Zodiac Girls: Brat Princess (17 page)

I sat on the end of my bed, went through my
dreams in my mind and racked my brain as to what it
was that Mr O thought that I could do. As the dreams
came back to me, the penny began to drop and I
began to write my letter.

Dear Mummy and Daddy,

I am so sorry for all the trouble I have caused in the
past years. I should have been better, I know I should.
Poppy was your daughter as well as my sister and of
course you miss her as much as I do. I am sorry I have
been so selfish. It was my only way of coping and I cut
myself off from you. Can you forgive me for being such
a frightful pain?

I have one more week here and I don’t mind a bit. I
really don’t. I have more to learn here and a lot more to
do
.

I do love you and I promise that when I come home,
I will be a good girl. The old Leonora. I’m not the girl
you sent here. I will change
.

With lots of love and kisses,

Your daughter, Leo

XXX

After ten minutes, Mr O came back into the room
and began to collect our letters. I glanced over at him
and he gave me a nod.

“Ready, Leonora?” he asked.

I took a deep breath and nodded back to him. I knew
what I had to do. “Okay everyone. Mr O was right
before. I do have some gifts I’d like to give you. First for
you, Jake. Happy Christmas. I’d like to pay for your little
brother to get the best treatment that he needs, that is
if you’ll let me.”

Jake’s face crumpled. “Don’t poke fun, Leonora,” he
said. “It’s not funny.”

“I’m not.
Really
I’m not, Jake. I have money. Lots of
it.
Loads
of it. I don’t need it all and, well… my little
sister was ill once and… and I… I lost her. There was
nothing I could do. But I
can
help you, that is if you’ll
let me.”

Jake looked around at the others as if trying to work
out what was happening but they looked equally as
mystified as he did.

“You mean it?” Jake asked.

“I do. You have my solemn vow. Cross my heart and
hope to die. I really mean it.”

Jake took a long look at me as if trying to gauge if
I was messing with him then he thumped his forehead
with the palm of his hand. “Oh I get it. You mean
you’ll
lend
it to me and you want interest?”

“
No
. NO! Honestly. No interest. This is a no-strings
attached gift. Please. It would mean a lot to me.” I felt
horrified at his reaction and his lack of trust in me.

Jake looked right at me. “Why?”

“I want to help and… I want to be friends.”

“Money can’t buy you everything you know,” said
Jake. “Especially friends.”

“Yes, of course. You’re right. I’m so sorry. Okay.
Forget the money. Sorry. I didn’t mean to be offensive.
I really didn’t, but… I genuinely would like you to be
my friend. It would mean a lot to me.”

Jake nodded slowly. “Okay. Seeing as it’s Christmas
and even though you are a total stroppy cow, you are
also quite a laugh. I will be your friend.”

Marilyn rolled her eyes. “Oh for heaven’s sake,
Jake,” she said, “take the dosh as well. Your family needs
it and we can all see that she’s on the level for once in
her life.”

“I am, but it’s your choice, Jake,” I said. “The
money’s still on the table if you want it.”

The room fell silent as Jake considered the offer.
After a few moments, he took a deep breath, coughed,
then nodded. “Okay then. Deffo. Deal.”

“Deal,” I said.

Mr O beamed happily around the room. “Okay. So
who’s next?”

“You can give me a pile of dosh if you want,” said
Mark. “I ain’t proud.”

I remembered his family in my dream last night. The
worried expressions of his parents. “How about I give
you something else instead of dosh?”

“No. Money will be fine. And I’ll be your friend, too,
if you like.”

“How about instead of money, I buy your family a
house.”

Mark sighed and looked sad. “Okay, so now I know
that you’re taking the mick. A doll’s house, right?
You’re having a laugh, aren’t you?”

I turned to Mr O. “Tell him, tell him I mean it.”

Mr O nodded. “She’s serious.”

“I am,” I said. “Look. I know I’ve been a pain since
I got here and acted like a brat princess, but… well, a
few things have become clear to me – like what
matters. Family is one thing. Having a home another.
And friends, too. So Mark, I’d like to help if you’ll let
me. As one friend to another. I’d like to buy your
family a house. A real one. Okay, not a mansion, but a
house. A home from where you can’t be evicted.”
Mark’s expression looked so hopeful that I knew I
could never let him down. “I
really
mean it, don’t I, Mr
O? Tell him.”

Mr O nodded. “She does. And she can. And I think
she will.”

Mark fell back onto his bed with a huge silly grin.
“Mum and Dad are going to be so… wow! This is
amazing
. Like winning the lottery. The best Christmas
present ever.”

