Faye's Diary

Chapter 1: I Made My Mum Cry, She Made Me Buy Pants

“What are you doing up there? Hurry up; we are going to be late! Come on!” Mum shouted at me from downstairs. “I am walking out of the door right now, ok?!”

I slid the old, wooden floorboard up and replaced my diary. I knew no-one would find it there. It was a secret compartment that I had discovered when I was about seven, and had hidden my diary there ever since. I put back the board and hurried downstairs to my angry Mum.

As I jumped into the front of our big, black car, Mum said, “Honestly, what were you doing? We could have been there by now!”

“Sorry,” I mumbled. “I had to do my hair again; some of it came out when I put my jumper on.” I noticed that even though she had moaned at me for wasting time, she hadn’t even started the car yet.

When the engine finally started, and we rolled down the drive, I looked back at our house. The brick walls were in fairly good condition and the huge windows were pristine. The big black gates opened and we were off. I knew our house was old. Old as in Victorian, but that was it. I didn’t know who the first owners were, or if anyone famous had ever lived there. I wasn’t really bothered; my house was my house and that was that.

I looked at Mum driving. Both hands were at the wheel and she was focussed on the road. She was leant back slightly, her brunette hair reaching just past her shoulders. A stranger looking at her would probably see her as quite a relaxed lady, but this was possibly the falsest statement of the century.

My Mum was not a laid back kind of woman. In fact, she was anything but laid back. She was quite controlling and very bossy and she liked to wade into your life at completely the wrong times and moments trying to be helpful when really, she is just causing the situation to be much worse than it could have been if she’d just minded her own business.

I smiled, as I thought of such times. “What are you looking so happy about? Ahhhh, have you got yourself a boyfriend?” Mum said, proving my point entirely.

“No Mum. I’m just thinking about stuff. Anyway, where are we even going?” I replied, as I tried to control the level of my voice. No-one winds me up like she does, but no-one can make me laugh as much as she can either.

She gave a small smile which made me think she was out to embarrass me again. I was right. “Well, I have to go to the bank to sort out my stupid credit card. They have given me the wrong pin number or something. Um, and then we need to go to the shops to get some pizza for tea, then I thought we might go into town. I need to get a card and present for Amy’s birthday. I can treat you to some new clothes and I think you need some new underwear.”

I went red, “Mum, seriously, I don’t want to go shopping for pants with you. Oh my gosh, you are so embarrassing!”

For a brief moment, a smile settled on her face as if she was about to laugh, but then it disappeared as quickly as it came. Her face had made me feel uneasy, and I knew she knew it too.

“Well, everyone wears pants Faye, it’s not an embarrassing thing,” said Mum eyeing me up and down. “And maybe some new bras too?”

“Oh my gosh, you are so embarrassing! I don’t need any more bras’ Mum! Why are you so intent on embarrassing me?!” I said, cringing.

“Well, maybe you should go and get measured. You are a growing girl you know. There is nothing embarrassing about it. Everyone grows at some point.”

“Mum! Oh my gosh!” I shouted, going beetroot red. I knew I should have stayed at home when she asked if I wanted to go out, but I was just so bored at home on my own. Why did my two best friends have to be away on the same day?