Katy Read online

  ‘Mmm. Yes. Yes, you’ll look great,’ I said.

  ‘And what will you wear, Katy?’

  ‘I don’t know. My blue dress, I suppose. That’s certainly getting very short now!’

  ‘But you’ve had your blue dress ages. Don’t you want something new?’

  ‘I suppose,’ I said, though I actually hated going to buy anything new. I could never find anything I liked and it was so embarrassing going in the changing rooms because I was sure everyone was staring at me. And I had to go with Izzie and she always fussed so.

  ‘I don’t expect I can have a new dress because Dad says we’re a bit strapped for cash,’ I said, improvising. ‘Especially as I’ll have to have all the new uniform when we go to Springfield.’

  Thank goodness Cecy and I were going to Springfield secondary school together. For a while Eva Jenkins boasted that she was going to Kingtown High, a private school for girls, but then she changed her mind. Maybe she didn’t pass the exam. But now she was coming to Springfield with all of us, worst luck. Ryan was coming too. I rather hoped we’d be in the same class. And it was a matter of desperate importance for Cecy and me to be in the same class of course.

  I didn’t even mention the disco to the family, but Izzie brought it up one day at supper time (bubble and squeak and fried egg).

  ‘Only one more week of school,’ she said.

  ‘Hurray, hurray!’ said Jonnie and Dorry together. They were going through an infuriating phase when they tried to say exactly the same thing at the same time. It was very irritating and also a little unnerving, because we couldn’t work out exactly how they did it.

  ‘I’m going to school, I’m going to school, I’m going to school in September!’ said Philly. ‘I’m a big boy.’

  ‘Yes, you’re going to nursery and you’ll be a very big boy,’ said Izzie fondly.

  ‘Big boy, pig boy, oink, oink, oink,’ said Dorry and Jonnie.

  ‘That’s quite enough of that. One more word out of either of you and you’ll get down from the table and go without the rest of your supper,’ said Izzie.

  That shut them up. Going without supper was Dorry’s worst punishment ever.

  ‘How do you feel about leaving school, Katy?’ Izzie asked.

  ‘She’s so lucky!’ said Elsie. ‘Mum, why can’t I be home-schooled?’

  ‘Oh, don’t start, darling, please,’ said Izzie. ‘You’re doing well at Newbury Road, I know you are. Your teacher says you’re one of the brightest girls.’

  Clover and I kept quiet. We knew why Elsie didn’t like school. When Izzie married Dad and came to live with us Elsie had to swap schools. She came in the middle of a term, when all the other kids in her class had made friends. Elsie was the odd one out and she’d stayed that way. She didn’t seem to know how to make the other kids like her. We sometimes saw her trailing round the playground by herself.

  I felt my tummy clench at the thought, feeling sorry for my little sister even though I mostly couldn’t stand her. I resolved once again to try to be kinder to Elsie. Perhaps Cecy and Clover and I might let her join in our playground games after all. I could even make up a game specially for Elsie. It would be easy enough to think of something silly and little-girly …

  ‘Katy! I asked you a question,’ said Izzie. ‘How do you feel about leaving Newbury Road?’

  I shrugged. I didn’t really like discussing my feelings with Izzie. I didn’t know how I really felt anyway. I was looking forward to being at Springfield (though a teeny bit apprehensive too). I didn’t exactly love Newbury Road Primary School. I’d been in quite a lot of trouble there over the years, and been sent to Mrs Henry the head in disgrace more than once. But I’d got so used to it too. I was even a little sad at the thought of saying goodbye to Mr Robinson, though he could be dead sarcastic at times and often told me off.

  ‘Are all you Year Six pupils having some sort of leaving party or prom?’ Izzie persisted.

  ‘She’s going to a prom over my dead body,’ Dad said.

  ‘Relax, Dad. You and Mr Robinson could be soulmates,’ I said. ‘He hates the whole prom idea too. It’s a disco on the Friday night. No fuss.’

  ‘I wish I could go too,’ said Clover. ‘Can’t you take me as your partner, Katy?’

  ‘Mr Robinson says we’re not going with partners; we’re just all going to mix together and have fun. Well, that’s his plan. Everyone’s pairing up anyway,’ I said.

  ‘And are you in a pair?’ Izzie asked.

  ‘No! I don’t want to go with any of those manky boys,’ I said quickly. I had rather hoped Ryan might ask me, even though we’d look ridiculous dancing together, with me so much taller than him. But Eva Jenkins had nabbed him for herself already. I certainly wasn’t going to act like I cared.

  ‘What are you planning to wear, Katy?’ Izzie persisted.

  ‘I don’t know. My blue dress. Whatever,’ I said. ‘Can we change the subject, please? I don’t know why everyone seems so fascinated by this whole lame disco idea. I don’t care a jot about it.’

  ‘I bet Cecy does. Isn’t she going to have a new dress?’ said Izzie.

  ‘Yes, but she knows I’m not. I said we couldn’t afford it because there are so many of us,’ I said.

  ‘Katy!’ Izzie sounded outraged.

  Dad choked on a forkful of bubble and squeak because he was laughing so much.

  ‘How could you!’ said Izzie.

  ‘But it’s true. Whenever I ask for an Xbox or a new bike or anything you always say we can’t afford it, and that six children can’t expect to have the same as a child in a small family. You say that!’ I said.

  ‘You do sometimes say that,’ Clover agreed.

  ‘We used to be a very small family, just Mum and me, and sometimes – lots of times – I wish we still were,’ Elsie said.

  ‘We’re a small family of two: Jonnie and Dorry, Donnie and Jorry!’ Jonnie and Dorry said, spluttering.

  ‘I’m the youngest so I’m the best!’ said Phil, banging his knife and fork on his plate.

  ‘Stop it, Phil! You’re all the best!’ said Dad. ‘And money is tight, I agree, but I still think we’ve got enough in the coffers to buy Katy a dress for this silly old disco. You look beautiful in your blue dress, Katy, a positive rhapsody, but perhaps it’s time to branch out in another colour. You’ve got a rainbow choice – red, orange, yellow, green …’

  ‘Red! I want red! Oh please! Can I have a red dress?’ I said.

  ‘I don’t think red’s a very suitable colour for a young girl,’ said Izzie, but she didn’t argue any further.

  We went looking for the dress after school on Thursday late-night shopping, just Izzie and me. It was strange being alone with her. It must have been so odd being Elsie, without anyone to play with for so long. I wished Clover had come along for the shopping expedition too.

  Izzie led us to the Flowerfields shopping centre. She tried a fancy girls’ shop first, just in case they had anything in a very large size. They had all kinds of sugary party dresses with great frothing skirts, but none remotely long enough. So then we went into a boutique for adults because they had all sorts of sparkly meringue dresses in the window bedecked in pink streamers, with a notice in gold wavery writing saying GIRLS! FIND YOUR PERFECT PROM DRESS HERE!

  We went inside and Izzie asked if they had anything less ornate, and they brought out several slinky, silky numbers. They weren’t red, but I rather liked them because they might just make me look grown up rather than simply overgrown.

  ‘No, no, they’re far too sophisticated!’ said Izzie, horrified. ‘She’s only eleven years old!’

  Then all the dinky little shop assistants tutted and twittered while I went bright red and felt like a freak. Izzie had a peer at the price tag on the least slinky dress and looked appalled.

  She pulled us out of the shop and we went round and round the entire centre looking for a suitable dress. We couldn’t find one anywhere.

  ‘What are we going to do?’ Izzie asked wretched