Love and Muddy Puddles Read Online Free PDF

animated.
    “Who is it?” I said. Was it another friend of theirs? A hairdresser? A manicurist? I was confused.
    “Well, he’s 16, he’s a friend of my brother, he goes to St Vincent’s School and he’s really good looking,” said Saffron, smiling.
    I blushed. “A boy?” I said. “Cool.”
    “Oh, believe me, he is,” said Tiger. “Cool, that is.” She looked at me. “If I wasn’t already going out with Toby, I’d consider him.”
    “Do you already have a boyfriend?” I asked. I guess I should have expected it.
    Tiger looked at me like I was stupid. “Of course,” she said. “We all do.”
    “Well kind of anyway,” said Isabella. “Saffron goes out with Ed. He’s in Year 10 and he does rowing.”
    “Muscles!” said Lise, grinning.
    Isabella swatted her on the head. “Tiger goes out with Toby—they’ve been together for ages. I have a boyfriend in Brisbane—kind of—but I still flirt with a guy called Danny, and Lise won’t decide between Soapy and Foggo.” She looked at my surprised face. “Nicknames. Soapy is Sam and Foggo is Zac Fogarty. Get it? Oh, and they’re all pretty much friends of each other.”
    “Are they all, like, older?” I asked.
    “Of course,” said Saffron. “I mean, have you  seen  any Year Eight boys recently?” She made a face and rolled her eyes.
    “Ick!” agreed Lise.
    “We only talk to guys in Year 10 and up,” said Tiger. “We don’t bother with babies.”
    “But anyway,” said Saffron. “The point is that we’re glad you’re here because Ed and Toby have a new friend called Darcy. We met him in the holidays and he is really good looking.”
    “Mmm. Dark hair, nice shoulders,” said Isabella, nodding. “He’s a rower, isn’t he? Doesn’t he row with the guys? Isn’t he in the same boat?”
    “Anyway,” said Saffron, ignoring Isabella, “he told us to find him someone—just like you really. He likes long hair and a cute face.”
    “He said that he trusts Saffron to find him the perfect girl!” said Isabella. “How romantic is that?”
    I could feel my face going pink and prickly all over. This was completely awesome as well as being utterly embarrassing. But his name was a good start. I’ve been in love with Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice ever since Mum first showed me the TV series. And if Saffron liked him, he must be extremely cool.
    “So, what’s he like?” I asked.
    “What?” said Tiger, looking at me oddly. “We just told you. Dark hair, good looking, rower, goes to school at St Vincent’s. What else do you need?”
    “His dad is really rich—does that help?” said Isabella. “And his family goes skiing every year in the US.” She looked confused, like she didn’t really understand the question. I didn’t know how to tell her that I was talking about whether he had a sense of humour and if he was quiet or loud. Things like that. But Saffron came to the rescue.
    “Here, this is what he’s like,” she said and she pulled out her phone. “I’ve got a photo of him and Ed. You can have a look.”
    She passed the phone over to me and I nearly died on the spot. There on the screen was a photograph of the most beautiful boy I had ever seen in my life. He had dark curly hair, olive skin, black eyes and a smile that I couldn’t take my eyes off.
    Before that minute I’d never understood books or poems that talked about things like hearts melting or people going weak at the knees, but as soon as I saw that photograph I felt both of those things at once. If I hadn’t been sitting down, I might have fallen over. As it was I had to catch my breath and control my voice.
    “Wow,” I said, my eyes opening wide. And that was all I could say.
    “She likes him!” said Isabella. “Look at her face. She’s in love! Woo hoo!”
    “Crush!” said Lise.
    Even Tiger Lily lifted her eyes in amusement to Saffron who gave me a great big smile. “See, I knew you’d like him.”
    It was true. I liked Darcy, just from one