Time for Jas (17 page)

Flora is back at drama school. She called yesterday, super-excited because she’s got herself an agent. ‘Next stop Broadway!’ she cried. ‘Or Hollywood! I don’t know yet which I’d rather.’

Dad said quite sternly that before becoming a star, she must first learn to be an actor, but Flora said Dad didn’t understand a thing.

Pumpkin took his first steps. I wish I could say it was towards one of us, but actually it was towards Pixie, or more precisely towards the cookie she was holding out to him. I filmed it. It’s the sweetest, funniest thing I’ve ever seen, especially the bit where he crams the whole cookie in his mouth.

Marek didn’t go to Wales. He talked about it for ages with his parents – properly, without shouting – and they agreed to let him stay at Clarendon Free
(as long as his grades don’t suffer). He has stopped doing his chalk drawings and is doing art at school now. He spends every weekend squirrelled away in different galleries, drawing. Sometimes I go with him, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes, if you pass his house at night and stop to listen, you can hear a violin.

Down in Devon, Zoran is composing a musical. He says it’s based on all of us. And after a long winter, Grandma says she’s well enough to help Gloria with the horses. ‘Just a bit of grooming,’ she says. Skye says Gloria’s horses are the best brushed in the whole of Devon.

I applied for the film course Peter told me about. It took me a while to work up to it but in the end I decided to go for it, because what’s the point of making art that no-one gets to see? The letter came this morning, telling me I’ve got a place. It’s a summer course, so it means that for the first time in my life I won’t be spending the holidays in Devon. I was sad at first, but it’s all right. Devon and Grandma and Skye and the others will all still be there when I’ve finished. Making films is what I have always wanted to do.

One day, I’ll make history.

Life’s just getting started.

Natasha Farrant has worked in children’s publishing for almost twenty years, running her own literary scouting agency for the past ten. She is the author of the Carnegie-longlisted and Branford Boase-shortlisted YA historical novel
The Things We Did For Love
, as well as two successful adult novels. Natasha was shortlisted for the Queen of Teen Award 2014, and the second Bluebell Gadbsy book,
Flora in Love
, was longlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.

She grew up in London where she still lives with her husband, their two daughters and a large, tortoiseshell cat. She is the eldest of four.

The Bluebell Gadsby series
After Iris
Flora in Love
All About Pumpkin

The Things We Did For Love