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the
Science lesson passed uneventfully and quickly, for which Felicity
was grateful. As the class left, she was joined in the bustling
corridor by Hollie.
    “He
likes me,” she said excitedly.
    Felicity looked at
Hollie with a blank expression, signalling that she had no idea
what she was talking about.
    “Oliver likes me. I can tell,” Hollie clarified, grinning
widely. “Oh, Fliss, you just have to come to the
Talk tonight. I’ve invited Oliver and, well, you know... I need
moral support.”
    Felicity glanced over
at the group of girls who made up Hollie’s entourage. “But what
about...?”
    “Oh, them?” Hollie
waved her hand dismissively. “I have a lot of friends, it’s true.
But this is important. Oliver might be the man I’m destined to
marry and have kids with and stuff. I simply have to have my best
friend there!”
    Felicity’s mouth
dropped open in surprise before she had a chance to control it. She
was agog: did Hollie just refer to her as her best
friend?
    “So you’ll come,
right?” She looked pleadingly at Felicity but received no answer,
for Felicity was still quite overcome by surprise. “Oh please say
you will!”
    Felicity tried to think of an excuse but ended up opening
and closing her mouth and making strained, gagging noises that
couldn’t possibly have passed for vocabulary. Hollie took that as
an acceptance and emitted an excited, giggly scream, pulling
Felicity into a desperately grateful embrace. “Thank you, thank
you, thank you!’” she squealed, and then composed herself in order
to deliver essential information about the evening. “Tonight’s
colour is red. You have something red you could wear, right? Are
you on Skype? We could compare outfits! But if not then just text
me a picture message. Oh em gee, Fliss, we are gonna have, like,
the best time!”
    Felicity’s shoulders
dropped as she realised she was defeated. Whilst Hollie continued
chatting about what she was going to wear, how she was going to do
her hair and what songs she hoped would be played, Felicity trudged
along behind her, already plotting her absence.
    And then she realised
that Hollie was trying to get her attention. “Oh, Fliss! I forgot
to tell you!” she was saying.
    “Hm?”
    Hollie rooted through
her tiny bag and revealed a note. “I was meant to give you this,”
she said, handing over the piece of paper. “You have an appointment
with the school counsellor, like, now.”
    Felicity read the
note. “Mr Oakley?”
    “That’s him,” Hollie
replied. “He probably wants to make sure you’re settling in
okay.”
    Felicity stared at
Hollie blankly.
    Sensing the need for
an explanation, Hollie continued: “Mr Oakley’s one of those
guidance counsellors. You know, the kind that goes to lots of
different schools to get kids to talk about their problems. Last
year we had a Miss Franks; me and Jamie had to go see her all the
time about our parents’ divorce. Was, like, a total waste of time
if you ask me.” She shrugged. “Anyway, his office is down that
way.” She pointed. “Shall I meet you after?”
    Felicity nodded
helplessly, watched Hollie bounce away down the corridor, and then
she turned and began to make her way to the counsellor’s office.
She was quite grateful to finally be on her own. It wasn’t that she
disliked Hollie; she had been incredibly nice to her, shrugging off
her other friends in order to make sure that Felicity was settled
in her new school. The excitement of having a new student at
Greenfields had worn off after the first day, partially due to the
arrival of Oliver, but Hollie still devoted a lot of time to
Felicity. It was clear that she was eager to be friends, and that
was what concerned Felicity. It was such an alien concept to her.
Being alone was what she was used to; at least she didn’t have to
worry about losing anyone, because she never had them in the first
place. Not really.
    Mr Oakley’s office was
clearly labelled. Felicity hesitated as she raised