Candyfloss Read online

  He’d mastered the ironing now, but our laundering system was a bit of a problem. We didn’t have a tumble dryer so Dad hung all my clothes on a rail in the kitchen.

  ‘Yuck! Chip fat!’ said Margot, pretending to sniff me and then holding her nose.

  Judy held her nose too. Rhiannon didn’t, but she smirked and spluttered.

  I knew my clothes did smell of café cooking. I didn’t know what to do about it. I tried sprinkling my school blouses with a little leftover bottle of Mum’s special perfume, but that made them hold their noses even more. They wafted their hands in the air and went ‘Pooh’ and ‘Phew’.

  I felt like twisting their noses right off their faces.

  I also wanted to cry because the perfume made me miss Mum so much. I ran away, and this time Rhiannon came after me.

  ‘For goodness’ sake, don’t be such a baby, Floss. They’re just teasing,’ she said.

  ‘I’m tired of being teased. I can’t stick Margot and Judy,’ I said.

  ‘Oh don’t be daft. They’re good fun, so long as you don’t take them seriously. Margot’s soooo cool. Do you know, she’s got a diamond stud in her belly button! I wish my mum would let me get my tummy pierced.’

  ‘I bet she’s just stuck it on,’ I said. ‘And it won’t be a real diamond.’

  ‘Well, so what? It still looks great. And she’s got, like, such a flat tummy too. I wish my tummy didn’t stick out so. Still, I’m going to stay on this special diet and get super slim, you wait and see.’

  ‘You’re super slim now, you know you are. Anyway, dieting’s stupid at our age.’

  ‘You’re just saying that because you’re still so skinny. But you carry on eating all those chips and fry-ups at your dad’s café and you’ll be, like, ginormous.’ Rhiannon waved her arms in the air to demonstrate.

  ‘No I won’t,’ I said – though I knew my dad was a little bit ginormous.

  ‘Still, my mum’s got this special Healthy Eating recipe book. She’ll give it to your dad when he comes round to collect you on Saturday,’ said Rhiannon.

  I blinked at her. ‘Collect me from where?’ I said.

  Rhiannon sighed impatiently. ‘From my place, stupid.’

  ‘But you haven’t asked me round to your house on Saturday,’ I said, my heart thumping.

  ‘Well, I’m asking you now,’ said Rhiannon. ‘Mum says you’ve to come for lunch and tea and bring a bag of all your clothes and she’ll put them in the washing machine and iron them for you. Don’t look like that, Floss. There’s no need to feel embarrassed. Mum doesn’t mind, really.’

  ‘I – I can’t come, not this Saturday,’ I stammered.

  ‘Why can’t you come? It’s all fixed,’ said Rhiannon.

  ‘I’ve got to help my dad in the café,’ I fibbed.

  ‘You’re not supposed to work in the café. That’s child labour. He can’t make you.’

  ‘He doesn’t make me do anything. I want to help.’

  ‘Well, you’ll have to help some other time, because my mum’s specially cancelled her new highlights appointment at the hairdresser’s just so she can be at home to look after you. Like I said, it’s all fixed.’

  I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t possibly tell Rhiannon the truth. She’d never forgive me if she knew I’d invited Susan home.

  I mulled it over miserably during the next lesson. I couldn’t concentrate during history, and when Mrs Horsefield suddenly asked me a question I didn’t have a clue what she was on about. She called me up to her desk when the bell went.

  ‘You’re a little Dolly Daydream today, Floss. What’s the matter, dear?’ She was smiling at me sympathetically, not a bit cross.

  I hung my head and made one foot do a tiny little pointy dance on the floor.

  ‘Missing your mum?’ Mrs Horsefield said softly.

  ‘Mmm,’ I said, because I was missing her dreadfully. Sometimes when Dad wasn’t around I went and looked at the ticket in the kitchen drawer. I was determined not to use it – but it was good to know it was there.

