Beads, Boys and Bangles Read Free Page A

life in changing rooms not being able to do the zips up. Putting one of Crow’s red-carpet dresses on sort of changes you. It makes you look the way you think you look. You know, in your head. Before you see yourself in a mirror.’
    Sam Reed nods and scribbles. ‘Not a fan of mirrors, then?’ she asks lightly.
    Jenny flushes again and goes quiet. It all comes back tome. Her misery at her boobs and spots, her red-carpet disasters. Sam can tap into these moments without seeming to try. I dread to think what she got out of Britney Spears.
    ‘And Nonie?’
    I jump. But Sam isn’t talking to me. She’s asking Crow about me. This is embarrassing. We’ve known each other for a year and a half. We see each other every day. Crow practically lives in my house, which is where she makes her stuff when she isn’t doing a couture collection. She knows how fast I can eat popcorn while watching Project Runway – and what the sofa looks like after I’ve finished. What on earth is she going to say?
    She draws breath. I’m on the edge of my seat, but in the end she just shrugs. She looks around at all of us, and out of the window at the grey, wintry sky. Then she holds up her hands and shrugs again.
    I’m used to this. If your business partner is a natural shrugger, you learn to expect it. But after ‘Edie is wonderful’ and ‘Jenny has nice hair’, I was expecting a little bit more. I’m not sure whether to be disappointed or relieved.
    Jenny jumps in again. Unlike Crow, she’s not the strong and silent type.
    ‘I think what Crow means is that Nonie takes care of everything. Nonie’s brilliant with details and organising stuff.’
    Crow nods, which is good. I’m glad that’s what she meant.
    ‘Tell me about it,’ Sam says, with a smile in my direction. So for the next five minutes I describe the total, total pleasure of organising Crow’s first catwalk show, even though it was the most difficult, complicated, stressful thing I’ve done in my life. And the fun of seeing the Jewels collection come to life and learning all about how you make high-street fashion and how amazing it is to be behind the scenes when it’s happening.
    ‘So it looks as if you’ve changed everyone’s life for the better,’ Sam concludes.
    I assume she’s talking to Edie, but when I check, she’s smiling at Crow. Who’s smiling back, in an embarrassed sort of way. Sam is scary the way she notices things. We all think of ourselves as looking after Crow on a daily basis. After all, she’s younger than us, she’s hopeless at school and we’re her best friends. But it’s totally true. We all find ourselves nodding, and then Jenny has to go even further and say, ‘Oh yes. I absolutely wouldn’t be here today without Crow.’
    Which is so unbelievably obvious on the day of the Miss Teen launch that we all find ourselves giggling, while Jenny goes, ‘What? What? ’ Even Sam Reed can’t resist a smile.
    We can hear movement outside. Sam checks her watch. ‘One more question, girls. OK?’ We nod.
    She leans forward, and the look in her eye changes slightly. ‘Edie, I was looking at your website this morning and I noticed there were some rather serious claimsabout the making of the new collection. How do you all feel about that?’
    Oh, dear. Not good.
    Crow and Jenny look totally mystified, because we haven’t had a chance to tell them about it yet. Edie instantly goes white and tearful again. I feel as if it’s my job to say something – after all, I’m the one who agreed that Sam could talk to us today – but my mind has gone blank.
    At this moment, the door opens and Andy Elat is framed in the doorway, beaming confidently, with Amanda hovering nervously behind him.
    ‘How’s it going, kids?’ he asks.
    Does he have magical powers? Is the room bugged? A part of me is really confused by his perfect, perfect timing, but mostly I’m just relieved.
    ‘I was just talking about Edie’s website,’ Sam says. ‘And the No Kidding