Free Threads by Sophia Bennett

about my stupid legs.’
    She's a pretty good actress, when not in front of a film camera. But she's not good enough for me. I maintain my quizzical look. It's getting a bit painful now and I think I'm developing some fairly unattractive frown lines. Plus, it's hard to drink smoothie from a straw while looking quizzical and I get a dribble of it down my chin, which ruins the effect somewhat. However, my persistence pays off.
    ‘OK,’ she says quietly, putting her glass aside. ‘He kissed me.’
    This, I wasn't expecting.
    ‘He WHAT?’
    I wipe smoothie off various bits of me.
    ‘Don't make it sound so impossible. Anyway, it really was nothing. It was nearly the last day of filming. I was rubbish and I knew it. I was just chatting to him about how rubbish I was and he was saying I was fabulous and what a wonderful talent I had and all that stuff actors say all the time and he could tell I wasn't listening to a word. And then he stopped. He leant over towards me and kissed my face. Just like that.’

    ‘Kissed it where?’
    ‘On the set. Behind the cameras.’
    ‘No, dummy. Where on your face?’
    She looks wistful. ‘On my lips, then my cheek, then my eyes, then my lips again.’
    ‘OH. MY. GOD.’
    ‘And then he looked at me. And I don't normally notice boys, particularly.’
    ‘Me neither,’ I agree. ‘I know I'm supposed to be obsessed, but I always find myself criticising their dress sense. And they can only talk about sport. Except Harry. Or make jokes about boobs. Boobs are SO not funny.’
    ‘Exactly. Joe's different. It doesn't really matter what he talks about. He's got that star thing. It's not just on camera. They're all like that. If they're in a room, you just want to be near them. If they look at you, their eyes bore into you. Joe's eyes are . . . ’
    ‘Internationally famous. Green lasers. I've seen them three times recently in that film of yours.’
    ‘Uh-huh. They just melted me. I felt like a hot little puddle of liquid jelly.’
    ‘Ew!’
    ‘Yeah. Just so silly and . . . ridiculous. I didn't even have the sense to run away. I just sat there, going the colour I've gone now, even talking about it.’ She touches a hand to her hot face. ‘And then we had to shoot a scene, and the next two days were manic with last-minute filming . . . ’
    ‘ . . . and you thought that maybe once things calmeddown he might start pining for you and that possibly when he saw you at the premiere he would take you in his arms and tell you that the sex-goddess girlfriend was a terrible mistake and you were the cherry tomato he'd always wanted . . . ’
    ‘There! You're making it sound impossible again. Anyway, he said nothing. Absolutely nothing. He completely ignored me. He was the only person on those carpets even close to my age and he acted as if I didn't exist. And he's a good actor.’
    I change my quizzical look to puzzled. ‘But he seems so nice. You must have got to him somehow.’
    ‘Sheer embarrassment, probably.’
    I think about it. I'm SO not an expert on boys. But I feel as if I know Joe after several hours spent staring into those green eyes during three screenings of Kid Code and a couple of catch-ups of his older films on cable TV. The plot of one of these gives me half an idea.
    ‘You should go up to him next time,’ I suggest. ‘Say, “Thank you for the kiss.” At least you'll take the initiative.’
    ‘What does it mean, though?’
    ‘I don't know. Neither will he. D'you remember Teen Blues about three years ago? He was the geeky guy who didn't get the girl. Anyway, the girl said something like that to the hero. He was so confused. He didn't know if she was being grateful or rude. He was hooked. It will make you a woman of mystery. Joe can't ignore you after that.’

    ‘But it makes me sound so . . . pushy.’
    I laugh. ‘I bet he's used to a lot more pushy than that.’
    Jenny nods. She's already told me about the fans who introduce themselves to him by lifting their tops.