Love, Rosie (204 page)

Katie:

Rosie:

Katie:

Rosie:

Thanks,
but
I’m
open
to
any
other
suggestions
you
may
have.

You
said
he
invited
you?

Yes
but
only
because
he
new
I
couldn’t
go.

My
dear
sweet
innocent
daughter,
an
invitation
is
an
invitation.
It

would
be
rude
to
turn
him
down.
I
suggest
you
turn
up
on
his

doorstep
this
evening,
I’ll
give
you
the
money
for
the
bus
to
his

house.

Katie:

But
Mum
I
can’t
go!
I’ve
got
an
appointment
with
the
orthodontist.

My
brace
broke
again.
Moany
Monica
hit
me
in
the
face
with
the

basketball.

Rosie:

Well
the
dentist
can
wait.
I’ll
make
another
appointment
for
you.

This
is
a
very
important
football
match
you
know,
I
wouldn’t
want

you
to
miss
it
just
because
of
a
silly
little
thing
like
getting
your

teeth
fixed.

Katie:

Rosie:

Katie:

Thanks
Mum!

Now
get
off
the
computer
before
Mr.
Simpson
catches
you
and

reports
me
to
Ms.
Big
Nose
Smelly
Breath
Casey
and
gets
me
fired.

You
wish
Mum.
I
don’t
no
how
you
work
with
her
every
day.

308

Rosie:

Cecelia
Ahern

Actually,
I’m
surprised
to
admit
it
myself
but
she’s
not
so
bad.
In

fact
she’s
not
bad
at
all.
As
far
as
bosses
go
she’s
been
really,
really

pleasant.
Her
name
is
Julie.
Can
you
believe
it?
She
actually
has
a

first
name.
And
all
this
time
I
had
convinced
myself
it
was
Big
Nose

Smelly
Breath.
And
it’s
a
nice,
normal
name
too;
I
would
have

thought
it
was
something
more
like
Vladimir
or
Adolf.

Katie:

Rosie:

Ha,
ha
me
too.
But
is
it
not
really
awkward
working
with
someone

who
used
to
give
out
to
you
every
day?

Things
are
a
little
awkward
between
us.
It
kind
of
feels
like
she’s
an

ex-boyfriend
of
mine
and
we’re
meeting
after
years
of
separation.

Every
day
conversation
becomes
a
little
longer,
a
little
friendlier,
a

little
less
about
work
and
a
little
more
about
life.
We’ve
spent
so

many
years
arguing
with
each
other
it
feels
odd
to
agree
on
things.

It’s
almost
like
we’re
afraid
of
being
tricked
if
one
of
us
agrees
with

the
other.
But
each
day
we
talk
more
and
more
and
earlier
today
I

was
surprised
to
hear
her
tell
me
that
you
are
quite
the
intellect

when
you’re
not
being
distracted
by
that
boyfriend
of
yours.

Katie:

Rosie:

He’s
so
not
my
boyfriend
Mum.
Just
shows
how
much
she
nos.

I
know,
I
know.
Alex
and
I
had
a
hard
time
convincing
her
of
the