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have said that she was monopolising, but there are those of us that can take criticism and those that can’t. I’m afraid Tash is obviously one of the latter. What a disappointment! Just as she was starting to get the tiniest bit on my nerves, however, she fortunately backed down and admitted that I could be right. She then became all humble andwailed that she didn’t have any feminine charms and no boy would ever look twice at her.
    “Especially not Gosh! I mean, Gus. I’m too up front, aren’t I? I’m too pushy. Oh, God! He’s bound to prefer you to me!”
    I am so relieved that Tash climbed down off her high horse. I was only trying to be helpful! As to which one of us Gus will prefer … well! We shall have to wait and see.
    Cooked pancakes tonight, but something went wrong. They turned all grey and leathery, and squeaked when I prodded them. How can a pancake squeak???

    Tash and Ali said they couldn’t eat them, so I was forced to open a tin of ravioli. At least it wasn’t beans!
    Friday
    Everyone at school is hugely excited about the party. We are, too. I suspect it will be a little different from the one we had last year, with Mum and Dad benignlyhovering, and not a boy in sight! Of course, we were only just twelve. We have matured a lot since then.

    Spent all evening deciding what to wear. Tash thinks her red ra-ra skirt with a halter top and her trainers. I think so, too. Short skirts really suit her!

    I am probably going for my floaty gypsy skirt with my new wrap top. Either that or my denim fishtail. I can’t make up my mind!
    If I wear the denim it means I could wear my canvas boots to go with it. I just love those boots! On the other hand, the gypsy skirt is more flattering. Also more romantic!
    I am going to sleep on it.

    Week 3, Saturday
    Auntie Jay is so lovely! She has provided all the food and drink for our party.
    She said, “I wasn’t sure what you’d want, so I just bought a bit of everything. It should be enough, do you think?”
    We were completely knocked out! I said that it would be enough to feed an entire army, and Auntie Jay laughed and said that if teenagers of today were anything like when she was young, they would “go at it like a horde of locusts”. We have spread it all out on the table and can’t stop gloating over it. Tash said it made her feel safe to have it there. She said she had woken up in the middle of the night and started worrying about terrorists again. What worries her now is in case they come on a Friday or Saturday, before we’ve done the shopping. Very earnestly she told me that “The best day would be a Sunday, cos then we’d have stocked up.”
    Honestly! I really thought she had got over this obsession. I know it’s frightening, but there is no point in dwelling on it. We have to get on with our lives. That is what they did in New York; they didn’t let themselves be defeated. I said this to Tash. I said, “I think it’s important that we show our utter contempt and carry on the same as normal, otherwise it will mean that they’ve won.”
    I expected her to argue, or tell me once again that I was insensitive, but to my surprise she said that I was quite right. She said, “From now on, I am simply goingto forget about it. “I told her that that was the best idea she had had in a long time, and suggested that we turn our thoughts to something more frivolous, such as the party. Tash said, “Parties aren’t frivolous … we might meet Gorgeous Boys.” And then she clapped a hand to her mouth and said, “You know what? We haven’t check what Ali’s going to wear!”
    Omigod! So we hadn’t. Left to herself, Ali is likely to be a complete disaster. We immediately prised her away from the computer and demanded that we go through her wardrobe. She spends way too much time on that computer, if you ask me. Getting broadband was a BIG MISTAKE. Surfing the net is not real life! I do sometimes worry about Ali. How can she ever hope to find a boyfriend