mean to you again, just let me know, and I’ll sort her out for you.’
‘Thanks,’ I said. No matter how bad things got,I couldn’t see myself asking him for help, but it was really nice to know that he cared.
* * *
The next day was Sunday. This was visiting Sunday – the only day of the camp when parents were allowed to visit us, and to take us out for the day. Of course, Mum and Dad and Rosie were coming to visit me – Mum needed to check up on me, and make sure I was living the perfect, healthy life she expected of me.
Anyway after all the fights with Hazel and Alice, a quiet day out with my parents seemed just what I needed.
Alice’s parents weren’t visiting her. She had been clever – she had torn up her copy of the camp brochure, and then told them that visits weren’t allowed.
‘But what if they find out?’ I’d asked. ‘What if one of them talks to my parents and discovers the truth?’
Alice had shrugged.
‘I’ll just have to take a chance. Trust me, it’s for the best,’ she had told me. ‘Mum and Dad aregetting on a bit better nowadays, but they’re hardly the best of friends. They’d never be able to agree which one of them should visit me, so it’s best if no-one does.’
Poor Alice. At last she was kind of getting used to the idea of her parents not living together, but every time she talked about them, I could hear a strange kind of sadness in her voice. Once again I realised that, even though my parents are a total embarrassment, I should be grateful that they love each other.
I wondered if Hazel’s parents were coming to see her. I was hoping they were. Maybe I’d get lucky. Maybe they’d take her far, far away and forget to bring her back.
During breakfast, I had to ask her.
‘I’m not quite sure yet,’ she replied. ‘Mummy and Daddy are flying back from Dubai this morning. They might show up here, and then again they might not. My brother’s staying with some friends in Cork, so they might visit him instead. It’s cool anyway. I don’t need them hanging around annoying me.’
When I heard this, I was very sorry that my family was coming. I still wanted to see them of course, but I couldn’t bear to think that Alice and Hazel would get to spend the whole day together, without me. Hazel would have a whole day to tell Alice bad stuff about me, and I wouldn’t even be there to defend myself.
Suddenly I had a crazy idea. Maybe I could phone home and say that there was an epidemic of something dreadfully contagious, and that all visits were now cancelled. Then I knew that would never work. Mum had probably been planning the trip since the day I left home. She’d probably knitted herself a new dress for the occasion. She’d have been soaking beans and stuff for at least three days, to make us a picnic lunch. If I told her that visits were cancelled, that wouldn’t put her off. She’d drive here anyway, and climb up on the wall, and shout in at me, and throw packages of healthy food in my direction. Nothing could save me from her. I was doomed.
After breakfast, I went out to the garden with Alice and Hazel. It was a lovely day, so we lay onthe grass and watched as the odd cloud drifted across the bright blue sky. After a while, Hazel made yet another joke about Sam, and the date that never happened.
‘Give it a rest, Hazel,’ said Alice, ‘That is so not funny any more.’
I felt like jumping up and hugging her, but resisted. That would only have given Hazel another reason to mock me.
Shortly afterwards, Gloria came to tell me that my family was outside waiting for me. Alice and Hazel walked around to the front of the school with me, even though I’d have preferred if they didn’t.
Our car has four wheels, and an engine, and I’m glad of it when Dad drives me to school on wet days, but next to some of the very fancy cars in the driveway, it looked a bit old and battered. I was fairly sure that Hazel’s parents drove a fancy jeep or something like
‘Thanks,’ I said. No matter how bad things got,I couldn’t see myself asking him for help, but it was really nice to know that he cared.
* * *
The next day was Sunday. This was visiting Sunday – the only day of the camp when parents were allowed to visit us, and to take us out for the day. Of course, Mum and Dad and Rosie were coming to visit me – Mum needed to check up on me, and make sure I was living the perfect, healthy life she expected of me.
Anyway after all the fights with Hazel and Alice, a quiet day out with my parents seemed just what I needed.
Alice’s parents weren’t visiting her. She had been clever – she had torn up her copy of the camp brochure, and then told them that visits weren’t allowed.
‘But what if they find out?’ I’d asked. ‘What if one of them talks to my parents and discovers the truth?’
Alice had shrugged.
‘I’ll just have to take a chance. Trust me, it’s for the best,’ she had told me. ‘Mum and Dad aregetting on a bit better nowadays, but they’re hardly the best of friends. They’d never be able to agree which one of them should visit me, so it’s best if no-one does.’
Poor Alice. At last she was kind of getting used to the idea of her parents not living together, but every time she talked about them, I could hear a strange kind of sadness in her voice. Once again I realised that, even though my parents are a total embarrassment, I should be grateful that they love each other.
I wondered if Hazel’s parents were coming to see her. I was hoping they were. Maybe I’d get lucky. Maybe they’d take her far, far away and forget to bring her back.
During breakfast, I had to ask her.
‘I’m not quite sure yet,’ she replied. ‘Mummy and Daddy are flying back from Dubai this morning. They might show up here, and then again they might not. My brother’s staying with some friends in Cork, so they might visit him instead. It’s cool anyway. I don’t need them hanging around annoying me.’
When I heard this, I was very sorry that my family was coming. I still wanted to see them of course, but I couldn’t bear to think that Alice and Hazel would get to spend the whole day together, without me. Hazel would have a whole day to tell Alice bad stuff about me, and I wouldn’t even be there to defend myself.
Suddenly I had a crazy idea. Maybe I could phone home and say that there was an epidemic of something dreadfully contagious, and that all visits were now cancelled. Then I knew that would never work. Mum had probably been planning the trip since the day I left home. She’d probably knitted herself a new dress for the occasion. She’d have been soaking beans and stuff for at least three days, to make us a picnic lunch. If I told her that visits were cancelled, that wouldn’t put her off. She’d drive here anyway, and climb up on the wall, and shout in at me, and throw packages of healthy food in my direction. Nothing could save me from her. I was doomed.
After breakfast, I went out to the garden with Alice and Hazel. It was a lovely day, so we lay onthe grass and watched as the odd cloud drifted across the bright blue sky. After a while, Hazel made yet another joke about Sam, and the date that never happened.
‘Give it a rest, Hazel,’ said Alice, ‘That is so not funny any more.’
I felt like jumping up and hugging her, but resisted. That would only have given Hazel another reason to mock me.
Shortly afterwards, Gloria came to tell me that my family was outside waiting for me. Alice and Hazel walked around to the front of the school with me, even though I’d have preferred if they didn’t.
Our car has four wheels, and an engine, and I’m glad of it when Dad drives me to school on wet days, but next to some of the very fancy cars in the driveway, it looked a bit old and battered. I was fairly sure that Hazel’s parents drove a fancy jeep or something like
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