Princess at Silver Spires by Ann Bryant Page A

say. And it seemed such a coincidence when I’d only just been thinking about my own dad.
    â€œWell, I deliberately didn’t mention this before because I didn’t want you to get excited and act any different from usual…” Her eyes were all sparkly, and it wasn’t just the glittery eye make-up she was wearing.
    I waited silently, but Georgie was too curious to keep quiet.
    â€œSo, yeah…what about your dad? Why would Naomi be excited? Is he a talent spotter or something?”
    â€œWell, you’ve practically hit the nail on the head!” said Elise, looking mysterious. “My dad is very big in Topshop. He goes round to lots of fashion shows – I mean seriously important ones, all over the country, and abroad too. And every so often he spots someone who he just knows is going to hit the big time and be a supermodel…” Elise paused, as though to let her words sink in. Georgie sat up straight, looking totally impressed, and I felt myself shrinking in my seat. “Anyway, the thing is,” went on Elise, fixing me with a serious but excited look, “I told him about you…” She seemed to freeze for a moment. Maybe she saw the panic all over my face. “I mean, I didn’t tell him you were a princess… No way!” She started to gesture with her hands, and her voice grew louder. “I told him how you’re a natural on the catwalk and everything, and he wants to take a look at you at the fashion show, because, get this…” I felt a heaviness settling in my stomach where all the knots had been just a few moments before. “…He thinks you could be the second Naomi Campbell!”
    â€œNaomi Campbell!” screeched Georgie. “She’s the biggest supermodel of all time, isn’t she?”
    If Elise was hoping this would persuade me to come back into the fashion show, she couldn’t have said anything worse. Mia and Katy were both looking at me anxiously. They knew me well. Even Georgie was biting her lip now.
    â€œI’m sorry,” I began quietly. “I should never have said yes to you in the first place. It’s all my fault, but I was so happy about the money going to Just Water that I got a bit carried away. The thing is, I hate the limelight…”
    The twinkle had completely left Elise’s eyes and I saw her lips going into a thin line. “So that’s it, is it?”
    I nodded.
    â€œRight.” She stood up quickly and flung me a horrible look. “Thanks for wasting my time.”
    â€œSorry.”
    â€œSorry isn’t good enough. I’ll make sure you are sorry, Naomi Okanta! I’ve bent over backwards for you, getting Miss Owen to choose your precious Just Water. Other students put forward suggestions too, you know. Well, maybe she’ll swap to one of those, so that it’s at least a charity chosen by someone actually taking part.” Elise’s voice was growing more and more sarcastic and mocking. “She’s not going to be too impressed when I tell her that Miss Pritchard’s little prodigy has decided she doesn’t want to join in after all!”
    I felt myself cringing from the mean look in her eyes before she turned and stomped off. A few seconds later her words sank in fully.
    â€œOh no!” I said in a panic. “What if she does manage to get Miss Owen to change her mind about Just Water?”
    â€œShe won’t!” said Katy. “It’s on all the posters, remember?”
    She was right. Posters advertising the event had gone up on lots of the school noticeboards.
    â€œYes, but you saw how angry she was. And Miss Owen will probably be really cross with me too.”
    Georgie gave me an apologetic look. “Are you sure you’ve made the right decision, Naomi?”
    Despite everything, it was easy to answer her, especially now I’d really seen Elise’s true colours. “Yes. I just made the decision