The Crunch Campaign by Kate Hunter Page B

have his budget cut.’
    The relief Katie felt was huge. This was a game-changer, as Joel would call it. ‘What do you think the others will say?’ she asked.
    â€˜Oh, Joel’ll say it’s rubbish, but he’ll come round. Clementine will like it, because it’s smart and unpredictable and Lorraine will start thinking of hats that look like lettuces as promotional giveaways.’
    Their laughter filled the tree office and then it stopped. Strangely, they were both suddenly aware that it was probably two in the morning and they were alone. Dominic looked at Katie with an embarrassed smile that made her look out the window.
    â€˜We need to turn this into some kind of presentation. For the prime minister,’ she said.
    â€˜Ah, yeah, we do,’ he nodded. ‘So, should I tell Joel about it? Or wait and tell everyone together?’
    â€˜Let’s tell them all at once. I want to give Joel as little time as possible to work out ways of dumping on the plan.’
    â€˜Okay. Right. I s’pose I’d better go.’
    Katie could tell he didn’t want to. And she didn’t really want him to, either.
    â€˜I’ll see you tomorrow, then.’
    â€˜Straight after school.’
    As Dominic walked past, he brushed her wrist. The tree office was big and empty and he hadn’t needed to do that.
    â€˜Get up, Katie. You can’t blame jetlag anymore.’ Her mum was standing in the doorway, dressed for work, her keys in her hand.
    â€˜I know.’ Katie rubbed her eyes.
    â€˜I’ll see you tonight. I’ll be home to change, but then I’m going out for a bit with Liam. Won’t be late, though.’
    â€˜What? You saw him last night.’
    â€˜A friend of his has an art exhibition opening. We’re only going for an hour or so, but if you really don’t want me to go, I won’t.’
    â€˜It’s okay. I’ll be fine.’
    She didn’t really care that her mum was going out – it would actually be good if she was away from the house. It was the two-nights-in-a-row-with-Liam that bothered her. What if they fell in love? Got married? What if he and the kids moved in? Ugh . Katie didn’t have a lot of breakable things, but she lay in bed for another five minutes thinking about where she could put them. The top of her wardrobe was the only safe place. But it was jam-packed with old books and clothes. She’d have to tidy it. Double ugh.
    School was a bit better with Ms Whitby as homeroom teacher. She turned a blind eye when Katie was late and intervened when Dr Pang was being unreasonable about the maths assignment. (She explained to him that the modern history essay was due the same day.) She was sympathetic when girls weren’t up to PE and even loaned them money for tuck shop. She made a list of everyone’s birthdays and promised to bake her special banana bread. Katie’s birthday was on the 23rd, three weeks away. She hoped her mum would get her a little video camera so she wouldn’t have to rely on borrowing Joel’s. For some reason she wondered if Dominic would give her a present.
    Despite Ms Whitby’s caring enthusiasm, classes dragged, and the bell that marked the end of the day was the best sound in the world. It meant Katie could stop pretending to be interested in things that were irrelevant to her.
    Running home, she felt her adrenalin pumping as she prepared herself for the onslaught of Joel’s criticism. Even though she knew it would pass, she had to be ready.
    She set a bottle of Product Xmas and five glasses on the big table in the middle of the tree office and waited for the others. Dominic and Joel arrived together, then Clementine. Finally, Lorraine appeared at the door. She was wearing a calf-length raincoat – with horizontal lime, yellow, red and blue stripes. She wore matching gumboots and carried a lime umbrella. No one could speak.
    â€˜Well, what do you think?’