Free Playing With My Heartstrings by Chloe Brewster Page B

all I could say was that I wasn't the kid - chocolate-flavoured cereal and spreads had fallen out of my favour long ago.
     
    Cassie picked a scotch egg out of its lacklustre container and threw it into the air, which then - to my utter amazement - landed in her mouth instead of the bee-bestrewn grass.
     
    "Cassandra!" I shrieked. "You don't do that!"
     
    Raising me a devilish grin, Cassie said, "I guess nobody taught you that trick at school, huh?"
     
    I shook my head, amusement beginning to get the better of me. "No, my strict-as-hell maths teacher never gave me a heads-up on how to catch food like an animal," I smirked.
     
    "You must've got the wrong teacher, then," Cassie muttered, laughter spilling out of her.
     
    "Or maybe you attended the wrong school?"
     
    "Yeah, maybe."
     
    Unlike previous occasions, Cassie and I would still bicker about the most stupid things in the world - including throwing crumbling scotch eggs into the air - but a hint of playfulness was apparent, so Mum and Dad were no longer drawn into our petty arguments, which was a major relief. As a hormonal-and-slightly-off-the-rails teen, I was prone to losing my difficult-to-tame temper rather easily and I was propelled further to throw an immature tantrum simply by Dad raising his voice at me and seeming to make a huger deal about the situation than it truly was.
     
    That was sisterhood for me.
     
    Having spent the previous evening writing down my feelings about meeting up with Joel and how he literally admitted to going out with another girl (I couldn't bear to think about who it might have been - one of my party-animal classmates or, mega-gulp, my friends?), Cassie had noticed my subdued mood and decided to cheer me up by devoting the afternoon to some serious girl time and so far she was doing a wonderful job. A few of her dream-to-indulge-on Wispa bars wouldn't go amiss, either.
     
    "Sadie, have you wondered about going out of town this summer?" Cassie asked, this time devouring a scotch egg properly.
     
    "No, not really," I answered. In true honestly, the idea hadn't even crossed my mind. As nearly all of my friends except Tara were holidaying in roasting-hot Spain or exploring the Eiffel Tower or getting involved in riots abroad (thankfully, only one troublesome boy, whom nobody in school would fantasize dating in a million years, had chosen that dangerous idea), I just assumed that I would spending the summer holidays at home, sometimes heading out into the busy centre of town to longingly gaze at a pair of Converse which I can scarcely afford. Sigh.
     
    "Well, one of my friends' sister has just obtained her drivers' license and suggested that all of us could go to Millingbourne later this week," Cassie said, then breathlessly added in an excited rush, "and I was wondering whether you would fancy going."
     
    "Hmm," I mumbled. That sounded like a great plan. Millingbourne was renowned for its fabulous selection of modern, contemporary fashion shops, most of which were teen-friendly, and unlike my full-to-the-tip-of-bursting hometown, Millingbourne was more peaceful and far quieter, yet it didn't mean that there was a lack of thrilling activities to do or beautiful landscapes to see. A faint memory of visiting the town when I was around seven suddenly struck me and I remembered racing by myself into the large, New York-style pack, much to Mum's despair.
     
    Also, the town was near the seaside, so I could make an effort to drag my once-worn Special K lookalike red swimsuit to paddle in the typically chilly water. Perfect.
     
    "Sure, why not?" I eventually said, which caused Cassie to squeal with elation.
     
    "Thank you! Thank you!" Cassie trilled, her voice a high-pitched squeak. "You'll definitely get along with my friends, won't you?"
     
    As the realisation of having to sit in the same car with several other One Direction-obsessed thirteen year olds who didn't truly comprehend the difficulties that Year 10 students experienced in