Keep the Faith (6 page)

We both turned to look at Sam who was adding more blood to his painting of an explosion in a pet shop.

‘At least not for that anyway.’

Mum sighed. ‘The point is I don’t think we can trust you to have another party for quite some time.’

‘What about a really small one? Just fifty or sixty of my closest friends?’

‘No.’

‘What if I’m really good between now and my birthday?’

‘I’m not going to give in on this one, Faith. You’re not having a birthday party.’

I drooped.

‘I tell you what, if you are angelic between now and the summer holidays, maybe you’ll be allowed a small gathering. That means good reports from school and keeping your room
tidy.’

So no party for me.

I wonder how many people I could fit in the shed.

Finn has finally got in touch. I was all happy when his name came up on my phone because I assumed he wanted to meet up, but no; instead, he sent me a picture of a monkey.
No message. Just a monkey in a baseball cap.

I’ve checked all my magazines and none of them have any suggestions as to what this means. I was expecting another date. I got a monkey.

It’s nice that he’s keeping in touch, but seriously. A monkey.

A pigging monkey.

I hate monkeys.

On the way to school I asked Megs if Cameron ever sends her random pictures of animals wearing hats.

She shook her head. ‘No, but he does keep me up to date on any important football player transfers.’

‘And you like that?’

‘Well, I’m glad that he’s sharing his big news with me.’

‘I’m really not sure that I can muster enthusiasm for anyone’s monkey news.’

‘It’s just a friendly text. Think of it as like a smiley face.’

‘I suppose the monkey was grinning in a toothy, creepy, I’m-going-to-eat-your-face sort of way.’

Megs shook her head at me. ‘You’re the only person I know that doesn’t like cute pictures of animals.’

‘There you go, Megs, you’ve finally proved my theory that I am the sole sane voice in your nutty existence.’

Anyway, I can deal with a few chimps if another date is on its way.

When I got to registration, the first thing Lily said was, ‘It’s Friday the thirteenth.’

Mrs Webber said, ‘That’s superstitious nonsense.’

‘A lot of bad things have happened on Friday the thirteenth,’ Lily said and she glanced up at the ceiling as if she was expecting lightning to strike. ‘It’s a day when
evil forces abound and there’s wickedness in the air.’

Mrs Webber looked at Lily. ‘Just another day at Westfield High then.’

At lunchtime Icky came up to me in the canteen. ‘I had a really good chat with Finn last night. He’s so friendly, isn’t he? He couldn’t stop hugging me.’

Obviously, I was wondering what on earth Finn was doing in the same place as Icky, but I was determined not to get upset. Icky thinks that if a boy sneezes in her direction it’s a
declaration of love. So I just said, ‘It’s nice he took pity on you. When we were on one of our dates, he did say he was thinking about doing some charity work.’

‘Yeah, right, like you two went on a date!’

‘They did,’ Megs said. ‘They’ve been on loads.’

‘Next time he’s cuddling up to me, I’ll ask him about that.’

And she smarmed off.

My mum always says that you should just let nasty people get it out of their system and not get into a slanging match.

Where’s the fun in that?

So I shouted after her, ‘Vicky! Today is Friday the thirteenth!’

She turned back to give me a withering look. ‘I know what the date is.’

‘Really? I just assumed that you’d got it confused with Halloween since you’re wearing that terrifying mask.’

I had the double satisfaction of Icky going purple and most of the canteen falling about laughing.

The rest of the day was filled with that annoying education stuff. I forget what they were cramming our heads with today.

Just before the bell went for home time, I said to Lily, ‘Nothing Friday the thirteenthish happened in the end, did it?’

Lily pulled her spooky face and, just at that moment, Angharad flung herself off the desk behind Lily and jumped on her back.

Lily went, ‘
Ah! Ah! Ahhhhh!
What the hell, Angharad? I thought you were an evil spirit!’

And I nearly died laughing.

Angharad was snorting so hard that she couldn’t climb down from leggy Lily’s back properly. She just slid down her into a puddle on the floor and Lily jabbed her in the stomach with
her boot. It was comedy at its finest.

