by Judi Curtin
And then something strange happened. Mum went very quiet. That never happens. Mum always has something to say. And for the rest of that evening, she looked like she was watching me, and trying to make up her mind about something.
Chapter six
In the morning, I hadn’t time to worry about Mum’s strange behaviour any more. I had to figure out how to get to PE on time, and then get changed back into my uniform for class, and have books ready for Science and History and Maths, and do all this without getting lost.
The whole day passed in a blur of fumbling for my keys, and opening and closing my locker. Once I closed the locker door so quickly that I caught my finger inside. It hurt so badly I thought I’d chopped my finger off. I sucked my finger trying to make the pain stop. Tears came to my eyes, but I wiped them away quickly. Everyone was rushing past me, and no one stopped to see if I was OK. No one seemed to care.
I decided to tell Alice about it later, but when I saw her, she wanted to tell me about her Maths teacher, and suddenly the story of my sore finger seemed a bit stupid.
By the time I got home that evening, I had a terrible headache. I felt like there was an alien jumping around inside my skull, stamping his feet and trying to get out.
When I got into the kitchen, there was a box in the middle of the table. It was wrapped up in newspaper, with a piece of old tin foil crumpled up on the top in what was probably meant to be the shape of a bow. Years of living with Mum told me that this was her idea of a present.
‘Who’s that for?’ I asked, wondering who I should be feeling sorry for.
Mum smiled.
‘It’s for you.’
‘But why?’
My mum is so not the kind of mum who buys presents when it’s not your birthday or Christmas.
She smiled again.
‘Dad and I had a talk last night, and we decided to get you a present. It’s kind of a starting secondary school present.’
This was very, very strange.
I picked up the box.
‘Can I open it?’
Mum shook her head.
‘No. Leave it until later. Dad wants to see you open it.’
‘Why? Did he help you knit it?’
Mum looked kind of hurt.
‘It’s not something knitted,’ she said.
‘Sorry,’ I said, and I actually meant it.
I put the box down on the windowsill. It was nice of them to buy me something, but years of experience had taught me not to get too excited about Mum’s presents. It was probably a new dictionary, or a packet of broccoli seeds or something exciting like that. Maybe it was a book – How to Make Friends When Everyone Thinks You Are a Loser. I could think of loads of things that could be in the box, but none of them was anything I actually wanted to own.
By the time Dad came home, I had forgotten all about the present. We were sitting down eating our tea, when I heard a strange beeping sound.
‘What’s that noise?’ I said.
‘I don’t hear anything,’ said Mum and Dad together.
‘It’s a mobile phone,’ said Rosie.
‘Yeah right,’ I said. ‘Like anyone in this family has a—’
I stopped talking.
Why were Mum and Dad smiling like that?
Why were they looking over at the newspaper-wrapped box on the windowsill? And why was the beeping sound getting louder?
Could they …?
Would they …?
Rosie got up from her chair. She went over and picked up the box, and held it to her ear.
‘I think there’s a phone in here,’ she said.
I looked at Mum and Dad. Now they were both smiling so much they looked like their faces were going to burst open.
‘Megan, I think you’d better open that box and put us all out of our misery,’ said Dad.
I was so excited, my hands were shaking. I ripped off the newspaper, opened the box and found a beautiful, red mobile phone inside. It wasn’t a fancy camera phone or a video phone or one that could store a thousand songs, but I didn’t care. It was a phone, and it looked like it was mine!
And it was still ringing.
I pressed the green button and held the phone to my ear.
‘Hello?’ I said.
‘Answer quicker the next time or I won’t bother calling you any more.’
‘Alice?’
She laughed.
‘Got it in one.’
‘But how …… what …….?’
She laughed again.
‘Your mum told my mum all about your new phone this morning. She told her the number, and said I was to ring you at tea-time. So that’s what I’m doing.’
This was so fantastic. I couldn’t talk properly because I was so excited.
‘Can I call you back later?’ I asked.
‘Sure,’ said Alice. ‘You can call me any time, now that you’ve got a phone!’
I hung up and raced over and hugged Mum and Dad until they begged for mercy. Then I hugged Rosie just because I felt so happy. I sat at the table again, holding my phone, and turning it over in my hand. Just the feel of it was totally great.
‘Thank you so, so, so much,’ I said.
‘You’re welcome,’ said Mum and Dad together.
Nobody said anything else for a while, but there was something I had to know.
‘Why…’ I began, not really sure how to complete the sentence.
Mum and Dad looked at each other.
‘You know we don’t really approve of mobile phones for girls your age,’ said Mum. ‘In fact, we think they’re quite a bad idea.’
I gulped.
What was she saying?
Had they changed their minds?
How cruel would it be to give me a phone, and then decide it wasn’t such a good idea after all?
Could they really take it away after only three and a half minutes?
I slipped my phone into my pocket.
Dad saw me and laughed.
‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘It’s all yours now. We’re not going to take it back.’
‘We don’t approve of phones,’ repeated Mum, ‘but we don’t want you to be different to everyone else.’
Suddenly I began to understand. This was all because I told Mum I had no friends in my class. Mum and Dad thought I’d find it easier to make friends if I had a phone.
