Free Don't Ask by Hilary Freeman

And that’s supposed to be good? Alex has taste, remember. She went out with Jack.’
    ‘Not that much taste – she dumped him,
remember
?’
    ‘Fair point. The only good thing is I feel less nervous now I’m done up as Laura. It’s like when we went to that fancy dress party and I could act totally stupid because I
didn’t feel like me.’
    ‘Probably best not to bring that up,’ said Katie, wincing. ‘I’m still trying to erase it from my memory.’
    Alex didn’t seem all that impressed with my sartorial efforts. One of the first things she said to me, as we walked up the stairs towards the stand entrance with her dad,
was, ‘Are you sure you support Arsenal?’
    I felt a jolt of fear. Had I been discovered? ‘What do you mean?’
    Her eyes scrolled down my body. ‘Your clothes. I’m worried they won’t let you in.’
    I wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or insulted. I glanced at Alex’s outfit. She had on a pair of faded jeans, with a white T-shirt and a red hoodie – the type of clothes
I’d normally wear. Around her neck was a red and white woolly scarf. ‘What’s wrong? Do I look too chavvy?’
    ‘God, no. I didn’t mean that at all, I wasn’t being rude. It’s the colours. Had you forgotten, we’re playing Newcastle today. You’re wearing black and white
stripes – their colours.’ She pointed to a sign above the entrance. It read:
No away colours permitted.
‘You’ll have to sit with the away fans, if you’re not
careful.’ She giggled.
    ‘Oh God,’ I said, trying to think on my feet. In all my anxiety about meeting Alex, I hadn’t remembered to look up the details of the match on the web. ‘Silly me. I
thought that was next week’s fixture. I was in such a hurry this morning, I just didn’t think.’
    ‘Never mind,’ she said, smiling reassuringly. ‘Have you got any cash? We need to buy you a scarf.’
    I looked in my purse; I had ten pounds, enough to buy some coffees and for my fare home. ‘This is all I’ve got,’ I said, holding it out to her. ‘Is that
enough?’
    ‘Don’t worry, my dad will lend you some, won’t you, Dad?’
    Alex’s dad smiled at me. He was also tall and slim, with a full head of silver-grey hair, and the same toothy grin as his daughter. ‘That’s fine,’ he said, taking a
twenty-pound note out of his wallet and passing it to me. ‘No need to pay me back.’
    ‘No, no, I can’t take your money,’ I said, waving his hand away. I meant it. I felt bad enough about deceiving Alex, but her dad, who seemed really sweet, was totally innocent
in all this. Taking his money was like extortion; I could probably get arrested for it.
Con Woman Arrested at Football Match
the headline would read.
A teenage con woman stole the life
savings from a kindly old man . . .
    ‘I insist,’ he said, pressing the note into my hand and closing my fist around it. ‘It’s nice to finally meet a friend of Alex’s who shares her passion for
football.’
    ‘Thank you,’ I muttered. I couldn’t look him in the eye.
    Alex took me into the shop, while her dad waited outside. There were about five different scarf designs, which I could barely tell apart. ‘You should get this one,’ Alex said,
pointing to a red and white striped scarf identical to hers. ‘It’s the latest one for this season.’
    ‘Cool,’ I said. ‘It’s great.’ I paid for the scarf and then wound it around my shoulders, tying it at my neck. It felt scratchy and I could sense red, itchy welts
forming on my skin underneath. In a strange way, I liked the discomfort; it would serve as a reminder that I couldn’t let my guard down, that I must not relax and slip out of character.
    ‘That’s more like it,’ said Alex’s dad, with a warm smile, when he saw me. He wouldn’t take the change. ‘Buy me a cup of tea at half time.’
    The stadium was enormous, with countless bars and restaurants surrounding a giant, perfectly manicured football pitch. It was strange to be