Transcript
7/29/2019 Freias Summer of Awful Chapter Sampler
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Text 2013 Aimee Said. All rights reserved.
7/29/2019 Freias Summer of Awful Chapter Sampler
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Text 2013 Aimee Said. All rights reserved.
NB. This is an ADVANCE UNCORRECTEDCHAPTER SAMPLE. Please note contents
and publishing information are subject tochange. When quoting from this book,
please check publishing details and refer tothe nal printed book for editorial accuracy.
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1
Everyone knows the last weeks o the school year are
a complete waste o time. Since we fnished our Year
Ten coursework all weve done is listen to lectures about
how the next two years will be the most important o
our lives, play stupid games (Im looking at you, periodic
table bingo) and watch DVDs. I told Mum the last day o
term would be a wipe-out, but she reused to budge on
her you-go-to-school-unless-youre-dying rule. (Just like
she wouldnt let me skip prize night when we both knew Iwasnt going to win any awards.)
Even in English, which is usually my avourite subject
on account o our teacher being both extremely dishy
and actually attempting to make his classes interesting,
Mr Naidoos making us watch Wuthering Heightswhile he
studies the Lonely Planet Guide to Paris(where he and thesoon-to-be Mrs Naidoo are honeymooning). He doesnt
bother telling o Kate and Brianna or turning round to
chat with Belinda and Bethanee, even though theyre
sitting right in ront o him.
Text 2013 Aimee Said. All rights reserved.
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The seat on Kates left is empty, as it has been since
I made myself persona non grata with her and the Bs
halfway through Term Three. I dont mean to stare at
the four of them; I just cant help myself. Its like whenI watch a horror movie and I know I should look away
because the sight of blood even obviously fake blood
makes my toes tingle (and not in a good way), but I cant.
When Belinda throws her head back to laugh and give her
trademark double ponytail ick, she catches me looking
and her eyes narrow in response. Whatever she whispersto the other three makes them stare back at me in unison.
I turn my gaze to my notebook and add a line of scrawl
to the list I was working on before the Bs distracted me,
in an attempt to seem otherwise occupied.
Reasons why these will be the most awesome summer
holidays ever
1. No school, obviously. And no schoolwork, unless youre
a freak of nature like Vicky and love studying so much
that youve already bought the Year Eleven Chemistry
textbook as a treat.
2. No English tutoring. I love Nicky (despite her being
hired to spare my parents the embarrassment of being
the only English Literature professors in history to
have a daughter whod rather readCharlottes Web
than Charlotte Bront) and Ill miss her while shes off
researching the medieval libraries of eastern Europe,
Text 2013 Aimee Said. All rights reserved.
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but I cant say Ill be sad not to write a practice essay
for six weeks.
3. No Bs. I know I shouldnt care about Belinda Sinclair
and her blond clones now that I dont have to hangout with them any more, but seeing them in classes ve
days a week reminds me of how hideous most of this
year was.
4. Siouxsie, Steph and Vicky. Friends: I have them! And
although weve only been hanging out together for a
few months, I feel like Ive nally met some people whoget me (as opposed to being out to get me, see 3).
5. Daniel Taylor-Fairchild, aka Dan to his friends, Dan
the Man when Siouxsies feeling snarky. Lasagne lover,
Ramones fan and the best kisser I know. (Also the only
person Ive ever kissed.)
6. New Years Eve. For the rst time in my life I wont
be seeing in the new year with my family like Lonely
McLoser. Ill be with my friends, having a moonlight
picnic and watching the reworks over the river, which
can only be a good omen for the coming year.
I know Im probably jinxing myself by looking forward
to these holidays so much. Grandma Thelma has this
saying, No expectations, no disappointment, which
basically means, If you dont get your hopes up, you
cant be upset when it doesnt happen. Unlike most of
Grans sayings (stuff about stitches in time and sucking
Text 2013 Aimee Said. All rights reserved.
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eggs, which make no sense at all), I can see the wisdom
in this, but I also think its often the expectation thats the
best bit. Take Christmas, for example. Every October I
give my parents a list of the things I really want (this year:an MP3 player to replace my crappy portable CD player, a
mobile phone, for my curfew to be moved from ten-thirty
to midnight) and then I spend two months imagining how
great it will be to have those things, right up until the
moment I open my present and nd yet another classic
novel/bath gel gift set/ergonomic pen grip. I am very
experienced in dealing with disappointment, so I think Ill
cope if these holidays are not one hundred per cent made
of awesome. Ninety per cent would be ne.
