for the campfire cookout. Dad, Frankie’s dad and Andy were in their element, pulling out jacket potatoes which had been roasting inthe fire, doling out beans from great tin billy-cans and handing round sizzling sausages.
“Now eat up, y’all. There’s plenty more cooking round that there fire. Yes siree!” Dad was on top form.
“You’re dad’s really sad, Collins!” hissed Emma Hughes as she walked past us with a steaming plate piled high. “I’d be embarrassed if he was my father.”
“Ignore her, Lyndz,” Frankie told me. “She’s only trying to wind you up.”
“I can’t believe she’s eating so much,” Fliss sniffed. “I can never face a mouthful if I’ve just been sick.”
“I’m sure that’s her second helping too,” Rosie said.
“Greedy pig!” snorted Kenny.
After they’d eaten, people soon began to drift away.
“Don’t forget the pony trek tomorrow if you’re interested,” Mrs McAllister reminded everyone as they left.
She certainly seemed much happier when she turned to us at last.
“Well, thank you girls – the day’s been a great success! I’ve had lots of new people booking lessons and most of my old clients have come back too.”
“Great!”
“Yes, thank you for all your help!” Mrs Chandri came over to us. “You can enjoy your sleepover now, once we’ve got all this lot cleared away.”
We looked round. There were discarded cups and plates everywhere.
“A couple of your friends, Emma and Emily, helped to clear a few things away, which was very good of them,” Mrs Chandri continued.
We looked at each other. She must have been talking about the M&Ms! They certainly weren’t our friends and they certainly weren’t good. Something was wrong.
Very
wrong…
“Maybe they were just trying to get into Mrs Chandri’s good books or something,” Rosie suggested. “You know how they like to suck up to people.”
That was certainly true, but I still couldn’t help feeling there was more to their sudden show of helpfulness. We looked around, but they’d definitely gone. In fact there were only our parents left, and they were on the point of going home too.
“We’ve killed the fire,” Dad told us, “so there’s no danger of it spreading.”
“That’s good!” Mrs McAllister smiled. “Icouldn’t face any more burnt buildings, thank you very much!”
“You will be all right, won’t you Felicity?” her mother asked anxiously. “I’m still not happy about you staying in that barn by yourselves.”
“It’s perfectly safe and I’m just next door,” Mrs McAllister reassured her. “Besides, they’ve got their own protection in there. No harm will come to them, I promise.”
Our own protection? I looked round, but the others looked as puzzled as I was.
Fliss’s mum still didn’t look convinced, but Andy steered her away.
“Callum’s staying with a friend, you’ve got a bottle of champagne, and I’ve got a pass to rent a free video,” he grinned. “We might as well have a good night in.”
Mrs Sidebotham giggled, gave Fliss a kiss and almost skipped away.
“Ah, love’s young dream!” sighed Dad, making everyone laugh. “Right you lot, try not to frighten the horses or keep Mrs McAllister awake. I’ll pick you up tomorrow afternoon after the pony trek. Be good!”
When we’d all said goodbye to our parents, we started to collect up the dirty plates. Mrs Chandri had put big plastic sacks all round the stable yard, so it was just a case of throwing all the paper plates into them. Still, it was pretty yucky.
“I hate looking at cold baked beans,” sniffed Rosie, screwing up her nose.
“I hate baked beans, full stop,” groaned Kenny. Ever since she sat in a baked-bean bath after our scavenger hunt last month, she hasn’t been able to look a bean in the eye!
We were all pretty relieved when we’d cleared up the last of the plates and cups. After waving goodbye to Mrs Chandri, we looked at each other excitedly.
“It’s
“Now eat up, y’all. There’s plenty more cooking round that there fire. Yes siree!” Dad was on top form.
“You’re dad’s really sad, Collins!” hissed Emma Hughes as she walked past us with a steaming plate piled high. “I’d be embarrassed if he was my father.”
“Ignore her, Lyndz,” Frankie told me. “She’s only trying to wind you up.”
“I can’t believe she’s eating so much,” Fliss sniffed. “I can never face a mouthful if I’ve just been sick.”
“I’m sure that’s her second helping too,” Rosie said.
“Greedy pig!” snorted Kenny.
After they’d eaten, people soon began to drift away.
“Don’t forget the pony trek tomorrow if you’re interested,” Mrs McAllister reminded everyone as they left.
She certainly seemed much happier when she turned to us at last.
“Well, thank you girls – the day’s been a great success! I’ve had lots of new people booking lessons and most of my old clients have come back too.”
“Great!”
“Yes, thank you for all your help!” Mrs Chandri came over to us. “You can enjoy your sleepover now, once we’ve got all this lot cleared away.”
We looked round. There were discarded cups and plates everywhere.
“A couple of your friends, Emma and Emily, helped to clear a few things away, which was very good of them,” Mrs Chandri continued.
We looked at each other. She must have been talking about the M&Ms! They certainly weren’t our friends and they certainly weren’t good. Something was wrong.
Very
wrong…
“Maybe they were just trying to get into Mrs Chandri’s good books or something,” Rosie suggested. “You know how they like to suck up to people.”
That was certainly true, but I still couldn’t help feeling there was more to their sudden show of helpfulness. We looked around, but they’d definitely gone. In fact there were only our parents left, and they were on the point of going home too.
“We’ve killed the fire,” Dad told us, “so there’s no danger of it spreading.”
“That’s good!” Mrs McAllister smiled. “Icouldn’t face any more burnt buildings, thank you very much!”
“You will be all right, won’t you Felicity?” her mother asked anxiously. “I’m still not happy about you staying in that barn by yourselves.”
“It’s perfectly safe and I’m just next door,” Mrs McAllister reassured her. “Besides, they’ve got their own protection in there. No harm will come to them, I promise.”
Our own protection? I looked round, but the others looked as puzzled as I was.
Fliss’s mum still didn’t look convinced, but Andy steered her away.
“Callum’s staying with a friend, you’ve got a bottle of champagne, and I’ve got a pass to rent a free video,” he grinned. “We might as well have a good night in.”
Mrs Sidebotham giggled, gave Fliss a kiss and almost skipped away.
“Ah, love’s young dream!” sighed Dad, making everyone laugh. “Right you lot, try not to frighten the horses or keep Mrs McAllister awake. I’ll pick you up tomorrow afternoon after the pony trek. Be good!”
When we’d all said goodbye to our parents, we started to collect up the dirty plates. Mrs Chandri had put big plastic sacks all round the stable yard, so it was just a case of throwing all the paper plates into them. Still, it was pretty yucky.
“I hate looking at cold baked beans,” sniffed Rosie, screwing up her nose.
“I hate baked beans, full stop,” groaned Kenny. Ever since she sat in a baked-bean bath after our scavenger hunt last month, she hasn’t been able to look a bean in the eye!
We were all pretty relieved when we’d cleared up the last of the plates and cups. After waving goodbye to Mrs Chandri, we looked at each other excitedly.
“It’s
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