Boys for Beginners (20 page)

‘Yes!' I shout. ‘That's great news. You and Ranj make a brilliant couple.' I'm not shocked that he's asked Elizabeth, more that Ranj has asked anyone!

Kimba makes a face to Melissa likes she's not so sure, but luckily Elizabeth is too busy beaming to notice. ‘Good. Because I think I like him a little bit.'

‘I knew it!' I say. ‘How did he ask you?'

‘Well, we bonded over fizzy cola bottles,' she says, giving me a quick smile.

‘Well, if there is a way to a man's heart, it's artificial flavourings and E-numbers,' I say. But then I catch Jenny's eye and she looks all sad and left out of the conversation. Since she's broken up with Paul she doesn't have a date. ‘I'm sorry, Jenny. All we're talking about is boys and you don't have one.'

‘Well, I am still going to go to prom.'

‘That's very brave of you,' I say, and everyone
hmm
s in agreement.

She nods a thanks and a sort of sniff, which I figure is holding back a sob. ‘You're my true pals.'

I am her true pal, but I wish more than anything that
I
was going to prom this weekend instead of her. When she doesn't even have a date and I do . . . er . . . did. But instead I'll be in a car, heading down to London, and miles away from Charlie Notts, the most perfect Year 10 boy that has ever walked the planet, and one that was even crazy enough to like me.

It's the big day. The day that was supposed to be prom night and is now FA Cup final day.

We're driving to London in the car Dad's borrowed from Angela – well, I suppose he's allowed to, seeing as they are secretly dating . . . OK that's still just a hunch. Meanwhile, all the BB girls are decorating the hall for prom, doing their hair and nails and make-up and putting on their dresses ready to have the best night of their lives.

‘Let's sing, shall we, Gwyndoe?'

‘Dad! We're not even out of Northampton yet,' I point out.

The worst thing is that Dad is so unbelievably happy. He's been humming and whistling since he told me he'd got the tickets. I have to pretend to be happy too, which makes the fact that I really don't want to be here so much worse.

‘
Oh when the Spurs
. . . Come on, Gwynnie . . .
Go marching in
Come on!'

‘I don't know the words.'

He laughs. ‘What do you mean, you don't know the words?
Oh when the Spurs go marching in
. . . Now you.'

‘
I want to be in that number
. . .'

He is so excited that he cannot tell that I am only whispering.

‘
OH WHEN THE SPURS GO MARCHING IN
!! Oi, oi!' My dad is yelling at the top of his lungs; whacking the car roof with his hand as he sings. He's like an eight-year-old. He sees another carload of Tottenham supporters and beeps at them. They beep back and wave. It's like the whole world is happy except me.

‘So, Gwynnie, I've heard that Charlie fellow is a nice lad?' He phrases it like a question so I have to answer.

‘He's OK.'

‘He's a little bit older than you, isn't he?'

‘Only in the year above,' I say all defensively, in case he won't let me go out with him and we do end up like Romeo and Juliet.

‘When I was at school, all the girls wanted to
go out with the boys in the year above. Is that still the case?'

‘I suppose so.' I could just leave it at that, but I feel I need to educate my dad about boys in the twenty-first century. ‘The guys in our year are so immature.'

‘But the guys in the year above are mature, are they?'

‘Some of them are. Charlie is. He's just really nice and funny and not completely obsessed with football and computers and stuff.' Oh God, how did I let that slip out?

‘Really? So he's nice
and
funny, is he?' Dad's smirking now. ‘But he's got to like football too though. I wouldn't allow you to go out with a rugby fan.'

I nod my head.

‘And what team does he support? If you say Arsenal, I will ban you from seeing him.'

‘No . . .' I wait to drop the killer blow. ‘He's a Spurs fan.'

‘Gwynnie, you have found a winner! Does he know you're coming today? What am I talking about? I bet you've been bragging to your mates about this all week.'

I don't say anything.