Princess at Silver Spires by Ann Bryant

be in the show.” I looked down and braced myself.
    â€œNot going to be in it!” squeaked Georgie. “What? The whole show? You’ve said you’re not going to be a model, you mean?”
    I nodded helplessly.
    â€œYou’re mad!” Georgie pursed her lips in disapproval and slumped her shoulders dramatically.
    Katy shook her head slowly, as if she was imagining the scene. “Whoa! Elise must have gone ballistic!” Then her eyes flickered and she spoke hesitantly. “Don’t you think…you’re kind of…committed, after all this time?”
    Mia looked down and I guessed she agreed with that.
    â€œElise isn’t exactly…happy,” I stammered. “But…I’m sorry, I have to stick to my principles.” I sighed and repeated, “Sorry,” with a crack in my voice.
    â€œPoor old Naomi,” said Mia. “You have to follow your feelings, though.”
    That little comment of Mia’s gave me the tiniest ray of hope that my friends would understand why I’d done what I’d done.
    Katy frowned. “Yes, you’re right, Mia,” she said, nodding. A little sigh of disappointment escaped her and I knew she’d be thinking about how she was going to miss the textiles room.
    I put on my most positive tone as a small shred of confidence came back to me. “You could still go along to the textiles room.”
    â€œI might feel a bit spare,” said Katy. She had been staring thoughtfully at the table, but she suddenly sat up straight and smiled brightly. “Don’t worry about me, though. The important thing is that you’ve done the right thing, Naomi. You’ve stuck to your principles.”
    Mia nodded.
    I looked at Georgie. Somehow I needed all my friends to approve of what I’d done, because that might help to take away some of the guilt and embarrassment I was still feeling.
    Georgie wrinkled her nose. “I don’t expect Elise’ll have any trouble finding someone else, so…don’t worry about it, Naomi.”
    I was so relieved I wanted to cry. There were only Grace and Jess left to tell now, and they weren’t half so absorbed in the fashion show as the other three.
    Katy took her arm away but gave me a lovely smile. “Your food’s getting cold. It’s delish by the way!”
    I realized I was starving, and was about to tuck in when I happened to glance up and see Elise marching across the dining hall in my direction. My fork dropped to my plate with a clatter and the hand holding my knife trembled. What had happened today wasn’t going to go away in a hurry.
    If ever.

Chapter Seven

    My stomach felt knotted, especially as Katy and the other two had definitely spotted Elise, and it was clear that she was on her way over to me. The weird thing was that as she got nearer her face began to change, and by the time she’d reached our table she was wreathed in smiles.
    â€œNaomi, hi,” she began, squashing herself on the bench between me and Katy. “Listen, sorry about earlier. I’ve been thinking about how you must feel and I just wanted to kind of reassure you that there’s nothing to worry about. I mean, I realize you hate all the princess talk and I promise you, from now on, the ‘P’ word is banned! Taboo!” She grinned as she made a gesture slashing the air with the side of her hand.
    Now my stomach felt even more knotted, because it was obvious Elise was here to persuade me to change my mind about the show, and I didn’t know what to do. I so badly wanted to do the right thing, but I needed time to think it through properly and I longed to talk to my dad too.
    Elise suddenly swivelled round so she was addressing her next words to Katy and the others as well. “Anyway, the main reason I wanted to talk to you is because I never told you about my dad, did I?”
    I shook my head, wondering what on earth she could be about to