Lynn sidled up to me. “What about me?” she asked,
then she sighed. “I don’t need a house. Or medical help.
What you gonna give me, princess?”

I already knew what I’d like to give Lynn. I’d
decided days ago. Long before the dreams and my
encounters with Saturn, Neptune and Pluto. I knew that
I wanted to give her some kind of present because of
all of them, in her own weird way, she had befriended
me the most. “Don’t you remember what you
wanted?” I asked.

She shook her head.

“But you
told
me what you want Lynn. Friends. A
pet. Pets are the best friends as they never judge and
never let you down. Remember, I told you about my
dog, Coco? I suggest that we go next week and get
whatever you like. A rabbit, a dog, a cat, a goldfish.
Whatever you want.”

Lynn sniffed and pulled an “I’m not impressed” face.
“Yeah. Okay. Cool. Yeah. Maybe a pit bull. Or a
piranha – you know those fish that eat flesh or… a man-eating
spider or a boa constrictor. What do you reckon?”

I must have looked shocked. I hadn’t imagined that
she’d want
killer
pets, but then she grinned. “Just
messin’ with ya, Leo. No. A couple of cutie-pie kittens
would be fab.”

“And what about Marilyn?” asked Mr O.

“I don’t want anything,” pouted Marilyn. “I don’t
need anything from ’er.”

“Oh cut the tough act, Marilyn,” I said. “I wouldn’t
leave you out and… although we haven’t been the best
of friends, we have been through a lot in here together.
Please let me give you something too.”

“I don’t know if I want to be friends. You can’t buy
me as easily as the others.”

“I’m not trying to buy you! I am trying to be NICE
for a change…” I could feel a major strop coming on.
For heaven’s sake
, I thought,
I try to do the decent things and
boy, are they making it hard work!
I turned to Mr O and
looked at him pleadingly. “I am
trying
to be good here
and all I am getting back is
ingratitude
and
suspicion
!”

Mr O coughed. “Now then, Leonora, you haven’t
exactly been Princess Perfect since you got here. Can
you blame them for being suspicious of your motives?”

I looked around at the group and had to admit, I
hadn’t exactly shown my
best
side. “Okay. Sorry. Sorry.
You don’t have to be my friend, Marilyn, not if you
don’t want to. Just, I thought that I could give you a
shopping spree. The shopping spree that I was going to
go on before I came here. In fact, I’ll come with you if
you like. It’s always more fun if you go with a mate…
not that you have to be my mate… no, I mean, it’s more
fun to go with someone. Oh never mind. Look. I know
all the best boutiques in Paris and I don’t really need any
more clothes, so you can have my allowance as well. I
have enough stuff. Well, okay, almost enough. Maybe I
could
do with a couple of pairs of shoes and a handbag
and a… Actually… maybe I need a whole new
wardrobe seeing as I am about a million times thinner
now than when I came in here. Yeah, come to think of
it, I need
loads
of things. Yeah. I ought to come with you.”

Mr O and the boys cracked up laughing and for a
second, I saw myself through their eyes.

“Oops! I’m doing the me-me-me thing again, aren’t
I? Sorry. Old habits blah de blah. Anyway. Shopping.
You. Me. Gay Paree. Are you up for it. Marilyn?”

Marilyn shrugged. “Yeah maybe,” she said. “If you
play your cards right and don’t go back to being the
brat princess. I’ll come with you if you be yourself. The
real Leonora. You don’t have to pretend to be some
sister of mercy all of a sudden. I don’t buy it.”

“Okay,” I agreed.

“And can I say something to you seeing as we’re on
about fashion?” Marilyn continued.

I nodded.

“You look so much better with your hair curly. It suits
your personality to be wild down your back. It’s like a
manifestation of your character.”

“Yeah. And your eyes look better brown,” added
Lynn. “Better with your colouring.”

“Yeah,” chorused Jake and Mark.

“Huh,” I said, and I rolled my eyes up to the ceiling.
“Like I’m going to listen to a bunch of losers like you
for fashion advice.”

For a moment their faces dropped.

“Only joshing,” I said. Actually I was pleased with
my new look. I could see for myself that I looked a lot
better. I was fitter, too. The spots had gone. And it was
a relief not to have to spend hours straightening my hair
every morning.

“You know what, Princess?” said Lynn. “You’re all
right. You’re going to fit in after all. In’t she, Marilyn?”

Marilyn nodded. “Yeah. And… well… we have
something to say to you too. We woz pulling your leg
weren’t we? About being murderers and all.”

