Follow Me Down by Tanya Byrne

Author:Tanya Byrne [Byrne, Tanya]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Juvenile Nonfiction, General, Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 9780755393107
Google: 90EeZSymf0MC
Amazon: B00ABLJ4KU
Publisher: Headline
Published: 2013-05-08T23:00:00+00:00

167 DAYS BEFORE

DECEMBER

When Hannah called this afternoon to say that Scarlett had blown out on a play she was supposed to review, I was thrilled. I mean, I’d rather it wasn’t something Scarlett couldn’t be bothered to do, but I’m not a staffer on the Disraeli so I have to take my bylines where I can get them, right? Plus, I like going into Bath, with its glossy bars and restaurants; it’s practically Manhattan compared to Ostley and it was a way out of Crofton on a Saturday night that didn’t involve having to climb down some trellis, which was no bad thing. But when Hannah told me that I had to go to the theatre by myself, my enthusiasm waned.

I guess Scarlett didn’t mind if she only requested one ticket, but I’ve never done anything like that by myself. I travel alone all the time, but there’s a thrill to that, to being fussed over by the cabin crew while I read Ovations magazine, but I’ve never done anything sociable on my own. I might have a coffee by myself, but I’ve never eaten alone and I’d rather miss a movie than see it by myself. I had hoped my parents would say no when Hannah asked for their permission, but the one time I would have welcomed them being overprotective, of course they weren’t. My disappointment must have been obvious because Hannah told me not to be silly, that even if I went with someone, we wouldn’t be able to talk during the play. She was right, but I still felt a pinch of embarrassment as I walked into the theatre alone.

I was in such a rush to get to my seat that I wouldn’t have seen him if he hadn’t said my name. I almost didn’t stop, sure that I’d imagined it because I’d been thinking about him, so when I heard him say my name and turned to find him next to me in the cluttered foyer, I still thought I was imagining it, kind of like when you stare at your phone, then it rings.

‘Miss Okomma. What a lovely surprise,’ he said with a smile that made me need to catch my breath before I could say hello back.

He’d never smiled at me like that, like he really meant it, a big, helpless smile he had no control of, the way I used to smile in school photographs before I cared that my parents were going to frame it and put it on the mantelpiece. There was an honesty to it that made me feel a bit silly, and I found myself fussing over my pashmina as I watched him tuck his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

I’d never seen him like that, either, so relaxed. We were away from Crofton so I guess he didn’t need to try as hard, he didn’t need to tuck in his shirt or say something to make everyone in class laugh. He could just be himself. He

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