The It Girl by Katy Birchall Page B

walk in London.
    â€œAnastasia is new to fame and will most likely be shy,” says our resident therapist. “One can only hope she will be a calming influence on Marianne. She must not get caught up in the fame game and lose sight of her goals.”
    Marianne Montaine is well known on the party sceneand has often been accused of setting a bad example for young girls. “Anastasia isn’t like that,” a source close to the family explains. “She’s not into fashion, partying, or social events. But as she’s so young, her father marrying someone so high profile has come as a shock to her. She is, however, taking it in stride.”
    Could Ms. Huntley be a new kind of It Girl? We’ll have to wait and see. . . .
    An It Girl? ME?! I HAD SOY SAUCE ON MY TOP! And it was in a NATIONAL NEWSPAPER.
    This was unimaginably awful. I guess I knew deep down that at some point it would be in the papers and it would be really embarrassing. But I didn’t realize any focus would be on me . I thought my embarrassingly-in-love-for-his-very-old-age dad and Helena would get all the attention. I could never show my face at school again—I imagined how hard Sophie and Josie would be laughing right now at the thought that the biggest loser at school had been talked about in the papers in this way.
    Why did it have to be sushi with soy sauce? WHY? Could have gone with a simple easy-to-eat dish like chicken, but no, it just HAD to be sushi with SOY SAUCE.
    I will never eat soy sauce again. It is the worst of all the sauces.
    â€œDad, there’s only one thing we can do. And I think you know what that is.” I pushed the paper away and bit my thumbnail as he watched me carefully. “I’m thinking Italy. It’s sunny there and there’s a lot of cheese. That’s all we need if we’re talking basics.”
    â€œAnna.” He sighed, looking exasperated, which if you ask me was very unfair of him. If anyone should have been looking exasperated, it should have been me. “What are you talking about?”
    â€œDad, we have to leave the country. And don’t suggest Sweden. I know how you feel about those cinnamon buns, but we have to be logical here and Sweden can be very expensive.”
    â€œAnna, stop.” Dad held up his hand. “We’re not leaving the country. I know it’s a lot to take in, but we’re going to have to face it. They were going to find out at some point, and maybe it’s better that it’s out in the open. No more secrets.”
    â€œYou expect me to stay in London? Are you CRAZY?”
    He looked bewildered. “Why am I crazy to expect you to stay in London?”
    â€œDad, I’m not sure whether you’re thinking straight right now. I know you had that limoncello at Helena’s last night after coffee; I’m not sure if that’s gone to your head. Butsurely you can appreciate that you have completely ruined my life.”
    â€œI think you’re being a little dramatic now, Anastasia.”
    â€œAnd that’s another thing. My full name, Dad, they used Anastasia! People at school are really going to go to town on that one.”
    â€œYou have a lovely full name.” He sighed. “I think you’re overreacting slightly.”
    I glowered at him. “Dad! This is all your fault. Everyone in the world will read this and know that I am a massive loser who can’t dress herself! This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me, and it’s all because of you!”
    I turned on my heel and walked straight out of there.
    Then I walked back in to grab the bacon.
    But THEN I walked out again, Dog in tow, and slammed the door, ignoring my dad’s calls for me to come back to talk about it.
    Talk about it! Ha! No way. I knew he would expect me to go shut myself away in the bedroom so I shrewdly shut myself away in the closet, taking Dog with me of course. It was a little annoying when