Free Party at Silver Spires by Ann Bryant

something to wear, or at least borrow some jewellery. But I didn’t dare. They’d think I was weird for not having anything suitable of my own.
    As soon as no one was paying attention, I slipped out and went down to the internet room. I started to write an angry e-mail to Mum telling her how stupid I felt because she hadn’t even thought of getting me something to wear for a posh party. But then I deleted everything I’d written, because it wasn’t Mum’s fault. She’d probably thought, like I had, that my black trousers and my favourite top would be fine. I tried to write a more newsy e-mail instead, but there was nothing I felt like saying, so instead I went on the Silver Spires website to cheer myself up with some pictures of the glinting spires on the main building. But then I found myself reading the page called What’s Happening This Weekend? And as soon as I saw the Forest Ash Oscar Party mentioned, I felt more depressed than ever.
    The next morning I woke up feeling sick with panic. There was so much talk about the party at break time that I made sure I went into lunch a bit late on my own. As I stood in the queue, I found myself looking around, hoping there wouldn’t be places near anyone from Forest Ash. I just wanted to be certain there was no chance I’d get drawn into a conversation about the party. I could see everyone from my dorm except Bryony sitting at the end of a full table.
    But then Bryony came up right behind me.
    â€œWhat’s on the menu?” she asked, peering over my shoulder. “Spag bol. Good. I’m starving.”
    â€œThere aren’t many places left to sit,” I said, thinking that this might be an excuse for Bryony and I to sit on our own. But at that very moment two whole tables of girls got up to go so there was suddenly loads of room, and in the end all six of us were sitting together as usual. And then a few other girls joined us, until there was only one place left.
    I noticed Suki was about fourth in the queue to get her meal, and I crossed my fingers under the table that she wouldn’t come and join us. Whenever she was around, the conversation always seemed to turn into something or other to do with money and how much she’d got compared to other people. And that kind of conversation was almost as bad as talking about the Forest Ash party.
    My eyes kept flitting over to the line and willing one of the girls in front of Suki to come and fill the last place at our table, but it was no good. None of them even glanced in our direction. They just went straight off to the other side of the room. I watched Suki take a look around, her chin held high as it always was, then come marching over to the spare place at our table. It was right opposite me. I sighed a big sigh without letting it show, then concentrated on eating my spaghetti.
    â€œHello, folks!” she said, as she sat down and began poking at her food with her fork, a disgusted look on her face. “I can’t stand spag bol like this,” she said after a moment. Then she looked at Antonia and smiled. “I bet your father wouldn’t allow this in his restaurant!”
    Antonia’s eyes flew open. “Spaghetti ees very popular in Italy,” she said, sounding a bit offended.
    â€œYes, I know, I’m just saying it’s not that great at Silver Spires,” Suki explained.
    Antonia didn’t reply, so Suki carried on. “We’re actually paying for this food, and it’s hideous,” she said, twisting spaghetti round her fork, and using her spoon to hold it in place, then putting it in her mouth and grimacing.
    Bryony looked cross. “It’s not a five-star restaurant, you know, Suki. And anyway we’re not paying, are we? It’s our parents who pay.”
    I flinched, and hoped like mad that my friends would remember not to say anything like Nicole’s parents don’t have to pay, of course, but I didn’t