This morning I texted Granny and asked her if she thought that girls should ask boys out. She replied,
Modern, intelligent ones that know what they want
should.

Obviously, any idiot knows that I’m modern and intelligent and I definitely know what I want. In fact, usually, I’m really quite good at expressing my wants and needs (for instance,
just now I poked my head out from under the duvet and yelled, ‘Can we have pizza for lunch?’ down the stairs). So I should take Granny’s advice and ask Finn on a date. I suppose
that I’ve been holding back because I sort of want to know that he wants to before I ask.

But you can’t always know what other people want. For example, who could have known that Miss Ramsbottom would object to that sing-song I started in the corridor outside her office
yesterday?

I’ll just have to go for it. I’m definitely going to text him.

Might just spend a few minutes thinking about what to say.

I’ve almost finished composing my text. Just need to ring a few people to see what they think.

Got distracted on the phone to Megs and started talking about Icky. Megs said it was true that she did talk to Finn in McDonald’s the other night, but no one saw any
actual hugging. Anyway, Icky is now dating someone called Kieran who is apparently her third boyfriend this year. I bet she doesn’t faff about when it comes to texting boys. I’m sending
a text asking Finn to the park tomorrow, right now.

He hasn’t replied. Why not?

I have had enough of this. I’m going to Megs’s house to get my second dose of pizza.

Woo! When I was walking back from Megs’s, Finn texted to say yes. There was also a picture of a monkey doing the thumbs-up sign.

As you know, I have always liked monkeys.

I love going on dates with Finn, but I can’t help thinking that I might enjoy it more if we lived in a huge house and there was a poolroom where we could hang out.
There aren’t many places in town that you can go to for cheap. We started at Juicy Lucy’s, but I only had enough money for a milkshake, so after a bit Finn said, ‘Let’s go
for a walk.’

I’m not normally a big fan of walking; it’s like being polite and not slouching: I do enough of it at school. Of course, I have suggested many times that we should get those little
golf carts to transport us between lessons, but you know how Ramsbottom feels about my marvellous ideas. Anyway, I have discovered that walking with Finn is much more rewarding. Mostly because we
can walk to places where no one is staring and then there is kissing.

We walked down to the river. It was completely freezing, but I had a happy glow to keep me warm.

Finn asked me if I’d got any brothers and sisters.

‘Not in the traditional sense,’ I said, ‘but there is this creepy, worm-like creature that hangs around our house, begging for scraps.’

Finn’s eyes widened. ‘What? Like a snake?’

‘Yeah, a lot like a snake.’

‘Wait a minute; didn’t I see you with a kid in the supermarket?’

I was hoping that he’d forgotten about that. I had peas in my hair at the time.

‘I’ve got a little brother called Sam,’ I admitted.

‘And he’s the snake! You’re funny, Faith.’

I tried to look modest.

‘What about you?’ I asked. ‘Who’s in your family?’

‘Mum and Dad. My bro.’

‘Is he like a snake?’

‘No! He’s more like a . . . what kind of animal has got long hair?’

‘A Shetland pony? A sheepdog?’

‘Yeah, a sheepdog. A friendly one. Noah’s cool.’

I can’t imagine describing any of my family as ‘cool’. Unless, of course, I’d whacked them over the head and then hidden them in the freezer. But Finn explained that he
and his older brother get on really well. They also seem to like their parents. Imagine all that family harmony.

I said, ‘I would get on with my family if they weren’t all such idiots.’

Finn laughed again, but I wasn’t joking.

There was no one else walking by the river and after a bit we sat down on a bench. It was icy and on the other side of the river we could see frosty fields that looked like they’d been
dusted with icing sugar. It was very pretty. Even lovelier was when Finn put his arm round me. I had a great time and when we said goodbye Finn said, ‘See you soon.’ Which is definite
progress.

They’re always going on about how school prepares us for adult life. I don’t know any adults who are expected to do chemical equations and then lollop around
the hockey field on the same day. Old people are punishing us for being young and good-looking.

