Free Star Reporter by Tamsyn Murray

think we could spare ANY.”
    Mum adjusted the strap of Joshua’s baby rocker and smoothed down the tuft of hair at the front of his head. “I know the last few months have been tough on you, Cassie, so I borrowed it from the holiday fund. We don’t want you to wear the wrong thing, do we?”
    I shook my head. “Mum—”
    â€œNo arguments,” she said firmly. “Go shopping with Molly and Shenice and get something nice. Just don’t tell your dad.”
    I don’t know about you but I did not see this coming. Dad has given me money with instructions not to tell Mum. And now Mum has given me money with instructions not to tell Dad. Am I supposed to spend all of it, some of it or none of it? Is it some kind of test?
    I bet Taylor Swift never has this problem.



Chapter Eleven
    E-PETITION Number of signatures: 849
    Nathan gave me the sweetest smile in registration today. I’m still not one hundred per cent convinced that I didn’t dream the whole weekend but it does appear that Nathan asked me to the May Ball and that my parents inadvertently gave me forty pounds to buy something to wear, which kind of took the edge off the discovery that Rolo had peed on my rug this morning.
    At break, Molly and Shenice were desperate to hear every last detail about how Nathan had popped the question.
    â€œDid he write it on a note and tie it to a balloon? Or did he spell it out in those candy letters you can buy?” Molly asked, with a faraway look in her eyes, as though she was picturing the scene. “Ooh, did he get down on one knee?”
    Shenice and I looked at each other, both wondering what planet she was actually on.
    â€œCalm down, Molly,” Shenice said, shaking her head. “He asked her to the ball, not to get married.”
    Molly looked embarrassed. “Yeah, sorry. It’s just that if Liam ever asked me out, I like to think that’s how he’d do it.”
    I laughed. The truth is Liam is about as romantic as ringworm, which made it even more unlikely that he’d made a move on Anjel, now I came to think about it. Whoever was behind JOJ, they’d got that completely wrong. “Speaking of romance,” I said, turning to Shenice, “any sign that your mum is planning to tell you about her and SEÑOR AMOR?”
    She shuddered and glanced around to make sure no one could overhear us. “No, but he did say BUENOS DIAS when he passed me in the corridor this morning.”
    Molly eyed her sympathetically. “Ah. He’s being all friendly so that it won’t be such a shock when he marries your mum.” Her eyes drifted away again. “I wonder how he’ll propose.”
    â€œI can’t believe this is happening!” Shenice blurted out, stamping her foot angrily and causing several people to stop what they were doing to stare at her. “I don’t want a stepdad!”
    And she especially didn’t want one who worked at the school. “Have you – er – thought about asking your mum what’s going on?” I asked. “There might be a reasonable explanation.”
    She rounded on me. “Oh yeah, I’m sure there’s a good reason why she’s spending so much time with our Spanish teacher.”
    Several more heads turned our way. “Ssshh!” I hissed. If Shenice wasn’t careful, the whole school was going to know about her mum and Mr Ramirez and she’d HAVE to emigrate to Spain to get away from the teasing. “Take it easy, Shen.”
    Molly joined in and between us, we managed to talk Shenice down from committing social suicide right there in the playground. I don’t know how we’ll do it next time – she’s got the wild-eyed look of a girl totally on the edge.
    The magazine meeting wasn’t as much fun as usual at lunchtime. Mr Bearman asked me how my article was going and I couldn’t quite look him in the eye when I said it was coming