Secrets of a Teenage Heiress by Katy Birchall (6)

I didn’t tell anyone at school about Skylar Chase.

I know, weird, right? Usually if I meet anyone remotely famous I phone Ella straight away and know it will be all over school by the next morning, but it just felt different with Skylar. I couldn’t put my finger on it. It’s not like I didn’t get the chance to tell anyone, either – Grace ambushed me the moment I stepped on to school property, asking me a hundred questions all at once about whether she was actually staying there, if I’d spoken to her and whether or not it’s true she had a fling with Justin Bieber. Without even thinking, I lied and said I hadn’t seen her, before changing the subject.

Grace looked disappointed but cheered up at lunch when she excitedly announced that the Daily Post had confirmed Skylar Chase was staying at Hotel Royale. She’d been spotted leaving the hotel with a huge entourage that morning. Everyone turned to wait for my reaction but I just shrugged, saying I’d let them know if I saw her. Satisfied with my answer, Ella turned the discussion to who was wearing what to her party and which boys were going to be there, a conversation that continued at my locker as I got my books out for the last lessons of the day.

‘So, definitely the green top over the pink?’ she asked for the fifth time that day.

‘Yes,’ I replied irritably.

‘Tights or no tights?’

‘Uh-uh,’ I said automatically, struggling to find my maths book in the bomb site that was my locker.

‘I guess it depends on the shoes I’m wearing.’ She sighed heavily, as though dealing with a world catastrophe. ‘And I don’t know whether to curl my hair or leave it straight. Maybe I’ll get a blow-dry. There’s so much to think about.’

‘Sure,’ I answered, finally tugging out my maths book.

It sent everything else in my locker flying out with it, scattering books and loose paper all over the floor. I groaned and crouched down to start picking it all up when I noticed someone else bend down next to me to help. Oliver, Grace’s brother, gathered together the loose sheets and handed them to me.

‘Thanks,’ I said gratefully, standing up and awkwardly trying to balance everything in my arms.

‘That’s OK.’ He laughed, immediately catching a book falling from my grip. ‘You got it all?’

‘Yep.’ I shoved everything back into my locker, taking the final book from him, throwing it on the top of the pile and closing the locker door quickly.

‘You do know that it will all fall out again as soon as you open your locker door,’ he commented.

‘I know,’ I grumbled. ‘I need a new locker. This one’s WAY too small. I did formally request they get bigger lockers last term but they just ignored me. This school is so mean. If I get flattened by one of these books falling on top of me, I will be able to sue.’

Oliver laughed as though I’d told a hilarious joke.

Quite frankly I see nothing funny about this school’s clear lack of concern for their students’ well-being but whatever, he clearly has a weird sense of humour.

Since Oliver had come over, Ella had been too busy vying for his attention to help me pick anything up. She fidgeted with the hem of her skirt and twirled a lock of her glossy brown hair.

‘That was kind of you, Oliver,’ she said in a sickly sweet voice. ‘Flick’s locker has always been a disaster. She’s so lazy.’

I did a double take at her face as I noticed her lips were much shinier than they had been a moment before. She must have added a slick of lip gloss as soon as Oliver bent down to help me pick everything up.

‘I’m looking forward to your party next week, Ella.’ Oliver smiled, showing off his prominent cheekbones.

Ella giggled stupidly. ‘It’s going to be so fun.’

‘You going, Flick?’ he asked, his eyes flashing towards me.

‘She’s grounded,’ Ella replied flippantly.

‘What did you do to get grounded?’

‘I hope you’ve invited all your friends,’ Ella interrupted, before I could answer. ‘I’ve got a proper DJ and a photo booth.’

‘Sounds cool. Well, I better get going. See you around.’

Ella watched him stroll down the corridor and join his friends who were waiting for him. When he turned the corner, Ella leaned back against the locker. ‘Did you see his eyes?’ she said, still in a daze. ‘So dark and mysterious – and he has such good eyelashes. They’re so long, aren’t they?’

‘I didn’t notice.’

‘They are amazing. Are you sure he’d like the green top? Not that I care.’

‘Why don’t you ask Grace?’

‘That’s a good idea.’

