Who’s texting you and not putting kisses at the end?
Who is this?
Olly. Hey
I don’t know what you’re talking about
I think it’s not really a big deal
OK
Are you embarrassed?
Nope
Don’t be embarrassed
I’m not
Great talking to you
Grace is dead to me
Ella was driving me nuts.
Since her party, she hadn’t SHUT UP about Olly and his ‘amazing dark eyes and long delicate eyelashes’ for one second. Delicate?Really?If anyone else in our group used that word to describe their boyfriend’s eyelashes, Ella would scrap them right off her sleepover guest list.
He was, she reminded us at every possible moment, the best-looking boy in the whole school. And, yeah, I’m not going to say Olly is bad-looking because, let’s face it, he wouldn’t look out of place standing next to One Direction and I was happy to note that he had moved on from sleeveless vests for his band performances, and was sporting more tasteful T-shirts that still did a good job of showing off his muscly arms. But it’s not like he’s Ethan Duke. I was actually looking forward to not seeing Ella during half-term next week and getting a break from her and her gooey stories.
‘She’s being so selfish,’ I complained to Grace as we strolled towards the cafeteria together one lunchtime. ‘She hasn’t asked me one question about Ethan or Sky and, no offence, they’re more interesting than your brother.’
‘Why don’t you just tell her you want to talk about them?’ Grace offered, going through the lunch trays and passing me a dry one.
‘I can’t do that. She shouldwantto know.’
‘I think her brain is a bit fogged up at the moment with Olly.’ She pulled a face. ‘He’s all she talks about.’
‘There they are now.’ I sighed, gesturing to a table in the middle of the room where Olly was talking enthusiastically to the friend opposite him, while Ella sat next to him listening patiently. ‘Do they ever spend a second apart?’
‘Actually,’ Grace began, coming to stand next to me and look over at their cringe display, ‘he was saying that he finds her a bit . . . much.’
‘Really?’
‘Yeah, he said he wished he had got to know her a bit more before you know –’ she grimaced – ‘all the smooching.’
‘Don’t use the word “smooching”, Grace. People might hear you.’
‘Sorry. Don’t tell Ella,’ she pleaded.
‘I won’t, she’d never let you sit at her table if she knew you called it “smooching”. You’re lucky I’m so lenient.’
‘I mean, about what Olly said. I don’t want her to hate me.’
‘She wouldn’t hate you, Grace,’ I said impatiently, taking a plate of lasagne. ‘It’s not you who said it, it’s Olly.’
‘Yeah, but I think he’s the only reason she’s friends with me.’
I tore my eyes away from Ella stroking Olly’s arm and looked curiously at Grace. She was obviously right. But I didn’t know sheknewthat.
