Girl Online(23)

Mum nods. “Oh yes—it was terrible. Sometimes I was actually physically sick before a show, but I managed to get it under control and you will too, honey.”

“That’s right,” Dad says, smiling at me. “And I’m going to call the school and tell them you’re off sick.” He takes hold of my hand. “I think you should stay off till the new year—give this all a chance to blow over. There’s only two days of term left.”

I give him a weak smile. “Thanks, Dad.”

“And thirdly,” he says, glancing at Mum, “we want you to come with us to New York.”

Elliot sighs.

I look at Dad, alarmed. “But I—”

“And we want Elliot to come too,” Dad interrupts.

“Oh my God!” Elliot’s mouth drops open so wide I can practically see his tonsils.

“We were planning on asking you both today anyway,” Mum says with a smile. “But now that this has happened, it’s even more reason for you to come.”

“It’ll only be for four days,” Dad says. “We’ll fly out on Thursday and come back Sunday, Christmas Eve.” He looks at Tom and smiles. “So we’ll still all be able to have Christmas Day together.”

I look at Elliot. He’s now grinning like he just won the lottery.

“I think it will do you a world of good to get away,” Mum says. “It’ll give you the chance to properly get over the accident—and this stupid video nonsense.”

“Yes, by the time we get back, it will be Christmas and it will have all blown over,” Dad says.

“He does have a point,” Elliot says to me, right before his phone goes off. He looks at the screen and frowns before taking the call. “Hi, Dad . . . I’m next door. Where else would I be? . . . OK, OK, I’ll be there in a minute.” He ends the call, looking at us apologetically. “It was my dad, wondering if I’m going to school today. I’d better get going.” He turns and grabs both my hands. “I know you were nervous about going on a plane, Pen, but we can all help you with that, can’t we?” He looks at my parents and they start nodding like those toy dogs people put in the back windows of their cars.

“Of course we will, darling,” Mum says with a smile.

“We’ll all be there for you,” Dad says.

Elliot’s phone starts ringing again. “Hello, Mum . . . I just told Dad . . . I’m next door . . . I’ll be back in two seconds.” He puts his phone in his pocket and sighs. “I swear, my parents never talk to each other about anything!” He suddenly looks really worried. “Oh, I hope they let me come with you. What if they say no?”

“Don’t worry, darling,” Mum says. “I’ll go round and have a word with them later. I’m sure they won’t mind—especially as our clients will be paying for everything.”

Elliot nods and grins. Then he turns and looks at me hopefully. “So, what do you reckon, Pen?”

I take a deep breath and smile. “I reckon we’re going to New York!”





20 December


Facing Your Fears


Hey, guys!

Thanks again for all of your comments on my blog about friendship. I know it sounds weird as I haven’t actually met any of you or anything but I really do think of you all as my friends—you’re always so lovely and kind and your support means so much to me.

So, most of you will probably remember my recent post about the panic attacks I’ve been having since the car accident. Well, this week I had a bit of a Glass Slipper Moment.

A Glass Slipper Moment is the name Wiki and I give to things that happen that are really bad at first but that actually end up leading to something really good—like when Cinderella loses her glass slipper but it ends up reuniting her with Prince Charming.

Earlier this week, something really, truly, hideously horrible happened to me and it caused me to have another of my stupid panic attacks. But I think/hope it’s all going to lead to something really good.

I’m going away somewhere this week and I’m going to have to go on a plane.

This is making me feel really anxious but I’m hoping that if I can do this—if I can face my fear—then it might make it go away for good.

When I was little I used to think that a witch lived under my mum and dad’s bed.

Every time I had to go past their bedroom to get to my own room, I’d run as fast as I could, so that the witch didn’t fly out on her broomstick and turn me into a toad.

Then one day my dad saw me racing along the landing looking all scared and he asked me what was up.

When I told him, he made me come into the bedroom with him and he shone a torch under the bed.

The only thing that was under there was an old shoe box.

Sometimes you have to face up to your fears to realize that they aren’t actually real.

That you aren’t actually going to die—or get turned into a toad.

I’m going to do that this week, when I get on a plane.

How about you?

Do you have any fears that you’d like to face up to?

Maybe we could do it together . . . ?

Why don’t you post your fear and how you’re going to face up to it this week in the comments below?

Good luck and I’ll let you know how I get on in next week’s blog.