come tonight. Even though Lori doesn’t have to mentor me any more they’re still sort of including me in things they do. By that I mean if they see me in the cafeteria they ask me to join them. And I was asked over to Jana’s house last week after school. Of course, it does help that Lori and I now have all our classes together because of the AP classes I’m in. And she often sits next to me. So, I guess I’m on the fringes of the in crowd.
Lori catches sight of me and waves. I start to walk toward them but before I manage even a couple of steps they get up and head in my direction.
“So sorry,” I say once they’re in earshot. “I had a hell of a time with my hair.” At least they haven’t heard that excuse thousands of times before, so hopefully they’ll be more understanding than my old friends. Not that it’s a lie. It took me ages to straighten it, which wasn’t helped by me forgetting to switch the straightener on once I’d plugged it in.
“It looks cool,” Rachel says. “I wish I had hair like yours. It’s so thick and bouncy. And you can do so much with it. Mine,” she curls her bottom lip as she slides her fingers through her awesome blond, to die for, hair, “is so fine I can’t do anything other than this.”
Sure. And if I’d been drinking the caramel frappuccino I’ve been looking forward to all afternoon and which I’m clearly going to have to forgo, I’d have choked on it. I’m learning fast that Rachel is full of self deprecating crap which she indulges in just to get other people to contradict her. I mean, really. This girl is tall, slim with cleavage, and a face that wouldn’t look out of place on the front of Cosmo.
“Come on,” Lori says impatiently, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling. “We’re meant to be meeting the others in five minutes and we’ve got a ten minute walk.” Ouch. She turns on her heel and heads toward the door. Rachel and I follow.
“So, tell me again what’s going to happen,” I say while we’re striding down Main Street. “I don’t have to go up on a stage or anything do I?”
This is really scary. What if they ask me to take the pledge and I say yes and somehow they know I’m lying and then everyone hates me? Or what if I take the pledge (not that I’ve decided yet) and the words come out all wrong? Or what if I laugh?
I’m always laughing when I shouldn’t. I get told off and a smirk magically appears on my face. Then I get told off even more. I think it’s genetic. Because I surely can’t help it.
Although, I haven’t been told off once since starting this new school. And I have to say it feels pretty good not to have all eyes on me when something wrong has been done.
Not that I blame my old teachers. Maddie and I did have a penchant for practical jokes. You tell me anyone who can resist gluing the teacher’s chair when there’s a glue stick on the table and the room is empty. Well, anyone who, like Maddie and I, tends to get themselves in a spot of trouble from time to time. Okay. Maybe that’s a tad under-played. I have to admit we got into a lot of trouble a lot of the time. But—yes there’s always a but—the things we did were relatively harmless. Well, they were until my last episode—but I blame that on all the stress I was under. And I truly learnt my lesson, that’s for sure.
“You’ll be fine,” says Lori. “At the beginning of the meeting Jamie will welcome everyone and ask the new people to put up their hands. Then if there are any new people, which there are.” She smiles at me. “He’ll talk a bit about what our philosophy is and ask you if you’re ready to take the pledge. Then you do. Voila. See, no problem.”
“And if I take the pledge do I have to stand up and put my hand on the bible or something. Like in court.”
“That’s up to you. Did you bring a bible with you?”
“No. Was I meant to? You didn’t mention it. Or if you did I’ve forgotten. Maybe someone will lend me one. Or—”
Lori starts to giggle. “Suzy. I’m joking. Of course you don’t