She swanned off and I sighed with relief. I don’t think I could have faced the last five minutes of lunch break listening to her drone on about Oliver Dillon’s long eyelashes. I watched her pootle down to where Grace was glued to her phone – no doubt reading the latest about Skylar Chase – and then I turned to slam straight into Cal Weston.

‘Watch where you’re going!’ I snarled.

‘You walked into me,’ he huffed. I moved to step around him but he grabbed my arm.

‘Hey,’ he said, so quietly I could barely hear him, ‘how come you’re not telling anyone about your run-in with Skylar Chase?’

‘None of your business,’ I snapped. ‘Don’t say anything, OK?’

He held up his hands. ‘I wouldn’t dare.’

‘Good.’

‘I’m just surprised you’re not basking in the glory of your new-found friend.’

‘Are you this annoying with everyone or do you just save it all up for me?’

‘I like to keep the top of my game just for you.’ He grinned. ‘Does that make you feel special?’

‘Urgh, you are so weird.’ I looked around quickly to make sure no one was watching and lowered my voice. ‘Seriously, I don’t want to tell anyone about talking to Skylar. Whatever you do, don’t tell Grace Dillon.’

‘What’s wrong with Grace Dillon?’ he asked, craning over me to watch her nodding vigorously at whatever Ella was saying. ‘I thought she was all right. Well, she was, until she started tagging along with you and Her Royal Highness over there.’

‘Just don’t say anything, OK?’

‘Fine, your secret is safe with me. It just seems –’ he paused – ‘unlike you.’

‘Is that a compliment?’

‘If you want it to be.’

I rolled my eyes. ‘I can’t explain it. Skylar was . . . normal. I don’t know, it seems wrong to blurt about it to everyone. I can’t explain,’ I repeated.

Cal nodded, watching me closely. ‘No need to.’ He shrugged and then ended the conversation by sauntering off down the corridor.

I glared at his back as he walked off. I don’t know why he has to be so cryptic all the time, as though he knows something that no one else does. Whatever. I had more important things to think about than Cal Weston. Like, how I was going to escape tonight’s boring hotel chore. Please, please don’t let it be anything to do with Matthew and the hotel booking system.

PLEASE.

‘And that leads you on to the main booking system,’ Matthew announced proudly, clicking the mouse and loading what looked like the most boring spreadsheet of all time. ‘Easy, eh? Just one click. I tell you, technology is a marvellous thing.’

I tried and failed to seem enthused. Matthew sighed.

‘Is any of this going through into that brain of yours?’ He reached for one of the many dust cloths he kept next to the branded fountain pens and began to polish away a barely noticeable smear on the shiny desk.

‘Honestly, Matthew? No.’ I yawned, leaning back in my chair.

‘I thought as much. Always been a fan of your honesty, though.’ He smiled, winking at me. I stood up briefly to see over the reception desk and check on Fritz, who was sitting in his armchair as usual, greeting guests. At that moment, he was having his belly rubbed by a duchess, who was speaking to him in a baby voice, so I left him to it and sat back down.

‘How did it go with Prince Gustav?’ Matthew asked.

I shrugged. ‘Fine. He was nice about it. I gave him some selfie-stick tips and by the end he was practically begging me to stay to teach him more. I wish he’d tell Mum that I’ve been punished enough.’

‘Do you think you have?’

‘Are you kidding? I’ve had to do a hundred boring things.’

He raised his eyebrows.

‘Mum’s being so harsh.’

‘Can you blame her? She’s under a lot of stress, what with the Christmas Ball approaching.’

I snorted. ‘Like she has much to do with that. Audrey organises the whole thing.’

‘Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure.’ Matthew folded the dust cloth and placed it neatly back next to the fountain pens. ‘Audrey does a huge amount, of course, but your mother heads up the entire operation. Not to mention how much she does to run this place.’

‘She doesn’t have to take her stress out on me.’

‘She just wants it all to go smoothly. And this time of year there’s always plenty to do – the Christmas Ball means a lot to her.’

‘Duh, it’s the best night ever. And she gets to flirt with George Clooney.’ I rolled my eyes.

Matthew shook his head. ‘It’s not that. Maybe you should ask her sometime.’