When the last bell of the year nally rings Mr Naidoo hits
stop on the DVD and wishes us a hasty goodbye. I dawdle
over packing up my stuff, surreptitiously checking to
make sure Belinda and Co. leave ahead of me and Vicky,
to avoid a humiliating confrontation.
It mightve worked, too, if Siouxsie wasnt waiting for
us at the door. Whats the hold-up? she calls. Stephs
only got the keys to the art rooms for half an hour.
I wont miss thatover the holidays, says Belinda in a
voice loud enough for everyone within a ve-classroom
radius to hear. Six weeks away from this freak show is
exactly what I need.
Text 2013 Aimee Said. All rights reserved.
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Freak show? says Siouxsie. Is that any way to talk
about your friends, Bella?
Belinda stops dead in front of Sooz and xes her with
the death stare. I wasnt talking to you, Morticia. Dontyou and the BOS have anything better to do than obsess
over me and my friends? Surely theres some satanic
ritual youve been saving for the holidays.
The BOS is the Bs most recent nickname for me. It
stands for Bride of Skeletor, Skeletor being their nickname
for Dan, on account of him being on the skinny side
(especially compared to the thick-necked, thick-headed
footy players the Bs hang out with). Siouxsie says I should
be attered the Bs feel Im such a threat that they have to
take cheap shots at me to make themselves feel better. On
good days I believe her. Today is not a good day.
Luckily for me, Siouxsies one of those people who
has a comeback to every put-down. She smiles sweetly
at Belinda and says, Id invite you to join us, but we dont
need a goat.
Belinda shakes her head, turns it into a ponytail ick
and keeps walking. Bethanee, Brianna and Kate follow.
Ready for Operation Time Capsule? asks Siouxsie
once theyve passed.
The time capsule was Vixs idea, but it was Steph who
suggested preserving it as a photo. The plan is that we
each bring something that sums up the year for us and
Steph will take a photo, and then the photo can be buried
Text 2013 Aimee Said. All rights reserved.
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in a vault or the school archives or wherever. Ive got my
copy of Pride and Prejudice, since it was studying Jane
Austen for English Extension that led to Siouxsie and me
becoming friends (despite the fact that shes a certiedJane Austen nut), which is how I got to know Steph and
Vicky. Actually, I sort of cheated and brought two things;
Im also wearing the silver guitar plectrum pendant that I
havent taken off since Dan gave it to me for my birthday
in September.
While Steph nishes setting up her camera, Siouxsie
slips on her Meat is Murder T-shirt (to mark becoming a
vegetarian in April) and Vicky puts on the gold and silver
medals she won at the Maths and Science Olympiad.
Steph lines us up in front of the camera and checks
her light meter again. Everyone ready? she asks, taking
a last look through the viewnder of her fancypants SLR
camera.
Hang on, says Vicky. What did you bring, Steph?
Steph grins and runs to join us, throwing an arm around
my and Vickys shoulders as she slides into position
between us. You! she says, just as the camera goes click.
Im sure I blinked when the ash went off I was
laughing too hard to keep my eyes open but Steph saysthat what she wants to capture is the feeling of this exact
moment in time, and if we do it over and over again, well
end up looking like were posing for a family photo, or
worse, the Westside Grammar annual.
Text 2013 Aimee Said. All rights reserved.
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We walk to the entrance gates together before going
our separate ways. As I unchain my bike, I bid a silent
farewell to what has been both the very worst and very
best school year of my life.
Text 2013 Aimee Said. All rights reserved.
7/29/2019 Freias Summer of Awful Chapter Sampler
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FREIA LOCKHARTS SUMMER OF AWFUL by Aimee SaidISBN: 9781921977800
Arrp: $16.95 NZrrp: $19.99
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FINDING FREIA LOCKHART by Aimee SaidISBN: 9781921529153
Arrp: $16.95 NZrrp: $19.99
7/29/2019 Freias Summer of Awful Chapter Sampler
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LITTLE SISTER by Aimee SaidISBN: 9781921529214
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