single night without my toy zebra in my
entire life. Or my night light . . .
I climb out of bed and tiptoe into the hallway.
I’m sure Lucy won’t mind if I put the light on . . .
just so I don’t, like, trip over anything if I need the
loo. I fumble for the light switch and suddenly something touches
my arm!
I scream, jump backwards, fall over and squeal
even louder as I curl up into a defenceless ball.
It’s a
ZOMBIE! They’ve come for me!
Suddenly the light clicks on.
‘Mum? Are you OK?’
I peer up nervously. ‘Lucy?’ Of
course it’s Lucy! Duh! ‘Um, yeah. It’s just
it’s, like, majorly dark and I couldn’t get to sleep
. . .’
Lucy’s face lights up. ‘You’re
still Shazza?’
‘Yes.’ I smile. ‘Actually, um,
as we’re both still awake, and I’m only here for
tonight, maybe we could have, like, a sleepover?’
She smiles. ‘Are you scared of the
zombies?’
‘
Yes!
’ I confess. ‘This
house is majorly strange and super-scary and what if the zombies
are, like,
under my bed
?’
Lucy laughs. ‘Well then, you’d better
come in.’ She flings her door wide open.
‘Thank you!’ I dive on to her bed
– and land on something lumpy. I can’t believe my
eyes. ‘
Zebby?
’
He’s much tattier, but he still feels
– and smells – the same. Finally there’s
something familiar in this weird world.
‘You gave him to me when I was a
baby.’ Lucy smiles, leaning over to stroke his soft, worn
ears. ‘He was my favourite toy. I’ve grown out of the
others, but Zebby’s just, well . . .’
‘Special.’ I beam, handing him to
Lucy as she climbs into bed beside me.
She shakes her head. ‘You keep him tonight.
He’ll help protect you from the zombies. He’s a very
fierce little zebra.’
I smile. ‘He is.’ I snuggle down,
take a deep breath of Zebby’s lavender scent and feel
instantly at home.
21 LUCY
As sunlight fills my room I yawn and stretch
– then nearly jump out of my skin as someone suddenly
snores loudly beside me! I completely forgot about Shazza!
She’s fast asleep, her new red curls splayed over my
pillow, Zebby tucked under her arm.
I smile, remembering how we lay here for hours last night,
talking about anything and everything. I told her all about Zak
and Kimmy and school – things I’ve never told Mum,
things Mum just wouldn’t understand. But Shazza did. It was
almost like having a sister. From the eighties . . .
#Crazy
Suddenly she yawns and my heart beats faster. Will she
remember? Or will it be like yesterday never happened? I hold my
breath.
‘Lucy?’ She blinks sleepily. Then her eyes fly
open. ‘Holy guacamole, I’m still here!’
I gasp. ‘
Shazza?
’
‘I’m still in the future!’ she cries, gazing
around the room. ‘Isn’t this rad?’ She throws
her arms around me and I hug her back tightly. This is
amazing!
But suddenly my joy is tinged with fear.
Why hasn’t she changed back to Mum?
When
will she
change back?
What if she
never
changes back?
22 SHAZZA
‘I don’t get it. Why are you
calling the doctor? I feel fine!’ I protest as Lucy picks
up her mobile.
‘Shazza, you’re a twelve-year-old in
a middle-aged body! That’s not exactly normal!’ Lucy
reasons.
‘Well, no – it’s magic!’
I exclaim.
‘But what if it’s
not
?’
Lucy bites her lip. ‘I only wished you here for a day,
after all . . .’
‘Well, sorry for outstaying my
welcome!’ I huff, folding my arms.
‘I didn’t mean it like
that!’
‘I thought you
liked
having me
here?’
‘Shazza!’ Lucy grabs me in a hug.
‘I LOVE having you here. Yesterday was one of the best days
of my life!’
‘Really?’ I say, pulling back and
scanning her earnest face.
‘Really,’ she insists. ‘I just
want to make sure you’re OK. OK?’
I roll my eyes. ‘Fine!’
But apparently luck’s not on her side.
‘There’s no appointments until
Thursday,’ Lucy sighs, hanging
entire life. Or my night light . . .
