It was weird. Ru and I had hung out loads. But today felt different. Could I really do this?!
But we were off. Mum was pulling out of the drive, Cara’s outside lights flashing and Santa FM blaring. And, for once, I didn’t mind. Who cared who saw? Everyone was already laughing at me anyway. And I was off to London. All expenses paid. Mum was drumming on the steering wheel. Billy was singing all the wrong words to Christmas songs. And Cara was packed with festive snacks.
Even Elijah had been really happy when I asked if we could come after all. I was expecting some really big condition, but he said he had spare hotel rooms and all I needed to do was come down to the final influencer event on Sunday. I really didn’t get that guy.
But as we turned towards to the motorway, Mum glanced at me. “Shall I?”
I looked to where she was pointing. Eurgh. Simon. Hand in hand with a girl – not even the girl we saw him with the other day. Simon who had bragged about putting me forward for the end of year show. I gave a small nod – and Mum let rip with Cara’s horn. Simon positively leapt into a slushy brown puddle. I laughed even harder when Mum wound down the window and yelled, “Behave your elf!”
Oh well. Christmas karma.
I gave him a merry little wave just as my phone vibrated.
Ru: Got to switch my phone off.
Ru: Still on for five? I’ll bring the hot drinks.
I typed back, a stupid smile on my face.
Me: Plan 
I’d become a gooey Christmas cheese ball.
And … I kind of liked it.
I stretched back and cranked up “All I Want for Christmas”, the three of us belting it out. Who cared if everyone at school thought I was an elf? Or was related to singing Christmas dinner and half-horse-half-human sister?
I had Grace. I had my family.
And it had just started snowing just like in the movies. I grinned. After all these years, maybe this is what it felt like for my Christmas frost to thaw.
And an hour into the journey, Grace messaged with the best news. The auction had hit two thousand pounds!! I rang her immediately, but no answer.
I sent a voice note of the three of us screaming.
Which I had to follow up with one explaining we hadn’t been in a crash.
Today was the best!
I love snow! I love the auction! I love life!
But two hours later, the snow was so heavy the traffic was down to two lanes and Billy was needing to “maybe be sick” after eating two chocolate oranges … and we’d only moved fifteen more miles.
I HATED THE SNOW. Life-ruining, waste of frozen-water space.
My getting ready for my meet-or-date minutes were disappearing into this traffic jam?!
“Lucky we all had a wee,” Mum said cheerily, like she hadn’t been stuck driving for four hours and we weren’t still one hundred miles from London in standstill traffic. “I’m sure it’ll clear soon.”
But two hours later, we’d only just reached the centre of London and I was freaking out! I’d messaged Ru to ask if we could make it later, but nothing was getting delivered. Sure, he’d said he was going to have his phone off, but I didn’t know he meant off off. Not just “not replying within a minute”-off like normal people!
ARGH.
4:45 p.m. Fifteen minutes till we were meant to be meeting and the satnav said we were still thirteen minutes from the hotel car park. One and a half miles. Could I run it quicker?
I looked down at what I was wearing. Sprinting through London looking like a fluffy Christmas pudding probably wouldn’t help the whole “Don’t worry I might have a secret identity as an elf, but actually I’m quite normal” thing.
“We’ll get there…” Mum said, rubbing my knee, as we crawled down a main road with huge white mansions either side. “I’m sure your ‘friend’” – she still did the air quotes when she was driving! Probably illegal – “won’t mind waiting a few minutes.”
Few minutes? FEW MINUTES?! I hadn’t even showered! My nails were half chewed off. I had bits of yesterday’s biscuit in my hair!
“I can’t get hold of my ‘friend’.” I was so stressed, I did air quotes too. “So, if he turns up…” pleeeease let him be a late person… “you might have to stall for me?” How bleak were things if I was seriously suggesting leaving Ru with Mum and Billy? My mum, who was wearing a jumper that said “Jingle my Baubles”. And my little sister who he thought was called Tilly and was plaiting Mum’s hair through the headrest, effectively knotting her into the van for life.
“Well, I’m sure a ‘friend’ wouldn’t mind you wearing such a lovely festive outfit for your ‘friendly’ meet,” Mum said pointedly.
“Well, I’m sure I’d ‘rather’” – air quotes were officially out of control – “see any ‘friend’ after a ‘shower’.”
“At pony camp.” Billy put yet another elastic band on Mum’s hair. “My best friend wore the same jodhpurs all week. And she just smelt of horse! Which is yum.” She shrugged. “So don’t worry, Mol.”
My phone vibrated. Grace. Phew! Finally a sane person.
“HELLO?” I scrabbled to plug in my headphones. But there was silence. Nothing on the screen except … ceiling. “You OK?” Talking to her was the only thing that could stop my descent into full freak out.
“I … have … news.” The camera panned slowly down the ceiling, down her bedroom wall, past the posters of Harry Styles … and on to Grace, who was lying on her bed, her face totally blank.
“About the auction?” Had it gone up again?
“Kind of…” she said. But she didn’t look excited. She looked like she’d seen Father Christmas buying a Pot Noodle in Tesco. “I just got off the phone to Elijah.” She gulped. “And I … I … have something to tell you.”
