Acting Friends by Sophie McKenzie Read Free Book Online Page A

grinned. ‘See ya later.’
    And before I could open my mouth to say
    goodbye, he’d gone – vanishing through the fire door and back into the party.

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    I stood, shocked to my core, as Frankie rushed away.
    He’d been here. He’d said he’d see me again . . . and that he’d send me the photo he’d just taken. For a few seconds my mind whirled with fantasy
    scenarios: Frankie and me walking hand-in-hand down the street . . . Frankie smiling at something I said. . . Frankie looking deep into my eyes again . . .
    A shiver thrilled down my spine. Frankie had said I was pretty. He was going to see me later. He’d even taken a picture to remember me by.
    A keepsake of our first meeting.
    Happiness twirled inside my chest. This was unbelievable. And it was all thanks to Emmi. She’d invited me here. I mean, who cared about Shaz?
    Frankie hadn’t even mentioned her. He must have got bored with her and wandered around until he met me.

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    For a second, I wondered about this: after all, he’d barely talked to me so how did he know how special I was? And, if he was so intent on seeing me later, why hadn’t he made an arrangement to meet me or taken my phone number? He hadn’t even asked my name.
    Stop it, River. This was exactly how I’d ended up upsetting Emmi – getting all insecure about everything. As I thought this, I remembered Emmi and Grace must be in the party room, somewhere. I had to find them and tell them what had just happened.
    I rushed along the corridor and out into the room with all the stalls. I couldn’t see them. Or Emmi’s older sister. Or even Shaz and her sister.
    I darted between the crowds, peering this way and that. No sign. Maybe they were in the bathroom.
    I rushed into the ladies.
    And ran straight into Shaz. Wham. I rebounded off her, onto the wall. My elbow slammed against the concrete.
    ‘Why don’t you watch where you’re going,’ she snapped.
    I straightened up, rubbing my elbow.
    ‘Sorry,’ I said. Then I felt annoyed. Shaz hadn’t been looking where she was going either. She’d bumped into me as much as I’d bumped into her.

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    Shaz looked me up and down. I suddenly
    remembered Emmi’s cardigan. It was still in Madame van Persiana’s hut. I had to go and get it.
    Shaz’s eyes fixed on my strappy top. She was dressed in jeans and a cropped vest under a jacket herself. The vest was dark red and really suited her skin colour but close up I noticed she had spots on her chin and that there were dark shadows under her eyes. I remembered what Emmi had said about her being ill last year. If she’d been off school for six months, it must have been something serious.
    Maybe she’d just been rude to me because she was feeling bad about being kept down in year seven. Maybe I should give her another chance.
    ‘Shaz . . .’ I started.
    ‘That top looks all wrong on you,’ Shaz sneered.
    All thoughts of a second chance vanished. There was no excuse for how rude she was being. Fury swelled inside me.
    ‘Frankie Clarke seemed to think my top looked okay,’ I said. ‘He took my picture with his phone and said we should meet up later.’
    Shaz stared at me. I braced myself. She was, surely, about to make another scathing remark about my appearance – and that I must have imagined what Frankie had said to me.

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    But instead, Shaz frowned. She looked puzzled . . .
    and upset.
    ‘When did you speak to him?’ she asked.
    ‘Just now . . .’ I hesitated.
    ‘And he took . . . your photo together?’
    I nodded.
    ‘Did he say . . . how nice it was to talk to someone his age?’ Shaz went on, her voice now rather shaky.
    ‘Did he say the photo would be a keepsake of your first meeting? Did he forget to ask your name?’
    My chest tightened. Had she somehow overheard our conversation? ‘How do