Secrets Read Online Free PDF Page B

Maria might be different.
    I’m
the one who’s different.
    I wish everyone didn’t think I’m weird.
    Wanda was waiting for me, leaning against the railings and inspecting her nose in her pocket mirror. She hasn’t put on an ounce of weight with all the chocolates she eats but she hasn’t half got spotty.
    Maria and Alice brushed past us, giggling like anything.
    â€˜Why are you blushing, India?’ said Wanda.
    â€˜I’m not!’ I said, stupidly.
    Wanda held her mirror up. I saw a flash of Boiled Lobster Girl.
    â€˜I’ve been running. I’m hot,’ I said, though it was so cold I was huddled right up inside my duffel coat. It’s part of the school uniform. Unlike every other girl in our school I actually
like
the old-fashioned uniform. Especially the duffel coat. Dad always calls me his little Paddington Bear when I wear it.
    Well, he
did
. He doesn’t call me anything now. He doesn’t seem to notice me most of the time. When he
does
I just seem to get on his nerves.
    He came across me sitting on the stairs reading Anne Frank’s diary. He tripped over me, actually. He asked if he’d hurt me and I shook my head, although he did a bit. I think I’ve got a bruise on my bottom where his foot accidentally kicked me. I can’t be sure though because I never have a proper look at my bottom. It’s too depressing.
    â€˜So why are you looking so miserable then?’ Dad said, peering down at me.
    I sighed deeply, wondering where to start. I hoped Dad would sit down beside me but he stayed looming over my head. I began to tell him about Maria and Alice but after a sentence or two he started fidgeting.
    â€˜I’m sure you’ll all make friends again soon. Why don’t you ask them both round to play?’ said Dad, starting to go downstairs.
    â€˜We don’t
play
,’ I said, offended. ‘And I haven’t ever
been
friends with Maria, that’s the point. I haven’t got a proper friend at my horrible old school.’
    â€˜Well, maybe you’ll be going to a new school soon,’ said Dad.
    I peered at him, trying to see his face in the gloom of the stairwell. He didn’t sound as if he was joking.
    What did he mean, a new school? I suddenly got tremendously worried. Maybe Dad and Mum were planning to send me to boarding school? Perhaps they’d got sick of me being in the way?
    Miranda goes to boarding school now. She
wanted
to go. She loves the
Harry Potter
books and thought the whole boarding school idea would be wonderful – but she positively hated it at first. She wept buckets – tanks – a whole
swimming pool
. The letter she wrote to me was all tear-stained and smudgy. OK, she says it’s not so bad now. In fact last time she wrote to me she said it was great. She hasn’t actually written for ages now. I’ve written three times in a row.
    I would hate to go to boarding school because I’m sure I wouldn’t fit in. You have to play team games and I’d never get picked. The teachers would doubtless make squashing remarks and all the girls would gang up on me.
    But if I went to
Miranda’s
boarding school she’d look out for me. She’s got a new best friend now, I know, but maybe I could be her
old
best friend? Perhaps boarding school wouldn’t be quite so bad?
    â€˜Can I go to Miranda’s boarding school, Dad?’ I asked as he got to the bottom of the stairs.
    He stopped and stared up at me.
    â€˜What?’ He seemed to have forgotten what we were talking about. He often does that nowadays.
    â€˜Can I go to Miranda’s boarding school?’ I repeated. My voice sounded funny. I get a little bit scared talking to Dad now even though he’s my favourite person in all the world. It’s because he can suddenly get so grumpy, growling at me like he
hates
me.
    He growled this time.
    â€˜For God’s sake!’ he exploded. He didn’t