Didn’t they know it was nothing to do with phones?
Didn’t they know it’s because I’m not like Alice?
Didn’t they know it’s because I’m not brave enough to go up to strangers and talk to them?
Because I just sit there quietly and no one notices me?
But I didn’t tell Mum and Dad how wrong they were. They would have been upset, but nothing would have changed. So I gave them another big hug each, and then I sat down and finished my tea.
* * *
Later on, Alice called over with a small package wrapped up in pink tissue paper.
‘Getting your first phone is a big deal,’ she said. ‘So I thought I’d better buy you something to mark the occasion.’
I had to smile. Alice was probably on about her fifth phone by now. I pulled the tissue paper off my present, and saw that it was a cute little phone charm in the shape of a teddy.
‘It’s beautiful,’ I said, and Alice looked pleased.
She showed me how to attach it to my phone, and then we sat on my bed and I texted my friends, and felt at last like a normal person.
Chapter seven
Soon it was Monday again. We had assembly first thing, so everyone went in to the huge assembly hall. I stood next to Alice, Grace and Louise.
Could it only have been a week since we’d been standing there on our first day?
It felt like about a hundred years had passed since then.
Mrs Kingston went on and on about loads of boring stuff. Then everyone was given a page with a list of optional subjects on it.
‘You can choose one of these subjects,’ Mrs Kingst
on said. ‘Take the list home and discuss it with your parents. You must return the sheet tomorrow, with your choice clearly marked. And please try to be mature about your choices. Choose something you would like to study. Don’t just pick so you can be with your friends.’
I could feel myself going red.
Could Mrs Kingston see right through my head?
Was she reading my mind?
Anyway, I didn’t care what Mrs Kingston said. I was doing the same subject as Alice, even if she picked something I totally hated.
* * *
At lunch-time, the four of us discussed it.
‘I’m picking music,’ said Louise. ‘It’s my favourite, and anyway, Mum and Dad said I have to.’
‘What about you, Megan?’ asked Grace.
I didn’t answer at first. I knew it would sound stupid if I said I was going to copy Alice. So I shrugged, like I hadn’t really thought about it.
‘Not sure yet,’ I said.
‘I can’t make up my mind between Home Economics and Spanish,’ said Grace. ‘I’d like to do Home Ec, but Spanish would be handy when we go to Lanzarote.’
‘I’m definitely doing Home Economics,’ said Alice. ‘Not poisoning people when they come to visit would be handy.’
We all laughed, and then the bell rang and we had to go back to class.
* * *
That evening I showed Mum the sheet.
‘I’m going to choose Home Economics,’ I said quickly, before she even had time to read it properly.
‘But I can teach you all you need to know about Home Economics,’ she said. ‘Why not pick something else? What about Art? Art is a lovely subject.’
I shook my head.
‘I really want to do Home Ec,’ I said, and for once in her life, Mum didn’t argue.
* * *
In the end, Alice, Grace and I all decided to do Home Ec. Our first class was on Wednesday.
‘For the practical part of this subject, you have to work in groups of three,’ said Miss Leonard, our teacher.
I grinned at Grace and Alice, as we all went to sit together.
It was so nice to have friends.
It was so nice not being the class loner.
Most of what Miss Leonard said was stuff I knew already, but I didn’t care. I was with my friends again, and nothing else mattered.
At the end of the class, Miss Leonard handed out a list of ingredients.
‘We have a practical lesson on Friday,’ she said. ‘You take turns to cook. One person out of each group has to bring in these ingredients. That person will cook, with the other two acting as assistants. This week we’re going to make queen cakes.’
For the first time I wondered if I’d picked the right subject. I’d been able to make queen cakes since I was about seven.
Grace looked at Alice and me.
‘Who wants to bring in the stuff?’ she said.
Alice picked up the page.
‘Do you mind if I go first?’ she asked. ‘I think I might need the most practice.’
Grace and I laughed.
‘Whatever!’ we said together as Alice carefully folded the list and put it into her schoolbag.
Chapter eight
Home Ec was last class on Friday. I was very glad to get there. Marcus hadn’t been at school that day, and even though part of me was a bit relieved, I’d had to sit on my own for every class, and I hated it.
Alice was already in the Home Ec room when Grace and I got there. She had her apron on, and was busy setting out her ingredients on the table. She looked very pleased with herself.
‘I’ve got every single thing ready,’ she said. ‘I can’t wait to get started. I’ve got a funny feeling that I’m going to be good at this.’
Miss Leonard clapped her hands.
‘Quiet please, everyone,’ she said. ‘As it’s your first week, I’ve picked something nice and easy. As you saw on the lists I gave you, you just need four ingredients – butter, sugar, eggs and self-raising flour. So now please set those ingredients out on the table in front of you. I’ll come around to see how you’re getting on.’
‘Er…Alice …’ I began, but just then Miss Leonard came over. She looked at the ingredients lined up on the table in front of Alice. Then she looked at Alice. Alice smiled happily back at her.
‘What’s your name?’ asked Miss Leonard.
‘Alice O’Rourke,’ said Alice, still smiling.
