Free What's a Girl Gotta Do? by Holly Bourne

Lottie. Come on. ” Like I wasn’t almost eighteen or anything. But, in that time, we’d decided to try and recruit someone from Evie’s film class to get involved. We planned to propose it as the new FemSoc campaign in the next meeting, hoping they’d be behind it, as we’d technically be highlighting every other injustice put forward for a campaign in this one. And we gave ourselves two weeks before it started – to get everything sorted. When we’d pulled out the calendar I’d bitten my lip. I hadn’t heard back from Cambridge yet. And if I got an interview, it would be worryingly near the month of the Vagilante Project.
    I almost didn’t want to think about it…
    Would I keep up the project during the interview?
    I’d have to.
    My tummy flipped on itself, like it had been scoured down the middle. I mean, surely, if I had to point out sexism, it wouldn’t be appreciated? But if I didn’t get in, what if Mum and Dad were right, and not going to Cambridge messed up my chances of climbing the political ladder so I could really change things?
    Would not speaking up count as flicking the switch?
    Slowly, I lowered my head onto the desk.

ten
    Evie found me holed up in the library two days later.
    â€œLottie,” she whispered so loudly it could hardly be called a whisper. “I have exciting but not perfect news.”
    About ten annoyed-looking heads spun around to glare. I was in the silent area, cooped up in one of the weird little cubicles they have, trying to make sense of my economics coursework.
    I pointed to the door, Evie nodded, and we both walked out. She was dancing around on her feet even more so than usual – she was obviously excited about something. It’s weird she’s so curvy, considering how many calories she burns every day with nervous energy. But, as she’d said before, “ Even when I was sectioned because they’d misdiagnosed me with an eating disorder, I still had these bloody boobs .”
    The ordinary section of the library seemed extra-noisy after being holed up in silentland for so long. My ears adjusted to the buzzing of students – chatting, comparing homework answers, showing each other videos on their phones.
    â€œWhat is it, O excitable one?” I asked. “You’re making me want to Cossack dance.”
    â€œI’ve found someone to film your project,” she said. “They want to meet you later today.”
    â€œYou have?! Oh my God, that’s amazing. Maybe we SHOULD do some Cossack dancing!” I was just in the process of bending down, ready to fly my legs out, when Evie pulled me up again.
    â€œWait. There’s a catch.”
    â€œOh.” I readjusted my skirt. It was a tight lacy pencil one – I’m not sure how I would’ve managed to Cossack in it. “What is it?”
    â€œThere’s no nice way of saying this…”
    â€œEvie!”
    â€œOkay. Well, he’s an arsehole.”
    â€œWoah, really?” I stood back with the shock of hearing Evie swear. “If you’re calling him an arsehole, he must really be an arsehole.”
    She nodded, her blonde hair whooshing around her face. “His name’s Will and he really is. Oli and I have asked everyone, but we’ve got this coursework coming up so people are pretty busy. Will’s up for it though. And he’s a good film-maker. He’s made a few shorts already.”
    â€œHow is he an arsehole?”
    â€œWell…umm…”
    â€œEvie, spit it out.”
    â€œWell, he’s quite chauvinistic, I think…”
    â€œWhat? Seriously?”
    She nodded again. “He’s VERY arrogant. I think he gets off on starting debates… Oli says he’s all right, but I don’t like him. And I don’t think you will. I’m always getting into arguments with him in class because he says stuff like male directors are better than female