You're It

Part 3

'Paris, right?'

Paris looked up. She'd been in the same position for over two hours now, sat on the edge of her new bed in her new room. Renata had come for her once Lilian had left and took her to her new room. Paris had the attic room which was recently refurbished anyway. It was a rounded turret and very bright and big and it had large windows with a window seat too, the highest room in the house. It even had its own little French en suite. It was beautiful, much bigger and better than what she was used to.

Her luggage had been brought up and left beside the bed. The room was bare except for the bed, a wardrobe, a chest of drawers and a dressing table. The walls were painted a pale pastel yellow and the room itself was brown and woody. Paris smiled graciously as she looked around before sighing heavily and perching on the edge of her bed where she remained for over two hours, contemplating her situation sadly. She loved this room, she loved to be with loads of children her own age, but it was too different of a situation to have been put in. it wouldn't have been fair on Grandma for her to stay there and she knew Lilian couldn't possibly foster her. There was no one else.

'Yes. I'm Paris Garland.' She said to the girl in the doorway. She instantly recognised her as Nanette, the girl from the cafeteria. She was tall and slim and very pretty. With her curly blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, she was obviously the child in charge.

She skipped into the room, her hands gripping the rim of her pink skater dress, her hair flying out around her. She reached Paris and shot out a hand. 'I'm Nanette. You must've seen me in the cafeteria. How do you do?'

Paris shook the expectant hand up and down. 'I'm good. And yes, Mrs Hammersmith kind of announced everyone's names.' She smiled politely.

'Oh right. Yes, she probably did. Old Smithy's about as easy going as a tractor through a house.' Nanette said, dismissively. Her hand went slowly to her hair. 'That's what we call her by the way. You too, since you're one of us now. May I sit?' She asked, prettily.

'Sure.'

'Anyway, I just thought I'd come and say hi and whatever, you know. Its kind of my duty as the eldest girl. Everyone just looks expectantly at me and I have to do everything.' She scoffed. Paris fidgeted uncomfortably.

'But I wanted to this time, seeing as you're a girl. Usually we have a bunch of boys come and stay here every so often and its then that I don't want to say anything. See, they just don't know when to stop, do they, with their gelled hair and white armpits from all that cheap aftershave.' Nanette lay back on the bed, twirling her hair with her pink fingernails. Paris raised her eyebrows.

'They just don't get that I'm not interested.' Nanette sighed, as though pitying herself. 'But I just had to come to see you personally.' She said excitedly, jumping up. 'It's not every day a new girl comes to join and is given the best room in the house. So,' She looked Paris straight in the eye. 'What's your story?'

Paris moved, startled. 'Uhm, I guess I don't have that much of a story.' She mumbled.

'Oh, come on! Don't be boring. You've got to if it made Old Smithy give up this room. It's special to her you know.'

'Oh?' said Paris, playing along. She didn't want to give up her story, especially not to this arrogant girl. She'd pretend to be interested if it meant this girl would leave her alone.

'Yeah, I know.' Said Nanette, looking exasperated. 'Don't tell anyone I told you this. I haven't told any of the other girls, even Posy but since you're in this room, I guess you should know.

'There was a girl who used to live here. Her name was Ophelia or Opal or something like that, whatever. Anyway, she lived here with us and me and her were BEST FRIENDS. Don't look at me like that! I was, like, eight at the time. How am I supposed to remember her name?