by Candy Harper
More from the FAITH series
HAVE A LITTLE FAITH
KEEP THE FAITH
Other books by Candy Harper
THE STRAWBERRY SISTERS: PERFECTLY ELLA
First published in Great Britain in 2015 by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd
A CBS COMPANY
Copyright © 2015 Candida Harper
This book is copyright under the Berne Convention.
No reproduction without permission.
All rights reserved.
The right of Candida Harper to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988.
Simon & Schuster UK Ltd
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
PB ISBN 978-1-47112-419-8
eBook ISBN 978-1-47112-420-4
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY
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For Chessie
CONTENTS
APRIL
FRIDAY 20TH APRIL
LATER
SATURDAY 21ST APRIL
SUNDAY 22ND APRIL
MONDAY 23RD APRIL
LATER
TUESDAY 24TH APRIL
LATER
WEDNESDAY 25TH APRIL
THURSDAY 26TH APRIL
FRIDAY 27TH APRIL
SATURDAY 28TH APRIL
LATER
SUNDAY 29TH APRIL
LATER
LATER STILL
MONDAY 30TH APRIL
MAY
TUESDAY 1ST MAY
LATER
WEDNESDAY 2ND MAY
THURSDAY 3RD MAY
FRIDAY 4TH MAY
SATURDAY 5TH MAY
SUNDAY 6TH MAY
MONDAY 7TH MAY
TUESDAY 8TH MAY
LATER
EVEN LATER
LATER STILL
WEDNESDAY 9TH MAY
THURSDAY 10TH MAY
FRIDAY 11TH MAY
SATURDAY 12TH MAY
LATER
SUNDAY 13TH MAY
MONDAY 14TH MAY
TUESDAY 15TH MAY
WEDNESDAY 16TH MAY
THURSDAY 17TH MAY
FRIDAY 18TH MAY
LATER
LATERER
SATURDAY 19TH MAY
LATER
LATER STILL
SUNDAY 20TH MAY
LATER
LATER STILL
MONDAY 21ST MAY
LATER
LATER STILL
TUESDAY 22ND MAY
WEDNESDAY 23RD MAY
LATER
THURSDAY 24TH MAY
LATER
FRIDAY 25TH MAY
LATER
SATURDAY 26TH MAY
SUNDAY 27TH MAY
LATER
MONDAY 28TH MAY
LATER
LATER AGAIN
LATERER
EVEN LATER
LATER
LATER STILL
TUESDAY 29TH MAY
LATER
LATERER
WEDNESDAY 30TH MAY
THURSDAY 31ST MAY
JUNE
FRIDAY 1ST JUNE
SATURDAY 2ND JUNE
SUNDAY 3RD JUNE
MONDAY 4TH JUNE
TUESDAY 5TH JUNE
WEDS 6TH JUNE
THURSDAY 7TH JUNE
FRIDAY 8TH JUNE
SATURDAY 9TH JUNE
LATER
SUNDAY 10TH JUNE
MONDAY 11TH JUNE
LATER
TUESDAY 12TH JUNE
WEDNESDAY 13TH
THURSDAY 14TH JUNE
LATER
FRIDAY 15TH JUNE
SATURDAY 16TH JUNE
SUNDAY 17TH JUNE
MONDAY 18TH JUNE
TUESDAY 19TH JUNE
WEDNESDAY 20TH JUNE
LATER
THURSDAY 21ST JUNE
FRIDAY 22ND JUNE
LATER
SATURDAY 23RD JUNE
SUNDAY 24TH JUNE
LATER
MONDAY 25TH JUNE
LATER
LATER STILL
TUESDAY 26TH JUNE
WEDNESDAY 27TH JUNE
LATER
EVEN LATER
THURSDAY 28TH JUNE
LATER
FRIDAY 29TH JUN
SATURDAY 30TH JUNE
LATER
JULY
SUNDAY 1ST JULY
LATER
MONDAY 2ND JULY
LATER
TUESDAY 3RD JULY
LATER
WEDNESDAY 4TH JULY
THURSDAY 5TH JULY
FRIDAY 6TH JULY
SATURDAY 7TH JULY
SUNDAY 8TH JULY
MONDAY 9TH JULY
TUESDAY 10TH JULY
WEDNESDAY 11TH JULY
THURSDAY 12TH JULY
FRIDAY 13TH JULY
SATURDAY 14TH JULY
LATER
SUNDAY 15TH JULY
MONDAY 16TH JULY
TUESDAY 17TH JULY
WEDNESDAY 18TH JULY
LATER
THURSDAY 19TH JULY
FRIDAY 20TH JULY
SATURDAY 21ST JULY
LATER
LATER STILL
APRIL
FRIDAY 20TH APRIL
I haven’t had a very good Easter holiday. It’s hard to hop about like a happy bunny when the boy you like has started seeing someone else.
