The Art of Being Normal Read Online Free

if it’s some sort of compliment I ought to be grateful for. I don’t know what they’re thinking; Dad’s hardly Brad Pitt.
    Livvy cocks her head to one side and smiles angelically. The way the sunlight hits her, I can see the outline of her bra through her blouse. She already wears a 32A. She and Mum went shopping for it in the summer holidays, coming home with a plastic bag from Marks and Spencer, acting all giggly and secretive.
    ‘Look after her, David!’ Mum says as she drops us off outside the school gates, her eyes still wet.
    As we start to walk up the drive, I place a protective hand on Livvy’s shoulder. Immediately she grunts, shaking it off.
    ‘Don’t walk so close to me!’ she hisses.
    ‘But you heard Mum, I’m meant to be looking after you,’ I point out.
    ‘Well don’t. I don’t want people to know we’re related,’ she says, quickening her pace. I let her go, watching as she strides confidently towards the lower school entrance, her long hair flying out behind her.
    ‘Nice,’ I mutter to myself, recalling a time when Livvy used to follow me round the house, sweetly begging me to play with her.
    I hear two voices calling my name. Immediately I grinand spin round. Essie and Felix are heading towards me, waving madly.
    Essie is tall (almost a head taller than Felix) with messy black hair that she dyes at home herself, green eyes and stupidly long legs. Beside her Felix is immaculate as usual, his fair hair combed into a neat side parting and his face tanned from the Florida sun.
    I skip towards them and we collide in a messy group hug.
    ‘When did your little sister get so fit?’ Felix asks as we separate.
    ‘Ew, don’t be such a perv, she’s only eleven!’ I cry. At the same time Essie punches him on the shoulder, sending Felix staggering back a few steps.
    ‘Ow!’ he cries, clutching his shoulder and letting out a comedic yowl.
    ‘Er, hello? Girlfriend? Right here?’ Essie says.
    Felix and Essie got together at the Christmas ball last year. I left the dance floor to go and buy a packet of crisps and a can of Coke and by the time I returned, they were chewing one another’s faces off to an Enrique Iglesias song. I didn’t even know they fancied each other so it all came as a bit of a surprise. Felix and Essie claim it was as much of a shock for them (‘I blame Enrique,’ Essie often says, usually when Felix is annoying her).
    ‘How was Maths Camp?’ I ask Felix. Felix goes every year. I can’t imagine anything more hideous.
    ‘Awesome,’ he replies cheerfully.
    ‘I missed you both so badly,’ I say, as we head towardsthe upper school entrance, instinctively falling into step with one another. ‘My birthday party was beyond miserable without you.’
    ‘Don’t talk to me about miserable,’ Essie says. ‘I’ve been in step-monster hell for the past six weeks. Can you believe she tried to make me take my nose ring out?’
    ‘Oh God, don’t get her started,’ Felix moans. ‘It’s all she talked about last night.’
    I stop walking.
    ‘You guys hung out last night? Why didn’t you call me?’
    Essie and Felix exchange looks.
    ‘It was kind of boyfriend/girlfriend hanging out,’ Essie says. ‘If you know what I mean.’
    ‘Yeah,’ Felix echoes, turning a bit red and pushing his glasses up his nose. I notice his skin is peeling around his hairline.
    ‘Oh, right,’ I say. ‘Never mind.’
    We keep walking.
    Although I’m obviously thrilled my two best friends in the entire world are in love, I still can’t help but get slightly freaked out by the idea of them ‘together’. I don’t know if they’ve had sex or anything yet and I haven’t asked. Which bothers me. Up to now, we’ve always told each other everything and all of a sudden one topic, and a pretty major one at that, is unofficially off limits. To me anyway.
     
    This year I’m in form 10C. I get there early so I can reserve a seat near the front, as close to Mr Collins as possible, even if that