller blades and manoeuvred our way past his bicycle. I handed him the list, which he glanced over.
‘All you can do is try,’ I said.
‘Love favours the brave,’ said Demi.
‘Love never gives up,’ said Maryam.
‘Love conquers all,’ I said.
Sam smiled. ‘What are you three? Love experts?’
‘We are. We will be. We’re going to be wedding and party planners,’ I explained.
Sam laughed. ‘Watch out, world.’
‘Exactly,’ I said.
‘So, the list. Do I do it all at once or one at a time?’ he asked, sounding nervous, but I was glad to see that he was taking it seriously.
‘One at a time at first,’ I said, ‘and then maybe go for a crescendo-type finale in the restaurant with the violins and candles.’
‘You could even sing,’ Demi suggested.
‘Right,’ he said. ‘Um. Think I’ll start with the chocs.’
‘Fingers crossed,’ I said.
‘And toes.’
He looked so worried and like a little boy that my heart went out to him. With his mop of blond hair and sky-blue eyes, I could see exactly why Marcie had fallen for him. He’s like the Belgian chocolates we were recommending, I thought, soft-centred. I smiled to myself. This is all good training. I bet loads of couples almost break up pre-wedding. Getting people to make up is going to be part of the job.
‘Funny isn’t it, Sam?’ I said. ‘I did your list and now you’re doing mine.’
He nodded. ‘I think yours might be more the thing,’ he said. ‘I never was very good at romance and girlie stuff. See, I grew up with two older brothers. How was I supposed to learn? My defence was to pretend I didn’t care, to make fun of it like I did about your Bridesmaids’ Club. I am sorry, Chloe. See, that club represented everything I didn’t know about and . . . if I’m honest, I was threatened by it.’
‘Really?’ I asked. I was surprised. Sam had always seemed so confident. Maybe there were two sides to him as well as everything else! I gave him a massive hug to show all was forgiven.
‘Aah!’ cooed Demi and Maryam, who were looking on.
I pulled away from the hug. ‘So now it’s over to you, Sam,’ I said. ‘Romance and a grand gesture, that’s what’s called for. Something to knock her off her feet. And have no fear, I think you will succeed because Marcie does love you and love always wins in the end.’
Sam grinned from ear to ear. ‘And she loves you too. Room for both of us?’
‘Deffo,’ I said again. ‘And oh, I just remembered! You’re compatible astrologically. I forgot to mention that. A friend of mine told me at the wedding show. Marcie’s Leo and you’re Sagittarius, both fire signs. A great match so you’re bound to get on.’
‘Wow! Is there anything you don’t know about when it comes to romance?’ asked Sam.
‘Probably, but I am going to make it my business to find out.’
Sam grinned, then saluted. ‘Right, Captain Chloe. Love Cadet Sam, reporting for duty.’
The three of us saluted him back. ‘Mission Get Back Marcie. Proceed.’
Epilogue
The Hendy wedding got a double-page spread in the local paper, the Osbury Times, with eight fabulous photos. It read:
Marcie Bradbury and Sam Hendy were married on Sunday afternoon at a private chapel in Osbury. The bride, Marcie, and bridesmaids, Chloe, Demi and Maryam, were beautiful in ivory silk designed by up-and-coming designer Nessa of Celestial Creations. All the girls carried bouquets of cream roses and ivy. The groom was breathtakingly handsome in a white suit.
The reception was held at Osbury Hall Hotel, where the guests feasted on a gourmet meal provided by Joe Jupiter of Europa Catering. As the guests were eating, the groom disappeared, later to be seen flying overhead in a small aircraft that looped the loop and wrote the words ‘Marcie, I love you’ in the sky. Moments later, he was joined by several other small aircraft flown by members of the Celestial Wedding Company, and between them thousands of white rose petals were showered down upon the wedding party, causing the whole area to smell like a rose garden after the rain. The bride is said to have been ‘knocked off her feet by the gesture’. Later, she praised her husband and her bridesmaids, saying that they had organized every last detail and made her day everything she had ever hoped for.
After the reception, the party retired to the gardens, where a variety of activities had been orga
nized. Guests tried roller-skating, trampolining, some even dressed up in fancy dress, and it was hilarious to see Spiderman sipping champagne with a gorilla and Superwoman enjoying canapés with a Viking warrior. Towards the end of the afternoon, the groom had a go at bungee jumping from a large crane that had been erected around the back of the hotel. As he leaped into the air, a banner unfolded behind him, saying ‘Marcie, I’ve really fallen for you’.
Everyone agreed that it was the most romantic and the most fun wedding they had ever attended. Sadly, the groom had to be taken to the hospital soon after his jump. He was suffering with whiplash to his neck but is said to be recovering nicely.
First published 2009 by Macmillan Children’s Books
This electronic edition published 2010 by Macmillan Children’s Books
a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
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ISBN 978-0-330-53131-3 PDF
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Copyright © Cathy Hopkins 2009
The right of Cathy Hopkins to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
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