Emma Giovanni

I was so embarrassed. You know what Sally did?

Talitha Freeman

No.

Emma Giovanni

She sent me an invitation to her 'bad taste' birthday party.

Talitha Freeman

So? Did you go?

Emma Giovanni

I went all right. Only every one else had been invited to a normal wear-your-best clothes type of party.

Talitha Freeman

What did you wear?

Emma Giovanni

My ballet skirt over my swimsuit, an old cardigan of my grandmother's, gumboots, and sunglasses...and lots of fake jewellery. You can imagine what I felt like. There was no one else from our school there. I didn't know anyone else at the party at all. The way they all looked at me I knew that Sally had been telling them stories about me before I got there.

Talitha Freeman

Were you late?

Emma Giovanni

I got there the time it said on the invitation. But obviously that was set up too. Every one else had already arrived. They were stuffing into chips and drinking coke and pepsi. You could tell they were just waiting for me--to see what sort of weirdo it was that Sally had invited her from her school.

Talitha Freeman

The bitch.