Credits

 

 

 

To Dye For!

 

Written by Chris-Jean Clarke

Illustrated by Jozef Boza

Edited by Sallianne Hines

Content Editing by Coleen Liebsch

 

 

 

Published by

PS PUBLISHING

209 Main Avenue, PO Box 206

Hayti, South Dakota  57241

 

Publisher Page

 

 

The Breath-Taking View

 

 

Beth's red hair glowed in the sun that shone through the window at Cheslyn Hay High School in South Staffordshire, England. Her thoughts drifted from the smart board screen and the afternoon lesson about the ancient city of Hierapolis, to the more "fascinating” view sitting to her right.

Mikolos Samaras, otherwise known as 'Mike,' was tall, broad, and handsome with gorgeous olive skin and long chestnut hair that was "to die for." He was the boy everyone in class had admired since grammar school. Although known as the joker of the class, he had recently been named captain of their high school football team. It was unusual for a year-ten student to capture such an honour at Cheslyn Hay.

Beth’s daydreams were interrupted by the odd sensation that someone was watching her. She turned to see Jenny nodding at her with a smug grin. Busted! Jenny had caught her daydreaming about Mike!

Beth wished she could disappear, then sighed. What did it matter? Mike hardly knew she was alive. He only acknowledged her existence when he teased her and called her names. Mike would grin at her and wink, or pull on her ponytail, then follow up with a witticism such as, "Morning Copper Top, I see you're charged for the day."

"Am I boring you, Miss Hartshorne?" hissed a voice in her ear. She was suddenly aware that Mr. Schneider, the classroom teacher, was hovering over her.

As the class stifled a giggle, she felt herself blush. Tears stung at her eyes as he spoke.

"Would you like to share your thoughts with the class?” He paused, tilted his head, and then turned away to address the class again.

Beth let out a breath of relief that Mr. Schneider had let it go.

"On Friday of next week Mrs. Jeffries, our School Governor, will be visiting. She has sent a note that year-ten students will be required to set up a visual display of Hierapolis." Mr. Schneider looked at Beth as he gestured dramatically with his right hand. "And you, Miss Hartshorne, will discuss the causes and effects of the calcium deposits in Hierapolis during that class period."

He hadn’t “let it go” after all.

Beth glanced across at Melanie, hoping for a little support. She could always count on Melanie for a smile, if nothing else; but Melanie was whispering and giggling with Jenny Parker. Beth felt sure she was the butt of their joke.

Mr. Schneider had also spotted the two girls talking. "Miss Hooper, would you like to spend your weekend working with Miss Hartshorne on the Hierapolis presentation?"  

Melanie shook her head. “No sir, I’m sorry. I didn’t quite catch what you were saying and didn’t want to interrupt you … so I was asking Jenny.”

Mr. Schneider smiled his acceptance of the excuse. He was giving his instructions to Beth regarding the project she had been assigned, when Jenny interrupted him.

"Aw, sir,” Jenny Parker sniped, “Beth will probably just babble on about the delectable Mikolos Samaras.” Jenny, a petite blonde who was as pretty as she was mean, knew that Beth had a crush on Mike. Jenny liked to think the world revolved around herself, and at times it seemed the rest of the world thought so too. Jenny never missed an opportunity to make sure Beth knew she’d never have a chance with a guy like Mike.

Mike turned and gave Beth a grin and a wink whilst she wished the ground would just open up and swallow her. This class could not end soon enough!

In her haste to leave when the bell sounded, she forgot to avoid Jenny’s desk. Beth tripped over Jenny’s foot which “just happened” to be stretched out into the aisle. “Hey! Can’t you watch where you’re going?” Jenny cried out.

Humiliated, Beth pushed past anyone who stood in her way and raced home to the solitude of her bedroom.

As she lay sobbing on her bed, she didn’t realize her six-year-old sister Grace had entered the room until she heard a little voice say, "Beff, Beff, will you help me tie my shoes?"

"Not now, Grace." Beth turned away to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"Pul-eeze? Mum said to ask you. I'm going to Marty Saunders' house for tea."

Beth envied how easily Grace won the hearts of others, even when she was being stubborn. All she had to do was flash her beautiful smile and everyone was captivated by her big blue eyes and stunning strawberry blonde hair. Beth thought of her own copper-coloured hair with disgust.

Then it hit her. Here was something she could quite easily change! A plan began to formulate in her mind. Beth found solace in the fact that by the same time tomorrow she could be as blonde, if not blonder, than Grace.

She turned back to Grace with a sigh. "Okay, I'll fasten them for you."

As she rolled off the bed, she recalled how her mother often nagged her to be kind to her sister. Grace was nine years younger and “has Down syndrome, after all.” Their mother always summed things up by saying, "You don't realize how lucky you are, Beth."

"Lucky?” Beth mumbled to herself with a raise of her eyebrow. “If only Mum knew."

"Lucky? That’s Marty’s cat’s name!" Grace exclaimed.

What a coincidence … Mike has a cat named Lucky, too.

As she fastened Grace's second shoe, Beth returned to her self-pitying thoughts. It’s not fair! Grace is loved by everyone … Mum, Dad, Gramps, Aunty Sal, Uncle Ben, the hospital staff, even my friends. She sighed again, then said out loud, “If only someone liked me that much …”

"I like you, Beff. Could you to take me to Marty's? Pul-eeze?”

"Grace, I'm busy. I need to do some research for school. Wait downstairs until Mum's ready. You know she will take you if you ask nicely."

Beth stood and strode to the computer at the foot of her bed. She wanted Grace to understand that she had other things to do and wasn’t going to give in.

Grace stubbornly ignored the hint and remained sitting cross-legged on the floor, looking up at

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Texte: PS Publishing
Bildmaterialien: PS Publishing
Cover: Copyright PS Publishing, Artwork by Jozef Boza
Lektorat: Sallianne Hines
Satz: PS Publishing
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 22.03.2018
ISBN: 978-3-7438-6252-4

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