Megs rang me this morning. I can always rely on my best friend to bring sunshine and cheerfulness into my life, even when the universe is punishing me. When I picked up the phone she said, ‘Are you still moping, you great turnip?’
‘You’re such a comfort to me, Megs.’
‘All I’m saying is you can’t keep worrying about what could have been with Ethan if you hadn’t been such a stupid-pants. Just because you’ve made a huge mistake letting him think you’re not interested, and now he’s seeing gorgeous Dawn, you can’t spend every minute thinking about what a massive potato you are.’
‘I’m not! I’ve done lots of things this holiday that haven’t involved thinking about Ethan.’
‘Like what?’
‘Insulting my little brother and eating my own weight in Easter eggs.’
‘That’s marvellous. Maybe next week you could try for a smile.’
‘I don’t feel like smiling,’ I said. ‘How about laying some blame? I think I’ve got the energy for that. I’ll keep it simple: Megan, I blame you for everything that is wrong in my life.’
‘I see,’ Megs replied. ‘Is this the usual blame that I get for the biscuits running out, and you forgetting that you’re not allowed to sing rude songs about Mr Hampton while we’re actually in one of his lessons? Or have you found a new and ridiculous way to pin everything on me?’
‘It was you who said I should go out with Ethan in the first place.’
‘And I was right! You two are perfectly suited.�
�
‘Someone seems to have forgotten to mention that to Queen of the Night, Dawn.’
‘If you hadn’t wasted time hanging out with pretty-boy Finn, none of this would have happened. Ethan couldn’t wait around forever.’
I knew it was true but none of this was making me feel any better.
‘I just wish he’d waited another hour, I was going to tell him I like him.’
Megs sighed. ‘Don’t worry; it won’t last between him and Dawn.’
‘Really?’
‘Yeah, the rate I’ve seen them snogging at they’ll have worn their lips out by half term.’
Brilliant.
LATER
I might just forget about boys for a while. This is going to be a busy term, you know, with mock exams to sit, teachers to wind up and science labs to set on fire. I’m already going to have to work pretty hard if I want to keep up my commitment to spending several hours a day lounging about, eating biscuits.
Besides, my track record with boys really isn’t great. My first boyfriend, Finn, was super sweet and delicious looking, but it turns out that while that scores full marks in a cupcake, you need a bit more in a boyfriend. Then I realised how smart and funny and good looking Ethan is. Unfortunately, just as I discovered this, he discovered the inside of Dawn’s mouth, and apparently he liked it because he’s been spending a lot of time in there recently.
But despite Megs comparing me to all the least flattering vegetables, I am not completely miserable. There’s more to life than boys.
Maybe I’ll concentrate on being a good friend for a while.
SATURDAY 21ST APRIL
Megs and I went round to our friend Westy’s house.
Westy is six foot tall with shoulders to match, but he is ninety-six per cent giant teddy bear, and he always makes me laugh. He also has the sort of considerate parents that go away for a wedding and leave him and his big brother to conduct their business in peace. Although, Westy doesn’t exactly do peace; something is always making a loud rumbling sound, his drum kit, his stomach or a bunch of angry people following him, wanting to ask about their trampled flowers or broken fences. But he never means to upset anyone. You can’t help liking Westy.
