When I check my phone after my tea, I get a bit of a shock. The first thing I see is a message from Lauren.
Mills. Massive post! What’s your dad’s place like? x
It’s unbelievable that, in under an hour, a stupid post about an abandoned bike that was bought in a panic from an eBay New Year’s sale has had some shares and LOADS of likes! Plus, I’ve got thirty-two new followers. And it’s quite late and the Wi-Fi is still on! Coming here was the right decision! For now. This is all the savory-stuffing-balls of amazing.
Just as I’m scrolling through all the comments (My mum uses her mini trampoline as a shoe rack!), Lauren calls me.
“Have you seen? Have you seen?!” she is screeching out of the phone.
“Yeah,” I say. “It was only a stupid thing about my dad’s place. It’s not—”
“But, Millie—you’re funny loads of the time, and you notice things that other people don’t. Look how often you make things better by making me smile. You NEVER fail. And Gracie messaged me. Her sister is in tenth grade and was talking about you! Apparently, loads of them are dying at the panda thing that you did to cheer me up. They’ve shared it everywhere! You’re just GOOD. Honestly, I think you should do a proper vlog or something! Not Instagram, ’cause that’s Erin’s, but a vlog!”
“Come on, Lauren. I’m not that interesting. I’m not, like”—and this is the first person who leaps into my mind—“the Mad Baltic Boy Scientist and his dangerous slime baths.”
“But you could be! Sort of. I mean, you’re not a boy, and I don’t think you should do vlogs involving kiddie pools and explosives. But. Seriously. I know other people would totally love you. You could do it from your bedroom. You could start off by talking about how to deal with insane aunties and their exercise bikes.… Just try it! YOLO!”
YOLO. You only live once. It’s Lauren’s favorite phrase. She uses it whenever she wants me to do something a bit brave or out of the ordinary. I’m not always so good at doing this. Because … all right, I’ll tell you. But PLEASE don’t think I’m being boring, or …