Girls Under Pressure

Model Girl

It's all my idea.

"Let's go Christmas shopping on Saturday," I say to my two best friends, Magda and Nadine.

"Great," says Magda, who lives to shop.

"Sure," says Nadine, but she looks surprised. "I thought you always made your own Christmas presents, Ellie."

"Yes, well, I think I've grown out of that stage now," I say hurriedly.

We've always had this silly tradition in my family. I'd think of a theme and then make everyone a present based on it. There was the year of the stripy hand-knitted scarves, the wobbly vases the year I joined the pottery class, the cross-stitched canvas purses . . . I made them for everyone, friends as well as family, and because people were polite I thought they really liked my loopy homemade junk.

I've known Nadine since we were both five so she's endured years of fraying dresses for her Barbie dolls and lumpy little felt mice. When we started secondary school I made Nadine a black-and-silver friendship bracelet. I made one for Magda in pink and purple. They seemed to like them. They both wore them ... read full excerpt from: Girls Under Pressure ebook