Rebecca's Rules by Anna Carey Read Free Book Online Page A

fun in there! You can dance with a fairytale prince!’
    We just stared at her. I think she knew we were not the sort of girls who would find it fun to dance with someone who was being paid to be a fairytale prince. But she was right that we didn’t have a choice. So we all got up and trooped across to the ballroom.
    ‘By the way, is there going to be a pink pony?’ said Cass. ‘I’ve been looking forward to it.’
    ‘You’re getting obsessed with it, Cass,’ said Alice.
    ‘It’s a pink pony! Vanessa’s been going on about it for months! I just want to see it at last,’ said Cass.
    ‘A pony? Oh, yes,’ said Sarah distractedly, looking at something on her clipboard. ‘It’ll be around later.’
    ‘Well that’s something,’ said Cass. ‘I suppose.’
    A lot more happened after that but just thinking about it is exhausting. I am going to have to go to bed. Maybe it will all seem less mental in the morning.
SUNDAY
    I am writing this in bed, still knackered after yesterday’s party.I don’t know how all those celebrities who go out every night do it − especially the ones who drink a lot. I am a total wreck after just one day of serious partying AND of course there was no booze. I couldn’t sleep in properly because my annoying family got up at the crack of dawn (nine o’clock) and because they have no consideration for others they went stomping about the house and put on the radio really loudly.
    I tried to get my mother to bring me up some breakfast in bed, but she, of course, has no sympathy for my tired and emotional state.
    ‘Well, you know what I think,’ she said, when she eventually came upstairs in response to my plaintive cries for help. ‘I think it was ridiculous to go in the first place.’
    Though, because she is not a total monster, she was horrified to hear about what happened to poor Alice. But I haven’t got to that yet. I’d better continue the terrible tale.
    So yes, anyway, when we all went back into the ballroom, the party was in full swing. Everyone was whirling around the dancefloor, some with the princes, some with ordinary guests. The classical music had stopped and another band was playing chart hits. We tried to hide near the door in case any of theprinces dragged us up on the dance floor. In fairness, plenty of our classmates seemed to be enjoying themselves. There was still glitter in the air, but Vanessa herself was nowhere to be seen. We grabbed some Cokes from a passing fairytale prince, who had apparently been relegated to drink-serving duty, and stayed in the background. It got a bit boring after a while because the music was too loud to talk properly. Then suddenly the music stopped and a man’s deep voice boomed over the sound system.
    ‘Everybody,’ roared the mysterious voice, ‘I want you all to give it up for Miss … Vanessa … Finn!’
    ‘Oops,’ said Jane. ‘I’ve got to go. See you later.’ And she disappeared into the crowd.
    There was a blinding flash of light and a burst of smoke and Vanessa appeared on the podium, striking a dramatic pose. The glossy gang and the fairytale princes all started clapping and cheering (as did some of our class, who really should have known better). Then a fairytale prince walked up to each side of Vanessa and took her hand. As the band kicked into a brand new song, she strutted down from the podium and the glossy goons – and Jane – formed a group around her. And then we realised that the song was about Vanessa herself, andshe and the goons (and Jane) were performing an elaborate dance routine to it!
    I can’t even describe how awful the song was. Bits of it were kind of spoken instead of sung and it went something like this:
    Ah
…
ah
…
Vanessa!
    Ah
…
ah
…
Vanessa!
    Glamorous
    Fabulous
    A diva
    Supreme
    She’s the girl the boys all want
    And the girls all want to be
    ‘That is the biggest lie I’ve ever heard in my life,’ said Cass.
    ‘Well, maybe boys do all want her,’ said Alice. ‘We’ve