Do You Remember the First Time?

I said, and walked past her.
    ‘I’m getting ready for a party,’ she said. ‘It’s a thing popular people do at the weekend. You wouldn’t like it.’
    ‘I’ll see you there,’ I said.
    She whirled round in shock, and stomped towards me, wearing killer heels and a tiny black dress.
    ‘You’re really not going to embarrass yourself by turning up?’ she hissed.
    ‘You’re really not going to embarrass yourself by wearing that dress, you skanky ho?’
    I couldn’t believe I was actually saying these things. Obviously the possibility of being vaporised really concentrated the mind.
    Her face twisted up. ‘Who’s the ho?’
    ‘Um, no one, skanky ho.’
    Oh God, what was I trying to do, get myself killed?
    She gave me an absolute top-class filthy look. ‘We’ll see,’ she said. And turned away. And I scarpered.
    My heart was pounding and my face flushed as I reached where the Di Ruggerios and the Scurrisons were sitting in the food mall.
    ‘Hello, my dear,’ said my mother. ‘Get anything nice?’
    ‘Where’s my daughter?’ said Stanzi’s dad, making faces at the coffee. ‘You leave her for dead?’
    ‘She’s just coming,’ I said. ‘She’s gone to the bathroom.’
    Everyone stood up. ‘Well, I think we’re about to head off,’ said my mother. ‘Time’s getting on.’
    ‘And miss the football?’ I said.
    ‘There you are!’ came a loud and familiar voice. ‘I keep forgetting you’re smaller now. And that you have purple hair.’
    Tashy had completely forgotten the potential of parental punishment; it had been too long since she experienced what it was like when your mum and dad make your life seriously difficult. She wanted a sticky beak, and she was doing this on purpose.
    ‘Mr and Mrs Scurrison!’ she said. And even the haute-gushiness of her voice couldn’t quite conceal her genuine astonishment. ‘You’re looking so well !’
    My parents looked at each other. Who was this elegant older person? She certainly didn’t belong to their circles.
    Tashy stretched out her hand to be shaken, manfully ignoring the fierce kicking on the ankle she was getting from me.
    ‘I’m Flora’s new guidance counsellor.’
    I raised my eyes as everyone else made those ‘Ooohh’ noises.
    ‘Flora didn’t tell us anything about you,’ said my dad, unfairly directing a cross glance to me. Mind you, she wasn’t a stranger, of course. My dad was giving Tashy throws in the swimming baths long before it became illegal for men to do that, and my mother let her sleep over whenever she wanted, although we only did it so I could stay at hers, with the constant television and fashion magazines.
    ‘Really?’ said Tash, having a fabulous time. ‘That’s very bad of her indeed. I’ve been at Christchurch since the start of term. I’ve been working very closely with Miss Syzlack.’
    ‘Is this because of the truancy?’ said my mother, panicked.
    ‘Well, we just wanted to keep an eye on her. Don’t worry, she’s not in any trouble.’
    ‘She’d better not be,’ said my dad.
    ‘I’m not!’ I said.
    ‘We worried …’ my mother lowered her voice, even though there were clearly at least five people actually listening to the conversation, ‘… if there might be some kind of a man involved.’
    Oh crap.
    ‘I can tell you,’ said Tashy, in her best ‘getting on with grown-ups’ voice, ‘because I know she wouldn’t want to blow her own trumpet.’
    ‘Yes?’ said my mother.
    ‘There was an older man who did ask Flora out.’
    ‘Oh God, I knew it,’ said my mother. ‘Please, tell me it wasn’t a teacher.’
    ‘No, it wasn’t. But you’ll be glad to know that Flora turned him down.’
    ‘Thank Christ,’ said my mother, colour flooding into her face.
    Tash gave me a look and I tried to convey my intense gratitude.
    My mum came and gave me an enormous hug in the middle of the arcade.
    ‘Mu-um!’ I grumbled.
    ‘You’re not grounded any more,’ said my dad gruffly, which was good because it meant I could stop creeping out.
    ‘Thank you,’ said my mother, going up to Tashy and clasping her by the hand. ‘I mean, you must know how hard it is to get teenagers to open up and … you do a wonderful, wonderful job …’ She looked as if she was about to choke up. For heaven’s sake.
    Tashy patted my mother on the arm. ‘There there,’ she said. ‘Listen, why don’t I take Flora off for a cola?’
    ‘Oh, that would be so kind of you,’ said my mother. ‘So kind. On