Withering Tights - By Louise Rennison Page 0,54
gets pleasure from being bad. He’ll probably make up a song about it, like poor Beverley.
Just then, something banged against my window.
Someone was throwing stones against it.
He was back.
Bloody Cain.
He thinks he’s so funny.
But he’s not.
Well, I’m just in the mood for the big lairy lug. I’ve got nothing else to lose. He’s seen me in my horsie legs and now, rubbing my corkers with hiking socks. What else can he do to me?
I went to the window and opened it and shouted down, “Where do you get your kicks…casualty?”
And Charlie said, “Er…no. I have come in friendship to worship the knees. Come down.”
Gadzooks. I looked at myself in the mirror. Oh, what the bejesus could I do about myself?
Take my pyjamas and the socks off, for one thing. I did that and I put my jeans and a T-shirt on. And shook my hair about.
When I opened the front door, Charlie was slouching against the garden gate. He looked really cool. He’s lovely looking. And I realised how glad I was to see him again. It had been a bit awkward last time, thinking about why he didn’t come to the cinema. But he must like me as a friend if he has specially come round to see me. So I beamed at him. And he did a mega grin back.
He said, “You’ve covered the knees and I specially came to see them. Can I just feel one? To get the impression of knee.”
He was making me laugh.
I said, “OK. Just a quick feel, though.”
He said, “Bend your leg up, like you are a horsie standing on one leg.”
I said, “They told you, didn’t they?”
He said, “Who? What? Oh yeah, go on then, they did tell me. They’re over by the bus stop wagging about. Show us your horse costume.”
“No.”
“Well, describe Sugar Plum Bikey to me then.”
I was outraged.
“They have broken the rule of—”
Charlie said, “The Tree Sisters?”
“Yes, yes, the Tree Sisters’ rule.”
Charlie reached down and touched my knee.
I said, “Ouch.”
He said, “Whoaaa, that’s better. I can feel myself full of a strange energy. I normally only get it when the headmaster sees me win the six-mile run and he knows that I haven’t been in it.”
I suddenly felt a bit shy. I don’t know why. I mean, Charlie and I were friends, he’d made that clear, hadn’t he? So I should just be friendly.
But I’ve never had a boy who was a friend before. What is friendly? Oh, I know.
“Do you want to see some owl eggs?”
He looked at me.
“Do I want to see some owl eggs?? Do I want to see some owl eggs?”
I was looking at him.
He was going on. “Who wouldn’t want to see some owl eggs?”
I said, “Come on then, they are down here.”
He said, “Tallulah, the answer to who wouldn’t want to see some owl eggs is…me!!!!”
I said, “Really?”
And he looked at me.
“You’re serious, aren’t you, you are genuinely thrilled that you have found some owl eggs?”
I nodded. I felt really stupid now.
And he smiled.
“Come on then, you crazy-kneed girl.”
And we set off down the track to find the eggs.
When we went into the barn, the door creaked back. And in the gloom we could see a glow of whiteness. The eggs were lying there, all white and weird. They looked like they were a bit cracked. I hope Connie hadn’t sat on them too hard. I also hoped she wasn’t around anywhere. It is quite spooky in the barn and a whistling wind blew up from nowhere. Whining in the beams.
Charlie said, “Yes, they are definitely eggs.”
I could hardly see his face in the dark of the barn.
What a night I had had: Mummers play, corker rubbing, and now Charlie turning up and me bringing him to look at eggs.
I said, “It’s a bit odd, isn’t it? Me and the knees, and showing you the eggs. I’m sorry I’m so odd and…odd.”
Charlie said, “You’re not odd…you’re great, I think.”
And he sounded like he meant it.
I could hardly believe it.
I’ve never had anyone, well, a boy person, say that to me before.
I felt like singing my little song. But I know now to resist the call of ‘Hiddly diddly diddle’.
Charlie came nearer to me.
“Lullah, things can be quite, erm…complicated in life, can’t they? You know, it’s not just you.”
Was now the time for the Irish dancing?
Just then there was the most horrible screech, and something swooped low and brushed against my face. I was so shocked, I actually grabbed Charlie. Like in a