“Oh yes, is it true?” Kerry asked with a smile.
“No it isn’t! And even if it was, it ain’t something you talk about behind someone’s back!” Pete said, quite heatedly.
“So, did she change her mind?” Kayla asked.
“Who?”
“The girl.”
“Oh, no. Lucy heard the rumour, but when she found out who started it, she knew it was a load of rubbish.”
“So, what is this ball? Like a football, yes?” Kayla asked, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
The two girls laughed at the Swedish girl’s ignorance, but Pete looked crossly at them. He turned to her and smiled. Sally thought she was going to choke. He looked like a love struck puppy.
“Don’t mind them. The ball is the Summer Ball, a big celebration. You have dances in Sweden?”
“Of course.”
“It is a big dance, where we celebrate the end of school.”
“Oh, I understand. We have them too.”
Pete smiled.
“Um, if you like, you could come as my partner?” he said.
Sally had another coughing fit.
When she recovered, she looked sharply at Pete.
“Hoi, I thought you had a list of Wannabes?” she asked.
“Let’s say my priorities have changed,” Pete said, with a smile.
“I haven’t told you I won’t go with you,” Sally said.
“Too late, you had your chance,” he said, chuckling.
Kayla looked at her friend, who nodded imperceptibly.
“I only arrive at school today. I tink about it, okay?” Kayla said, and Pete grinned.
“Take as along as you want.”
“Tack, no, tank you.”
“That’s th-ank you. With a ‘th’,” he said
“Thhhank you,” she said, with that smile.
“That’s okay. How do you say, ‘that’s okay’, in Swedish?”
“Ingen orsak,” she said, and he pronounced it dreadfully, so she repeated it slowly for him.
“Ingern oorshark,” she said, phonetically.
He repeated it more as she had, and she smiled again.
Pete stood up and bowed slightly, looking faintly ridiculous.
“It’s a pleasure. Thanks for coming here and brightening up my life!” he said.
“Oh, p-lease!” said Sally, making pseudo-vomit noises.
Pete flushed slightly and with a small smile to Kayla, left them alone.
“Oo-ee, who’s got the hots for you, girl?” Kerry said, and Kayla blushed delightfully.
“He just thinks I am, how you say? Er-ot-ic?”
“That’s exotic, darling!” said Sally, who looked at Kayla with fresh eyes. Kayla stared back with such a wicked innocence, that Sally was really surprised.
“No, I think she was right the first time!” said Rachel, and all four girls laughed. Sally looked at Kayla and smiled. Unlike Kyle, Kayla fitted in and was so relaxed amongst company. It was almost miraculous that she was as natural as she was. Sally no longer saw Kayla as anything other than a girl.
After lunch, the ‘Swedish’ girl joined Sally for her subject classes, which just happened to be the same as Kyle’s. The Headmaster had spoken to all members of staff, briefing them that the visitor would be undertaking input in Art and French. She was, apparently, a gifted guitarist, and had been persuaded to take guitar lessons. Kyle had had lessons a few years ago, having forgone them in favour of his electric guitar. He had learned what he could from the Internet and watching musicians like Eric Clapton.
The Head was concerned that the Art and French teachers would identify the youngster through handwriting, artistic ability and character. He toyed with the idea that he would let these two in on the deception, but something told him that Kayla was a better actor than anyone gave her credit.
Instead, he told them that young Kyle would be sending in his assignments from Sweden, where special arrangements would be made for his A levels.
In the afternoon’s art lesson, Kayla listened as Mr Simmonds droned on about Monet and the French Impressionists. She was finding it a real strain to speak with the accent, having to guard her tongue on several occasions when she so nearly forgot. Being supposedly foreign, she was allowed to sit and not necessarily understand everything that went on. She listened, relaxed and enjoyed herself. She found the behaviour of her erstwhile male contemporaries bizarre. They acted very strangely towards her, as it gradually dawned on her that being female brought different problems. She was flattered by their attention and yet a little worried as to the intensity at times.
By the end of the Art lesson, Mr Simmonds gave no indication that he believed that Kayla was anyone other than whom she purported to be, so she left feeling a little more confident that this might work.
She walked to the school gates with Sally, intending to get a ride home with her. However, she found Pete waiting for her, and just as her heart sank, her grandmother pulled up in her elderly Saab.
“Kayla, how did you get on?” she asked, in Swedish.
“Fine. I’m glad you are here,” Kayla replied, in her basic yet accurate Swedish.
Her grandmother saw the young man who looked at Kayla with a most obvious expression.
“Well, come along, let’s get you home.”
“Ja, varsågod!” (Yes, please!) said a relieved Kayla.
She gave Sally a hug and smiled at Peter, who looked confused. He watched the girl of his dreams get into the Saab and drove off.
Sally went to her car and found Pete following.
“Wait up, Sal!”
She stopped.
“What?”
“Where is she staying?”
“Why?”
“I’m interested,” he said, and then looked sheepish. “Okay, I find her very attractive and want to ask her out.”
“Pete, don’t rush the poor girl. She’s only been over here a while. We met because her Gran knew I was the same age and lived nearby. She has a boyfriend in Sweden, remember?”
“Yeah, I remember. I just hope it’s not that serious. I’m sorry Sal, I’ve behaved like a real wanker. If you’d care to reconsider, perhaps it would be wiser if you were my partner for the Ball.”
“Peter Groves, you are a real sod at times!”
“What?”
“You can’t just ask people as it suits you. You asked me and gave me a deadline, and I do not play that game, so I turned you down. Now you’ve asked her, and she’s thinking about it, so you can’t ask anyone else until she’s replied.”
“Oh, I guess you’re right. Shit Sally, she’s so different!”
“If she was home grown, would it make any difference?”
Pete frowned and shook his head
“No, there’s something so different and special about her, I can’t explain. It isn’t that she’s Swedish. If anything, that’s a complication rather than a bonus. If she was a local girl, that would be brilliant!”
Sally smiled, and opened the door of her car.
“As I said, be patient and treat her carefully. She’s a lovely girl, and I’d hate it if you hurt her! Besides, her parents are dead, so she lives with her grandparents in Sweden.” she said.
“Shit Sal, I’d never hurt her. What happened to her parents?”
“Car crash, I think. Some time ago now. So tread carefully!”
“I will Sally. I will.”
Sally nodded and got into her car. As she drove off, she smiled. Pete saw something different and special in her friend. He’d run a mile if he knew what that was! Sally rang Kayla to give her some more history, cursing her quick mouth.
7.
Kayla walked into her grandmother’s kitchen, sat down, and started to shake. Ingrid came over and gave her a hug.
“Is it very bad?” she asked.
“Nej, det är fint.” (No, it’s fine)
“Then why are you shaking?”