Boys for Beginners (22 page)

‘Fair enough.' He hands the dress over and buttons his lip. ‘I'd better leave you grown-up women to it then.'

I throw a pillow at him on his way out.

‘Stephanie, do you mind if I do this bit by myself, please?'

She nods and leaves the room.

I pick up Mum's dress from where Dad has placed it on the bed. It's a baby-blue colour that really brings out the grey in my eyes. Mum had the same eyes as me. I remember them. I put the dress on back to front and button up the back before sliding it round so it's in the right place. It's a sort of strapless boob tube on top and the skirt bit has a million layers of light blue chiffon so that it puffs out like a tutu. In the layers of chiffon are little diamonds that sparkle when I
move. I know what word Jenny would use to describe this dress:
timeless and classy
. OK, that's two words.

Finally, I look in the mirror.

I look gorgeous.

It's quarter past eight as Dad pulls up outside school, but I am no longer worried about time; it'll start when I get there.

‘Now, remember, I'm picking you up at eleven thirty, Gwynnie.'

‘Eleven thirty?' OK, maybe I do have to worry about time. ‘Dad, I'm not a child . . . and this is prom. Can't I stay till midnight?'

‘Fine then, midnight. But not a second later.'

‘You're still the best, Dad. Thanks.'

‘Have fun, Gwynnie. And make sure you get a snog from that Charlie boy.'

‘
Dad!
' I look around to see if anyone heard, but luckily everyone is already inside.

I walk away, before remembering something. ‘Dad?'

‘Yeah.'

‘How did Spurs do?'

‘Do you know what, Gwynnie? I forgot to check.'

My dad is the worst liar in the world. ‘You'd be more likely to forget Christmas day than Spurs in the final!' I say. ‘Go on. How'd we do?'

He breaks into the biggest smile. ‘We killed them! 3–2!' He goes into full football chant mode, ‘
COME ON, YOU SPURS!
'

This is the best news ever. I feel bad that we missed it but so glad that we won. I'm about to apologize again but he stops me.

‘Go on, Gwynnie. You're late enough as it is!' He smiles at me and tells me to knock 'em dead.

I walk through the playground towards the hall. I can hear muffled music and people talking really loudly. I feel properly nervous because either Charlie is going to ask me out tonight or I am going to ask him. There are loads of people hanging around in the big corridor outside the hall. I can see Francesca Ramsgate and Justin Kark; they obviously came together but wish that they hadn't as they're just standing there not talking or anything. Rachel Govens and Asher Quinn are there, holding hands, and I'm sure that Rachel is thinking that she really wants him
to snog her, and it looks like he wants to snog her too but he doesn't know how to start. I see two people snogging but I can't tell who they are as their faces are stuck together. Then I realize that it's Elizabeth and Ranj! I am so happy for them.

Elizabeth breaks away from him to inhale and sees me. She smiles like an absolute loon and I smile back at her and give her the thumbs-up. She gives me the thumbs-up back and makes a
Wow, you look gorgeous
face, all mouth opened and shocked. Ranjit turns around to see who she is looking at and sort of blushes when he sees it's me. ‘Hey, Gwynnie. You look nice.' High praise, coming from Ranj.

‘Not as nice as Elizabeth though,' I reply with a wink.

He blushes again.

‘We thought you weren't coming,' says Elizabeth, looking a little distracted.

‘Yeah, well, I managed to get out of the th—' but then I can't be bothered to pretend to explain. ‘Where is everyone?'

‘Last time I saw Melissa she was shouting at Jimmy Noble because he was refusing to dance with her. Tanya's mum did let her come
after all and she is snogging Robin Hall at the back somewhere. Kimba is looking for Richard Williams, who seems to have given her the slip.'

‘It appears he does have some sense after all.'

Elizabeth does her piglet laugh and it makes Ranjit smile. She can't quite bring herself to say anything actually mean, but she totally agrees with me.

I don't want to be too obvious, but there is no way to ask without just asking. ‘Have you seen Charlie? I need to let him know that he's not a complete dateless fool.'

‘Er . . . no . . . I haven't seen either of them . . . sorry.' What does she mean,
either of them
? But before I can ask Ranjit has grabbed her for another snog and she's stuck to his face again. Which I suppose is fair enough.

I walk along to the main entrance of the big hall. Everyone is staring at me. They're all saying, ‘You look great, Gwynnie,' and it gives me confidence. ‘Thank you. You look nice too.'

The thing is, there is something else, something weird behind their looks that makes me feel a little paranoid, like they know something I don't. Maybe Charlie has been sobbing about the fact
that I couldn't be here and they are waiting to see the look of surprise on his face. Oh God, maybe he decided not to come and they know that I will be left disappointed. I knew I should have texted him!

I put one foot inside the hall – it looks amazing! I would hardly recognize it. The BB girls have done a great job. It's completely covered with white sheets so it looks like a marquee and you can't see all the school stuff on the walls. There are pink-and-white balloons and pink-and-white streamers everywhere. There's even a disco mirror ball on the ceiling like I suggested. Fairy lights hit the mirror ball and make the place all twinkly. Basically, it looks like the films I used to watch with my mum – really cool. The stage is all lit up and Stephanie's DJ friend is playing wicked music. There aren't that many people dancing; it's just a few girls together. The boys are standing round the edges, but it's still early. I can't wait to slow-dance with Charlie. If he's even here.

