Free Katie's Secret Admirer by Holly Webb

surprisingly it wasn’t too bad. She quite liked the look of the model’s hair – it didn’t look as though it was going to fall apart as soon as she moved, for a start.
    â€œOK.”
    â€œHave you decided what you’re going to wear?” Becky asked thoughtfully. Katie was currently modelling a highly attractive dressing gown.
    â€œNo. Look, you might as well just tell me. I’m going to end up wearing what you two want anyway, aren’t I?” Now that she’d agreed to let the other two help her, she felt as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders – it was nice to let somebody else make all the decisions for once. “Just nothing too pink, OK?”
    Annabel smiled happily. It was good to have Katie behaving sensibly – it didn’t happen often. “Uh-huh. Well, I reckon you should wear my blue dress. The stripy one? It’s quite sporty, so it should look really good on you.”
    Katie made a face, but more because she felt that Becky and Annabel expected it of her than because she actually objected to the dress. Annabel was right, if she had to wear a dress, that one was a lot better than some they could have tried to force her into. Feeling vaguely as though she was winning, she allowed Annabel to do her eye make-up, though she did make a stand on nail polish.
    â€œNo. You know I can’t sit still for long enough, Bel, and then it gets scuffed and I have to take it off because it drives me mad that it’s spoilt. There’s no point unless you’re going to tie me up to start with.”
    Annabel looked as though the idea was tempting, but she still had her own make-up to do, and Becky’s to sort out once her sister had admitted that she’d done it all wrong, so she gave in. “Oh, OK. I suppose there isn’t really time anyway. I’ve got to look really good – I need to impress Josh and his mates.”
    Katie sighed. Bel really was completely entranced by that idiot.
    Annabel was still applying mascara for Becky when Mum called up the stairs that they needed to go.
    â€œSit still! We don’t want to be dead on time, that would be really sad. Katie, go and tell Mum we’re nearly ready.”
    Katie disappeared downstairs obediently. It was quite restful not being the bossy sister for once, but she wondered how long that would last. She had a feeling that it wouldn’t take her very long to get sick of it.
    Â 
    The school hall looked fantastic. Becky and Annabel gazed round proudly as they walked in – it had looked fab at lunchtime when they’d finished putting up the decorations, but now it was dark outside and the hall was full of people it looked loads better. Even Katie could see how much work they’d put into it.
    â€œWow – it looks so different. Did you make all of this stuff?”
    Becky nodded. “Mm-hm. Us and Saima and Fran and David. And Mrs Cranmer, of course. Me and David mostly just did those big pink hearts, Bel and Fran did the complicated bits.”
    The pink hearts were holding up swags of white and silver streamers that ran all round the walls, and Katie decided that by complicated bits Becky meant the little cupids that were dotted round the walls in a variety of poses.
    â€œSaima made all those roses round the tables,” Annabel put in. “She learned how to make them from one of her cousins, I think. They had a big engagement party for her auntie and they hired a hall and decorated it.”
    Groups of people were dotted round the hall, but no one was dancing yet, even though the music was on. And it was very noticeable that no one was mixing with people from other classes – all the Year Sevens were gathering over in the corner by the stage.
    Annabel dashed over to Saima. “Hey! You look fantastic – I thought you were going to wear your pink trousers!”
    Saima stroked the lilac silk of her sari complacently. “Well, I was, but