The It Girl: Don't Tell the Bridesmaid. Katy Birchall

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СКАЧАТЬ didn’t say anything?’

      ‘Not really. I think we were both in shock still. He sent me a nice message after we dropped him off, though. He said that he had a really great time, that I wasn’t to worry about knocking over the Marvel stand, that he thought it was actually very funny and that he was disappointed he might miss out on such dramatic events when I’m in Rome.’ I rolled my eyes. ‘He must think I’m such a klutz. I finally get a boyfriend and I’m already screwing it all up.’

      ‘What did you say?’ Jess whipped up her head to look at me. ‘Why would Connor miss out on events in Rome?’

      ‘He’s not going. Didn’t I tell you that bit already? He told me yesterday right before I took down Iron Man.’

      My heart sank a little all over again as I filled Jess in on Connor’s plan for the summer holiday. A plan that turned out to be the opposite of what I was expecting. ‘I thought we’d be spending two romantic weeks in Rome together – albeit with everyone else there – but he pulled out of the school trip so that he can work on his second comic book.’

      ‘He did what ? No way!’ Jess put her hands on her hips. ‘That is not cool!’

      ‘It’s very dedicated of him,’ I said sternly, reminding myself not to be so selfish. ‘I am fully supportive of his decision.’

      Jess snorted. ‘Whatever. He couldn’t take two weeks out of his comic-book drawing schedule to go on an awesome holiday with his friends and girlfriend?’

      ‘Excuse you, but as a fellow talented artist, you should surely be the most understanding when it comes to sacrificing a social calendar for your creations. Photography projects surely come before holidays.’

      ‘Wrong, you philistine,’ she sniffed. ‘The best work comes from capturing moments of truth, for example photographing friends having the time of their lives on their summer holiday, not shutting yourself in a room away from everyone. Tell Connor he will be missing out on inspiration.’

      ‘I will be sure to pass on the message.’ I rolled my eyes. ‘Now, can you put the ladder back?’

      ‘Yeah, sure, I just can’t believe . . . Hang on.’ Jess held up her hand and sniffed the air. ‘What is that?’

      ‘What?’

      ‘I think I can smell –’

      ‘Hey, girls!’ Dad called up the stairs. ‘Brownies fresh out the oven! Any takers?’

      Without a moment’s hesitation, Jess let go of the ladder and darted down the stairs. ‘Yes, please! I’m starving!’

      ‘Jess? JESS?’ I called desperately, listening out for her footsteps coming back up the stairs. ‘JESS! I need the ladder! I’m still up here! Is anyone listening?’

      I switched on my head torch and a moth fluttered by.

      I hate my life.

      It turns out that, when it comes to packing, asking your two best friends to come over and help you is very unproductive.

      Especially when the two best friends in question are Jess and Danny.

      ‘What is THIS?’ Jess held up one of my T-shirts. ‘You can’t bring this.’ She threw it away from her dismissively.

      My yellow Labrador, Dog, equally as unhelpful with packing, immediately galloped excitedly across the room to fetch it.

      ‘Hey, Anna,’ Danny said before I had the chance to chastise Jess for causing more mess, ‘one of your dad’s jumpers got mixed up with your stuff.’

      ‘That’s not one of Dad’s,’ I huffed, snatching the jumper from him and holding it to my chest. ‘It’s mine.’

      ‘Oh right.’ He paused. ‘It’s nice. Very . . . trendy?’

      Jess sniggered. ‘This is nice. You can bring this.’ She plonked a summer dress into my open suitcase lying on the floor.

      ‘You guys are worse than Marianne,’ I sighed, slumping down on to my bed and encouraging Dog to hop up and join me. ‘You’re all a nightmare.’

      ‘Yes, it must be so hard when your dad is marrying a super-famous actress and your future stepsister just happens to be Marianne Montaine, the most famous It Girl in Britain, who is able to give you fashion advice,’ Jess said, rolling her eyes. ‘What a tough life you lead.’

      I narrowed my eyes at her. ‘I don’t remember you getting trapped in an attic for hours.’

      ‘It was about ten minutes,’ she argued. ‘And that was your own fault for being so uncooperative.’

      ‘It’s lucky you arrived when you did, Danny. A few more minutes and I might have passed out from inhaling too much dust.’

      He laughed and came to sit next to me on the bed, leaving Jess flinging around clothes from the pile spilling out of my wardrobe, and allowing me to rest my head on his shoulder. ‘Is that the one about Helena?’ he asked, pointing at the glossy magazine sitting on my bedside table.

      ‘Yeah.’

      I passed it to him so he could admire the picture of my future stepmother wearing a sparkling green sequin dress, her hands on her hips, the wind machine blowing her glossy hair out and an easy-going smile framing her pearly white teeth. ‘It’s weird to think that she’s on the front cover of magazines,’ Danny said, ‘a famous movie star with a legion of fans . . . and then at the same time she’s just Helena, the lady your dad is getting married to. Big year for you.’

      Um, just slightly. A big year for most people would be, I don’t know, passing all your exams with flying colours, for example, winning an academic school prize, maybe, or riding an elephant on holiday, perhaps.

      So far this year, this is what has happened to me:

      1. I set someone on fire.

      2. My dad went to interview a famous actress, fell in love with her and then got engaged to her. Without my permission, I might add.

      3. I started getting photographed for websites and newspapers all the time.

      4. They said I was an It Girl, because my soon-to-be stepsister was an It Girl and we became really good friends, even though she gets compared to Audrey Hepburn in the press and I get compared to ghostly moles and guinea pigs by my friends.

      5. I got stuck in a waterfall. Upside down.

      6. I got stuck in a plant pot. Bottom first.

      7. I got a boyfriend. Which is hard to believe when considering the above.

      8. I went on a date with my FIRST EVER BOYFRIEND! Then I destroyed the venue.

      ‘You’re missing СКАЧАТЬ