Sleepovers by Jacqueline Wilson

on my toe but I didn’t care.

    Then we played Murder in the Dark and I got a bit worried Chloe would be the murderer and if she pretended to murder me it might hurt rather a lot. Luckily Bella was the murderer and she just gave me a tiny poke in the tummy and whispered, “Ever so sorry but you’re dead now, Daisy.” Chloe kept pretending to trip over me all the time I was the Dead Body and each time she tripped she kicked. I tried hard not to care.
    Dad saw one time and said, “Hey, Chloe, don’t kick Daisy like that!”
    Chloe went red as she’s not used to being told off.
    â€œI’m sick of playing this silly game. Let’s do something else,” she said.
    So we played Musical Bumps. It was great fun. Even Chloe cheered up and started jumping to the music, even if it
was
ancient. I wondered if it might start Lily off again but Mum came down at last and muttered to Dad that she was fast asleep.
    â€œSo I’ll fix tea,” said Mum.
    Everyone loved my beautiful Daisy cake. Mum even cut the sandwiches with a special cutter so they were daisy-shaped too. We drank our lemonade out of green glasses and had little white iced buns and white chocolate clusters and green grape jelly and vanilla ice-cream.
    â€œI love the way it all matches,” said Amy.
    â€œIt looks almost too lovely to eat,” said Emily.
    â€œ
Almost
,” said Bella, tucking in straight away.
    We all tucked in. We ate and ate until we were very nearly full. Then I had to cut my birthday cake ever so carefully. As the knife sliced through the thick icing and soft sponge and gooey jam I made my birthday wish.
    â€œI wish Emily could be my best friend,” I whispered to myself.
    Then everyone sang
Happy Birthday To You
. When they got to “
Happy
Birth
day, dear Daisy
,” Chloe sang “
Diddums Daisy
” but I didn’t care.
    The birthday cake was delicious. I hoped Mum might make cakes more often! She washed all the daisy hairslides for us because some had got a bit sticky with icing and then she handed them out.
    â€œThere are four left over. Can I have them seeing as I’ve got the longest curliest hair?” said Chloe.
    â€œNo, dear, Those slides are for Lily,” said Mum.
    â€œDaisy’s sister? Babies don’t wear hairslides!” said Chloe.
    I held my breath. But Bella asked if it would be terribly piggy if she had just one more slice of birthday cake. Dad laughed and offered her the whole plateful.
    â€œI wouldn’t do that! She’ll eat it all!” said Amy.
    â€œAnd she doesn’t
ever
feel sick,” said Emily.
    â€œYou’re just a greedy-guts, Bella, said Chloe. You’ll grow into a great big whale and never be able to wear decent clothes.”
    â€œWhales don’t need clothes. They swim around and spout at silly little tadpoles like you,” said Bella.
    She pretended to spout at Chloe, but she still had a large mouthful of cake. Chloe’s
Bestest
Little Girl in the Whole World
T-shirt got sprayed with crumbs. We all fell about laughing. Chloe didn’t find it funny at all.

    â€œYou disgusting pig, Bella,” she said, and she pushed her off her chair.
    â€œHey, hey, that’s enough!” said Mum. “I think it’s time you all got down from the table. Daisy, run and find one of your T-shirts, poppet, so Chloe can wear it while I put her own in the washing machine.”
    Chloe followed me up the stairs. Amy and Bella and Emily came too. I tiptoed past Lily’s door.
    â€œWhy are you walking like that?” Chloe asked.
    â€œSh! Lily’s asleep,” I whispered.
    Emily and Amy and Bella all started walking on tiptoe too. Chloe went STOMP STOMP CLACKETY CLUMP in her heeled shoes . . . but thank goodness Lily didn’t stir in her room.
    Everyone squashed into my room.
    â€œGoodness, isn’t it weeny?” said Chloe.
    â€œNo, it’s not,” said