Free Fire by Deborah Challinor Page A

there?’ Allie’s hand flew to her face.
    ‘No, there isn’t,’ Colleen said as she sat down. ‘Don’t be mean, girls. Leave your sister alone.’
    Donna and Pauline smirked into their plates.
    ‘What’s he like then, this bloke?’ Pauline asked.
    ‘Fellow,’ Colleen corrected.
    Donna said, ‘Is he coming to pick you up?’
    ‘I’m meeting him in town,’ Allie replied.
    ‘Bugger,’ Donna swore. ‘We wanted to see him.’
    ‘I beg your pardon!’ Colleen said, glaring at Donna.
    ‘What?’
    ‘You just watch your mouth, young lady. Where you get language like that from I don’t know.’
    ‘Jesus bloody Christ,’ Sid said as he missed his mouth with his fork and spilt beans down his front.
    ‘Sid!’ Colleen was losing her temper now.
    Allie started laughing. And then Sid joined in, whichDonna and Pauline took as a sign to giggle hysterically themselves.
    ‘Honestly, sometimes I wonder about you lot,’ Colleen remonstrated, but she got up and went to the fridge in search of the butter so no one could see she was smiling.
    Allie bolted a chop, a mouthful of potato and six beans, then said ‘Excuse me’ as she pushed her chair back from the table.
    Colleen looked up. ‘Is that all you’re going to eat?’
    ‘I’m not that hungry.’ In fact, Allie’s stomach felt as though there were a hundred angry sparrows in it, all fluttering madly to get out.
    ‘Oh, go on then.’ Colleen said, remembering what it was like to be young and getting ready to go out on a date.
    Allie went to her room, shut the door and sat down in front of her dressing table. She lit a cigarette and left it burning in the ashtray, took the towel off her hair and felt her heart sink. Hurrying into the bathroom, she ran hot water over her comb, rewet the renegade sections of her hair, then dashed back to her room and bunged in half a dozen rollers. While she waited for it to set she started on her make-up.
    Though she’d been impressed with what Irene had done yesterday, the result had made her feel sort of uncomfortable and self-conscious—it just wasn’t her. So tonight she left off the eyeshadow, though she did try some of her new mascara. She had to have several goes, however, because it wasn’t as easy to put on as Irene had made it look, and she couldn’t seem to stop her hand from shaking.
    When her hair had dried, she took out the rollers and brushed it until it shone, then lacquered it vigorously soit would stay in place. After she’d changed into her going-out clothes, which included a new pair of twelve-denier stockings that had cost her ten shillings and ninepence, even with her staff discount, she applied her new rose-coloured lipstick and sprayed her wrists and throat with White Magnolia perfume.
    ‘You’d better be worth it, Sonny Manaia,’ she said to her reflection in the mirror. This date had cost her a fortune.
    Sid whistled when she went out into the kitchen. ‘Look at our little girl, Col,’ he said. ‘All grown up.’
    Colleen frowned. ‘Yes, I can see that. You don’t think that skirt’s a little on the snug side?’
    ‘No,’ Allie replied, resisting the urge to tug it down because she knew it wouldn’t budge. She’d be in trouble if she had to run for the bus.
    ‘Hasn’t he got a car?’ Pauline demanded.
    ‘I don’t know, I didn’t ask.’ Which wasn’t strictly true; Allie had automatically assumed Sonny didn’t own one.
    ‘Fancy not having a car!’ Donna said.
    ‘Donna, what did I say to you before?’ Colleen warned.
    ‘I’m just saying—’
    ‘Well, don’t.’
    ‘I’ll be off, then,’ Allie said, edging towards the door.
    Colleen asked, ‘What time do you think you’ll be home?’
    ‘About half ten, I suppose. I’ll get the late bus.’
    ‘You be careful, love,’ Colleen added.
    Allie knew her mother wasn’t just referring to going into town on her own. ‘I will, don’t worry.’
    By the time the bus slowed at the Wellesley Street stop Alliewas convinced