I grin, glad for the change of subject. My heart lifts as I think of seeing Noah again. There’s a point when Skype and texting just don’t cut it, and that point is now. It’s also going to be the first time I’ve ever seen him perform live onstage, in front of thousands of screaming girls. “Yes, he’s the opening act. It’s a huge deal for him.”
“Sounds like it. Well, you take care of yourself over the summer. And don’t forget about your prep for A-level photography.” She gestures to my portfolio. “Are you sure you don’t want to exhibit? You’ve got some amazing work in here, and it deserves to be recognized.”
I shake my head. She sighs, but she knows it’s a losing battle. “Well, all I can say is keep on writing your blog, Penny. It’s your talent. You know how to connect with people, and I don’t want you to lose that. Make that your summer assignment from me this year, alongside your photographs. I want a full report of your travels when you get back.”
I smile, sliding the portfolio notebook into my bag. “Thanks for all your help this year, Miss Mills.”
I think about our photography assignment for the summer. Miss Mills has asked us to look at “alternative perspectives”: a challenge to see things from a different angle. I have no idea what I’m going to do, but I’m sure going on tour with Noah will offer up a million different opportunities.
“You’re welcome, Penny.”
I leave the classroom, and am back in the deserted hallways. I feel my heart beating inside my chest as I pick my pace up to a jog, and then a run. I burst through the doors that lead outside, throw my arms wide, and twirl on the front step of the school. I blush pink when I realize how cheesy that must look, but I have never been so ready for the school year to be over. Freedom has never felt so good.
25 June
Exams Are Officially Over! (And How to Survive Them When They Return)
Drum roll please . . . I’ve finished school for the year! Done! Finito!
It wasn’t that bad. Repeat: it wasn’t that bad. But I did have some help (big thanks to Wiki, my bestest pal!) coming up with some strategies for coping when it felt like all I was doing was studying . . . studying . . . and more studying!
If I don’t write these strategies down now, I know I will have forgotten them when exam time comes round next year. For some reason, no matter how many times I have to sit exams, I always find them just as terror-inducing as before.
Five Ways to Survive Exams (from Someone Who HATES Exams)
1. Revise
OK, some might say that’s an obvious one, but this year I drew up a calendar with each subject on it and gave myself a gold star sticker whenever I completed an hour’s revision. It felt a bit like being back in primary school again, but actually seeing all the progress I was making (by way of a constellation of gold stars all over the calendar) made me feel loads more confident in my preparation.
2. Bribes
Not ones for your teachers or your examiner, but for yourself! Whenever I completed a full revision week (see Step 1) I went to Gusto Gelato and got myself a gelato burger as a reward. Nothing like using a sweet treat as motivation!
3. Do the hard questions first
Wiki’s top tip! He says to focus on the questions that are worth the most marks first of all so you don’t get stuck at the end and have to scribble down nonsense for your big essay.
4. Coffee
I don’t even like coffee, but, according to my brother, it helps. I did try it, but every time I took a sip it made me cringe, and I ended up staying awake all night, plagued by anxious shivers. So maybe that’s not such a good tip after all . . .
5. Dream of summer
Remember that there is life after exams! This is basically what got me through. The knowledge that, very soon, I’ll be with Brooklyn Boy again . . .
Girl Offline . . . never going online xxx
Chapter Two
All the way home, my excitement levels have been growing—so much so that I practically waltz into the kitchen. It seems like a pretty apt thing to do because Mum is dressed in a full-blown Strictly Come Dancing glitter outfit, twirling as she and Elliot dance a mean salsa across the black-and-white tiles. Elliot’s boyfriend, Alex, is sitting on a stool by the island, shouting out scores in the flamboyant manner of Bruno Tonioli. “Seven!”
Just an average afternoon at the Porters’.
“Penny darling, you’re home!” Mum says, between steps. “You never told me Elliot was such a good dancer.”
“He’s a man of many talents!”
They finish off with an elaborate dip—of Elliot, by Mum.
Alex and I break into spontaneous and enthusiastic applause.
“Upstairs?” I say to Elliot and Alex. They nod in almost perfect synchronization.
Seeing them sends a familiar pang through my heart. Elliot and Alex are the perfect couple—and they don’t have to contend with my and Noah’s long-distance woes. They’re able to be together whenever they want, without having to worry about time zones or whether there’s enough Wi-Fi to Skype properly. They’re completely relaxed in each other’s presence.
In fact, they spend so much time together that my family has even given them their own portmanteau nickname, like Brangelina or Kimye. They’re Alexiot.
“Are Alexiot staying for dinner?” Mum calls to us before we disappear upstairs.
“No, we’re going to grab burgers at GBK before the concert!” I shout back.
“We are?” Elliot asks, raising an eyebrow.