  ‘But you’re getting on well together, you and your dad?’ said Mrs Horsefield.

  ‘Oh yes. Dad’s being lovely. He always is,’ I said.

  ‘That’s good. Well, you certainly look a lot smarter today,’ said Mrs Horsefield, looking at my newly washed hair, my clean blouse, my pressed skirt, my very small white socks and my spotless shoes.

  I made the other shoe do a little dance, trying to pluck up the courage to ask Mrs Horsefield what I should do about seeing Rhiannon on Saturday.

  ‘Yes?’ Mrs Horsefield prompted.

  I swallowed. I couldn’t. I asked her something else instead.

  ‘Mrs Horsefield, do I smell?’

  Mrs Horsefield looked startled. ‘Oh Floss! You’re as clean as clean. You look as if you’ve just jumped out of a bath today.’

  ‘Yes, but do I smell?’

  ‘Not of anything unpleasant,’ she said evasively.

  I sighed deeply.

  ‘Has someone been saying nasty things?’ said Mrs Horsefield, sounding angry.

  ‘No. Well. They were just teasing,’ I said quickly.

  ‘Teasing can be horribly cruel. I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me who it was?’

  I shook my head, gazing at my feet.

  ‘You don’t need to tell me. I’m sure I can guess. Don’t you take any notice of them.’ She paused. ‘Oh well. You’d better run out into the sunshine. I love sunny days like this. I put my washing out on a line and it dries beautifully and smells of fresh air.’

  I nodded gratefully and walked to the door.

  ‘Will you watch out for Susan for me, Floss? I think she’s still a bit lonely. She could really do with a kind girl like you to be her friend.’

  ‘Yes Mrs Horsefield,’ I said.

  I so so so wanted to be Susan’s friend. But I was too scared to be a kind girl.

  I ran to the girls’ cloakroom. Susan was standing in a corner, counting the tiles up and the tiles down, muttering each number. Then she saw me and her mouth stretched into a smile.

  ‘Hi, Floss!’ she said happily. ‘I can’t wait till Saturday.’

  I took a deep breath. ‘Oh Susan, I’m ever so sorry, but I can’t make Saturday after all.’

  Susan stared at me. It was as if I’d taken the smelly floor mop in the corner and shoved it in her face, smearing the smile away.

  ‘Did Rhiannon find out?’ she said, her voice wobbling a little.

  ‘No! No, it’s nothing to do with Rhiannon,’ I lied. ‘No, it’s just I’ve got to do stuff with my dad, that’s all. But you can come the Saturday after. That will be OK, won’t it?’

  ‘Yes, probably,’ said Susan, but her voice still sounded funny.

  ‘We’ll still have chip butties,’ I said.

  ‘Yes. Great,’ said Susan flatly.

  It was as if she knew. I told myself she couldn’t possibly know. I pretended that everything was still perfectly fine. I would go to Rhiannon’s on Saturday. She was my best friend after all. I’d wear my rose-quartz bracelet and play in Rhiannon’s beautiful blue bedroom and maybe I’d teach her how to make a friendship bracelet. Then the next Saturday I’d see Susan at my house and we’d play on my swing and eat chip butties and maybe she’d do all the things Rhiannon thought babyish or boring, like playing pretend imaginary games or drawing pictures or making tiny doll’s houses in cardboard boxes.

  Rhiannon was busy planning Saturday too. This Saturday.

  ‘My mum’s going to take us shopping at Green Glades when you come this Saturday, Floss,’ she said loudly.

  ‘Ssh!’ I hissed.

  Susan sat right in front of us. She was writing her comprehension – but her pen paused in midair.

  ‘It’s OK. Mrs Horsefield’s over there helping Dumbo Diana,’ Rhiannon said. ‘Anyway, she won’t pick on us. You’re total teacher’s pet now. Anyway, Mum’s going to get you some new socks and stuff, seeing as yours are, like, so weeny and weird.’