Girls out Late

Girls out Late is the third book in the Girls series written by award-winning author, Jacqueline Wilson, DBE. It includes the introduction of Russell, a boy who Ellie, Magda and Nadine meet while eating in McDonalds. He becomes Ellie's boyfriend and he is also in the fourth and final book of the series, Girls in Tears.

The story starts where Ellie, Magda and Nadine are having a little late-night shopping (not unlike the beginning of Girls under Pressure), when they go to McDonalds to graba bite to eat. They are to be home by nine like "good girls", so they see that they don't have much time.

However, Ellie spots a boy sketching her, though she wonders if he is actually sketching Nadine and Magda, as they are the two most of the boys go for. But it turns out he is drawing Ellie, so Magda prompts her to sketch him too, calling it "Even Stevens". He comes over to talk and Nadine, Ellie and Russell (a Halmer High student, two years older than Ellie) go on the bus home.

Nadine leaves and Ellie is now alone with Russell. The two have a walk in the park. They start kissing, which Ellie enjoys, but then Ellie realises that she is going to be in so much trouble, because Russell says it's ten past eleven. She should have been back 2 hours or so ago! She runs off and gets into a lot of trouble after lying about why she was late.

Anna feels guilty about how they over-reacted and lets Ellie go and meet Russell in McDonalds the next day, while her dad is at work. However, Russell's dad was so angry with him for being late back to his own home (he didn't tell his dad he was going to McDonalds after school) that he has grounded Russell. When Russell doesn't turn up because of this, Ellie thinks she's been stood up and is very upset.

The rest of the story results in Russell finding Ellie and their romance is rekindled (her dad will let her out with Russell), but there is a crisis later on where Ellie, Magda and Nadine set off for a Claudie Coleman concert and it is cancelled. They want to listen to some music and a man says "Why not come listen to us?". They are approached by three men, the man who spoke being very Gothic. Nadine, being a Goth herself, is immediately draw to his look and buys their lines which state that "They are looking for a new singer for their band." This is just a ploy and Nadine climbs into their van. Magda and Ellie have to go with her, to make sure she's okay. They say it's a 10-minute drive but they drive for much longer. They offer them alcohol, drugs and try to get physical with them, but they stick together and find a way out of the flat.

They manage to get a taxi to the train station and realise they will be in loads of trouble as they got themselves up to London and Ellie and Nadine's fathers think Magda's father was taking the girls, and vice-versa, so they will be in deep trouble. But they are lucky, as they meet their Art teacher, Mr Windsor, and his girlfriend on the train. They drop them off at their homes and Ellie arrives a minute before she is due to be back.

However, the fathers discover how the concert was cancelled, and that they went up themselves. They are grounded for a long time.