Dismissed Read Free Page B

blushing.
    ‘Ooh. We are totally going to make that boy go crazy for you. OK, here.’ She handed Lizzie a white tank top and some tiny pink shorts.
    ‘You think?’
    ‘Yep. And those cute Holster sandals with the diamantes.’
    ‘Alright. You wanna borrow anything?’
    ‘Nope. I already have a change of clothes in here,’ she said, pointing to her school bag on the floor. ‘What did you think I had in there? Books?’
    ‘No, of course not. Who would think to put books in a school bag?’
    Taylor pulled out a blue and white striped midriff top and paired it with white shorts that were even smaller than Lizzie’s.
    ‘Look who’s making the effort now!’ Lizzie nudged Taylor with her elbow.
    ‘Shut up. I only packed one outfit. I hadn’t planned on wasting it on Gabe.’
    ‘The newbies will be there too. The guys at least.’
    ‘Saw them already. They’re nothing special,’ Taylor sniffed.
    ‘You never know. They might be really cool.’
    ‘Doubtful. But we’ll see.’
    Taylor produced her makeup case and proceeded to load up on mascara, eyeliner and eye shadow. She completed the look by painting her lips bright red. Lizzie settled for a quick slick of brown mascara and an almost nude shade for her mouth.
    ‘You’ll have to let me do your face some other time, but we’ll never get out of here if we don’t leave now,’ Taylor said, looking at her watch. ‘Let’s get this out of the way so we can go have dinner. I want to try that new American diner in the Valley.’
    ‘Oh yeah. I’ve heard good things about that place.’
    The two girls ran downstairs, and Lizzie grabbed the keys from the kitchen bench. Her dad never got home until after six, so she’d text him later to say she wasn’t going to be back to eat with him.
    Lizzie’s dad’s car was a bronze Ford Kuga. The colour reminded Lizzie of those over-tanned, leathery-skinned old people she occasionally saw down at the Gold Coast.
    She jumped into the driver’s seat and waited for Taylor to get in the passenger side.
    ‘I love that your dad has a motorbike he takes to work so you can drive the car,’ Taylor commented.
    ‘It’s only because it’s so hard for him to find somewhere to park this thing. But if it’s raining, I’m out of luck.’
    ‘Let’s pray for blue skies all year.’
    Lizzie smiled to herself. Taylor was so superficial. She liked to pretend it was her car too.
    ‘Can you put this address in the GPS?’ Lizzie asked holding out her arm, which was still covered in Gabe’s scrawl.
    Taylor squinted at the writing.
    ‘Are you telling me Gabe lives in Teneriffe?’
    ‘Yes. And?’
    ‘He’s loaded?’
    ‘I don’t know. Maybe.’
    ‘You didn’t tell me he was rich. Now I know why you’re interested.’
    ‘I don’t know he’s rich, and I don’t appreciate the implication that I’m only going after someone because of their money.’
    Taylor held up her hands in surrender. ‘Touchy.’ She quickly programmed the address into the GPS and then switched on the radio. An Ed Sheeran song came on.
    ‘Boring,’ she said, getting out her iPhone and searching for the Bluetooth connection to the car’s stereo. ‘How about a little dubstep?’ she asked slyly.
    ‘You love winding me up, don’t you?’
    ‘I totally do. Brandon gave you this look like… I don’t know. It wasn’t something you normally see between a teacher and a student.’
    Lizzie didn’t say anything. She did think Brandon was a hottie, but she wasn’t sure she should be encouraging any untoward thoughts. It was safer to focus on guys her own age. Or at least ones that didn’t teach at her school.
    ‘Would you be jealous if I made out with him?’ Taylor asked.
    ‘Brandon?’
    ‘Yes, Brandon! Who did you think I meant?’
    ‘I don’t know. I guess I would be more worried for you than anything,’ she fibbed. In actual fact, she would be jealous. But she wasn’t going to let Taylor know that.
    ‘What about Jason? He’s not a