‘Put this on,’ Dee giggled, throwing a pink crop top in my face.
‘I told you I’m not doing it,’ I argued, throwing it back. ‘If you want to sing for your mum’s friends at her party tonight, go ahead. You can count me out, though.’
‘Grow some balls, Sera,’ she mocked. ‘You know you’ll have fun once you get going.’
I didn’t know anything of the sort. Just because Dee had no fear and loved showing off in front of her mum’s drunk friends, I didn’t know why she was insisting I do it, too. ‘Looks like you’ve grown a big enough pair for the both of us.’
Dee tied her hair up in a high ponytail and studied her reflection in her dressing table mirror. ‘I don’t look much like Christina Aguilera, do I?’
I let her get away with changing the subject. ‘Is that who you’re supposed to be?’ I put a finger up to my mouth and pretended to think. ‘Let me guess, are we supposed to be singing Beautiful” for your mum’s guests?’
She jumped up and down gleefully, spinning round to face me. ‘You said “we”. Yes!’ She punched the air in triumph.
I instantly realised my mistake and opened my mouth to argue.
‘No,’ she said, grabbing hold of me and placing her left hand over my mouth as we fell sideways onto her bed. ‘No arguments. Your subconscious wants to sing tonight and that’s why you just said what you did.’
‘Hmm.’ I shook my head but her hand remained firmly clamped in place.
‘Don’t waste your time,’ she laughed. ‘You know I’m right.’
I grabbed her wrist and pushed her away from me, aware when I’d lost a fight. Not that I ever really won them where Dee was concerned. She was the most determined person I knew. She was also always the life and soul of any party, even Hazel’s. And, if I was honest, I envied her natural enthusiasm for life and the way she saw opportunity in ordinary daily events. She made life so much more fun when she was around.
‘Fine,’ I said, reluctantly giving in. ‘I’ll put on the bloody crop top, but it’s too hot to wear jeans.’ I hurriedly changed, as Dee sang the chorus to ‘Beautiful’ loudly into her hairbrush. I kept my denim shorts on and slipped my feet back into my flip-flops, already regretting having given in to her.
Several hours later, as the sun set and Hazel’s friends became noisier, I began to fret about standing up on the makeshift stage Dee had persuaded Jack to assemble out of some pallet boards. I noticed Dee watching me. She waited for Hazel to go and chat to someone before pinching two bottles of lager and waving for me to follow her outside to the back of the barn.
‘Here, drink this,’ she said, handing me one of the bottles.
I grimaced. ‘You know I hate that stuff. It’s disgusting.’
Dee’s arms dropped to her sides and she stared at me, head tilted to one side. ‘You are such a wimp sometimes. What would Mimi say if she knew you didn’t have the guts to perform? It’s only a little song. Just one.’
The thought of my mother’s horror at finding me drinking and singing in front of Hazel’s friends made me grab the bottle right out of her hand. ‘Fine. Give me that,’ I said defiantly. I drank it as quickly as I could, wincing as the revolting taste hit the back of my throat.
Dee drank her lager quickly, belching between each mouthful and making me giggle. ‘You see, I knew you could do it.’
‘Come on then,’ I said, inspired by her enthusiasm. ‘Let’s show them what we can do.’
Dee took the bottles and hid them behind a stool. I grabbed her left hand and we cheered as we ran past Hazel’s guests to the pallet boards.
‘Everybody,’ she shouted, waving at them to pay attention to us. ‘Hey. Quiet. Sera and I are going to perform for you.’ She sang the first few words and I joined in.
She was right, I was loving every moment. Just like I always did when I was with Dee.