Free Love at Second Sight by Cathy Hopkins Page B

whatever Lily was, she was certainly no fake.’
    Effy nodded. Luckily she didn’t press me further because there was another text from Mark and Effy’s attention was elsewhere.

Chapter Eleven
    After Effy had gone off, I headed straight home where I let myself in and headed for the kitchen. Sometimes I wished that we had a cat, just so there was somebody living to
greet me on evenings like this when Mum was out with a friend and the house felt so quiet. Not that I begrudged Mum a night out, no way. I knew that she needed some fun time as much as anyone, but
in the past when she was out I didn’t feel being alone as acutely because Tash and Effy were always here with a DVD or ready for a sleepover or I was over at theirs. So much had changed since
Dave and Mark had come on the scene. A cat would be the perfect solution. A presence that would be there but not ask too many questions. ‘Purrfect solution,’ I said out loud.
    Mum had left me some chicken in the oven but I didn’t feel like eating much. I made myself a hot chocolate and sat at the kitchen table. I pulled out my phone in the hope that there might
be more texts. Nothing. I went up to my room to my computer. No emails so I went to Facebook to see what was happening on there. Effy, Tash and I used to use it a lot last year but none of us
bother with it that much any more. I went to my page. One message, one request to add a friend and a notification that Owen had poked me. I clicked on the request link to see who it was from.
Ohmigod! Finn O’Brady I immediately clicked confirm. My Saturday evening suddenly got a whole lot more interesting as I accessed his page and began to read his status updates, comments left
and checked out his photos. He had thousands of friends, far too many to go through and mainly girls. There were also loads of messages on his wall from girls and probably a ton more private ones I
couldn’t access. Looking through his photos only confirmed what I was feeling deep inside that Finn was one hundred per cent gorgeous.
    After a short while, a notification on the right of Finn’s page attracted my attention. A mini music festival was being held the next afternoon down at Highbury Fields in Islington and
Minted were one of the bands playing. Effy and Tash already had plans to go to a movie with Dave and Mark. What are my options? I asked myself. Home alone? Miss Tagalong with my mates or
be a free, independent spirit and go to the music festival and see Finn? Hmm? I wonder. . .
    The following day, I woke up late to find that Mum was also still in bed. Shall I go to the music festival on my own ? I asked myself as I stared outside at the bright
    sunshine. It seemed a shame to stay inside on such a lovely day and I felt determined to prove to myself that I could still have a good time as a singleton. I don’t need to be with mates
    or in a couple to get out there, I told myself. Life is what you make it.
    I spent a relaxing hour doing a DIY pampering session. First I sang my head off in a honeysuckle bubble bath. After that, I applied my Miss Dior Cherie body lotion then got dressed in my black
jeans and a grey tailored silk jacket that had the vintage feel that I like. A touch of make-up (I didn’t want to look as if I’d tried too hard), then I blow-dried my hair until it
shone.
    Mum was up by the time I went downstairs and looked up from the Sunday papers. ‘Wow, you look lovely,’ she said. ‘Going somewhere special?’
    ‘Music festival,’ I muttered. ‘Back in a few hours.’
    ‘Take your phone,’ she called as I let myself out the front door.
    The park was already full by the time I got to Highbury Fields, with people seated on the ground near the front, others chatting or standing and listening at the back, a few
    lying flat out on their backs enjoying the sunshine. I went to stand under a tree and scanned the crowds. I felt slightly wobbly being on my own and for a few moments wished that Effy or Tash