Paparazzi Princess Read Online Free Page A

Michael Jackson and attempted to moonwalk backwards. Of course that was the moment Tom came round a corner. When he saw me and Pia, he rolled his eyes and grinned. ‘Ah, the crazy twins. You ’ave ze ants in ze pants, ah oui?’
    ‘Mais non, dude, we’re getting down,’ I said. I did a knee drop then jerky spin in what was meant to be a cool smooth move but sadly, lost my balance and toppled into the wall.
    ‘Keep taking the medication, Hall,’ said Tom. ‘You clearly aren’t well.’
    ‘You just don’t recognise talent when you see it,’ said Pia.
    Tom laughed then looked right into my eyes, ‘Oh yes I do,’ he said in a suggestive voice. I blushed and inside, I felt my stomach rise as if a soft breeze had lifted it then it floated back down, making me feel disorientated. Tom always has this effect on me. I love him being flirty in public, though, and noticed a couple of passing girls check us out. He’s one of the cutest boys in our school, tall and handsome with light brown shoulder-length hair, flawless skin and eyes the most astonishing jade green. Trouble is, he knows he has babe appeal and that half the school fancies him.
    Art was my next class and I spent the whole lesson fantasising about what Tom and I could do together over the next few weeks. Winter scenes from every slushy movie I’d ever seen played through my head: we could roast marshmallows by the fire then snuggle up on the sofa to watch old black-and-white movies, maybe go ice skating up on Hampstead Heath then to a cosy café for hot chocolates. I could see it all so clearly – him laughing in the snow at something I’d said, a look of delight on his face when he unwrapped some perfect present I’d found him. Oh yes, the next few weeks could be romance heaven for a new couple like us. I was beginning to change my mind about the whole holiday, in fact – a lovely time with Tom, then Christmas Day with Gran. Fab. Gran did a great turkey dinner with all the trimmings and her house was big and comfy. I felt safe there and there were always people dropping in. Maybe this year, it could be ding dong merrily on high and a time to deck the halls with Christmas holly. Yes, I decided, it was the season to be jolly and I would be!
    ‘Let’s go and look for Tom again,’ Pia suggested in the lunch break. Now that she had a proper boyfriend, she was as eager as I was that I had one too. ‘He’ll probably be in the dining room. Let’s go and see if we can find him.’
    We made our way through the maze of school corridors and up to the first floor. Our luck was in because Tom was mooching about outside the canteen with his mates Josh Tyler and Roy Mason.
    ‘Ah. Your personal love slave has arrived,’ said Josh Tyler when he saw me. ‘Hey, Hall, Tom was just saying that he’d like you to get your clothes off and wait for him in the gym.’
    Tom rolled his eyes. ‘You know I didn’t say that, Jess.’
    ‘Yeah right,’ I said. ‘And anyway, like I would strip in this weather for anyone. Don’t you know it’s two degrees outside today?’
    ‘Sorry about my crass friend,’ said Tom and he came towards me, put his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him. ‘But if it really is two degrees outside then all the more reason for me to warm you up.’
    Behind him, Pia mouthed that she’d see me later then disappeared back down the stairs. She understands about giving a couple space, unlike Roy and Josh who were hanging around watching the whole scene. I decided to ignore them. Tom had his arms around me, that was what was important. I snuggled into him and it seemed like the perfect time to ask him about hanging out in the holidays. ‘Er, Tom . . . now that we’re . . . er . . .’
    ‘We’re what?’ asked Tom with a quizzical look and a quick glance at his mates. Back-track, back-track , I told myself. Maybe it’s too early to refer to us as ‘we’. Boys don’t like being pinned down.
    ‘We . . . I mean me,’ I continued.