I creased up laughing. “I knew that. You’re not
tough enough by half.”

“You neither,’ smiled Marilyn. “You know, I guess
we’re not that different after all. We both put on an act.
And we both have parents who are under some mad
presumption that being here might make us nicer
people.”

“As if,” said Lynn.

“Yeah,” said Marilyn. She looked awkward for a
moment. “I was teased about my background at my last
school – that’s why I put on the tough accent here, so
that no-one would make fun of me.”

“No need,” I said. “We won’t bully you here.”

“No way,” said Mark.

“Now what about you Leonora?” asked Mr O. “Is
there anything that you want?”

“Er… could I possibly have my credit cards back?”

Mr O nodded. “I think that can be arranged, but I
think I know what you have in mind and you might not
need them as Jupiter is...”

“You going to organize a private plane out of
here?” Jake interrupted.

I shook my head. “No. Not just yet because… if I’m
allowed, I’d like to help make Christmas. Right here. If
you’ll let me…” I glanced over at Mr O and he nodded.
“Okay, we’re going to have the best Christmas breakfast
and lunch ever. And roaring fires in all the grates. And
games. And presents. And chocolates. And…”

Lynn shrieked. “And
snow
!”

I nodded. “Well that would be nice, but I’m not sure
that you can get snow with an American Express card...”

Lynn pointed up at the window. She was right. It had
started to snow. I raced to the window and saw that the
sky was heavy with black clouds, and white flakes had
begun to fall, coating the lawn and the trees and shrubs
outside. It looked so magical as the rising sun caught the
flakes and made them sparkle with a million tiny stars.

“And ya-hey,” cried Jake. “Joe’s back!”

“As I was trying to tell you, you won’t have to wait
long for that Christmas breakfast,” said Mr O.

There outside the kitchen door was the man from the
deli. Joe. He was dressed up as Santa and he was
unloading the best breakfast feast I had ever seen. He
saw us watching him, gave us a cheery wave and
beckoned us to go to the kitchen.

The others made a dash for it, but I held back for a
few moments.

“Not joining the others?” asked Mr O.

“In a sec,” I said. “I just wanted to say thank you
whoever you are, a planet, a guardian or whatever.
You’ve been great and, even in this dismal place, it’s
clear that you’re a real star.”

Mr O flushed pink with pleasure. “You too,
Leonora. You too.” Then he cleared his throat and
offered me his arm. “Now let’s go eat and get warm.
And not before time, I say, because, you think this
place has been an ordeal for you? Hah! I can tell you
now, dingy, cold places are
not
my scene at all. So let’s
go light a few fires, get that feast organized and have
ourselves a proper merry Christmas.”

“Sounds like a top plan,” I said with a grin as I took
his arm.

I got to go home on New Year’s Day. Mummy and
Daddy were in the hall at the lodge just after breakfast
and had a helicopter waiting in the grounds outside to
whisk me away. It was wonderful to see their kind,
familiar faces once again.

Before we returned to the Caribbean, I went to a
store and bought an angel’s outfit, complete with
white feather wings and a halo (not for me, I wasn’t that
deluded!). I gave it to Shirla when I got home to give
to her granddaughter so that she could be a Christmas
angel after all. It was my way of saying sorry for being
an almighty pain for so long and I think Shirla was
really touched.

My new pal, Mr O came to visit us in the Caribbean.
He said he likes the climate better there and, while he
was with us, he confessed that I was one of his
favourite Zodiacs Girls because I was his biggest
challenge. I never did get whether the zodiac thing
was legit or whether he was actually certifiable and, with
the rest of his strange mates, a candidate for la-la land.
He never mentioned it again after my month as Zodiac
Girl and neither did I. Whatever. In the end, it didn’t
matter. We got a result and that’s what counts. One of
the unexpected bonuses from my time in the boot
camp was that I looked a whole lot better. Everyone
commented. No spots or flab. And I’ve stayed as slim
as I was in the lodge. Okay, so I’m not a size zero, but
I don’t want to be any more. I want to feel good and
be healthy. I came out of the boot camp feeling fab and
put it down to the simple fresh food we had in there and
plenty of exercise. Shirla, Coco and I go jogging down
on the beach most days now (although in Shirla’s case
it’s more like wobbling), and Mason’s learned to cook
delicious meals that aren’t fattening. He can even make
porridge taste divine with fresh fruits. (There was no
way I was going to carry on eating it the way they
served it at the lodge. I don’t believe in suffering
beyond the call of duty.)