~ 9 ~
Palms - 1982Cassie scuffs her rubber soles across the lino tiles. They make a squeaking noise. She stares at a photo of Princess Di on a magazine cover. The magazine’s a year old already, but that’s fairly new for the dentist’s waiting room. Her mother swears she once found a Women’s Weekly from the Queen’s coronation here, but Cassie doesn’t believe her.
If she looks at the photo out of the corner of her eye, the bones of the princess’s skeleton push through her skin.
‘Don’t.’ Her mother puts her hand on Cassie’s knee.
‘What?’
‘You know very well what. Keep your feet still.’
Cassie turns towards the picture. If she lets herself go cross-eyed, the new princess’s face goes blood red.
The Royal Wedding happened a year ago. They all watched the wedding on TV, except her mother. ‘
