Liverpool Annie by Maureen Lee Read Free Book Online Page B

autumn term drew to a close, the subject of Sylvia Delgado was put aside temporarily as plans were made for Christmas. The gang were going to the pictures on Christmas Eve, but Ruby hadn't yet made up her mind what to see. On the Saturday after school
    finished, a shopping trip to Liverpool was planned. Several girls were having parties.
    Annie had asked for more housekeeping and had been buying extra groceries for weeks: a tin of assorted biscuits, a plum pudding and a fruit cake she intended icing herself, several tins of fruit. She was determined the Harrisons would enjoy the occasion for once, and had even bought decorations and a little imitation tree.
    The sisters put the decorations up one day after school. Throughout the entire operation, their mam sat in her usual chair, her head turned away, her long dark hair falling like a curtain over her incredibly girlish face. She seemed oblivious to everything, even when Marie climbed on the table and banged a nail directly above her head. The girls would have been astonished if she'd acted any differently.
    'What do you think, Mam?' Annie nevertheless asked when the decorations were up and the room actually looked quite cheerful. She saw Mam's hands were clasped tensely on her lap, the knuckles white and strained. 'Perhaps she's frightened,' Annie thought with compunction.
    Mam didn't answer, and Marie said contemptuously, 'It's no use asking her, is it? You'd only drop dead if she answered.'
    'Shush!' Marie frequently made horrible, insensitive comments in Mam's hearing - at least, Annie assumed she could hear.
    'Why should I?' Marie demanded. 'She's way out of it, drugged to high heaven.'
    'What on earth are you talking about?'
    Marie looked at her sister impatiently. 'Honestly, Annie, you're not half thick. You haven't a clue what's going on. Mam's got all sorts of tablets in the cupboard. She takes pills all day long.'
    'You mean aspirin?' Aspirin were the only pills Annie knew of.
    'I've no idea what they're called, but they're different shapes and colours. They deaden your brain so you don't have to think. I pinched one once when she went to the lavvy. It was a nice feeling, nothing seemed to matter, but I fell asleep in the pictures and it was Singin' in the Rain.' She pouted. 'I missed most of it.'
    With that, Marie flounced upstairs to get ready for a date. She spent all her pocket money on clothes and cosmetics. In a while, she'd come down dressed to the nines, her face plastered with Max Factor pancake, burgundy lipstick, and far too much shadow and mascara on her lovely grey eyes, looking as glamorous and pretty as a film star, and more like eighteen than thirteen.
    Annie knew it was a waste of time saying anything, and neither Mam nor Dad seemed to care. She sighed as she went to get the tea ready - Mam had given up the ghost ages ago when it came to preparing meals.
    Grenville Lucas held their customary party on the day school broke up. Lessons finished at mid-day. After a turkey dinner, festivities would transfer to the gym. It was the only day in the year when the pupils could dispense with school uniform and wear their own clothes. Marie even got up early as she couldn't make up her mind what to put on.
    Annie wore a new plaid skirt and her favourite jumper, pale blue cable knit with a polo neck. The two girls set off at half past eight full of excited anticipation, Annie little realising the day would turn out to be one of the most momentous of her life.
    In class the girls were eyeing each other with interest, assessing the various fashions, when Sylvia Delgado came in wearing the most beautiful frock Annie had
    ever seen. Made of fine, soft jersey, it was turquoise, with a high buttoned neck and full bishop sleeves gathered into long, tight cuffs. A wide, tan leather belt accentuated her incredibly slender waist.
    A girl behind gasped involuntarily, 'Doesn't she look lovely!'
    Sylvia's long blonde hair was tucked behind a gold velvet Alice band decorated