The Second Virginity of Suzy Green - By Sara Hantz Page 0,52
on the seat beside me. I then put my cell phone to my ear.
“Hey, Maddie, you still there?”
“I can’t miss my English assessment,” she mocks in a high pitched voice. “In case I damage my nerdy image.”
“It’s a good job you’re far away,” I say laughing. “Because this nerd packs a powerful slap when provoked.”
“Sorry. I should be used to it by now. Hey guess what? I forgot to tell you. Mom says I can come for a visit in the next school hols.”
“That’s awesome news. How come?”
This is so not awesome news.
I love Maddie to bits but how can I introduce her to all my friends? She’ll stick out like a sore thumb. Her clothes, attitude, the constant swearing. In fact everything I used to be. What the hell am I going to do? There’s only about six weeks before we break up. Shit. This is a nightmare.
“Mom said she knew how much we were missing each other and she managed to get me one of those cheap flights. I can’t wait to meet Guy and Lori and the others. And don’t worry I know I’ve got to pretend to be all goody-goody like you. Hope you’ve got something for me to wear. And I’ll need a few lessons in nerdiness before you let me loose on them all. I promise not to embarrass you.”
God, I couldn’t feel more awful if I tried. How could I have doubted her? She’s never let me down before, so why would she now?
“You bet. By the time you meet them you’ll be the biggest nerd in California.”
“I don’t suppose I’ll be able to see Ryan again, will I? He was such fun at camp.”
“Don’t push your luck.” I giggle. “Seriously, yeah I’m sure we can go see him at Starbucks sometime.” All in the line of duty, of course …
Chapter Twenty-One
We walk up the stairs into a huge entrance hall and my arm tightens around Guy’s as the opulent surroundings hit me. It’s incredible. Huge windows with gold and maroon striped drapes, marble floor, and on every wall an enormous mirror. And as for the ceiling, it’s so high you need a pair of binoculars to work out the pattern, which is a shame if you ask me because someone went to a lot of trouble with all that plaster.
“Let me check your wrap,” Guy says lifting it from my shoulders.
He’s seems so grown up. He clearly isn’t scared shitless by the Country Club’s finery, like me. I follow him over to where a young girl in uniform is waiting.
“Careful,” Guy growls, as the girl accidentally drops my wrap when he hands it to her.
“Sorry, sir,” she says, her face turning bright red. Guy doesn’t say anything just glares at her.
“It was an accident,” I say quietly in his ear when he turns to face me. “She looks really upset.”
Now it’s my turn to get the treatment, if his arched eyebrows are anything to go by.
“Suzy, if you work in a place like this there are certain standards to be upheld.”
Oh, excuse me for being sensitive to another human being. Clearly that doesn’t happen in a place like this.
“Suzy, Guy.” The sound of Lori’s voice echoes around us, preventing me from turning this into a difficult moment, and everyone in the hall peers in the direction of her voice. She rushes over and stands between us, linking her arms through each of ours.
“Lori, you look gorgeous,” I say.
She looks totally amazing in a dress that’s mid-calf and has a fitted blue bodice with sequins and a floaty blue and pink chiffon handkerchief skirt. She releases our arms and does a twirl.
“Thanks. I’m so glad you like it.”
“Like it? I love it. You make me feel really ordinary.” And I’m not just saying that so she can give me a compliment.
“Don’t be daft. You look so sophisticated. Black is definitely your color.”
Well I won’t disagree there. Maybe I should get out some of my previous-life clothes and wear them seeing as they’re all black. Hmm. Maybe not.
“Thanks. I bought it from Cleo’s in the mall.”
“Well, it’s totally fab. Come on and I’ll show you where we’re sitting.”
She leads us into a huge ballroom off the entrance hall. And I mean huge. There’s a dance floor which starts in the middle and goes all the way down to one end of the room until it reaches the stage—on which a band is warming up.
We follow Lori to the other side of the room and