Free Princess at Silver Spires by Ann Bryant

alterations to her outfits, but nothing much. And an older girl would look ten times better than me in those designs. I hadn’t even tried on the third outfit yet, so there wouldn’t be any alterations to that one.
    All the same it was true that I’d acted like a prima donna, and I couldn’t help feeling embarrassed about suddenly announcing that I couldn’t go on and dramatically running away. The more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable I felt. I started to imagine myself telling Katy and the others what I’d done. It wouldn’t be easy to explain, and I wasn’t at all sure how they’d react.
    Inside my skirt pocket my phone vibrated. I pulled it out and looked at the number. The screen said Home . Mum occasionally phoned at this time, just before supper. So now I was going to have to explain to Mum what had happened as well, and I simply wasn’t prepared. But I couldn’t not answer her, so I pressed the green button.
    â€œHi, Mum.” And I suddenly realized that the fashion show didn’t have to be mentioned at all if I could keep the conversation on other things. My brain started scouring around for what I could talk about, but Mum didn’t give me time to say anything.
    â€œJust a quick call, Naomi. I wanted to let you know that Miss Carol phoned to ask our permission for you to be interviewed by someone from the local television station on the night of the fashion show, and of course we were delighted because it’s all good publicity. So you might like to start thinking about what you’re going to say. You know how your father always says it’s much better to be prepared.”
    My heart had been sinking more and more as Mum had been talking. I was going to have to admit what I’d done. I couldn’t pretend nothing had happened, because eventually my parents would find out and it would make things worse if they discovered I’d been keeping it secret. But I’d play it right down. Yes, that’s what I’d do.
    â€œThe thing is, Mum, we had the first rehearsal just now and it was obvious I didn’t really fit in, so…Elise is going to try and get someone older instead…”
    There was silence on the other end of the phone.
    I plunged on. “I’m not upset or anything…and it doesn’t mean…I can’t do the interview.” I wasn’t sure if that was true, but I was trying not to annoy Mum too much.
    â€œWhat do you mean, you didn’t fit in?”
    â€œWell…I felt too young.”
    â€œAh! You felt too young. It wasn’t that Elise or any members of staff thought you were too young?”
    Now the silence was at my end of the phone. I couldn’t lie. There was no way out of this one.
    â€œNo,” I whispered.
    â€œOh, Naomi, tell me what happened.”
    Mum’s voice was filled with disappointment, but I couldn’t tell whether it was the kind of disappointment that’s close to sympathy, or the kind that could easily tip over into annoyance. I didn’t want her to be cross with me, but it’s always been so hard to make her understand how I feel about being a princess and wanting that part of my life to be separate from school, and not to get in the way of how people look at me.
    â€œWell…Elise was really boasting about how she’d deliberately chosen a princess for a model because that was sure to make her the winner of the competition, and I’ve got to wear a tiara, and I couldn’t bear it. And… ” I broke into another gabble. “…I can’t tell you what it’s like walking down a catwalk. Miss Pritchard said you have to show off, and you know I hate people looking at me. I just wish I’d never agreed in the first place, but the others thought I ought to, and all I could think was how it would be helping Just Water, so that’s why I said yes.”
    I heard Mum sighing heavily. “I’m