Mates, Dates and ♥♡♥ Inflatable Bras. Book 1

Chapter 15- Decisions, Decisions...

   ‘So, girls,’ said Wacko a fortnight later. ‘Next week I want your subject choices in. You’ve all had plenty of time to think about it so I expect your papers on my desk on Monday.’

   Eek. Double eek. I hadn’t thought about it at all. Not for ages. I’d been too busy having a good time with Nesta and Izzie and making clothes and doing my bedroom.

   We’d spent the last two weekends painting. Lal and Steve had helped and it looked fantastic. I chose lilac mist for the walls and, as I’d seen in the interior magazine, we painted the woodwork pale powdery blue. The room was transformed and looked much bigger, as well as cleaner and brighter.

   Mum took me down to a market in the East End to look for fabrics for the curtains and cushions but we didn’t see any I liked at any of the stalls. Then we passed an Indian shop. Rolls of beautiful materials were spilling out on to the pavement. I had to stop. Lovely shimmering jewel colours with silver and gold borders.

   ‘Mum, let’s look in there,’ I said, pulling her in.

   I found a roll of sky blue sari fabric with a silver embroidered border. It would look stunning against the lilac walls and it wasn’t too expensive. We made our purchase then bought some lining and some curtain rails.

    When I got home, Mum helped me do the curtains and we made them so that the lovely silver border was at the bottom. We even had enough to swathe some at the top. It was the finishing touch and made the room look floaty and soft.

   The overall effect was lovely but had taken up all my spare time. Subject choices hadn’t even got a look-in.

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Things were looking up on the boy front too. When I go out with Izzie and Nesta now, boys look at me as well. And not just the nerdy ones that no one else wants. Some quite cute ones have given me the eye. But to my mind, no one came close to Tony.

   I saw him a couple of times at Nesta’s but he ignored me. I don’t think he had recovered from us all laughing at him. Then one evening, he came out of his room when I was going to the bathroom.

   ‘Psst,’ he said. ‘Lucy, in here.’

   I followed him in and he shut the door. I stood there nervously wondering what he wanted. Then before I could say anything, he pushed me back against a wall, put my arms around his neck and kissed me. A long deep sensual kiss
that went right down to my toes and back again.

   Then he stood back. ‘So, do you want to go out some time?’

   I remembered everything that Nesta had said about him. He likes a challenge then dumps the girl. Nesta said he’d even chucked the girl I saw
there a couple of weeks ago. Izzie’s words also went through my head. Don’t be too easy. Boys like a challenge. Although it was very tempting, I took a deep breath and moved away from him.

   ‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘I’ll think about it.’

   He looked taken aback then shrugged. ‘Suit yourself.’

   Then he opened the door to let me out. ‘You’re probably too young for me anyway.’

   But he was smiling as he said it.

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   Time was running out. Monday was D-day for Wacko and Saturday was the Clothes Show. When was I going to have time to choose my subjects? I got my file out and sat at the kitchen table with what I had done so far in front of me. Three lines.

   ‘Lucy, shouldn’t you be in bed?’ said Mum. ‘It’s almost eleven o’clock.’

   ‘We have to hand this in on Monday and I still haven’t a clue what I want to do when I grow up. Too many choices. It’s driving me mad.’

   Mum sat down at the table next to me. ‘I remember feeling the same,’ she said. ‘In fact even now I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.’

   ‘But you are grown up. And you have a job.’

    ‘Yes, but I still feel nineteen sometimes. There’re always choices, aren’t there? I mean, I know I have a job. I’m a psychotherapist. But that’s not what I am. It’s only what I do. Who I am is changing all the time and I could change my job any time I want.’

   ‘I wish I could decide on just one thing, never mind think of changing. It’s such a nuisance.’

    ‘Choice isn’t a curse, Lucy. It’s a blessing. And there will always be choices. Every day, every week. They’ll keep coming.’

   I groaned.

   ‘There are easy choices, like do I want tuna pizza or four cheeses? Shall I paint my nails pink or purple? And there are the bigger choices, more serious stuff like career or relationships. And those choices will seem to keep changing depending on how you’re feeling inside as well as how outside influences affect you.’

   ‘It all sounds so complicated,’ I sighed. ‘Oh for an easy life.’

   ‘I’ll drink to that,’ said Mum. ‘How are you getting on with that boy you like?’

   ‘He says I’m too young for him. But it’s not that. One of the girls he went out with, I thought she was sixteen but turns out she’s the same age as me. I just look young for my age.’

   ‘You’ll see that as a gift one day,’ smiled Mum. ‘It’s a family gene, none of our family looks their age. Believe me, when you’re thirty or forty you’ll be glad you look younger. But for now, come on, up to bed. Sleep on it. You never know, it might all become clear in the morning.’

    Fat chance. I’ll never be able to sleep. What if I pick the wrong subjects and regret it? I wish, I wish I knew what to do. Decisions, decisions,
decisions.