Coleen McLoughlin - Dress to Impress

“Don’t mind Coleen,” said Mel as I howled away hopelessly. “It’s a medical thing. Doctors from around the world can’t cure her. There’s nothing we can do except wait until they’re over.”

Frankie looked over at Lucy. “You always this quiet?” he asked with a gentle smile.

Lucy immediately blushed to the roots of her hair. What with me still in fits and Lu doing her beetroot thing, it was all down to Mel to keep Frankie talking.

“Lucy’s a singer,” Mel said. “She saves it for the stage.”

Frankie raised his eyebrows. “Is that right?”

Lucy gave a tiny nod and stared at the sky.

“What stuff are you into?” Frankie pressed on, looking pleased to have started a conversation with Lucy at last.

“R‘n’B,” Lucy whispered.

Frankie grinned. “Cool,” he said.

“Frankie!” yelled Frankie’s dad, his arm wrapped around his younger son’s muddy shoulders. “Time to go!”

Frankie scuffed the ground with the toes of his trainers. “Right,” he said, sounding a bit reluctant. “Gotta go. See you around, yeah?” And giving Lucy one last shy smile, he hurried off.

“Hey!” I said, starting forward. “What school do you—”

But the rest of my question was totally lost as I pitched right over and half-buried my nose in the mud. I’d forgotten about Rascal, who was still draped over my feet. And by the time I’d stood up again, and Mel and Lucy had stopped laughing their heads off, Frankie Wilson was out of sight.

“That was so embarrassing,” I moaned. “First I stare like a crazy person, then I laugh like a snorting pig and then I fall over and get covered in mud! My top’s ruined.”

“It could be worse,” Mel said.

“How?” I demanded.

Mel shrugged. “Dunno,” she said honestly.

“Coleen?” Lucy said. “Could I…maybe…come to the footie again with you next week? It’s been really fun.”

“Sure you can, Lu,” I said absently. Dad was beckoning me. “Gotta go. See you in school tomorrow, yeah?”

With a wave to my mates, I headed across the pitch with my family in the direction of home.

“Look at the state of you!” said Mum as I caught up with her. “What happened?”

“Oh, nothing, Mum. Don’t make a fuss.”

“Well you’d better get cleaned up and change into something sensible when we get home.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

“Billy Wilson’s brother seems like a nice lad,” Mum said.

“He’s cool,” I said. “I think he really likes Lucy.”

“Billy’s the best forward Hartley Juniors have ever had,” Em said, slinging her footie boots over her shoulder and holding Dad’s hand. “The Wilsons only just moved to Hartley last week. Wasn’t his goal brilliant?”

“All set up by you, Princess,” said Dad in the gruff voice he uses when he’s getting emotional.

“Good on you, Em,” I said, cuffing my little sister lightly round the head.

And then the whole world came crashing down around my ears.

There ahead of me was Ben Hanratty, walking towards us. And not only was he heading our way, but he had his arm draped over Jasmine Harris’s shoulders.

I’ve never had anything against Jasmine Harris. She’s another Year Ten like Ben, and she’s tall and shiny-haired. But I do have a problem with her snuggling up to my crush.

“Isn’t that Lucy’s brother?” asked Mum as they came closer.

My eyes were glued to Ben. He was leaning towards Jasmine now. They were about to…

“See you later,” I blurted to Mum and took off sideways, away from the path and the sight of Ben and Jasmine kissing. Kissing .

Ben Hanratty has a girlfriend!

“What’s up with you, Col?” Dad asked at dinner that night.

“Nothing,” I muttered, prodding the green beans around my plate.

“The last time I saw a face that long, I was stood next to a crocodile,” Dad continued.

“Ha, ha.” I squinched up my face at Dad to show him that his joke was totally unfunny.

“Come on, love,” Mum coaxed. “Eat up your tea. There’s apple pie for afters.”

My mouth watered a bit. Mum’s apple pie is the best. She puts in loads of cinnamon and her pastry is always crumbly and sweet. But then I thought about Ben and Jasmine…

“Sorry, Mum,” I said gloomily. “I’m not really hungry.”

Em was still rabbiting on about Billy Wilson. “He’s got the best right foot ever,” she said between mouthfuls of chicken and beans. “And he tackles like a train. And he’s starting at my school after half-term!”

“You’ll be married before we know it,” said Dad gravely, pouring himself a glass of water. “I’ll book the church.”

“Dad!” Em squealed, giggling at the thought of marrying Billy Wilson.

All this talk about marrying was putting me off my food again. What did Ben Hanratty see in Jasmine Harris? OK, so she was in Year Ten with Ben and I was only a little kid in Year Eight, but that wasn’t supposed to matter when it came to love. I decided gloomily that it was the height thing. I’m only a bit over five feet, while Jasmine is so tall she probably spends her free time pulling jumbo jets out of her hair. They say the best things come in small packages. It looked like Ben Hanratty thought differently.

“Apple pie,” Mum announced, clearing the plates and putting a slice of pie each and a jug of thick, creamy custard down on the table.

With my mind still on Ben and Jasmine, it took me a while to register the pie. I should’ve moved quicker. Before I knew it, Em had scoffed her slice, snatched mine and was already gobbling it down.

“Emma!” Mum snapped. She only calls my sister Emma when she’s done something naughty.

“Starving,” Em mumbled between mouthfuls. “Col said she wasn’t hungry.”

I goggled at the empty pie dish. Maybe there were worse things than broken hearts after all.

Going back to school after half-term is always tough. You get into the holiday habit of late morning lie-ins, and then – wham ! When I heard my alarm on Monday morning, I rolled over and turned it off, same as I’d done all week. Then I snuggled back down into my cosy duvet and drifted away again.

The next thing I knew, the covers had been whipped right off me.

“Coleen!” Mum said. “Don’t you realise that it’s eight fifteen? I’ve been calling you for the past twenty minutes. You’re going to be late – get a move on!”

I shot out of bed like my PJs were on fire. My usual bus reaches the stop at around eight twentyfive every morning. Getting the bus after is always pushing it as it usually gets caught up in the middle of Hartley’s rush hour. Besides, it wouldn’t have Mel and Lucy on it – and I seriously needed to talk to Lucy about Ben and Jasmine.

Mum left me to it as I swung around my bedroom like a boomerang. Knickers! An ironed shirt – some hope. Where was my school jumper? And my skirt?

“Mum!” I roared, hopping around as I wriggled into my tights. “Have you seen my—”

A jumper and skirt sailed through the door and landed at my feet.

“Cheers, Dad,” I panted as my dad shook his head and jogged down the stairs.

“See you later, Coleen!” Em called, heading out the door with Mum.

I yanked my tie over my head, slid up the knot like a lasso and took the stairs in one leap. (This is only possible if you get the angle right and try not to put all your weight on the banister. I took the banister off the wall this one time, but that’s another story.) Grabbing my school bag, an apple and a slice of bread, I sprinted through the front door and tore down the street like an Olympic athlete in uniform. Then I groaned. Despite my best efforts, I was too late.