‘Whatever, she’s been totally unfair to me. I apologised to Prince Gustav so I don’t understand why I’m still being punished,’ I huffed.

He laughed and shook his finger at me. ‘That stubborn expression of yours reminds me of the time when I caught you swapping the keys around so all the guests got the wrong key to their room. Do you remember?’

‘That was Cal’s idea,’ I lied. ‘But I was the one who got in trouble.’

‘I find that hard to believe.’ He smiled, his eyes twinkling. ‘You were the brains behind all your operations.’

‘I always took the fall for Cal, if that’s what you mean.’

‘Trust me, he didn’t get away with anything. I may be a jolly worker, but make no mistake, I’m a very strict father.’ He straightened up as a guest approached the desk, greeting them like they were an old friend whom he hadn’t seen in ages.

While I waited for him to finish, the phone began to ring next to me. All the phones at reception were gold-plated vintage ones, with a rotary dial and everything, and they had that old-fashioned trill ring. They totally suited the decor.

I watched it ring and I could see Matthew glancing at it out the corner of his eye but the guest was in full flow, telling him all about his trip to the zoo and, as the politest man of all time, Matthew wouldn’t dream of breaking away mid-conversation. The phone continued to ring. I just stared at it at first but then it started to bug me so I craned my neck over the desk to see if any porters were nearby, but they were all busy. I put my hands over my ears grumpily until FINALLY Audrey appeared and snatched it up. She did a lot of ‘uh-uh’s and ‘mm’s and then went, ‘of course, straight away,’ before neatly placing the receiver down.

‘You took long enough,’ I said, as she turned to face me with her hand on her hip. ‘Is there any way of turning down the volume on that thing?’

‘You know that is the internal line, right? I’ve told you several times before.’

‘Yeah. So?’

‘So,’ she said through gritted teeth, ‘you could have picked up, as it was a guest in the hotel and not someone phoning to make a booking.’

‘I don’t work here, Audrey. You can’t expect me to just jump in when you’re understaffed. This isn’t the industrial revolution; child labour isn’t fashionable any more.’

Audrey took a deep breath. I had made a valid point and she knew it. I can’t answer the phones. It’s not my fault I happen to live here.

‘I suppose you’re right,’ she said, her tone oddly flat. ‘I shouldn’t expect that of you.’

‘Apology accepted.’

‘For reasons I can’t possibly imagine, Skylar Chase has requested your presence in her suite.’

I stared at her. ‘W-what? Are you sure?’

‘Quite sure. That was her on the phone. She wants Flick Royale to go straight to her room if she is home from school and if she is not busy.’

‘Why?’

‘She didn’t say.’

‘And you’re certain she asked for me?’

‘Yes.’

‘Seriously?’

‘Flick.’ Audrey began tapping her shoe impatiently. ‘I am certain that Skylar Chase requests your company this very moment. She’s in Room 108. It goes without saying that you do not pass on that information. Now, I suggest you get up there pronto. Don’t worry about Fritz, I’ll have someone bring him upstairs when he’s ready.’ She clicked her fingers at me. ‘Come on, look lively.’

I quickly stood up and hurried out from reception towards the lift, feeling completely shocked. My heartbeat was out of control as I arrived at her floor and stood stone still outside Room 108. I lifted my hand to knock on her door and froze, swallowing a lump in my throat. What could she possibly want?

The door swung open before I’d knocked, my hand still raised in preparation. Skylar Chase stood in front of me, wearing the hotel’s white fluffy dressing gown and matching slippers.

‘How long were you going to stand out there?’ she said.

‘Uhhh,’ I replied intelligently.

‘Come in!’ she ushered, shutting the door behind me as I shuffled forwards. ‘I need your help.’

She rushed off into the bedroom, leaving me standing awkwardly by the door. Her suite was the biggest and most beautiful in the hotel. It had a gigantic living room, a bedroom with a four-poster bed, a sparkling bathroom complete with hot tub, and a dressing room. The living room was filled with fresh bouquets of red roses – presumably her favourite flowers – and there was a grand piano at the far end of the room underneath a large window, which had an amazing view, looking out across London. The purple velvet curtains were currently closed so the room was bathed in the bright light of the chandeliers.

