Between the Lives Read Online Free PDF

put a colour through it. I swear your hair would look amazing platinum blonde.’
    The worst part is, I agreed. I’d love to go either way – to Miriam’s beautiful blonde or Lucy’s gorgeous rich brown. But I just shook my head.
    ‘I like it the way it is,’ I said confidently.
    ‘Yes, but a change is as good as a holiday and you could do with a serious vacation!’ Miriam persisted.
    ‘No, I really couldn’t,’ I mumbled. Change was not my friend.
    ‘What?’ Miriam asked, pausing with the brush mid-stroke.
    ‘Nothing. You’re right. Maybe after graduation or something,’ I lied. But at least it stopped the conversation.
    When she’d finished, I slipped into my dress and strappy high heels and almost laughed at what the other-me would think of herself looking like this. I smoothed down the beautiful green silk on the understated but sexy halter-neck dress, which showed off my figure and said to the world: I’m not a schoolgirl anymore . Finally. I felt myself smile, knowing that although it had taken twice as long as everyone else I was at last reaching a landmark moment in my life.
    Things would become easier for me as an adult. I wouldn’t have to hide as much. Dumb it down. Not have an opinion on issues I shouldn’t be concerned with. Things would get better. They had to.
    And then I swallowed hard, knowing that out of everyone I was best at lying to myself.
    ‘Right,’ I said, pulling myself together. ‘Mission Mother.’
    Lucy and Miriam followed me downstairs. Miriam looked divine in a knee-length cream dress that fit snug to her body and kicked out at the bottom. The intricate beading that snaked its way from the low-cut back, petering off towards the bottom hem, set off the fabric perfectly. Lucy had gone for the fresh look with a spaghetti-strap peach dress. Also stunning. Together we were kind of rocking it.
    We posed for some photos to satisfy Mom – then a few more after Lyndal, Mom’s sister and best friend, arrived. Finally we managed to get them into the car, promising we would behave. In return they promised they would stay away until 2 a.m. It was the time we’d settled on over the last three weeks. Mom’s midnight suggestion was never really an option if my social standing was to be upheld, and my 4 a.m. opening offer was only on the table so we could meet at the middle. Two o’clock was respectable, and it was all I could be bothered with anyway.
    When I walked out to the pool area where everyone would gather in the next half hour, I was stunned.
    ‘Oh my god,’ I gasped, for once not faking it.
    Lucy was jumping up and down. ‘Legendary. I told you,’ she beamed.
    ‘Lucy. Did you …? How …? How did you …?’
    ‘Actually most of it was your mom. She asked me the other day how all the preparations were going and when I told her some of my grand vision, she offered to help.’
    Miriam glided up to one of the three perspex walkways that hovered over our long pool – lit from beneath with sunken balls of light – and lifted her hand to catch a stray bubble floating out from one of the many discreetly placed bubble machines.
    ‘My mother did this?’
    ‘Most of it.’ Lucy nodded.
    ‘Wow,’ I said, taking in the hundreds – no, thousands – of tiny fairy lights scattered all through the gardens: in the tall maple trees and down in the garden beds, lighting pathways and wrapping around the hedges along the pool. The entire backyard was alive with a beautiful, fairy-like glow. ‘It’s breathtaking.’
    By ten, I was drunk.
    The boys had delivered in the drinks department, arriving right on time with two vans full of alcohol. God knows how they managed to get hold of everything, but they had – and they were, as always, manly proud of their efforts. I was surprised they refrained from beating their chests as they unloaded the loot. Champagne, kegs and vodka-punch were set up on the makeshift bar in the pool house. Before long, the entire backyard was flooded with