Party at Silver Spires by Ann Bryant

Sasha’s wardrobe at home.
    â€œYes! Isn’t it cool?” Sasha squeaked.
    She hadn’t told me what I wanted to know, but, in any case, I was kicking myself that I hadn’t just got on the phone to Mum and asked her to buy me something on her credit card and send it to me.
    Yet I knew in my heart that Mum would never be able to afford to splash out like that, so really, when I thought about it, I was glad I hadn’t asked her. She probably would have felt embarrassed and gone ahead and bought me something, but then she would have had to deny herself something else, and that wouldn’t have been fair.
    â€œLet’s see what you’re going to wear, Nicole!” Izzy suddenly said. “You still haven’t shown us.”
    I felt as though the blood had left my face. “I…I…”
    They were all looking at me. Waiting. I had to say something. So I said the first thing that came into my head. “Aha! It’s a secret! You’ll have to wait and see!” And then I felt as though my insides were caving in and I hardly had the strength to stay standing up, because now I’d made everything a million times worse.
    No one seemed to notice that anything was the matter with me though, thank goodness, because Sasha and Izzy had gone back to rushing around clearing away their pots and bottles and hairsprays and things.
    But then I was just about to open the door to get away, when Izzy suddenly screeched, “Show Nicole your dress, Antonia!”
    â€œIt’s really the coolest dress you’ve ever seen,” added Sasha.
    â€œI saw it before,” I said turning to the door.
    â€œNo, this is another one. Go on, Antonia! Show Nicole!”
    â€œEet ees too late,” said Antonia, shutting her wardrobe door firmly. And when she turned round to face us, I saw something in her eyes that I’d never seen before – something fiery that I didn’t understand, but it shocked me.
    Izzy and Sasha must have seen it too, because they both looked suddenly embarrassed, and a bit sorry for me. It was obvious to everyone now that Antonia really didn’t like me at all. Not even enough to show me her dress.
    â€œRight, I’ll see you over there,” I said, using every last drop of strength I had to try and pretend that I wasn’t at all hurt and that Antonia didn’t bother me.
    But she did. And so did the party. And so did this dormitory. I had to admit it, I wasn’t coping at Silver Spires. I’d never ever felt this low.
    Waking up on Saturday morning was horrible, because the memory of the previous evening came flooding in before I’d even opened my eyes. I wished there was no such day as this day.
    By lunchtime every girl in Forest Ash was buzzing with excitement about the party and I felt dizzy with the effort of trying to block it out. I could hardly eat a thing, but I didn’t want to draw attention to myself, so I tried my hardest to force my lasagne down. The only good thing was that Antonia wasn’t there. I knew she’d be here at any moment, of course, but I couldn’t help feeling pleased that there wasn’t a place on our table. For all I knew, she might have actually come into the dining hall already but chosen to sit on another table away from me, as she despised me so much.
    My heart seemed to shrink whenever I had thoughts like this, but I couldn’t help them.
    â€œAre you feeling all right, Nicole?” I looked up at the sound of Emily’s voice. I’d been miles away, staring down at my food and thinking miserable thoughts. “You’ve hardly eaten a thing and you look kind of…pale…”
    â€œYes, you do, actually,” said Bryony, putting her hand on my shoulder.
    They looked so worried about me that I felt like bursting into tears, and I was about to assure them brightly that I was fine, when the most brilliant idea burst into my head. This could be the answer to all