When Worlds Collide

So this girl, Jody I came to believe, was a much lower class than me. Oh dear, that sounds so snobby now, but it was true. I hadn't ever seen somebody with so much grease in their hair or so much dirt under their finger nails. Her clothes were all grubby and had plenty of holes in them. Her dog was cute, but he was just as bad. Both of them smelled quite a lot too, but, they were nice to me and I should be nice back.

When Jody left the shower, she looked a lot paler, her hair was a lot lighter and she made it seem that a pink fluffy towel was a luxury to her. I gave her my spare blue dressing gown, or, as Jody called it, a bath robe. She sat on my satin pouffe while I combed and dried her hair with the electric hair dryer. She'd never experienced one of them either. Meanwhile a very happy looking Golden Retriever accompanied my little Pomeranian on my silk and satin bed cloths.

I brushed and plaited Jody's beautiful, shiny blond hair and tied it at the top and bottom with matching green hair ties. She looked so pretty now that her hair wasn't coated in grease.

"What size clothes are you Jody? You don't look much smaller than me." We were roughly the same size, but she was bonier than me.

"Zero." So she was a size smaller than me, but I had belts. I picked out a pair of black trousers I used to wear to school and a white school shirt. I had plenty. I kept a collection of belts in a draw and picked her out a white studded belt and white trainers. Even clean underwear. She looked at me like I'd just offered her a million dollars.

"Are you kidding? You know I'll never be able to return these clean don't you?" She held the clothes up against her body.

"It's fine. I understand. We have people come in to do our laundry anyway, and they're getting paid so they wont mind." She raised her eye brows and went back into my bathroom to get changed. When she came out she looked gorgeous. The outfit was very complimenting. The clothes hung off her, but she managed to pull it off and it looked stylish. I smiled at her and accepted her thanks.

"Maybe join us for dinner? We're having lamb and potatoes." Jody's jaw dropped and she looked at me madly.

"Your really high class aren't you? Lamb and potatoes? I've been living off fries, apples and maybe the odd slice of pizza every few months. Are you sure your mom wouldn't mind?" I felt so sorry for this girl. I knew she was awfully skinny, as all her bones were visible, but she was clearly athletic as her arm muscles and leg muscles were rather obvious.

"My parents wont mind. They'll be glad I made a friend, just don't tell them where you're from, they'll think I've been across the park, I'm not allowed over there. Just say your from the Heath-row Gardens." She nodded and smiled at me.

"Thank you for all this Lizzy."

"It's okay. Happy to help. You'll have to start coming round when you can. It'll be nice to have a friend."

"Same. I'd invite you over, but my mom would try to murder you, beat me for crossing the park, and then I'd be grounded forever. Also, because after seeing this place, I'm ashamed to show you the way I have to live. She's not even my mom."

"What do you mean she isn't your mum. Are you adopted?" I asked, looking completely sorry for her, what a poor girl.

"No. I'm a long term foster child. My mom has loads of kids in crappy conditions." I hugged her briefly and told her I was sorry for her.

"My parents used to be foster carers, but had to get off the register when we moved. I wish they could foster you." I said honestly, I liked Jody, she seemed a very nice girl.

"Me too. You'd be a much better sister than any of mine." She smiled at me and perched on the end of my bed, petting my little pom pom absently. Her own dog became jealous and nudged her hand with his head for attention, which she gave him. I picked my own little dog up and cuddled him.

"Come meet my parents. Don't tell them the clothes are mine." I begged her she agreed and I led the way downstairs.

We found my parents sitting in the kitchen. My dad was reading the news paper with a cup of coffee, my mum was writing something.

"Mum, dad. This is Jody, she lives a few streets away. I met her on my walk. She lives in the Heath-rows." My dad put down his paper and mum turned to look. I worried at first that she would recognize my clothes, but she didn't.

"Well hello there miss. I'm Billy, Elizabeth's father and this is Amanda, Elizabeth's mother." My mum turned and smiled at her.

"Nice to meet you both." Jody greeted, her voice polite, doing well at hiding the slightly gruffer voice she usually had.

"Dinner will be ready soon,would you like to stay for tea Jody?" My mum asked, standing and checking on the potatoes.

"If your sure you don't mind Ma'am." I smiled to myself at her manners. Glad, and slightly surprised that she had them, and could use them so well.

"Of course you can honey. Do you like lamb?" Jody nodded with a smile and thanked her. I turned and looked at her pretty face, she smiled at me, flashing pearly white teeth. I was surprised her teeth were so good! Everything else about her had been so grungy.

She sat at the end of our dinner table, my family always seated the guests there, it was like pride of place. With having her distracted with all the food that she so obviously wasn't used to, I was able to get a good look at her. She was so pretty. Her blond hair fell over her shoulders in the plaits I'd given her, and I'd just noticed that she had pale freckles dotting her nose, that were once invisible under the dirt. Her eyes were a sweet pale blue color in this light. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of boys liked her.

Our dogs were upstairs still. I didn't think my parents would agree to a huge golden retriever plodding around the house, so we left them upstairs together.

I was suddenly deep in thought, wondering what Jody's house was like... I wondered if everything really was as bad as she said it was... There was only one way I'd find out... Ask to be invited.