I said, “Oh yes, that is a great idea.”

Oh yes, get Alex to come in so you can fawn all over my Alex.

My good Alex.

My Alex, who gives me three kisses on his letter.

Yes, I will let you fawn over him just as soon as I hear that hell is freezing over and has opened up a skating rink for fools.

I didn’t actually say that, I said, “Hmmmmm mmmmmm.”

Anyway, he wrote a letter to me, not her, and when I write back, I will not mention her.

Then the assembly bell rang and Lav, Dav, and Noos went off into the main hall.

Flossie came over and put her arm around me and said, “What does she want? Does she love you?”

I said, “She ruffled my hair and she talked about eggs.”

We finally got into the main hall—nothing seemed to have changed. The stage still has papier-mâché boulders on it from our end-of-term Wuthering Heights.

I based my Heathcliff on Cain Hinchcliff. Not the Irish dancing, that was just something my legs did all by themselves, but the shouting and stroppy badness. And the moaning was based on him. No licking though. Because I didn’t know about it at the time.

It was quite gloomy in the hall because not many of the lights seemed to be working.

Flossie said, “Brr, it’s cold in here. I got rained on in the dorm last night.”

Jo said, “Wait till it snows, they will have to chip us out of our sheets. This place is falling down.”

Vaisey was bobbling around, all excited. “Oh, Lullah, wasn’t it good when you were Heathcliff and you came back from London all moody and mean and then you called for your dog, and Matilda came on in shades and a leather jacket!!!”

Vaisey was right, I was spiffing.

We linked up and looked about. There were loads of familiar faces, Milly and Tilly, Pippy and Becka. I couldn’t believe my luck really. Here I was at a proper performing arts college. Away from home. Boys around! My own little gang.

I was so overcome with happiness that I gave a spontaneous girl hug to Vaisey and said, “Pass it on.” And she passed it on to Jo, and Flossie, and they passed it back. We started swaying and singing, “There’s no people like show people!! They smile when they are down!”

I had my arm around Flossie and she was back in Texas in her head and she yelled, “Why, Miss Tallulah, take your goddam hand off my corker, I’m not that sort of laydee.”

I shouted above the hubbub, “You know you love it, you lezzie.”

I thought I would just try out some new words from my cousin Georgia. I’m not completely sure what they mean but … hey, I’m improvising!!!

At which point I felt a looming presence. Something behind me. A cold chill went through my body as I heard that dreaded familiar voice.