Cathy Hopkins - [Mates, Dates 07] Read Online Free Page B

at the X-rays of my teeth that he’d taken
earlier. He started whispering to his assistant, a girl who looked younger than
I do. No way she’s coming anywhere near my mouth, I thought, she’s clearly only
just got her second teeth herself.
    ‘So do they all have
to come out?’ I asked. I thought I was being very funny, but Mr Saltman wasn’t
laughing.
    ‘No, none will have to
come out, I don’t think,’ he said. ‘But I
am
concerned about the
slight overcrowding in your mouth. It might cause a crossover on the top two
teeth as you get older and possibly on the bottom ones too. It won’t be evident
for a while but will happen…’
    What is he talking
about, I wondered? Crossovers. Overcrowding. ‘Uh?’ I asked.
    ‘We’ll need to get an
impression of your teeth,’ he said.
    ‘There you go.’ I
beamed, giving him my widest smile.
    Mr Saltman laughed.
‘No, not that kind of impression. I need a moulding to send to Mr Schneider,
the orthodontist.’
    ‘For what?’
    ‘You need to have a
brace fitted, Nesta.’
    ‘A whadttttt!!?’
    ‘Brace,’ said Mr
Saltman. ‘There’s a chance if we leave them that some of the front teeth will
grow crooked. A brace will soon correct that, then you’ll have picture perfect
peggies for when you’re older.’
    ‘But I’m fifteen, Mr
Saltman.’
    ‘I know,’ he smiled.
‘Perfect time for the corrections.’
    Perfect time to ruin
my life, I thought. Perfect time to ruin my appearance. My pulling power. My
social life. My snogging skills. My… ohmigod, my
part
in
West Side
Story
. No way can I go for the part of Maria. I’d be the laughing stock as
soon as I opened my mouth to sing. In fact, instead of singing, ‘There’s a
Place For Us’, I’d have to sing, ‘There’s a Brace For Us’.
    ‘No. I can’t have a
brace,’ I said firmly. ‘No, take all my teeth out and give me false ones. At
least that way, I can still smile.’
    Mr Saltman laughed
again. ‘It will only be for a year, Nesta. And so many people your age have
them these days.’
    Yes, but I’m not so
many people, I thought.
    ‘It won’t be so bad,’
continued Mr Saltman, ‘and Mr Schneider will keep a close eye on you. You’ll
need to go for regular check-ups every few weeks.’
    Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo,
I moaned inwardly. I thought I was through with dentists until the next
check-up in six months. As I lay on the chair inwardly going through how my
life was going to change, Mr Saltman’s assistant had been out, then come back
with what looked like a piece of plasticine on a tray. She put it in front of
me.
    ‘Oh dinner? No
thanks,’ I said holding my hand up. ‘I’ll pass.’
    Mr Saltman held the
gloop close to my mouth.
    ‘Now bite in,’ he
said, ‘and we’ll get a nice imprint of your teeth.’
    Dutifully I bit into
the minty flavoured putty.
    ‘Good girl,’ said Mr
Saltman. ‘Now hold still until I say.’
    That’s it, I thought.
My life is over. I shall never go out again. I shall do a Harry Potter and I
don’t mean go to Hogwart’s and become a wizard. No, I shall voluntarily move
into a cupboard under the stairs and not speak to anyone. Never show my face.
Not for a year. Not until I can smile again. So the girls were right, I
thought. I am shallow. I
do
care a lot about my appearance. I can’t
help it. I like boys noticing me. I like looking good. And now what? Who’s
going to give me a second look except to say, oh how awful. Have you SEEN that
girl’s metal teeth? And as for my stage career, this has put an end to all that
for a while. No way I’m putting myself in the spotlight now. Huh. Life stinks.
    As I waited for the
impression to take, I glanced up at the poster of Steve Martin. I could swear
he gave me a satisfied smile.
     
    Izzie’s
Visualisation To Take Your Mind Off Bad Times
     
    1) Lie
back, close your eyes, uncross your legs and arms. Take three deep breaths
right into your abdomen.
    2) Think
of a time when you were totally relaxed,