Party at Silver Spires (6 page)

The morning seemed to take ages to get through, even though I enjoyed all the lessons. We were given our chemistry prep back and I got a hundred per cent, which gave me a lovely feeling in one way and made me desperate to tell Mum, because I knew she'd be really proud of me. But the other half of me felt guilty and anxious, especially as the chemistry teacher made a big thing out of it, announcing it to the whole class, which was really embarrassing. Thank goodness none of the girls in my dorm were in this set for science, and when I had that thought I despised myself for not having told Antonia or the others the truth. But then, if I
had
told them, I couldn't bear the idea that they'd think I'm “sad”.

By lunchtime I'd forgotten all about science, as everyone was talking about getting changed for the shopping trip. Sasha, Izzy, Antonia and I all decided to wear jeans, so that was easy. Izzy looked great in her jeans, because she's got lovely slim muscly legs. But when we got changed for shopping and I saw Antonia's jeans, I realized for the first time that there's a big difference between cheap jeans and expensive ones.

“Wow, Antonia!” said Sasha. “I've always wanted a pair of Dolce & Gabbana's.”

“I am very lucky, I theenk,” said Antonia, not sounding at all show-offy. “Mamma has a friend who works weeth Signor Gabbana. He sometimes gives us jeans.”

Izzy, Sasha and I just stared. We were all too stunned to speak.

“Eet ees nearly 'alf past,” said Antonia, looking at her watch. “We must go, I theenk.”

So we did, in a last-minute flurry of stuffing things into our bags. I hadn't been sure at first if I dared to take my one and only bag with me, because it was a bit grubby. Mum had bought me so many school things, I hadn't dared ask for a new one. My gran had actually knitted it for me in green and blue bobbly wool, and lots of people back home had admired it and my mum called it
fabulously retro
. But taking it on a Silver Spires shopping trip was altogether different. I knew I'd be embarrassed if anyone stared at it.

As we walked towards the main building where the two school minibuses were waiting for us, I saw Antonia eyeing my bag. She looked as though she was about to say something about it to me, but then changed her mind. Her own bag was in soft pink leather with a heavy silver chain strap and a silver heart on the front. It would be no wonder if she thought my little knitted thing was a bit weird.

Izzy and Sasha were first onto the minibus and they quickly made a dive for the seats at the back, so Antonia and I joined them and I felt glad we were all together. It meant that I didn't have to try and make conversation with Antonia on my own during the journey. I knew I'd never be able to talk about the kinds of things she'd be interested in. It was obvious from all I'd heard about her parents, their restaurant, the people they knew and Antonia's incredible clothes, that her life was as different from my own as it was possible to be.

We got to the town centre after about fifteen minutes and all piled out of the minibuses. Then Miss Fosbrook from Hazeldean, who'd been in the other minibus, gathered us round and told us to listen carefully because she had something important to say. First we had to put her phone number into our phone memories. “Now,” she said, “I need to see that you can behave responsibly and sensibly.” Then she explained about when and where we'd meet up later, and how we had to make sure we always stayed with at least one other person. “Phone me if you have any problems,” she finished with a smile, and added, “And try not to spend too much money. Remember, it's only the first weekend of term!”

I swallowed, knowing that I was just about to do exactly what she'd warned us not to do.

Antonia and I both stayed close to Sasha and Izzy, and the four of us headed straight for Topshop. I suddenly felt very grown-up and independent. It was the first time that it had hit me that Mum and Dad had no idea what I was doing from one day to the next during term time.

Sasha and Izzy raced round Topshop, commenting on everything they liked and didn't like. I went much more slowly, crossing my fingers and hoping that any second I might suddenly come across the perfect outfit for the party, reduced to less than half price. Antonia stayed close by me for the first few minutes, watching what I did carefully. Every time I picked something up and looked at the price tag before putting it down, she waited a moment, then looked at the price tag too. It was quite a relief when she wandered off, but then, when I looked round after I'd been totally absorbed in a rail of tops, I saw that she was standing right by the door, next to a man who looked as though he was completely bored and was just waiting for someone.

