Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery by Keren David

Author:Keren David
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: MBI
Published: 2011-05-24T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

A good publicist is essential if you’re dealing with the media.

There are times in your life when it really helps to have a mum who’s in PR. I’d always wished she did something a bit more exciting or high-powered – Roo’s mum, for example, is a marketing executive for Capital Radio and Roo gets loads of really cool freebies. And of course Shaz’s mum is constantly rushing off in the middle of the night and delivering triplets who’ve got stuck.

My mum’s job was so dull that I never had anything to boast about. But that day she was a total and utter star.

By the time she got changed, there were five reporters and three photographers standing on the pavement outside.

‘If I know that Donna, she’ll have given an exclusive to the highest bidder,’ she said, ‘which is good news for us, girls, because all the other papers will be out to trash her.’

She opened the door. ‘Come on in!’ she said. ‘I bet you could do with a cup of tea.’

They all trooped up the front path and settled down in the living room while we ran around giving them tea and an entire packet of Jaffa Cakes.

And then Mum started. ‘Of course, Lia’s only sixteen,’ she said. ‘It’s a lot to handle at that age. She’s just a child, really. We’re really proud of her, how she’s handled it. She’s only bought things for other people, you know, hardly anything for herself. She’s taking it very seriously, going to go on a seminar soon which is about using your money responsibly. She asks me all the time about which good causes she should help.’

Lady Gaga would be lucky to get my mum as a publicist.

‘Lia’s trying to balance out all this media attention with her schoolwork. She’s working very hard for her GCSEs. She’s a very responsible and conscientious girl.’

I thought guiltily of my neglected coursework. I really ought to motor on with my slightly overdue History project.

‘Any young girl might have lost her head momentarily if an older person was shouting at them, threatening them. Of course I don’t approve of what she did, not for one moment. Lia will be writing to Mrs Hargreaves to apologise. And of course she should have asked Jack’s parents’ permission before buying him a motorbike. But you know how girls are . . . impetuous. A bit thoughtless. But she only wanted to make her friend happy and say thank you to him for buying her the ticket. She asked him what he wanted and he said a motorcycle. A really expensive, Italian motorcycle, wasn’t it, Lia?’

The reporters munched their Jaffa Cakes, and scribbled in their notebooks.

‘It’s not surprising, really, if people are upset to see one girl with so much,’ said Mum. ‘But Lia’s very responsible . . . very public-spirited. If it were up to her, she’d probably give it all away. We’re spending time talking to her, making sure she ensures her own future is secure.’

She’s laying it on too thick, I thought.

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