Blueberry Wishes by Kelly McKain Read Free Book Online Page A

palace , Abigail,” said Saff, all primly, and Mum looked smug about her swapping sides, until she added, “School is a catwalk.”
    Mum groaned.
    â€œAnd so is college,” Saff added. “How do I look?”
    â€œGreat. Obviously. As ever,” I said, with a sigh. It’s not easy having stunning Saff for a sister and natural beauty Summer for a best friend. It’s lucky I’m fairly confident, that’s all I can say. Otherwise I’d just want to hide in the loos all the time with a bag over my head.
    And then it got even worse, because Grace came out looking so jaw-dropping, we hardly recognized her.
    She’d jazzed up her uniform, and she must have plaited her hair when it was wet the night before because it fell in beautiful glossy waves over her shoulders.
    â€œWow, Grace!” I gasped.
    â€œLook out, Year 11!” cried Saff.
    The sweep of black eyeliner and mascara made Grace’s eyes look big and bright, and I was sure Mum would veto the gothy dark plum lipstick she’d paired with it, but she didn’t say anything except, “My goodness, darling, you look lovely.”
    Grace allowed herself the tiniest smile. “Just because I’ve put on a bit of lippy doesn’t mean I haven’t got a brain,” she announced.
    â€œNo one’s saying it does, love,” said Mum.
    Then Grace peered at Saff, and the smallest frown flickered over her face.
    â€œWhat?” Saff demanded.
    â€œOh, nothing,” said Grace innocently, reaching for her bag.
    â€œNo, come on, what?” Saff cried.
    Grace sighed. “Are you really wearing that top?” she said, with a cheeky grin. “It’s just…it makes you look sort of mushroomy.”
    Yes, you read that right. She said that to Saff. As in, Ultimate Style Queen Saff.
    â€œMushroomy?” Saff repeated. “What does that even mean ?”
    But Grace just called out, “Come on, slowcoaches!”, nicked the last bit of toast from Saff’s plate and flounced off down the hall.
    Saff walked as far as her bus stop to Paignton with Grace and me, and then we carried on up the road to Cavendish High. We linked arms, walking in time like we always did. I’d swapped the foul brown loafers Mum had made me wear on my first day for black ballet pumps, fortunately, and Grace had somehow managed to sneak Saff’s slouchy boots past Mum, who’d have had a fit if she’d noticed her wearing them.
    Things couldn’t have been more different from when we’d arrived on our first day, a few months back. Now, instead of both being terrified about not knowing a single person, Grace and I were saying “hi” to people, and calling out and waving as soon as we walked through the gates. Grace spotted her friends Maisy and Aran near the canteen door and headed off to them. (I noticed Aran’s jaw drop too, when he saw her new look!)
    Then I spotted Marco, getting off his mum’s motorbike and stowing his helmet. Sienna waved to me and I waved back, remembering how I’d panicked and thought she was Marco’s girlfriend when I’d first seen her drop him off like that. She’s lovely – really young and sparky. I didn’t know what his dad was like because I’d never met him. From what Marco had said, Luke didn’t have much to do with them, he just turned up sometimes and then disappeared off again.
    As Sienna roared off and Marco slouched through the gates, what I actually wanted to do was that running-up-to-him thing with my arms out, like when people run through a meadow towards each other (does that ever really happen?!). But I forced myself to walk normally, even though my legs felt really weird, like I’d forgotten how. When I reached him, I didn’t know whether to kiss him, hug him or what. I didn’t want to look like a mental possessive person and be all over him, but on the other hand I did want anyone NOT yet aware