It suddenly dawned on me at that moment that as Miss Fosbrook had said we must stay with at least one other person, Antonia and I were kind of partners for each other, although neither of us had actually said that. Sasha and Izzy were definitely in a pair, rushing round together, so that only left me for Antonia, as everyone else seemed to be paired off too.

Oh dear, this was never going to work. It was obvious Antonia wasn't interested in buying clothes from a shop like this if she was used to getting really expensive labels like Dolce & Gabbana for free. And what if we did find the kind of shop she liked? Then I suppose we'd be the opposite way round. I'd be the one waiting by the door – except that I wouldn't. I'd at least pretend to be interested. I suddenly panicked at the thought of that, and wanted Sasha and Izzy to stay with us two. I looked round for them and felt big relief as I spotted them coming down the escalator.

“Have you finished in here, Nicole?” asked Sasha. “Because we have.”

“Where's Antonia?” asked Izzy.

“She's over there.”

Izzy and Sasha followed my gaze. “Look! She's talking to that man!” spluttered Izzy. “She shouldn't be talking to strangers, should she?”

Izzy was right, and I followed her and Sasha to the door, sighing inside because I had to leave Topshop now, even though I hadn't anywhere near finished my search. Otherwise, the other two might go off and leave Antonia and me stuck trailing around together, which would be terrible.

“Antonia, you shouldn't talk to strangers, you know,” Izzy said to her the moment we were out of the shop.

“He was nice. And also friendly,” Antonia replied.

“Yes, but you never know…” said Izzy.

“He was like my uncle Stefano.”

“All the same…” said Sasha.

“Yes, you are right.” Antonia sighed.

“Oh look, Primark!” said Izzy, and my heart leaped at the thought of my favourite shop. There was a strong chance I might be able to afford something from Primark.

So we all rushed towards it. Well, we three rushed and Antonia wandered behind, looking in every single window that we passed. In the end I stopped to wait for her so we wouldn't lose each other.

“After, I would like to go in the bookshop,” she said, when she caught me up.

“Yes, I'd like to go in there too,” I said. “We can do it straight after this, yes?”

She nodded and I felt suddenly sorry for her. This whole English world must seem so different to her Italian world and I wondered how I'd be feeling if I'd come to a boarding school in a foreign country and everything was strange. In a way, it was no wonder she'd decided to talk to someone who reminded her of her uncle. I was determined that the moment I'd found something for the party I'd concentrate all my attention on doing the things that Antonia wanted to do.

At first I didn't see anything in Primark that would be suitable, but then when we went upstairs everything looked a bit more glitzy and glam.

I ran my hand along rail after rail and finally stopped when I came to a pink and silver tunic that flared out a bit at the bottom. I remembered Sasha's outfit laid out on her bed, and thought that if I bought a pair of leggings to go with this tunic, it would be perfect for the party.

“That's nice,” said Sasha, as I held it up against me. Then she was off looking at shoes at the other end of the shop. Antonia was examining the belts, I noticed. I saw her holding two of them up to compare the lengths and then she frowned at the labels on each for ages.

I looked round the whole shop for some suitable leggings, but none of them seemed fancy enough. They were all plain, apart from the ones that were thin and more like ordinary tights than leggings. I knew I couldn't afford to go to another shop that was more expensive than this where they might have cooler leggings. And anyway, what if I bought the tunic here and then couldn't find any leggings at all? I sighed a deep sigh as I put the tunic back on the rail. Then I glanced at my watch. There was still plenty of time, though. I mustn't despair yet.

The next shop we went into was much more expensive but it was full of lovely, lovely clothes. Sasha had already bought some totally fashionable shoes and Izzy had bought a bag, and I thought how lucky they were that they didn't seem to have to worry about how much money they spent. Antonia hadn't bought anything, which was no wonder because I guessed she didn't really like anything she'd seen so far. But at least she'd looked as though she was interested in the clothes, studying all the tickets and labels. Maybe she was storing up information so she could tell her mum about English fashion.