At break time we tucked up in the PE equipment cupboard to avoid the icy breezes outside and also the icy breezes inside wherever Miss Ramsbottom is. Everyone was looking a
bit droopy. January is not a cheerful month.

‘I miss choir,’ Ang said.

I never thought I’d miss anything that involved Mr Millet, but it’s true that things are not quite the same this term. We’re lacking a certain something and I think that that
something might be a once-a-week encounter with a herd of boys.

‘I don’t see why choir had to end,’ Megs said.

‘I heard that some of the Year Elevens went to ask Mr Millet if we could carry on this term,’ Lily said.

I sat up. ‘What did he say?’

‘He said that he’s got too much work to do with the orchestra this term to commit to another extracurricular club.’

Angharad nodded. ‘That’s understandable.’

Lily was attempting the splits on top of a pommel horse. ‘He also said that he was never organising another activity that allowed overly hormonal teenagers in the same room.’

‘What a cheek! Did he really say that?’ I asked.

‘Yep,’ said Megs, who I’m pretty sure knew nothing about the whole thing. ‘He said he’d had enough of snog-crazy teens. Especially ginger ones.’

I gave her a flying kick.

Angharad rolled out of the way of our wrestling and said, ‘But I do miss choir. It was nice to see . . . people.’

‘You saw Elliot last Sunday.’

‘I know, but it’s not a regular thing like choir.’

She had a point there. I’d probably see more of Finn if we did a club together every week.

Angharad sighed. ‘I wish Elliot and I were official like Megs and Cam, or semi-official like you and Finn.’

I took a moment to pity Ang and Lily and their lack of almost-boyfriends. Angharad seemed to appreciate my sympathetic look, but Lily was busy balancing a football on her nose.

‘It’d be good if we could think of another way of gathering the boys and girls together again,’ Megs said.

Everyone looked at me because they can’t come up with their own ideas. Unfortunately, I couldn’t think of my own idea either, so I just stared back at them.

‘Something like the Christmas boxes,’ Lily said.

Ang nodded her head. ‘Yes, that was fun, wasn’t it, Faith?’

‘Maybe for you. When you’re the woman in charge, it’s all stress, stress, stress.’

‘But you were really good at it, Faith,’ Megs said, pulling her sucking-up face, which is the same as the face she does when I yank hairs out of her arm.

‘Couldn’t you think of another charity thing for us to do?’ Ang asked.

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ I said. ‘Nobody expects you to do more than one charitable thing in your life.’ I looked at their hopeful little faces. ‘Do
they?’

Actually, I might consider doing the boxes again. When we delivered them, the old people’s wrinkly faces lit up like their flammable polyester cardies had caught on fire. I used to think
that old people were sharp-tongued and bitter, but you can’t blame me for that; I only had Granny to go on.

I promised the girls that I would apply my brilliant mind to the important issue of how to get us a guaranteed weekly date with the boys again.

This evening I thought that perhaps I’d give my dad an opportunity to do something to justify his existence.

I said, ‘Dad, I need you to think about something for me.’

He put his boring book down. ‘Of course, always happy to share my wisdom.’

‘Yeah, well, I’ve already asked all the intelligent people I know so I’m left with you and Mum.’

‘I see. What is it that you want me to apply my dim wits to?’

‘When you were young, which I appreciate is a long time ago, but when you were at school – they did have schools in those days, didn’t they?’ He rolled his eyes and I
said, ‘Is that a yes or a no? As Miss Ramsbottom likes to shout in my ear, sarcasm is not the answer.’

He nodded his head. And carried on rolling his eyes at the same time.

‘
Ew
, don’t do that! It makes you look like that time at Auntie Joyce’s wedding when you had too much wine and fell asleep in your chair with your head lolling
backwards.’

‘Are we getting any closer to the question, Faith? Only I do have to go to bed in three hours’ time.’

‘Did your school ever do stuff with a girls’ school?’

‘We
were
a girls’ school.’

I nearly fell off the arm of the sofa. ‘You went to a girls’ school? That explains
a lot
.’