“Sure is,” I said, as we grabbed the massive sofa. I saw Grace check to make sure it was a SFZ (Simon-Free Zone). “Clear.” I nodded, confirming we were safe. “So…” I flopped down. “Are you ready to put the fun in fundraiser? Eat so much pudding we feel sick, sort of dizzy and sweaty – but in a good way?”
Grace grinned. “Yu-huh.”
Good. This evening was working. But as I turned to tug my coat off, I jumped. Argh! On the next table were Zaiynab and Matt. Who, almost two weeks after seeing them at the switch on, still hadn’t got back to me about the band.
I waved feebly and wished I wasn’t wearing the penguin jumper Grace had lent me.
“OMG! Look!” Grace pointed out the window. “In fact, don’t. DO NOT.” All I could see was condensation. “Unless you want to see a poster for Sleigh Another Day. On the side of a bus? Which come to think of it … did I even see at all?”
Eurgh. I dropped my head on to the table with a bang, before remembering Zaiynab and Matt might see, so tried to style it into a very vigorous rummage in my school bag instead. I was so OVER that film! Half our school had seen it this week, and the corridors had been full of people humming “Love Your Elf!”. It was torture. Luckily, no one had figured out we’d been at the premiere, and no one suspected that my mum and dad were The Brussel Shouts. Just how I needed it to stay, which was going to get trickier as Elijah had been in touch with my parents to sort me going to the event in Liverpool this weekend. I was dreading it. Grace had been checking social to make sure no one had figured out who #dreadcarpetgirl was and I’d dodged that too. Plus, full-time super sleuthing had been a good distraction for her and it meant I hadn’t had to see anything about the film, so a double win.
I finished fake rummaging in my bag and pulled out the unopened envelope I’d stuffed in there this morning. It was finally time to open it. I knew what was inside, but seeing made it even more real. More terrifying.
ADMIT TWO: LIVERPOOL LIGHTS UP! GET FERRY AND BRIGHT AT THE SLEIGH ANOTHER DAY WINTER WONDERLAND LIGHTS SWITCH ON! RIDE THE FESTIVE FERRIS WHEEL AND FEAST ON SANTA’S SNACKS AT THE ALBERT DOCKS AS THE CITY GETS LIT!
The thick gold invitation reflected my face back at me – and it didn’t look happy. How was this tomorrow? I wasn’t mentally prepared. But when I’d messaged Elijah to say I wasn’t sure I could do it, he’d sent a screengrab of my face from the red carpet and suddenly I’d decided maybe I could after all. But with one condition – he had to let Grace come with me. The perfect thing to keep her mind off Simon.
“Remember The Plan,” Grace said calmly, plucking the invitation out of my hand. I’d told her that Elijah had invited me to show the world what Elf Girl looked like now. I may have kept the whole blackmail thing out of it, as I didn’t want her to worry or not come, so I said agreeing to it had been my idea to make it up to my parents after the premiere. “You just have to turn up. Do everything as we planned. And I’ll be on the ground checking social. Elijah can’t say you didn’t show the world Elf Girl. But your identity stays hidden! Job done.” I smiled weakly. Grace made it sound easy, but if anything went wrong I was at serious risk of being unveiled as Elf Girl. I had to hope Elijah wouldn’t freak out either, but he had said I could access “a glam squad” – and I’m just taking up his offer. “Mol, I promise, if I managed to look unbothered when I was made to sit by Simon in chemistry earlier, anything is possible.”
“How you didn’t shove that conical flask up his nose, I do not know.”
Grace smiled. An evil, happy smile. “It would have felt soooo good.”
“Moving on.” I got my notebook out. “Next thing on the agenda. Grampy G’s Grotto.” We had three weeks to pull it off, and it was fair to say plans had kind of stalled this week with everything going on.
“Honestly, if we didn’t have that to look forward to there would be zero Christmas cheer round mine.”