I climb out of bed and tiptoe into the hallway.
I’m sure Lucy won’t mind if I put the light on . . .
just so I don’t, like, trip over anything if I need the
loo. I fumble for the light switch and suddenly something touches
my arm!
I scream, jump backwards, fall over and squeal
even louder as I curl up into a defenceless ball.
It’s a
ZOMBIE! They’ve come for me!
Suddenly the light clicks on.
‘Mum? Are you OK?’
I peer up nervously. ‘Lucy?’ Of
course it’s Lucy! Duh! ‘Um, yeah. It’s just
it’s, like, majorly dark and I couldn’t get to sleep
. . .’
Lucy’s face lights up. ‘You’re
still Shazza?’
‘Yes.’ I smile. ‘Actually, um,
as we’re both still awake, and I’m only here for
tonight, maybe we could have, like, a sleepover?’
She smiles. ‘Are you scared of the
zombies?’
‘
Yes!
’ I confess. ‘This
house is majorly strange and super-scary and what if the zombies
are, like,
under my bed
?’
Lucy laughs. ‘Well then, you’d better
come in.’ She flings her door wide open.
‘Thank you!’ I dive on to her bed
– and land on something lumpy. I can’t believe my
eyes. ‘
Zebby?
’
He’s much tattier, but he still feels
– and smells – the same. Finally there’s
something familiar in this weird world.
‘You gave him to me when I was a
baby.’ Lucy smiles, leaning over to stroke his soft, worn
ears. ‘He was my favourite toy. I’ve grown out of the
others, but Zebby’s just, well . . .’
‘Special.’ I beam, handing him to
Lucy as she climbs into bed beside me.
She shakes her head. ‘You keep him tonight.
He’ll help protect you from the zombies. He’s a very
fierce little zebra.’
I smile. ‘He is.’ I snuggle down,
take a deep breath of Zebby’s lavender scent and feel
instantly at home.
21 LUCY
As sunlight fills my room I yawn and stretch
– then nearly jump out of my skin as someone suddenly
snores loudly beside me! I completely forgot about Shazza!
She’s fast asleep, her new red curls splayed over my
pillow, Zebby tucked under her arm.
I smile, remembering how we lay here for hours last night,
talking about anything and everything. I told her all about Zak
and Kimmy and school – things I’ve never told Mum,
things Mum just wouldn’t understand. But Shazza did. It was
almost like having a sister. From the eighties . . .
#Crazy
Suddenly she yawns and my heart beats faster. Will she
remember? Or will it be like yesterday never happened? I hold my
breath.
‘Lucy?’ She blinks sleepily. Then her eyes fly
open. ‘Holy guacamole, I’m still here!’
I gasp. ‘
Shazza?
’
‘I’m still in the future!’ she cries, gazing
around the room. ‘Isn’t this rad?’ She throws
her arms around me and I hug her back tightly. This is
amazing!
But suddenly my joy is tinged with fear.
Why hasn’t she changed back to Mum?
When
will she
change back?
What if she
never
changes back?
22 SHAZZA
‘I don’t get it. Why are you
calling the doctor? I feel fine!’ I protest as Lucy picks
up her mobile.
‘Shazza, you’re a twelve-year-old in
a middle-aged body! That’s not exactly normal!’ Lucy
reasons.
‘Well, no – it’s magic!’
I exclaim.
‘But what if it’s
not
?’
Lucy bites her lip. ‘I only wished you here for a day,
after all . . .’
‘Well, sorry for outstaying my
welcome!’ I huff, folding my arms.
‘I didn’t mean it like
that!’
‘I thought you
liked
having me
here?’
‘Shazza!’ Lucy grabs me in a hug.
‘I LOVE having you here. Yesterday was one of the best days
of my life!’
‘Really?’ I say, pulling back and
scanning her earnest face.
‘Really,’ she insists. ‘I just
want to make sure you’re OK. OK?’
I roll my eyes. ‘Fine!’
But apparently luck’s not on her side.
‘There’s no appointments until
Thursday,’ Lucy sighs, hanging
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