The complete Cathy Hopkins collection
The MATES, DATES series
1. Mates, Dates and Inflatable Bras
2. Mates, Dates and Cosmic Kisses
3. Mates, Dates and Portobello Princesses
4. Mates, Dates and Sleepover Secrets
5. Mates, Dates and Sole Survivors
6. Mates, Dates and Mad Mistakes
7. Mates, Dates and Pulling Power
8. Mates, Dates and Tempting Trouble
9. Mates, Dates and Great Escapes
10. Mates, Dates and Chocolate Cheats
11. Mates, Dates and Diamond Destiny
12. Mates, Dates and Sizzling Summers
Companion Books:
Mates, Dates Secret Story
Mates, Dates Guide to Life
Mates, Dates and You
Mates, Dates Journal
Mates, Dates &Flirting
Mates, Dates &Saving the Planet
The TRUTH, DARE, KISS OR PROMISE series
1. White Lies and Barefaced Truths
2. Pop Princess
3. Teen Queens and Has-Beens
4. Starstruck
5. Double Dare
6. Midsummer Meltdown
7. Love Lottery
8. All Mates Together
The CINNAMON GIRL series
1. This Way to Paradise
2. Starting Over
3. Looking for a Hero
4. Expecting to Fly
Find out more at www.piccadillypress.co.uk
Join Cathy’s Club at www.cathyhopkins.com
Cathy Hopkins Mates
This edition published 2009
First published in Great Britain in 2005
by Piccadilly Press Ltd,
5 Castle Road, London NW1 8PR
www.piccadillypress.co.uk
Text copyright © Cathy Hopkins 2005
Illustrations copyright © Sue Hellard 2005
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.
The right of Cathy Hopkins and Sue Hellard to be identified as Author and Illustrator of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978 1 84812 024 2
eBook ISBN: 978 1 84812 144 7
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
Printed in the UK by CPI Bookmarque, Croydon, CR0 4TD
Text design by Louise Miller
Cover design by Simon Davis
Cover illustration by Sarah Kelly
I’d like to dedicate this book to my niece, Emma Hopkins, and hope that she finds it useful in her teenage years! (And beyond.)
Thanks to Brenda Gardner, Yasemin Uçar, Jon Appleton and all the fab team at Piccadilly. To Sue Hellard for her fab doodley drawings. To Bill McDonnell (tip-top teacher) for giving me so many good study tips. To Alice Elwes (general fabster) for good advice about mates. To Derek Seaward (photographer extraordinaire) for his top photographic tips. Thanks to Steve Lovering for helping research and compile so much of the information in the book. I’m hoping that he’ll take special note of ‘How to Give Someone a Special Day’ on page 155! And to Rosemary Bromley because if it weren’t for her, there would be no Mates, Dates books.
Contents
A Note From Us
Profiles
Izzie
Lucy
Nesta
TJ
Other Contributors
PART ONE: Boys and Relationships
Boys
Where to Find Them
What Boys Want
What Boys Don’t Want
Types of Boys
How to Get Noticed
The Art of Flirting
Reading Body Language
Meeting The One
How to Spot a Rat
Boy-Speak
Dating
First Dates
The Art of Good Conversation
Tony’s Top Romantic Places
Snogging
How to Get a Second Date
How to Keep Him
Sex
When Relationships Go Wrong
How to Tell Him It’s Over
Dealing With Rejection
Revenge
Boys and Astrology
Spells to Handle Boys
Mates
Ground Rules for Being Out With Mates
PART TWO: Beauty, Health and Fashion
Beauty
Looking After Your Skin
Routines for Different Skin Types
An Aromatic Facial Routine
For Bathtime
Problem Areas
To Tan or Not to Tan?
Hair Care
Nails
Hairy Bits
Braces
Health
Dieting
Eating to Survive and Thrive
Fashion
Bras
The Essential Wardrobe
Lucy’s Top Tips for Making the Most of Yourself
PART THREE: Survival Tips for Every Occasion
Surviving at School
Dealing With Bullies
Studying
Excuses
Survival at Home
Things to Do When You’re Grounded
Dealing With Parents
Parent-Speak
Dealing With Siblings
Out and about
Surviving Social Occasions
TJ’s Tips for Being Streetwise
Things to Do If You Get Stranded With No Dosh
Surviving Financially: Managing the Dosh
£££, $$$, or Lack of It
PART FOUR: Relaxation and Fun Time
Things to Do on a Rainy Day
Redesign Your Bedroom
Find Your Pop Star and Romantic-Fiction Writer Name
Quiz: Find Out What You’re Really About
Make up Your Own Book Titles and Authors
Entertaining
Sleepover Special Report
Dinner Parties
Parties
An A-Z of Party Themes
Our Favourite Party Games
Non-alcoholic Cocktails for Parties
How to Give Someone a Special Day
Holidays!
The Essential Summer Holiday Wardrobe
Some Other Things You May Find Useful to Take
Tips for Taking Great Holiday Pics
PART FIVE: Riding the Roller Coaster
Izzie
Izzie’s Visualisations to Take Your Mind off Bad Times
Yoga Meditation
Nesta
Lucy
TJ
Bye For Now!
