You Don't Know Me Page 26

  We hold hands and face the crowd together. I squeeze Rose’s hand, and she squeezes back. Jim shouts ‘One, two, three,’ and launches into the opening bars of ‘Sunglasses’. Ahead of us, the hill is alive with happy faces. I already have that flying feeling again.

  One last time, we step up to the mics to sing.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I’d like to say a big thank you to:

  All the students at schools I visited in 2012, who gave me the courage and inspiration to keep writing this story.

  Gaby Munyard and Sophie Elliot, who read the manuscript for me and gave me lots of useful advice.

  Keith Richards (the autobiography) and Adam Norsworthy for insights into the music side.

  My Facebook friends, for some of the shares I shamelessly stole for this story.

  Wayward Daughter, whose YouTube video for ‘You Lost Your Place’ was part of my playlist for this book. (‘She’s wearing your clothes’ is one of my favourite lines.)

  My writer friends at the Sisterhood: I couldn’t do it without you.

  My husband Alex, for everything, from D minor chords to iPhones. And for my sanity.

  Emily, Sophie, Freddie and Tom, who are living, breathing members of the wired generation, and who this time had to share me with Sasha, Rose, Jodie and Nell.

  And last, but never least, my wonderful editor Imogen Cooper, Barry Cunningham, Rachel Hickman and the rest of the team at Chicken House. You really do know me!

  WHAT YOU CAN DO

  If you are worried about being bullied online, make sure you talk to someone. You can block it or report it, and there are other things you can do. To get or offer support, check out www.childline.org.uk, and www.thinkuknow.co.uk.

  And if you are having a joke online at someone else’s expense . . . don’t. Just don’t. This is why.

  From the Chicken House

  Grrrr … don’t you want to shake some TV talent show judges? But just when you think these competitions are all about wicked manipulation, real-life moments of humility and magic break through. Sophia Bennett’s new novel brilliantly shows both sides of the music game, and the perils of online fame and blame. My own ability to mime to pop songs is apparently not enough to qualify!

  Barry Cunningham

  Publisher

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  Text © Sophia Bennett 2013.

  First published in Great Britain by The Chicken House in 2013.

  This electronic edition published by Scholastic Australia Pty Limited in 2013.

  E-PUB/MOBI eISBN 978 1 921990 93 9

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, unless specifically permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 as amended.