Then I see him. He's wearing black trousers and a black shirt, open at the collar. He looks even better than he does every day. Which is pretty good. He hasn't seen me though. Is it
too weird if I just watch him for a minute? Yes, it probably is. ‘Charlie Notts!' I blurt.
Charlie
would probably have been better.

‘Er, Gwynnie. Hi,' Charlie sort of stammers. ‘You made it.'

‘Yes.' He's glad that I've made it. This is brilliant. It's all going according to plan . . . the plan which I have just made up.

‘Why aren't you off being a bridesmaid?'

What is he talking about? Oh yeah, bridesmaid. ‘Er . . .' Think quick. Not exactly to plan. Not a problem, I'll wing it. ‘The wedding finished early.'

‘But, wasn't it in Scotland?'

‘Yes . . . but we flew . . . Er, and there was the time difference.'

‘From Scotland?'

My rubbishly bad get-out lie isn't what we should be concentrating on right now. ‘Look, forget about my cousin's wedding—'

‘Second cousin,' Charlie says.

‘Second cousin's wedding.'

‘Twice removed.'

‘Yes, him – er, I mean – her. Just forget about it. I need to ask you something.' I can't wait another minute to ask him. If I don't get
it out now then I might explode. Which would totally ruin my mum's perfect dress.

‘What?' He's looking around at everything but me.

‘It's something that I've wanted to ask you for a while.' I step towards him. ‘Something I hoped you would ask me . . . and I thought you were going to . . .' I look deep in his eyes and try to look earnest. (It would help if I knew what earnest meant.) ‘. . . but I thought I would make it easier on the both of us by saying it first . . . I think you know what I am going to say.'

‘Gwy—'

‘Hang on, Charlie.' Now that I have worked my confidence up to it I don't want him to steal the thunder and ask me before I can ask him. ‘We've been friends since you started at this school. A lot has changed since then,' (like my dress sense) ‘but a lot has stayed the same . . .' (like I'm still totally in love with you).

Out of the corner of my eye I see Paul come in from outside. He's wearing my brother's suit, and his hair is all slicked back just like I showed him. He has a flower in his lapel and he's even carrying a humongous bunch of red roses. Apart from the fact he's the colour of milk,
and he's sweating like a marathon runner in a mascot costume, he looks pretty good . . . for Paul.

The words of our football coach ring in my ears:
Focus, you moron!
Right now is not about Paul. ‘You see, um, Charlie—'

But I can't stop looking at Paul. He's the only guy in here that has put any effort into how he looks and it makes him seem a bit weird. I was the one who told him to do all this. Does that mean I should help him through his nerves?

‘You see, Charlie . . .'

Paul looks over at me with wide, panicky eyes. But I turn away from him. I'll have to chat to Paul later, when I am Charlie's girlfriend and we're taking a rest from all the snogging.

Paul walks off into the hall and so I am left alone with Charlie.

‘Charlie . . .' Here goes. ‘I really like you. And not just in a friend way.'

‘Wow, Gwynnie.'

‘I was so happy when you asked me to prom because tonight will be the perfect night for us to get together properly.'

Charlie goes all shy and cute. ‘I didn't realize—'

But then suddenly Tanya comes running up to us. ‘Everyone! Paul is about to do a sketch or sing a song or something.'

I'm waiting to seal the girlfriend deal with Charlie, but we're sort of ushered into the hall by the people going to see what Paul has to say.
Hold that thought, Charlie
.

I'm in the hall, and there's Paul getting up on stage next to the DJ. I've lost Charlie in the crowd, but at least I'm here for Paul's PDA. Everyone in the whole school goes quiet and turns and stares at him. I hope this works. Then Tanya whispers to me. ‘You look so great, Gwynnie.'

‘Thanks, Tanya. You too.'

‘And it's so brave of you to come . . . given everything that's happened.'

‘Given everything that's happened when?'

But she doesn't answer. Paul's on the microphone and is about to speak. ‘Errrr . . . I . . . errr. Hello. Errr, hi, everyone.'

Paul is not an excellent public speaker. He gets out a sheet of paper. He's written a speech. A long one. I realize now that this could go horribly, horribly wrong. There's a chance that I might have made a big mistake – worse than a
white bra with a black top – and Paul's paying for it.

‘I just wanted to say that I hope you are having a good time.' He pauses as if waiting for a round of applause, but no one makes a sound. Poor Paul. ‘And . . . um . . . I also wanted to say something else.' Everything is deathly quiet. I know Paul is hating this, but if he gets Jenny back it'll all be worth it. If he doesn't, this will be worse than me and the uniform and Elizabeth and the Incident rolled into one. ‘I've been going out with the most wonderful girl in the whole world these past two months. She is beautiful and nice and funny and special and I think that I am in love with her.'

People start laughing. This is really awkward.

‘Jennifer Gregson?' He looks around for her in the audience but can't see her. ‘Jenny, where are you?' Everyone in the hall is looking for Jenny now.

Jenny puts her hand up at the other side of the hall and steps forward. She's looking fab in this floor-length sequinned pink halterneck that matches the colour scheme of the room and shows off her enhanced boobs. She also has this
cool pink-and-white feathery fascinator in her hair. But she doesn't look pleased about being the centre of attention this time. She looks embarrassed.

‘Jenny, I got you flowers. And, this poem is for you:

These roses are red
Chelsea wear blue
You're totally amazing
And I really love you
.