Index
A Note From Us
Hi, everyone.
First we’d like to say how totally top it is that we - ‘we’ being Izzie, Lucy, Nesta and TJ - have been asked to put this book together. We hope you enjoy our efforts. It’s certainly been a blast doing it.
If you look in our contents list, you’ll see that we’ve tried to put in something for everyone and just about everybody we know has chipped in somewhere along the line.
There are fashion tips from Lucy, tips on boys and relationships from Nesta and her brother Tony who, as some of you who have read any of the Mates, Dates series will know, fancies himself as the Master Snogger (Lucy says he’s not bad at it either). Izzie’s contributed with all she knows about natural remedies and all the New Agey stuff she’s into - including a section on spells for pulling
boys when all else has failed. There’s advice from TJ about being streetwise and making the best of where you live. TJ’s mum, Dr Watts, came through with anything medical, Lucy’s dad with advice about nutrition, Cressida Forbes on social etiquette and we even roped in Lucy’s brothers, Steve and Lal. We weren’t too sure about Lal’s contributions, but had to give in when he threatened to put embarrassing photos of Lucy when she was five years old on the Internet. He really has a lot to learn about the subtler techniques for getting his way with girls.
For anyone who hasn’t read any of the Mates, Dates books, we thought it was a good idea to start this guide with an introduction to who we are. Not because we’re swanky big-heads or anything, but so that you know who’s who.
A big thank you to all the contributors and hope you fabtastic readers out there enjoy the book.
Luv, peace and chocolate.
Rock on.
Izzie, Lucy, Nesta and TJ.
(Note from Nesta: Personally, I’d have edited out Cressida Forbes’s bit (and anyone who’s read Mates, Dates and Portobello Princesses will know exactly why - she is a snotty cow), but this is a team effort and the others wanted her bit in.)
Profiles
Izzie
Name: Izzie Foster.
Star sign: Aquarius.
Age: Fifteen.
Height: Five foot eight inches and still growing in all directions and I can tell you, it’s not funny!
Hair colour: Chestnut at the moment, but once I dyed it green (didn’t go down too well at the time as I was bridesmaid at my stepsister’s wedding and she wasn’t well pleased!).
Eye colour: Green. To match my hair. Sometimes.
Race: Egg and spoon. Haha. Oh, I see. British (cue reggae version of ‘God Save the Queen’).
How would you describe yourself in three words? I found this hard to do, so I asked the girls. They said weird (blooming cheek), rebellious (also blooming cheek) and wise (OK, that bit’s cool, although totally inaccurate).
Where were you born? Hampstead, London, England.
Where do you live? Finchley, North London.
Who do you live with? My mum and my stepdad, Angus. I used to call him the Lodger as I wasn’t v. keen on him in the beginning, but we’re OK now.
Parents’ occupations: Dad lectures in English literature at a university in town (he’s remarried with a little boy and lives not far away, in Primrose Hill), Mum’s an accountant, Angus is an accountant (how dull is that?).
Worst moment of your life: When my dad left. And watching any news about wars, disasters and people being killed. It makes me feel really depressed.
Best moment of your life: The first time I sang with the band King Noz.
Pin up? What? My skirt? Dad says it’s short enough.
What couldn’t you live without? My mates: Lucy, Nesta and TJ.
What is the most important thing that life has taught you? That boys may come and go, but friends are forever.
What would you most like to change about yourself? My expanding bum. It’s expanding at twice the rate of the universe. As our neighbour, Mrs Schneider, would say, enough already.
What makes you laugh? Lucy’s daft jokes.
Fave book: Junk by Melvin Burgess.
What do you do to cheer yourself up? Spend time with my mates. And a hot chocolate with marshmallow melts doesn’t hurt either. No wonder my bum is big!
What’s your best subject at school? Music.
Fave food: Broccoli. Oh OK, if I’m honest, chocolate.
Fave colour: Silver.
Fave movie: The Seven Faces of Dr Lao. It was made yonks ago in 1964, but it’s still really cool.
Interests: Music. Movies. Anything New Age. Witchcraft.
Talents: Singing (so I’m told).
Goals: To write and sing my own lyrics and to travel the world.
Something secret about you: Ah, but then it wouldn’t be secret! OK, once when I was grounded for a few days, I practised snogging on the back of my hand. (Arghhhh, how embarrassing.)
Lucy
Name: Lucy Lovering.
Star sign: Gemini (sign of the twins or the schizophrenic. No it isn’t. Yes it is.).
Age: Fifteen.
Height: I don’t like to talk about my height (or lack of it). Let it be said that I am petite.
Hair colour: Blond.
Race: Half-English, half-Scottish, or possibly alien.
How would you describe yourself in 3 words? I also found this hard to do, so I asked the girls. They said, sweet (yuck), gentle and funny.
Where were you born? North London, planet earth, the universe.
