garden. I skipped down the road, and met her at the pre-arranged spot, at the end of the lane.
She stretched her arms high in the air. ‘Mmmmm. It’s so nice to be out. I’m beginning to feel like a prisoner. Do you think I’ll be able to get a loan of a racquet at the club?’
I laughed.
‘We are so not going to the tennis club!’
‘Why?’
‘Too many Melissas there.’ (Melissa was our code word for any girl we didn’t like.)
Alice looked mystified. ‘Where then? Where are we going?’
I smiled.
‘Into town.’
Alice was delighted. ‘Hey. That’s a great idea.’
I was pleased with her reaction. So pleased that I nearly forgot how much trouble I’d be in if Mum discovered I was in town without her knowing. She always said town was full of ‘ undesirables .’ Still, sneaking Alice around was serious enough. If I was caught I was going to be in trouble anyway, and grounded for about ahundred years. I might as well have some fun and make it worth my while.
We ran to the bus stop, and arrived just as a bus pulled up. I felt very grown up indeed, as I bought two tickets, and we set off on our journey.
Chapter thirteen
W e had a great afternoon in town. Somehow , everything seems much more fun when you know you’re breaking every rule your parents could ever think of. (Plus lots more they haven’t got around to thinking of yet.)
First stop was to get Alice a burger and chips. I wasn’t hungry of course, since I’d just had lunch,but Alice acted as if she hadn’t seen food for days. She stuffed her face, and then very rudely spoke through a mouthful of chips.
‘Mmmm. This is so totally yum. I’d forgotten how good warm food could taste.’
I laughed. ‘Well, don’t get too used to it, we mightn’t be able to get out again in a hurry.’
I had the biggest cup of Coke available. (Mum and Dad never allowed me to have Coke, so it tasted extra-nice.)
When Al had finished eating, and I had drained my giant Coke, we wandered out onto the street. I had an idea.
‘Let’s go into the supermarket. Maybe we can find something for you to eat later.’ (I was feeling a bit guilty, because I knew we were having shepherd’s pie for dinner, and I couldn’t think of a way to smuggle some of that in to Alice.)
In the supermarket, we quickly found the shelf where all the instant-type foods were. I’d never been there before. My mum has a big thingabout wholefoods, and fresh fruit and vegetables and organic stuff. Once I heard her saying to Dad that feeding ready-meals to children should be recognised as a form of child cruelty. I picked up a pot of instant noodles, and put on my mum’s voice. ‘Eugh! Look at this. Full of e-numbers, and hydrogenated fats. Is this food? Or is it a chemistry experiment? How are they allowed to get away with this?’
Alice took the pot from me and shook it. She too imitated my mum’s voice. (So well that I felt a bit guilty.) ‘I think it’s just died. And look at this carton. How long will it take for this to decompose ?’
I was glum for a moment. ‘About as long as it will take my parents to forgive me, if they find out I’m in town this afternoon.’
Alice shook my arm gently. ‘Don’t worry, Meg, they’ll never know. And anyway, we’ve discussed this. When my parents find me on Friday, I’m taking all the blame. I’ll say everything wasmy fault. It was all my idea.’
I wasn’t sure. ‘Yes, I know you said that, but I still don’t think it’s fair.’
Alice spoke firmly. ‘Of course it’s fair. Remember, I’m the child from the broken home, not you. They’ll have to make allowances for my bad behaviour. I’m just acting out my trauma.’
We selected six pots of noodly things that could be heated by pouring boiling water over them, and I tried not to worry too much about how exactly I was going to get boiling water from the kitchen into my bedroom.
After that we did a tour of Cruise’s Street. In every shop that sold nail varnish, we
She stretched her arms high in the air. ‘Mmmmm. It’s so nice to be out. I’m beginning to feel like a prisoner. Do you think I’ll be able to get a loan of a racquet at the club?’
I laughed.
‘We are so not going to the tennis club!’
‘Why?’
‘Too many Melissas there.’ (Melissa was our code word for any girl we didn’t like.)
Alice looked mystified. ‘Where then? Where are we going?’
I smiled.
‘Into town.’
Alice was delighted. ‘Hey. That’s a great idea.’
I was pleased with her reaction. So pleased that I nearly forgot how much trouble I’d be in if Mum discovered I was in town without her knowing. She always said town was full of ‘ undesirables .’ Still, sneaking Alice around was serious enough. If I was caught I was going to be in trouble anyway, and grounded for about ahundred years. I might as well have some fun and make it worth my while.
We ran to the bus stop, and arrived just as a bus pulled up. I felt very grown up indeed, as I bought two tickets, and we set off on our journey.
Chapter thirteen
W e had a great afternoon in town. Somehow , everything seems much more fun when you know you’re breaking every rule your parents could ever think of. (Plus lots more they haven’t got around to thinking of yet.)
First stop was to get Alice a burger and chips. I wasn’t hungry of course, since I’d just had lunch,but Alice acted as if she hadn’t seen food for days. She stuffed her face, and then very rudely spoke through a mouthful of chips.
‘Mmmm. This is so totally yum. I’d forgotten how good warm food could taste.’
I laughed. ‘Well, don’t get too used to it, we mightn’t be able to get out again in a hurry.’
I had the biggest cup of Coke available. (Mum and Dad never allowed me to have Coke, so it tasted extra-nice.)
When Al had finished eating, and I had drained my giant Coke, we wandered out onto the street. I had an idea.
‘Let’s go into the supermarket. Maybe we can find something for you to eat later.’ (I was feeling a bit guilty, because I knew we were having shepherd’s pie for dinner, and I couldn’t think of a way to smuggle some of that in to Alice.)
In the supermarket, we quickly found the shelf where all the instant-type foods were. I’d never been there before. My mum has a big thingabout wholefoods, and fresh fruit and vegetables and organic stuff. Once I heard her saying to Dad that feeding ready-meals to children should be recognised as a form of child cruelty. I picked up a pot of instant noodles, and put on my mum’s voice. ‘Eugh! Look at this. Full of e-numbers, and hydrogenated fats. Is this food? Or is it a chemistry experiment? How are they allowed to get away with this?’
Alice took the pot from me and shook it. She too imitated my mum’s voice. (So well that I felt a bit guilty.) ‘I think it’s just died. And look at this carton. How long will it take for this to decompose ?’
I was glum for a moment. ‘About as long as it will take my parents to forgive me, if they find out I’m in town this afternoon.’
Alice shook my arm gently. ‘Don’t worry, Meg, they’ll never know. And anyway, we’ve discussed this. When my parents find me on Friday, I’m taking all the blame. I’ll say everything wasmy fault. It was all my idea.’
I wasn’t sure. ‘Yes, I know you said that, but I still don’t think it’s fair.’
Alice spoke firmly. ‘Of course it’s fair. Remember, I’m the child from the broken home, not you. They’ll have to make allowances for my bad behaviour. I’m just acting out my trauma.’
We selected six pots of noodly things that could be heated by pouring boiling water over them, and I tried not to worry too much about how exactly I was going to get boiling water from the kitchen into my bedroom.
After that we did a tour of Cruise’s Street. In every shop that sold nail varnish, we
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