I had once asked Mum why our flat didn’t look anything like this and she’d just brushed me off, telling me that no one would actually like to live in a place this grand.

To this day I don’t know what she’s talking about. Bring on the chandeliers.

‘Why are you just standing there?’ Skylar said, popping her head round the bedroom door. ‘Come through.’

‘Are you sure it was me you wanted?’ I asked, following her instruction and making my way into her bedroom.

‘Of course.’ She was standing next to her bed, on which there were piles and piles of clothes. ‘It’s an emergency.’

‘What’s the problem? Because, if it’s something with the room, I’m not really the right person to –’

‘So, here’s the thing,’ she interrupted, ‘I gave my team the evening off. They’ve been working really hard so I insisted on it and they all got really excited and they’ve gone sightseeing or something. And I’ve got this dinner to go to with some friends tonight and normally my stylist or PA would help me pick out what to wear but I don’t want to ring them and disturb them from looking round that big tower thing. What’s it called?’

‘The Tower of London?’

‘Yeah. Where all the heads were chopped off.’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘I couldn’t think of anyone to call in London. Then I thought of you.’

‘Me?’

‘Yes, you. I remembered that you said you were grounded so I figured you’d be somewhere in the hotel this evening and probably looking for another escape from whatever you were doing.’

I broke into a grin. ‘You were spot on.’

‘Great!’ She smiled back. ‘Will you help?’

‘Sure.’ I pulled out the chair from the dressing table and sat down.

‘I just need someone to make sure I don’t look terrible. You won’t believe how nasty the Internet can be when you get it wrong.’ She pointed at the huge pile of clothes on the bed. ‘These are my favourite options.’

‘Right, so just a small task then.’

‘Let’s start with this pink dress,’ she suggested, snatching it up and scurrying into her bathroom. I relaxed back into the chair and smiled to myself. It was easy to forget that you were with the most famous pop star in the world when you were hanging out with Skylar Chase. The way she talked and acted – it was just like being with a friend.

A very glamorous, insanely cool friend.

‘OK, here’s the first one.’ She emerged from the bathroom and did a twirl. ‘What do you think?’

I burst out laughing. ‘It’s a big fat no from the judges.’

‘Why? I quite liked this one!’

‘You won’t when you see how it looks in this lighting.’

She went to admire herself in the full-length mirror and gasped. ‘It’s completely see-through!’

‘It would certainly make the headlines,’ I pointed out and we both erupted into giggles.

‘On to the next one!’

After going through half of the pile, we finally decided on a beautiful red mini dress with sparkling silver shoes.

‘You look amazing.’ I nodded. My eyes widened as she opened a trunk filled to the brim with handbags, carefully selecting a silver clutch to finish the look. ‘Where’s your dinner then?’

‘It’s here in the hotel,’ she said, putting on some diamond earrings while I moved to sit on the floor and dig through her treasure trove of handbags.

‘You want to come?’ she said suddenly.

I dropped the bag I had been fiddling with. ‘What?’

‘It’s a dinner with some friends of mine, very casual.’

‘Yeah, it seems very casual.’ I laughed, nodding at the diamond bracelet she was putting on.

‘I mean it. You should come.’

‘I . . . I can’t. I don’t know anyone and I have nothing to wear and –’

‘I think we could find you something.’ She pointed at the bed of clothes. ‘I get sent stuff in all kinds of sizes. We could find something small enough to fit.’

‘You don’t want me tagging along.’

‘I’ve asked you, haven’t I?’

I was stunned into silence. I couldn’t believe that Skylar Chase was asking me to dinner with her friends.

‘Come on!’ She grinned. ‘Don’t make me beg. Plus, it’s not technically breaking your mom’s rules as you won’t be leaving the hotel. So?’

I continued to stare at her, completely baffled at what was happening. ‘If you’re sure . . .’

‘Great!’ She shook off her heels and rushed over to the bed. ‘I think I have the perfect thing in here that will look amazing with your beautiful red hair,’ she announced, clothes flying across the room as she made her way through the pile. ‘Wait until they find out I’m bringing you, Flick Royale of Hotel Royale!’

I sat in a daze. I had a feeling that she thought I was a bit more important than I was.

And there was nothing wrong with just going along with it, was there?