Where do you live? East Finchley/Muswell Hill border. Planet earth, the ... etc.
Who do you live with? Mum, Dad, older brothers Steve and Lal, Labrador dogs Ben and Jerry.
Parents’ occupations: Mum’s a counsellor, Dad runs a health food store and teaches guitar in the evenings.
Worst moment of your life: After a disastrous haircut, my mates took me shopping for a Wonderbra to cheer me up and even in the titchiest one, I still looked like I was wearing my mum’s bra. And, like Izzie, any bad news on the telly about people blowing each other up. I really, really wish we could all live in peace on this planet.
Best moment of your life: Oh God. There are loads. Um. Any time spent with my mates (and I’m not sucking up either, I really mean it). And the first time Nesta’s brother Tony kissed me. It was awesome.
Pin up? Keeps changing.
What couldn’t you live without? Air (hahahaha).
What is the most important thing that life has taught you? That everything changes. One day it may feel like your life is over, but it can all change, sometimes in twenty-four hours.
What would you most like to change about yourself? I’d like boobs that don’t look like pinpricks.
What makes you laugh? My boobs. No really. Er. Mike Myers’s movies.
Fave book: I still like the Narnia books by C.S. Lewis. I’d like to meet Aslan and give him a hug.
What do you do to cheer yourself up? Spend time with mates.
What’s your best subject at school? Art.
Fave food: Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream.
Fave colour: Blue (sort of turquoise blue).
Fave movie: Sleepless in Seattle. It’s so romantic.
Interests: Dressmaking, fashion, music, movies.
Talents: Dressmaking, art.
Goals: To have my own dress label called LL (Lucy Lovering designs) and do all the big fashion events to international acclaim.
Something secret about you: I was going to put a secret about Tony but he might read this so I’m not going to.
Nesta
Name: Nesta Williams.
Star sign: Leo.
Age: Fifteen.
Height: Five foot seven inches.
Hair colour: Black.
Eye colour: Brown.
Race: Half-Jamaican, half-Italian and a bit of Spanish thrown in there too, ole ole ole olay.
How would you describe yourself in three words: I too found this hard to do, so I asked the girls. They said, dramatic (moi? As if!), colourful (meaning what?) and fun (cool).
Where were you born? Bristol, England.
Where do you live? Highgate, North London.
Who do you live with? Mum, Dad and half-brother Tony.
Parents’ occupations: Dad’s a film/TV director, Mum works as a news presenter on cable TV.
Worst moment of your life: When my mates weren’t speaking to me after Izzie’s first gig and I ran off and had to make my own way home late at night and it was really scary as there were weird people about and I felt sick. And I also found changing schools pretty awful at first, but then I got in with Izzie, Lucy and later TJ so it was OK.
Best moment of your life: There have been a few. No, actually, a load. The dressing-up and anticipation before a first date. The build-up and anticipation before a first kiss. Having a laugh with my
mates when the first date and first kiss go AWOL. Hey ho and on we go. Oh, and getting home one night after stupidly making my own way home after one of Izzie’s gigs (see Worst moment), Dad coming out of the sitting room so I knew I was home safe. I was sooo happy to be home. Sadly, then I threw up all over the hall floor. It’s one way of saying hi.
Pin up? Ah. So many boys, so little time. How long have you got?
What couldn’t you live without? My mates. My Wonderbra. My lip-gloss. My hairdryer. My mobile.
What is the most important thing that life has taught you? That before you criticise someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, you are a mile away from them. And you have their shoes. Hahaha.
What would you most like to change about yourself? My big feet (size nine). And my big mouth as I keep putting my big feet in it.
What makes you laugh? The problem pages in teen mags.
Fave book: Does Hello magazine count?
What do you do to cheer yourself up? Spend time with my mates.
What’s your best subject at school? Drama, dahhling luvvie.
Fave food: Potato wedges and sour cream.
Fave colour: To wear: black. On the wall: lavender. Just as a colour: sky blue.
Fave movie: Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Audrey Hepburn is so stylish.
Interests: Boys. Movies. Fashion. Boys.
Talents: Acting. Pulling boys.
Goals: To be a famous actress.
Something secret about you: Sometimes I think awful things about strangers. Like someone gets on the Tube and before I can control it, my mind says, Ooo, there goes an ugly one. Then I feel dead rotten. They can’t help it. (Please don’t tell anyone.)
Tj
Name: TJ Watts.
Star sign: Sagittarius (sign of the archer, half man, half horse. Erk!).
Age: Fifteen.
Height: Five foot seven inches.
Hair colour: Brown.
Eye colour: Brown. Conker brown to be precise.
Race: Anglaise.
How would you describe yourself in three words: A good mate (I hope).
Where were you born? Muswell Hill, London, England.
Where do you live? Muswell Hill, North London.
Who do you live with? Mum and Dad (I call them ‘the wrinklies’ because they’re really old). My dog, Mojo. And sometimes my brother, Paul, when he’s not off travelling the world. I have a sister too (Marie), but she’s married now and lives in Devon.