Page 44 of The New Girl

Amber flicked her long hair. ‘Yeah, well obvs I know that, but still, I’d like to wear something that’s not completely disgusting.’

‘That’s enough, Amber. Chrissie, say your line.’ Mr Parson urged them along.

‘I shall take the heart, for brains do not make you happy and being happy is, like, brilliant.’

Mr Parson sighed. ‘Stop, Chrissie. When Frank Baum wrote this beautiful character, he did not write “like, brilliant”. He said, “and happiness is the best thing in the world”.’

Chrissie rolled her eyes. ‘It’s, like, the same thing.’

‘No, it is not. Say the lines as they were written, please.’ Mr Parson ran his hands through his hair, which was already sticking up all over the place.

Amber cut across them. ‘Mr Parson, my mum said she wants six seats reserved in the front row.’ She twirled a lock of her blonde hair around her painted fingernail.

‘We do not reserve seats. Seating will be on a first-come-first-served basis, as always.’

‘Yeah, well, Mum said that because I am the star of the show, she wants front seats.’

‘Well, then, tell your mother to come very early to get her seats.’ Mr Parson turned and walked over to Ruby.

‘It’s very scratchy.’ Ruby wriggled around as the straw in her costume rubbed against her arms.

‘I know, but it looks very lifelike,’ Mr Parson said. ‘And well done for knowing all your lines. You were word perfect.’

Ruby smiled over at Safa. ‘I had a very good helper.’

Denise waved her arms. ‘Do I really have to be a Munchkin? Walking on your knees with shoes sticking out is really hard.’

Ruby giggled. Denise looked ridiculous with big men’s shoes sticking out from her knees.

Mr Parson took off his glasses and wiped them. ‘No complaining about silly little things. Let’s focus on getting our lines right.’

Denise hobbled off, grumbling. Then it was time for Amber to sing her big solo.

Although Safa hated to admit it, when Amber sang ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ it made the hairs on her arms stand up. She had a gorgeous voice.

Later that day they were sitting around after lunch trying to keep warm, huddling up against the radiator in the corridor.

‘Only four and a half weeks to Christmas. What are you asking for?’ Clara asked Denise.

‘Football boots and a small surprise.’

‘I’m asking for an iPad,’ Clara said. ‘What about you, Ruby?’

‘A surprise,’ Ruby said.

‘What about you?’ Denise asked Safa.

‘Muslims don’t celebrate Christmas.’

‘What?’ Denise was shocked. ‘Like, not at all?’

‘No, we actually have two big celebrations, Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr, which is at the end of Ramadan.’

‘What’s Ramadan?’ Ruby asked.

‘It’s a little bit like your Lent. We fast from dawn to sunset.’

‘Hold on a minute – fast as in eat nothing?’ Denise looked shocked.

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