To Be Honest(7)

“Miss, hi Miss.” She looks puzzled for a split second, and up close I see the gloss on her lips is redder than she wears at school but otherwise she’s polished; poised.

“Girls. Josh. This is Taff.”

We snort.

“There’s a sale on in Coast,” Miss Mint stage whispers to us. “Taff can’t wait.”

He chuckles, says it’s true and then smiles at me in particular and I don’t know why but I blush. It’s not that I fancy him; he’s too big and old and looks a bit like Prince William after too many roasts but I imagine him having sex with Miss Mint and he winks at me, so fast I’m not sure it happened and then Josh drops sherbet down himself and the others giggle and I do too so then I’m free.

Miss Mint doesn’t even mention the trip on Monday, she’s that cool. We say goodbye, then trawl through the mall, picking up accessories and sweets. Erin buys an incredible blue cape with psychedelic roses but spots Alicia Payne in the distance eating chips, wearing the exact same one so she takes it back. I can’t find the skirt or the top but to be honest, my mind’s more on finding a black dress to impress Kai.

I find it in a shop way, way out of my budget. But it’s perfect: skin-tight, lacy, thigh-skimming. I’ve already bought the skirt and a jacket and there’s no way I can afford it. But I buy it anyway.

“Eighty five quid?!” Rach goggles.

“Had a windfall.”

“From a millionaire?”

I shrug and Josh looks at me funny but I ignore him.

The wind’s picking up and we start to feel hungry again and head to McDonald’s. We buy burgers and milkshakes but Rach doesn’t ‘cos as usual she’s watching her weight so she just gets a Diet Coke and we find a tiny table and squidge in. Erin and Rach start talking calories, Josh waffles on about some club in London and everything’s great until I remember Taff’s look as I’m crunching into a pickle and choke.

“He winked at you.” Josh mind reads.

“Who?” Erin shakes salt all over her fries and rips the cardboard pack open. She’s too fussy to eat with her fingers so she stashes a fork in her bag. She’s weird like that.

“Taff. He wants to get in Lisi’s pants.”

“Shut up, Josh.” How dare he? As if I’d ever say anything about his obsession with Kai. But it’s too late. The girls start listening like I’m reading lottery numbers. Erin sucks her fingers.

“He likes minty green.” Josh tugs my hair, which still is.

“Shut up .” I’m so embarrassed. I want to get up and go to the bathroom but I’m slotted next to Rach, who waggles her straw in the air.

“Would you shag him?”

“Who?”

“Taff.”

“No way.”

“If you were Miss Mint, would you shag him?”

I hesitate. Too long.

“You like him! Oh my god! Urgh, he’s like, old and posh .”

And rich and famous, I think. Because I happen to know Taff Broxley-Hunt is an ex-Olympic rower. He may be ancient now — in fact I think he must be, like, forty, which is nearly as old as Mum and almost impossible to imagine, but Dad used to talk about him when he was still around. I think he rowed across the Atlantic once, in a boat with another man. I remember seeing pictures of him in Dad’s office.

When Dad was around. Still, I’ll see him quite soon. Well, at Christmas.

So then we realise it’s nearly four and all of us have to get ready but none of us want to split up. So Josh comes to mine and Rach and Erin go to Rach’s and we arrange to meet at seven at the garage near Courtney’s so we can check our outfits.

When we get back, Mum’s brandishing an iron and waiting for Strictly Showbusiness which Josh likes too, ‘cos he can be sarcastic and look at sequinned tuxedos at the same time. Conscious of my shopping, I’ve crushed my dress into the skirt bag and I’m wearing the jacket under my normal coat. But Mum’s being perceptive for once.

“What’s that you’ve bought?”

“Jumper.”

“Let’s see,” she pouts.

“Show her,” Josh prompts and I have no choice: I pull out the dress. Mum gasps.

“That’s ... grown up.”

And now I look properly, it is. Way too grown up for me, to be honest, although I’d thought that was the point. I saw the shop assistant’s expression when I came out of the changing room. I shouldn’t have bought it for so many reasons. Not least because ...

“You can’t afford it,” Mum says as she holds it up and sees the tag.

“I can. I’m working double shifts tomorrow and anyway, Josh lent me some, didn’t you?” I stab him with a look. He stares at the ground.