‘Tell me, Alice O’Rourke, is this your idea of a joke?’ said Miss Leonard.
Alice stopped smiling. She looked at Miss Leonard in surprise. Alice is good at jokes, but I could see that for once she was being totally serious.
‘No, Miss,’ she said.
Grace and I looked at each other. Grace started to smile, but stopped when she saw Miss Leonard’s face.
‘Read out your ingredient list,’ said Miss Leonard.
Alice obediently picked up the list and began to read.
‘125 grammes of butter.’
She stopped reading and pointed at the table.
‘Look, Miss, I brought butter, and all that other stuff too.’
Miss Leonard didn’t look any happier.
‘That most certainly is not butter. That is dairy spread,’ she said. ‘It’s completely different to butter, and it certainly isn’t suitable for making cakes. And what on earth is this?’ As she spoke she held up a small white plastic container.
‘That’s sugar,’ said Alice cheerfully. ‘Well, sugar substitute actually. My mum puts it in her coffee. We didn’t have any of the other kind. My mum thought this would do. She said—’
Miss Leonard held up her hand to stop Alice talking.
‘I don’t think we really need to know what your mum said. Now what exactly are these?’
She was pointing to two small, speckled, round things. I’d been kind of wondering what they were too.
‘They’re eggs,’ said Alice, but she didn’t sound quite as cheerful as before. ‘Quails’ eggs.’
‘QUAILS’ EGGS?’ repeated Miss Leonard so loudly that everyone else stopped what they were doing and stared over at us.
‘Aren’t they totally cute?’ said Alice. ‘It’s nearly a pity to break them, isn’t it?’
Miss Leonard seemed lost for words, so Alice continued.
‘They were on special offer at the supermarket. I thought they’d give an exotic touch to the queen cakes.’
Miss Leonard looked like she was going to explode.
‘Alice O’Rourke, this is Home Economics,’ she said. ‘We don’t do exotic here. If you want exotic, maybe you should switch to Spanish, or Art or … I don’t know. Just something … anything that’s not Home Economics.’
I gasped.
What would I do if Alice gave up Home Ec?
Luckily, it’s not that easy to get rid of Alice.
‘Thanks, Miss,’ she said. ‘But I like Home Ec. I think I’ll stay here, if it’s all the same to you.’
I could see that it wasn’t all the same to Miss Leonard, but I expect that there are rules about what teachers can say to pupils, and I think that what Miss Leonard wanted to say to Alice would have broken a few of those rules. So she didn’t reply.
Alice held up the last ingredient. Miss Leonard examined the clear plastic bag.
‘Please say that’s flour,’ she said weakly. ‘Not talcum powder or salt or magic fairy-dust or something else completely inappropriate.’
Alice smiled happily.
‘It is flour,’ she said. ‘Real flour, and I weighed it out myself at home. 125 grammes, just like it said on the list.’
Miss Leonard didn’t look very impressed.
‘See if someone can lend you the other ingredients, and then follow my instructions very carefully.’
‘Yes, Miss,’ said Alice, as Miss Leonard walked away shaking her head.
I giggled.
‘That was kind of funny,’ I said.
Alice made a face.
‘It’s easy f
or you,’ she said. ‘Your mum could bake cakes in her sleep. My mum couldn’t bake a cake to save her life.’
Grace laughed.
‘Don’t worry,’ she said. ‘You’ve got Megan and me to help you.’
Alice shook her head.
‘Thanks, but no thanks. How will I learn if I don’t try this on my own? You two can sit back and watch. You might learn something.’
Grace and I looked at each other. It was looking like we were going to have a fun afternoon.
Chapter nine
Grace and I learned lots of things that afternoon – lots of thing about how not to make queen cakes.
First Alice turned on the electric mixer at full speed, and sent the butter and sugar she’d borrowed flying into the air. Some of it rained down on Miss Leonard’s head. She looked up at the ceiling and shook her head.
‘Don’t tell me that ceiling is leaking again,’ she said. ‘I thought that had been repaired during the summer.’
Grace and I had to hide under the table, we were laughing so much. Alice dragged us out.
‘Go and borrow more ingredients from someone,’ she said crossly. ‘I’m just getting the hang of this.’
Grace and I did as she asked, but things only got worse from there. Alice managed to drop one egg on the floor, and then she cracked another one so hard that it slithered out of her hand and all over the table top like a gross, slimy, yellow river. Grace distracted Miss Leonard while Alice cleaned it up, and I tried to find someone else with two eggs to spare.
‘Thanks, Meg. Thanks, Grace,’ said Alice. ‘I’ll share the cakes with you both for being so nice.’
‘Must you?’ asked Grace, and even Alice laughed at that.
Much, much later, it was time to take the cakes out of the oven.
‘Stand back, girls,’ said Alice, as she picked up the oven gloves and opened the oven. ‘This is my big moment.’
Then she went very quiet. She carried the tray of cakes to our table, and put them down. Miss Leonard came over.
‘Those cakes are a total disaster,’ she said.
Even Alice couldn’t deny that. All the other groups had managed to produce beautiful, golden cakes. Alice’s were completely flat and yellow-looking, a bit like stodgy flying-saucers.