Free Cherry Blossom Dreams by Gwyneth Rees

still outstanding from the end of last term.’
    Sean instantly looked sulky. ‘You’ve heard a lot.’
    ‘Yeah, well … teachers talk. And since Rob Mann happens to be a mate of mine as well as your geography teacher …’
    Sean looked even sulkier. ‘Hasn’t Rob ever heard of pupil–teacher confidentiality?’
    ‘I’m sure he has, but he also knows I have a special interest in you,’ Leo said evenly.
    Sean glared at him. ‘If I want to go and see Zack, then I will – I don’t have to listen to you !’ my brother spat out.
    If Leo was hurt by Sean’s reaction he didn’t show it. But his voice got a lot firmer as he said, ‘Sean, when your mum’s not here I’m in charge and you do have to listen to me. So you can text Zack to say you’re not coming, then you can eat your dinner, do your homework, watch some TV and by then I reckon it’ll be time for you to go to bed. Though you can always skip the TV and go to bed a bit earlier if you carry on with the attitude.’
    Sean narrowed his eyes and even I found myself staring at Leo in disbelief. Was he really threatening to send my brother to bed early if he didn’t behave?
    ‘ Unbelievable! ’ Sean spat at him. ‘And I thought you were cool!’ And he stomped off angrily upstairs.
    Leo’s sternness seemed to evaporate the second my brother left the room. ‘Crikey, what’s got into him ?’ He seemed more bemused than anything.
    ‘He’ll be all right in a bit,’ I attempted to reassure him. ‘It’s just that Mum doesn’t usually …’ I trailed off, not sure quite how to say it, and knowing that it was only half the problem in any case.
    ‘She doesn’t lay down the law like that?’ Leo suggested. As I nodded, he sighed. ‘Maybe I did sound a bit like a Victorian parent …’
    I shrugged. ‘It’s OK. I wouldn’t sweat about it. Though I do see his point about Mr Mann.’
    ‘How do you mean?’
    ‘Well, when we’re at school you want us to treat you like any other teacher, right?’
    ‘Of course.’
    ‘But you’re not treating Sean like any other pupil if you’re discussing him like that with Mr Mann.’
    And I went upstairs, leaving him looking thoughtful.
    In my bedroom I closed the door behind me and went over to stand in front of the mirror. What Lily had said at Blossom House had really got me thinking. Was it true that I needed to be more image conscious? Was I actually starting to look dorky?
    Of course my shoes (which I’d left downstairs) were undisputedly high in dork factor, but when I stared critically at the rest of what I was wearing I didn’t think I looked too bad. OK, so my school skirt isn’t as short as some people’s and I suppose I do look a bit shapeless with my shirt so loosely tucked into the waistband of my skirt, but at least it hides the fact that I’m so flat chested. I don’t think my face looks dorky. I mean, I don’t wear glasses with thick lenses or have my hair scraped back off my face or look like some mini professor (the way Jillian does).
    But I suppose being a dork isn’t just about looking odd. It’s about how you behave as well. Being a chess champion is definitely dorky. Being uber-swotty at school is pretty dorky. I wasn’t so sure about writing poems all the time as a hobby, but I suppose some people might think that’s dorky. But what about just being friends with those people? Did that count as dorky too?
    I was still thinking about it when Leo called upstairs to tell us that dinner was ready. It smelt yummy. Sean, however, didn’t budge from his room.
    Not relishing another showdown between the two of them, and with no sign of Mum returning home any time soon, I decided to take charge of the situation. After all, it’s not just Lily who’s capable of telling people things for their own good that they really don’t want to hear.
    ‘Sean, just because you’re upset about Monty, you shouldn’t take it out on Leo,’ I told him as I stood in his doorway. When he still