Free Blueberry Wishes by Kelly McKain Page A

to herself and pulled a face.
    â€œNo, it doesn’t—” I began, but she waved my words away.
    â€œAnyway, I thought it would really suit you,” she said, “so here.” She handed it to me.
    â€œWow, are you sure?” I asked. I put it on straight away and Sienna nodded approvingly.
    â€œI knew it would look great,” she said. “But then, you’d look good in a bin bag.”
    I really wanted to hug her, but I didn’t quite (note to self: get more Italianly expressive!) so instead I ended up thanking her loads instead.
    Sienna was going to make us all coffee to have in the living room, but I knew I really ought to be back by seven if Mum was going to let me out anywhere ever again.
    I explained about my History homework and thanked her for dinner, and then told Marco I had to make a move. We did hug then, and do the Italian three-cheek-kissing thing. And I did the two-cheek-kissing thing with Luke (even though what I’d really wanted to do was the I’m-watching-you thing where you point to your eyes and then their eyes while pulling a Face of Suspicion).
    Me and Marco went into the hallway. “I’ll walk you home,” he said, reaching for his jacket from the pegs by the door.
    â€œNo, I’m fine, really – you stay with your dad,” I insisted. “Make the most of him while…” I stopped myself, but it was too late. I could tell from Marco’s frown that he was filling in the rest of that sentence.
    â€œYou don’t think he’ll stick around, do you?” he asked.
    I didn’t know what to say. What could I say? “Well, it’s just, from what it sounds like, this is kind of what he does…” I mumbled, going bright red.
    â€œIt’s okay,” said Marco, squeezing my hand. “I’m not offended or anything. I don’t think he’ll stay either. But he says he wants to prove that he’s changed. He’s never said that before. So I guess we’ll see.”
    â€œYeah, I guess,” I said.
    â€œI mean, you gave your dad another chance, didn’t you? Even after everything that happened?”
    I shrugged. “Yeah. I suppose so.”
    â€œWell, then, it’s the same,” said Marco.
    I smiled. “Sure it is,” I said.
    I gave Marco an extra big hug, and we had a kiss, but not a snog-type one, because his mum and dad (that still sounded strange) were only about five metres away after all. It did almost turn into a snog-type one, but then I was sure one of them would appear any minute, so I managed to use all my willpower to pull myself away from him. Then we couldn’t resist hugging again, and having a kiss, and then nearly a snog-type one, and the whole thing happened about five times before I finally managed to get myself out of the door.
    As I strode down the street, I found myself turning it all over in my head.
    With my own dad I’d decided to try and move forward and not let the past get in the way of the present. And I’d persuaded Grace to do that too. And Saff. So why was I being so hard on Luke? Why didn’t Marco deserve that fresh start? And why didn’t Luke deserve another chance? Because he’s had so many chances already , I heard myself think. And how many chances is too many? When do you walk away? And when it’s someone as close as a dad, do you ever?

    In Media class on Thursday, Summer and I were using the opportunity to make posters for my stall at the Autumn Fayre. Strictly speaking, we were supposed to be inventing a product and each using different methods to promote it. We had seen our chance and put ourselves down to do a live event as our type of promotion. Of course, I’d created the blueberry face mask a while ago, but when I’d asked Mr. Mac if we could still use it, he’d let us because the event was for charity. I’d made a few pots of it the evening before, after finishing my History homework