When Megs and I arrived, Megs’s boyfriend, Cameron, was already there.
‘Faith! Megan!’ Westy said as if he was really surprised to see us, even though he’d only invited us round half an hour ago. Then he actually managed to pick us both up at the same time and shake us about a bit. It’s not a good idea to visit Westy straight after you’ve eaten.
Cameron managed to wave at me before he attached himself to Megs’ face. They got down to some seriously squelchy snogging. I hope I don’t sound like I’m gargling with yoghurt when I kiss.
‘Lot of couples at the moment,’ Westy said. He was watching Megs and Cam like they were fish in a tank. Snoggy fish. ‘You ever think about getting another boyfriend, Faith?’
I didn’t want to tell Westy that actually I’ve got a thing for Ethan so I just said, ‘I’m happy as I am for now.’
Westy looked thoughtful. ‘So . . . you’re not seeing anyone at the moment?’
‘Nope.’ Now that I’d started thinking about Ethan I couldn’t stop. I wondered if he was out with Dawn. ‘Anybody else coming round?’ I asked Westy in a very laid-back and casual way.
‘I rang everybody,’ Westy said. ‘Lily didn’t answer her phone.’
‘She’s gone to see Arif,’ I said. ‘She’s spent most of the holidays on the train going to visit him. It’s a miracle she hasn’t ended up in Edinburgh.’
‘That is lucky,’ he sucked his teeth like a disapproving old man. Compared to Lily, Westy seems quite sane and stable. ‘And Angharad is at the library.’
I nodded. I’ve long suspected that, unlike the rest of us, Angharad doesn’t watch TV or sleep, she just fuels up at libraries and museums.
‘Eliot says he’s got homework to do.’
We both pulled a face.
‘But Ethan said he’d come.’
‘Oh.’ I wasn’t sure what I thought about that. I hadn’t seen him since I had a ringside seat for his big kiss with Dawn.
Megs opened one eye, mid-snog, to exchange a look with me. While I admire her multi-tasking, it was fairly disgusting. Still it was quite a sympathetic one-eyed, mid-slurp look, so I’ll forgive her.
Westy got tired of watching Megs and Cam and decided to show me his collection of fake body parts. He particularly enjoyed modelling some massive fake ears with droopy lobes. ‘I look just like my Grandad,’ he said. ‘Do you want to see my severed head?’
‘Of course.’
‘I’ll go and get it. My mum’s a bit funny about me leaving it lying around. Once, she dialled two nines before she realised it was Reginald.’
‘Reginald?’
‘Yeah, that’s his name.’
So he’d just scooted upstairs to fetch his rubber head friend when the doorbell rang. Megs had the good grace to stop chomping at Cameron to say, ‘I’ll get it.’
I shook my hair back and tried to look like I didn’t fancy anyone. Or if I did that it was someone very charismatic and rich who fancied me right back.
I heard the door open.
‘Oh,’ Megs said really loudly. ‘Hi Ethan, and this must be your friend Dawn.’
I think this was Megs’s subtle attempt to give me time to prepare for the fact that Ethan had brought his new girlfriend along. I don’t know what she thought I was going to do in the seven seconds I had before they appeared in the room. Climb out the cat flap? I mean I may have exited through a kitchen window once before, but if your so-called friends barricade you in the kitchen at a party when you’ve drunk too much Sprite, there’s either the sink or the back garden. Anyway, I wasn’t sure what the cat flap / kitchen window situation was so instead I just sat there.
I wanted to give the impression that I really didn’t care, that I was totally relaxed and completely cool with everything. I leant back and lowered my eyelids. Just as the sitting room door was opening Cameron nudged me, ‘Are you nodding off?’
I jerked forward in what I can only hope was an attractive fashion.
Ethan and Dawn were right there in front of me.
Holding hands.
Looking attractive and happy.
