Head Over Heels

And with a firm click I close my bedroom door behind me.

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he next few days are manic.

Sitting on my bed, surrounded by bright textbooks like a bird in a shiny and informative nest, I plough through as much schoolwork as possible.

I study compositions of various amino acids: alanine, cysteine and valine. I memorise the tertiary structure of ribonuclease molecules, and precisely how the polypeptide is folded.

Given that y = x5 – 3x2 + x + 5, I find dy/dx and d2y/dx2; I factorise x2 – 4x – 12 and sketch the corresponding graph. I learn the baryon numbers of quarks and antiquarks, and the properties of leptons and antiparticles.

(I finally know what they are, by the way. No thanks to a certain American governess.)

I even discover that there are as many bacteria in two servings of yoghurt as there are people on earth.

Then promptly abandon breakfast.

And – during my breaks – I make a JINTH Picnic Pack. There’s a menu and personalised paper crockery, napkins and music. I’ve even got mini sparklers just in case it gets dark and we want the calming, happiness-inducing party to continue.

This fun is going to be off the chart, while also being very much on it.

Every now and then Annabel and Bunty try to distract me – do I need my chakras cleansing? Why don’t I eat with them for once instead of on the floor of my bedroom? – but I cannot be moved.

Even school can’t divert my focus.

As India, Toby and Jasper disappear to their various billion extra-curricular activities, I hunker down with neat notes in the corner of the common room and study.

By Tuesday afternoon, I’ve completed an entire week’s worth of revision. Which means I’m now available for any kind of spontaneous social occasion that might pop up.

Whenever that might be.

Although it’s been 71 hours and I still haven’t heard anything, so maybe my hints have been too subtle.

Hey team JINTH! Weather forecast for Wednesday is good! ;) Hxx

Partly cloudy with bursts of sunshine on Thursday! Wind only 11mph! ;) Hxx

Humidity on Friday 73% so cover your sandwiches! ;) Hxx

Finally – at 4:30pm, just as I’m arriving home from school – I get a reply.

OK Harriet! Park at 5? Nat x

Quickly, I calculate the timings.

Ten minutes to prepare, five minutes to pack and get dressed, five minutes to run to the park, five minutes to recover from running to the park.

That leaves me a few minutes to set up the picnic and that’s all I really need. Time to officially Get Happy, Team JINTH.

They are going to be blown away.

“Gosh,” Bunty says, appearing in the kitchen doorway as I’m quickly shoving together the JINTH sandwiches. “They look terribly creative, darling.”

Jam, Nutella, Tuna and Ham.

Admittedly I struggled with the I and settled for Iceberg lettuce but they can always pick it out.

“These sandwiches have a very wide range of nutrients,” I inform her, tucking them into a Tupperware box. “Vitamin A, calcium, protein.”

Not to mention saturated fat, but never mind.

“Delicious,” my grandmother beams, leaning against the doorway. “You’re such a busy little bee these days, darling. Buzz buzz buzz.”

I nod, chucking in a large packet of crisps. “There’s just so much to do.”

“I can see that,” Bunty laughs. “Just –” she puts a heavily turquoise-ringed hand on my arm – “leave a little room in the garden for the fairies to dance.”

I blink at her. Oooh. Dancing.

Turning around, I quickly grab the break-dancing manual from the kitchen table. There should be plenty of room for that in the park.

“I’m so glad you seem happier now,” Bunty continues more gently as I swing the enormous basket over one shoulder. “Tell me, after all those letters did you ever decide to get hold of N—”

“Napkins,” I say quickly, grabbing a handful. “Yup, got some. Thank you!”

I kiss her briskly on the cheek.

Then I swing my satchel over the other shoulder and charge towards the front door.

“Harriet?” Annabel appears at the bottom of the stairs with a damp, flushed Tabitha straight out of the bath. “I’m making some kind of Peruvian chicken stew from a recipe Mum brought back. Would you like some?”

“Yes, please!” I call over my shoulder. “Leave some in the fridge and I’ll heat it up later!”

Let the fun times begin.

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his is why it always pays to prepare.

With just seventy-three seconds to spare, I quickly spread out my picnic blanket and distribute the JINTH branded plastic cups and paper plates; hang bunting from the overhead tree – one letter on each flag – and slot my iPod with carefully selected playlist into the speakers.

Skilfully, I set out Monopoly and do my best to ignore a young couple wandering past: giggling, holding hands and snuggled up inside the boy’s coat.

It’s not that cold.

By the time I hear footsteps on the path, I’m as ready as I’m ever going to be.

Which, for the record, is very ready.