The New Girl (13 page)

The story continues. . .

Read the opening of the next book:

The Trouble With Love

Polly Nelson couldn't take her eyes off the stitching along the hem of the flowy skirt she was wearing. She had chosen it so carefully that afternoon. She couldn't believe she'd left the house in something that looked so bad.

The campfire crackled merrily, the smell of toasting marshmallows mingling with the salty beach air, the pumping bass from Max's MP3 and the lively sound of chatter. It was surprisingly warm for a February afternoon, even without the fire. Polly tucked the offending skirt under her legs, hoping that she wouldn't think about it so much that way. She looked terrible. She hoped no one would notice.

On the opposite side of the fire, Polly's best friend Lila Murray had finished threading her stick with marshmallows and was placing them in the flames. Her glossy brown hair was whipped up by the wind coming in from the sea, and she was laughing at something her boyfriend Ollie Wright was saying. She was so pretty, Polly thought, and had such infectious enthusiasm for everything. No wonder Ollie was mad about her. It was hard to believe Lila had only come to Heartside Bay a few weeks ago. It felt like they'd known each other for half their lives.

It's half-term
, Polly scolded herself.
You're in the secret cove with your friends, a bonfire, marshmallows and great music. What's not to like?

This skirt looks awful
, her thoughts replied at once.

What are you going to do about it?
Polly challenged herself.
Take it off and dance around the beach in your underwear?

Her gaze flickered towards Ollie. He looked extra-gorgeous when he laughed, she thought wistfully.

She'd had a secret crush on Ollie since her first day at Heartside High. He had dropped a pencil by her feet in Year Eight, and she had kept it. She had written in detail about him in her diary in Year Nine, and treasured every private conversation they had ever had. After all these years, she still couldn't stop her heart from fluttering every time she saw him. And now he was Lila's.

As she gazed at Ollie, Polly caught Lila's eye. She instantly felt guilty. Did the fact that she fancied her best friend's boyfriend show in her face? Her wide hazel eyes were much too expressive, she knew. She loosed her hair and let it swing round her face like a thick black curtain.

“Half-term at last,” Lila sighed happily. She fiddled with her marshmallow stick. “I can't believe it's here. We're going to have
so
much fun.”

Polly felt a wave of relief. Lila hadn't read anything in her expression. It looked like her complicated feelings for Ollie were still a secret.

Ollie dusted sand off his jeans and snuggled his arm round Lila's shoulders. “And it starts right here,” he said. “Are my marshmallows done yet?”

Lila guarded her marshmallow stick, baring her teeth like a dog. “Cook your own!” she warned, smiling.

“What's yours is mine,” Ollie said innocently. “That's the way relationships work.”

Lila kicked him with one bare, sandy foot. “You wish!”

Ollie launched himself at Lila, tickling her until she begged, squealing, for mercy. Then he cut off her laughter with a kiss.

Polly suddenly felt more lonely than she'd ever felt in her life.

“I'm going for a paddle,” she said, getting up.

“Want some company?” Lila said, pushing Ollie off and raising herself up on her elbows. The sand in her hair made her look like an off-duty mermaid.

Polly shook her head. “Save a marshmallow for me?”

“Of course, Pol,” Lila said warmly.

“Hey!” Ollie said in a mock-indignant voice. “You're letting her have one, but not me?”

Lila and Ollie were the perfect couple, Polly thought with a sigh as she took off her shoes and moved away from the campfire. They were both gorgeous, and bubbly, and popular. It had taken Lila a few weeks to settle in to her new school – thanks mainly to queen bee Eve Somerstown causing trouble – but now she was in the middle of every social event in Heartside and almost more popular than Eve herself. Lila had long legs, a rich laugh and beautiful thick brown hair. Why would Ollie look at anyone else – least of all, Polly?

Enough with this obsession
, she thought, straightening her shoulders. It was time to move on. Anyway, Ollie represented everything she despised in boys. Dumb sexist humour, never taking anything seriously, and only ever thinking about football. He was wrong for her in every way.

There must be someone better out there for you,
she consoled herself.
Someone more intelligent than Ollie, more sensitive, less sporty. Maybe someone with deep political convictions.
Now
that
would be a dream boy.

She reached the edge of the sea and let the cold waves swish over her toes. The sea always calmed her down and helped her to think more clearly. She couldn't imagine living inland. It would be torture, knowing that the ocean was curling and crashing over someone else's feet, not her own.

Polly glanced over her shoulder at the sound of laughter. Rhi and Eve were chasing Rhi's boyfriend Max down the beach, throwing handfuls of sand after him. Max ran backwards, grinning and waving as Rhi and Eve chased him. His dark curly hair blew around his head.

“Catch me if you can!” he whooped teasingly.

“Oh, we'll catch you!” Eve shouted. “Don't worry about that, Max!”

“No one eats our marshmallows and gets away with it!” Rhi added, gasping with laughter as she flung her sand in Max's direction. It fell harmlessly by his feet.

“Typical girl,” Max taunted with a grin, racing back towards the campfire. “Can't throw to save your life!”

Why can't I be more like Eve?
Polly thought, watching them.
Totally comfortable hanging out with her best friend and her boyfriend?

She shook her head, surprised at herself. She could never be like Eve in any way. Eve made everyone's lives a misery. Lila had been through hell in her first couple of weeks at Heartside High because of Eve. She had made Polly's life miserable too. Eve was as trustworthy as a snake.

Polly watched as Eve, true to form, threw herself beside the others by the campfire, accidentally on purpose knocking Lila's arm and spilling her water in her lap.

“Whoops,” she drawled, not sounding the least bit sorry.

“Whoops yourself,” Lila said, and dumped what was left of her water over Eve's head.

“Ugh!”

Eve jumped furiously to her feet, mopping hard at her cashmere jumper. Rhi helped her to mop off the worst of the water with Max's help. Ollie just laughed.

“I'm really sorry, Eve,” said Lila with an innocent-looking shrug. “It was a total mistake. My hand has a life of its own, didn't you know?”

Even from a distance, Polly could see Eve's eyes were glittering with rage.

“That wasn't kind, Lila,” said Rhi reproachfully.

“She did it to me first,” Lila pointed out, mopping herself dry. “You have to learn to take what you dish out, Eve. Just be glad I wasn't drinking anything sticky.”

“I spilled your drink by
accident
,” Eve hissed.

“Funny kind of accident,” said Lila, rolling her eyes. “You have to stop with all these silly games, Eve. We're all tired of your behaviour.”

“Give it a rest, will you?” said Max lazily, swiping a marshmallow. “This is supposed to be a party.”

“I will not,” Eve snapped, and jumped to her feet. “She started it.”

Several of the other girls in their class rallied round Eve with Rhi and Max. Lila stood up warily, with Ollie, a group of Ollie's footballing mates and a bunch of other kids clustered round her in support.

Polly felt nervous. Things had been extra tense between Lila and Eve since Valentine's Day. It was great that Lila wasn't putting up with Eve's tricks any more, but things were getting out of hand.

It was beginning to feel like the whole school was split between supporters of Eve and supporters of Lila. The tension was awful. It wasn't the best way to start half-term.

“Fight!” someone yelled.

Continued. . .

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First published in the UK by Scholastic Ltd, 2014

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