Chapter 5.

"Okay girls, that's all sorted for you!"

The travel assistant smiles. "So you travel down Friday night, and you travel back Sunday night. That equals 2 nights 3 days."

"Thankyou!" Me and Clara say together.

I take a squirming Leela out of her pram and carry her, Clara helpfully pushes the pram for me.

"I'm so excited!" Clara squeals.

"I know same!! I can't wait!" I beam.

I switch Leela onto my other hip and pull my phone out of my bag. I click on twitter and click on my direct messages.

Dm to Perri: ITS ALL BOOKED!!!!🙌 coming down Friday after school!😉

I'm actually so excited for this mini trip. It's going to be so fun.

Me and Clara head to the sport shop and buy ourselves some new yoga/ running leggings. I needed a new pair badly!

"I just hope that they don't make me dance!" I sigh.

"Soph! I've known you since reception, trust me- you can dance! If only you'd taken it for gcse."

"Oh please! I would never of passed it."

"Yes you would! Even Mrs Hacket (dance teacher) tried to persuade you to take it." Clara insists.

After I've given up trying to tell her that I can't dance, we head over to the park for Leela as she's beginning to get restless.

We spend 2 hours at the park before Leela becomes exhausted. I strap her back into her pram and begin pushing it home.

"Do you want to come in?" I ask as we arrive in front of my house.

"Yeah why not!" She chuckles.

Clara helps me lift Leela's pram into the house and closes the door behind us. I silently slip my shoes off, trying not to wake Leela. I unclip her from the pram and carry her upstairs. I gently place her in the cot and close the door behind me.

"What are we going to take?!" Clara says in distress.

"I don't know, we don't need to take much though!"

"I know but, like you never know!" She says nudging me.

"Wow Clar!" I say shaking my head.

I head into the kitchen and get a bowl out of the cupboard, filling it with different sweets and taking it into the living room.

I slump down on the sofa and link my phone to the wifi, a message popping up on my screen.

"Perri's messaged me!!" I beam, more butterflies.

Dm from Perri: OMG YAY! Can't wait now! 😄 you and Clara can take part in the workshop!?😏

I read it out and Clara begins to squeal and jump up and down.

"Shush! You'll wake Leela!" I hiss.

"Oh yeah! Sorry, I forgot!" She says quieting down.

"What do I respond?" I say furrowing my eyebrows.

"Anything! Say we are looking forward to it?"

Dm to Perri: It's going to be fun!😜 and like I said yesterday- I cannot dance!😂😫 but Clara will take part, I will watch!👍

Within minutes I have a respond. I shovel some sweets into my mouth and open the message, Clara being nosy over my shoulder.

Dm from Perri: I don't think so!👋 I will get you dancing, don't you worry!👌😂

I chuckle down at the screen and show Clara my phone.

"Aw! That's sooo cute!" She choos. "He totes likes you Soph!"

"Shut up! No he doesn't." I disagree, pushing her over on the sofa.

He doesn't- does he?

Dm to Perri: You can try all you want: I will just watch!👀

I lock my phone and sigh getting up and heading into the kitchen, making a bottle for Leela. I take it into the living room and leave it to cool down whilst I head upstairs and collect a crying Leela.

"Do you want me to feed her?" Clara says as I sit down with Leela.

"You can if you want!" I say passing her over.

Clara leans back on the sofa and begins to feed Leela. I bring my knees up to my chest and stuff my face with sweets- as usual!

Once Clara has finished feeding Leela, she passes her to me so I could burp her. Soon after she falls asleep on my chest, so Clara puts a film on and we relax on the sofa until my mum and Jason come home.

"Right, I better be off." Clara says standing up. "I've got to tell my dad the news!"

"What news is that!?" My mum asks.

"We are going to Essex next Friday after school, Diversity have invited us!" I explain getting excited.

"No way! That's so cool!" She says taking Leela off me.

"I know! It's going to be so good!" I continue follow Clara to the door.

Once I've waved Clara off I head upstairs and get changed into my pyjamas. I clean my face and tie my hair up into a messy bun. I jog downstairs and kiss my mum on the cheek.

"I'm going to bed, don't worry about tea for me- I've had way too many sweets!"

"You sure hunny?" She asks unsure.

"Yeah, positive! See you in the morning."

I head upstairs and go into the bathroom, brushing my teeth and wiping the substance from the corners of my mouth.

I shuffle back into my bedroom and collapse onto my bed. I manoeuvre the covers from under me until it's around my chin.

~~~~~~

I'm awaken by Archie jumping on my bed. I grab a cushion from behind me and throw it at him, knocking him down on top of me. I groan and push him off.

"Why are you up so early?" I say rubbing my eyes.

"You've got singing lessons soon!" He says pointing at me.

"Sh*t!" I say jumping out of bed. "You didn't hear me say that!" I say turning back to Archie.

"Hear what?" He says confused.

"Don't matter." I say pulling on some yoga leggings.

I drag a hoodie over my head and slip my feet into my superstars. I slump in front of my mirror and quickly hitch my hair into a high ponytail.

I apply a dab of makeup before hurrying into the bathroom and brush my teeth.I grab my phone off my bedside table and rush downstairs.

"C'mon! Quickly grab some water and go!" My mum says hurrying me along.

"I'm going! I complete forgot." I say in a fluster.

I stuff a bottle of water into my hoodie pocket and grab my headphones on the way out the door. I plug my headphones into my phone and stuff the buds into my ears. I click on my music and hum along to 'zero' by Chris Brown.

Within 10 minutes I arrive at my tutors studio. I push open the heavy doors and climb the two flights of stairs till I'm at his room.

"Ah! Sophia!" Frank smiles.

"Hey! Sorry I'm abit late!" I say taking my headphones out.

"No problem! Let's get started."

We complete some voice warm ups before I begin singing the song I'm working on: fight song by Rachel Platten.

All those things I didn't say, wreaking balls inside my brain,

I was screaming loud tonight, can you hear my voice this time...

"Go for it Sophia!" Frank calls.

This is my fight song, take back my life's song...

"That was truly beautiful!" Frank says hugging me.

"Thankyou!" I say blushing.

I stay at his studio for a few hours before walking home in the rain.

"What happened to you?!" Jason says holding back laughter.

"It's raining." I say bluntly, not finding his comment amusing.

I kick off my wet shoes and trudge upstairs, heading into the bathroom. I peel off my dripping clothes and stand under the warm water. I decide to cleanse my face whilst I'm in the shower to save time.

I wrap a towel around myself and dry myself off. I pick up my sodden clothes off the floor and dump them in the laundry basket on the way back to my room.

I weave my hair into two French plaits and change into my pyjamas, even though it's only 1pm, but I'm not going out again.

I grab my phone and head downstairs, relaxing on the sofa. I unlock my phone and click on twitter.

Dm to Perri: I know your probably busy, but hey!😊

I click off twitter and go on snapchat, sending horrid selfies to Clara. She doesn't answer one of them, so I decide to spam her with ugly pictures, that just get worse as I send more.

I chuckle to myself and go back on twitter, clicking my dm's. Perri hasn't replied- but I expected that... I think?

I lock my phone and snuggle on the sofa with Leela, watching Peppa pig for hours on end. Is it bad that I find it entertaining?

************

Thankyou for all the lovely comments on this new book, glad your enjoying in. 😊🙈