“Well, prepare to unleash FULL ON Christmas cheer. All the Christmassyness you’d normally have crammed into one single evening. And I will deal with everything so you don’t need to speak to you-know-who.”
We both really wished we hadn’t arranged to have Grampy G’s Grotto at Simon’s parents’ restaurant, but there was no way we were cancelling.
“Perfect.” Grace smiled. “So I’ll stick to … entertainment, right? And guest list, of course. I’ve got emails for most of my family. They can’t wait!” Last count we had about thirty people coming. “My dance friends have said they’ll help with the Nutcracker thing. And did I tell you I reckon I can wangle a karaoke machine from my teacher?” Grace waggled her eyebrows as I scribbled it all down.
“Great, although can we keep my parents away from it at all costs?” She nodded solemnly. “And I’m on decorations annnnd…” I looked at the list: “raffle prizes”.
“Ah,” Grace said, like she’d remembered something I didn’t want to hear. “About that. I’m not quite sure how it happened. But…”
“Buuut…?”
“I might have chatted to Holly Hospice about it last night.” Well, that sounded OK. “And I might have invited a few of Grampy G’s friends.” That was OK too. “And some of the staff.” OK, so the party was getting bigger. “And when I told them we were hoping to finally hit five hundred pounds for their Christmas party fund, they were so happy and started talking about how they would have to raise some more to decorate the social room so it was nicer, and basically, I think I accidentally might have maybe said that actually we were going to raise a thousand pounds and pay for that too.”
Right. Grace grimaced. “I’m sorryyyyyy. It’s been a bad week, OK?”
I didn’t want her to worry, even though the fundraiser had been stuck on £326 for months now.
“It’s OK. We’ve got this.”
I wasn’t really sure we had, but I’d just have to find a way to figure it out. I was sure they’d understand if we didn’t quite hit it.
“If it helps.” Grace rested her head on my shoulder. “The lady on the phone cried. In a happy way.” No, that didn’t exactly help. “And I really meant to say it was just a target, but then said we’d definitely, definitely do it.”
OK. Now I was panicking.
“You ready to order?” The waitress interrupted us. Grace gave me a guilty, yet strangely excited, smile and asked what the specials were. I went for a peppermint and pretzel marshmallow slice, but after she wrote it down she didn’t leave.
“Not being weird, but do I know you from somewhere?” she said, looking at me.
“I don’t think so,” I replied, smiling so she knew I didn’t mind her asking. “I did come here for my sister’s birthday though. You made her a horse made out of chocolate mousse. Highlight of her life.”
“Nah.” She shook her head. “I only started this week.” Uh-oh. “Do we follow each other on social or something?”
Considering I’d never posted a single photo, I was pretty confident the answer was no.
“Not me. Sorry.”
But at that exact moment “All I Want for Christmas” finished playing and “Love Your Elf!” started blaring through the speakers. Was Spotify trolling me?! I felt my face go bright red.
The waitress clicked her fingers. “Of course! Little Elf Girl! The cutest little elf!!” My heart actually stopped. No one had said that to me for five years! “It’s you, isn’t it?” The waitress looked super pleased with herself. “My mum did say she thought The Brussel Shouts were local.”
Oh, jingliest of balls. People knew about my family’s stupid band?! I tried to breathe. In… Out… In. But the whole place was spinning! Had Zaiynab and Matt heard?! Were my secret-Elf days over?!
“No no no nooooo,” Grace said, shaking her head very hard. “That’s definitely not Mo—” She stopped midway through my name.
“I’ve never” – deep breath – “even heard of that song?” Could everyone tell my voice had gone tight and high? “If it is a song. Is it a song?”
Dad’s voice crooned “You’re our tiny festive friend!” through the awkward silence. And this was exactly why I stayed indoors for the festive period.
Grace spluttered. “In fact, I’d heard the family who wrote it actually live in Scotland. Or Australia.”
