“That was SO hard,” sighs Layla as they walk out of the hall on the fourth day of the tests. “I only managed to answer half the questions, and I think I probably got most of them wrong.”
“I bet you didn’t,” Tally tells her loyally. “Everyone always thinks that they’ve done worse than they really did.”
“That was a nightmare!” says Lucy, catching up with them. “I didn’t even know what the first question was going on about.”
“Me neither,” moans Ayesha. “I just added up all the numbers and hoped for the best. How about you, Tally?”
The three girls turn to look at her enquiringly. Tally quickly runs through the list of possible responses in her head. Should she tell them that she doesn’t care about the stupid tests? Or that she found the test quite easy so that they think she’s clever? That’s what she’d usually do, but the way they’re staring at her makes her think again.
“Oh, yeah – total nightmare,” she groans. “I barely answered any of the questions and I definitely got most of them wrong.”
The girls nod in agreement and Tally relaxes her shoulder. It was the correct thing to say, which at least means that she’s got one answer right today.
“Never mind,” Lucy tells her, slipping her arm into Tally’s. “At least if one of us fails, we’ll all fail!”
“Yeah!” laughs Ayesha. “Miss Balogun said that Kingswood Academy will use these tests to figure out which set we’re in for year seven. I guess we’ll all be in bottom set together, then!”
Layla rolls her eyes. “Don’t even talk about year seven,” she says. “I don’t want to think about it yet. We’ve still got plenty of time left before we have to leave – and there’s the summer production still to come, don’t forget.”
“Your dance is really good,” Tally tells Lucy as they make their way towards the playground.
Lucy flicks her hair back and smiles. “Thanks! Your lights are pretty good too.”
“I still think you should have been Little Red,” says Layla. “You’d have been amazing, Tally.”
Tally can still remember the reaction she got when she said exactly the same thing on the day that Miss Balogun gave out the roles. It seems that it’s OK for Layla to say it for her, but it isn’t OK for her to say it about herself, which doesn’t really make much sense. Not when it’s the truth.
Although the truth doesn’t seem to have much of a place when it comes to being the Tally they all seem to prefer.
She shakes her head. “I wouldn’t have been as good as Carrie. She’s the best person to play Little Red. I’m happy doing the lights.”
The lie hurts, but the look of approval on the faces of her friends goes a little way towards easing the sting.
“I honestly didn’t think you’d be so chill about it,” Lucy says, squeezing Tally’s arm. “I don’t know what it is, but you’re kind of easier to be around these days, Tally. No offence or anything.”
Tally knows exactly what it is. She slips her hand into her pocket and runs the chain of the ladybird necklace through her fingers. It’s true what Carrie’s aunt told her. It is a lucky charm. And if it can help her get things right with her friends then it can definitely make sure that Dr Zennor’s report says there is absolutely nothing wrong with her. She knows it can.
They reach the playground, and suddenly Carrie and her best friend Jasmine are right there in front of them, Jasmine’s hands full of envelopes.
“It’s my birthday in two weeks,” she tells them. “And I’m having a party.” She rifles through the envelopes and hands one to Lucy. “Here’s an invitation for you,” she says. “And one for you, Ayesha.”
Tally takes a step away and stares into the distance. Jasmine is one of the most popular girls in their year and everyone wants to be her friend. She has a party every year, and most members of the class are given an invitation. Last year she had a pool party at the local leisure centre with huge inflatables, and the year before she had an amazing all-you-can-eat ice-cream party. It was all Layla could talk about for days afterwards, until Tally told her that if she heard one more thing about sprinkles or chocolate sauce or hot fudge sundaes then she’d never speak to Layla ever again.
Not that she even likes parties. The rules are always different, but nobody ever actually explains what they are, and Tally just spends the entire time trying to figure out what she’s supposed to be doing or saying or thinking.
“I still haven’t found my lucky necklace,” says Carrie, bringing Tally’s attention back to now. “I’ve looked everywhere but it’s completely disappeared.”
“Do you think you could have dropped it somewhere?” asks Lucy, opening her envelope. “Ooh – a Zombie Laser Party? That sounds brilliant!”
Carrie frowns. “I just can’t work out what happened to it. You all heard Miss Balogun ask the class if anyone took it and nobody said anything. I just really hate the idea that someone might have gone into my tray and stolen it.”
“You don’t need a lucky charm, though,” says Jasmine. “You’re amazing without it.”
Carrie shakes her head. “I still want it back.”
Jasmine gives her friend a sympathetic look and then returns to the business in hand. “I’ve been asking for a Zombie Laser party for years and my mum finally agreed. It’s going to be amazing. Here’s your invitation, Layla.”
“Thanks!” Layla reaches out and grabs the envelope. “I’ve always wanted to do laser tag. Are you inviting the whole class? If you are, I’m definitely zapping Luke!”
She grins conspiratorially at Tally, who manages to give a weak smile in return.
“Most of the class,” says Jasmine, grinning at Carrie. “All the cool people, anyway.”
“What are you going to wear?” Lucy asks Ayesha and Layla as the other two girls turn away. “I’ve got a new crop top that looks really good with my jeans.”
“Definitely not a dress or a skirt,” agrees Layla. “We need to be speedy if we’re running around lasering zombies. You can’t run fast in a skirt.”
Tally clutches her fingers around the necklace. Maybe it doesn’t work so well if it’s hidden away inside her pocket? Maybe she needs to actually wear it so that the good luck can rub off on her?
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Jasmine whirls around and faces Tally. “Here’s your invitation. I hope you can come.”
She holds out an envelope and when Tally looks down, she sees her name printed on the front. She swallows hard but doesn’t move. What if it’s a trick? She can count on the fingers of one hand the number of people who have ever invited her to a party and they’re standing right here in front of her.
Jasmine and her legendary birthday celebrations is not one of them.
“Take it then,” laughs Jasmine, thrusting it forward. “And you can be on my team. We need people who can run, and there’s nobody as fast as you in the whole class! That’s why I had to invite you – I definitely need to win on my own birthday!”
Tally releases the necklace and slowly accepts the invitation, turning it over in her hands as if she needs to check that it’s real.
“Thank you,” she says quietly. “I’d love to come to your party.”
Jasmine links arms with Carrie, a strange smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. It makes Tally feel uneasy and again, she wonders if this whole thing is some kind of prank.
“I told you that she’d say yes,” Carrie says quietly, smiling at Tally. “Jasmine wasn’t sure if you’d want to come or not, but I told her that everyone loves a good party.”
Tally gulps. She’s only been invited because of Carrie.
“Wait!” Tally steps nearer to her. “About your necklace…”
“Yes?” The other girl spins round and regards Tally with serious eyes.
Tally swallows hard. “I’m sure nobody took it from your tray. That would be really bad. You must have dropped it somewhere.”
Carrie scrunches up her nose. “You’re probably right. Maybe it’ll turn up.”
Then both girls are gone, and Tally is pulled into a long and animated conversation about Zombie laser tag and whether there will be a prize for the person with the highest score and maybe pizza afterwards because Jasmine’s parties always have the best food.
But all Tally can think about is that now, after all this time, she finally knows what it feels like to be lucky. And she doesn’t want to be ungrateful or anything, and she thinks she’s pleased that she’s been invited to the party because even though she hates parties (and this one sounds worse than most), it’s nice to be included – but actually, being lucky doesn’t feel quite as great as she thought it would.