Honestly, some people have got no idea of the polite way to behave when they’re a guest in someone’s house.
‘Hi Faith,’ Ethan said. ‘You know Dawn, right?’
I smiled. ‘Hey, Dawn.’ I had to concentrate quite hard to not call her Yawn or Spawn or any of the other hilarious names I’ve thought of for her. ‘I’ve seen you around. You were at the club night at our school, weren’t you?’
She smiled back. Hers was the proper kind that you actually mean. ‘Yeah, and I kind of gate-crashed your birthday party a bit! Hope you didn’t mind.’
‘No, course not.’ For once I was grateful that my runaway mouth was saying the exact opposite to what I was thinking. I wondered if it was at my party that Dawn and Ethan started getting friendly.
Ethan turned round. ‘And you know Cam.’
Cam grinned.
‘And you may remember Megan from such events as The Party We Just Talked About and the whole Opening The Door Thing.’
Megs gave her a pretty chilly nod. She was being offish for my sake. She’s a good friend.
‘And I’m Westy,’ said Westy, coming back into the room. He stuck out his hand but there was a rubber head on it. Everyone looked at the head.
‘And this is Reginald,’ Westy said.
‘That’s a nice head,’ Dawn said.
Westy beamed at her.
The happy couple sat down on the sofa. ‘Cam is Megan’s boyfriend,’ Ethan explained to Dawn.
‘That’s what Megs’s Grammy calls me. Isn’t it Megs? She can’t remember my name so she says “Megan’s young man! Wash those cups up! Megan’s boy! Are you going to help your girlfriend on with her coat, or did your mother never teach you m
anners?”’
‘It’ll make things easier when Megan replaces you,’ Ethan said.
We all laughed, except Cam who punched Ethan on the arm.
‘You do get introduced like that a lot though, don’t you Cam?’ I said. ‘To Megs’s millions of cousins and when we go to parties and that. Are you tired of being defined in terms of Megan? Do you feel like footballers’ girlfriends do – like you’ve got no identity of your own? Like you’re just “Megan’s boyfriend”?’
Cameron stared at me, then looked at Megan. ‘But I am her boyfriend.’
‘Yeah, but Megs is the more famous one of you two isn’t she? People know who Megs is. Do you feel diminished?’
Cameron pulled a face. ‘Well, I didn’t used to.’
Dawn laughed. ‘Maybe you should ask Megan for an allowance, Cam. You know, to spend on diamonds and high heels.’
Ethan smiled at her. I started wishing I’d crawled out of the cat flap when I had the chance.
‘I don’t wear girls’ shoes!’ Cam was getting a bit worked up.
Megs patted him on the knee. ‘They’re taking the micky.’
‘Yeah, well . . .’ Cam scowled. ‘Westy dressed up like a girl in drama once!’
Westy nodded Reginald in agreement. ‘I’m quite good at plaits,’ he said proudly.
The conversation ground to a halt there and we all stared at each other.
‘So you’ll be able to get in some drum practice while your parents are away,’ Ethan said to Westy.
‘Yep, I’ve been working on a new song. It’s called “Killer Custard Cream”.’
‘Sounds good. Dawn plays the drums.’
‘Cool,’ I said. The fact that I meant it made me feel a bit droopy. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear any more of Dawn’s accomplishments so I said, ‘Can we have a cup of tea, Westy?’
‘Yeah, course.’ He got up.
‘I’ll help you,’ I said.
The kitchen was very untidy. Every surface was covered with used plates and cups. Dirty saucepans and a frying pan were stacked on the cooker.
‘You need to do a bit of washing up,’ I said.
‘Yep, I don’t think anyone’s done it since my parents left.’
‘When did they leave?’
Westy squinted a bit. ‘It’s Saturday today, isn’t it?’
‘Yes. So how long have they been gone?’
‘About an hour and a half.’
‘What on earth? How have you managed to make all this mess in that time?’
‘It was my brother’s idea. A load of his mates turned up and he said we should have a fry up.’