For a while she stuck quite close to me as I went from dresses to trousers to tops to skirts, just like she'd done in Topshop. I so loved everything in this amazing shop, and there were masses of things that would be perfect for the party. I knew in my heart though that there was really no way I could afford anything and that I ought to stop looking. In the end, Sasha persuaded me to try on a beautiful dress in shiny dark green material with a strappy top. I'd never worn such a thing in my life and I was excited just at the thought of trying it on. But then I saw the price. I knew it wasn't massively expensive for most people, but for me it was far more than I could afford, and I felt my heart beating faster simply because I hadn't immediately put it back on the rail.

“Just take it to the changing room and try it on,” said Sasha. “It doesn't mean you have to buy it.”

“And show us what you look like, yeah?” said Izzy.

Antonia was eyeing the dress with a completely straight face. She can't have thought much of it or surely she would have made some sort of comment. I took it into one of the cubicles and pulled it over my head, then smoothed it down and stared at myself in the mirror. I absolutely loved it and it fitted me perfectly. I turned round and admired the back in the mirror and felt bubbles of excitement whooshing up inside me. What if I
did
buy it? It would be all right, wouldn't it? As long as I didn't spend another penny for ages and ages, then it would be fine, surely. The only trouble was that I'd need new shoes, unless my old ones would do. Oh dear. But I quickly got rid of that worry and concentrated on the dress.

I suddenly realized the others would be waiting at the entrance to the changing room, so I plucked up the courage to go back through to the shop so they could see me in the dress. I've only ever done that once. It was before Mum and Dad split up. Mum had come into the changing room with me, but Dad was waiting to see what I looked like too, so I'd stood at the entrance to the changing room, feeling lots of pairs of eyes on me, which was really embarrassing, especially as Dad kept nodding and saying I looked smashing.

Creeping out of the cubicle now made me feel a bit shivery, mainly because I could only see Antonia waiting for me. I looked round for Izzy and Sasha, but they were nowhere to be seen. I wasn't sure what to do then, so I just stood there while Antonia regarded me. She frowned as she looked me up and down, but she didn't speak and I found it unbearable because I sensed other people were staring at me too. I couldn't stand there another second, so I scuttled back into the changing room. Perhaps I didn't look very nice after all. Antonia obviously didn't think so, otherwise she would have said something. I changed back into my jeans and top and handed the dress to a shop assistant who'd suddenly appeared. Then Sasha and Izzy fell on me.

“We didn't see you!”

“Why didn't you wait for us?”

“Didn't you like it enough?”

I shrugged. “I'm…not really sure.”

And Antonia walked alongside, silently as usual, until we'd left the shop. Then she asked, “Where shall we go now?”

Straight across the road was a charity shop. I looked at it longingly. Mum and I often went into charity shops at home and occasionally we found something that happened to be exactly right for me or Clare or Clemmie. There was no way I was going to suggest going into this one, though, except that at that very moment we saw a girl called Sophie from Elmhurst walking out of the shop with a sparkly brooch that she was pinning on her jacket.

“Look what Sophie's got!” I quickly said. “She must have bought it in that shop there. Shall we go in?”

The others all said that would be good, so in we went. Antonia stayed just inside the door looking at the second-hand books, while we three wandered around. I was so hoping there'd be something which just happened to be in my size and was totally suitable for the party, but there was nothing at all and I felt really despondent when we left the shop.

“Let's go back to that other shop, Nicole,” said Izzy. “I really want to see what you look like in that dress. Or you could try something else on.”

“Or maybe we go into the bookshop now?” said Antonia.

“But Nicole wasn't sure about the dress,” said Sasha. “And Izzy and I want to see you in it,” she added.

“No, I theenk the dress was…no good…” Antonia said.

Sasha and Izzy looked a bit surprised.

“Oh,” said Izzy.

Maybe Italian people were used to saying whatever they thought without considering other people's feelings. But in my heart I thought it was nothing to do with Italians. It was just Antonia. She really didn't seem to like me.