‘So did mine! It’s just that … I don’t listen very well.’
My friends smiled, too ready to forgive me my faults when I knew I should act more responsibly.
‘I’m sorry, Will. I’ll be more careful. You’re right: I’ve been caught before but I’ve always been able to pretend it was some cool conjuring trick like those magicians you see on TV.’
‘If Davis or one of his people sees you, they’ll know at once that it’s no illusion.’
‘I get it—I really do.’ Feeling a little crushed, I did my usual thing of bouncing up with an even wider smile. ‘Now, I’ve had my knuckles well and truly rapped, I’ve got to go blag my way into the Gifted inner circle if anyone’s arrived yet. Wish me luck.’
Will stood up and hugged me. ‘Sorry to be a grouch.’
I savoured his big brotherly embrace. There were just some things you couldn’t have as an only child: an older brother grumbling at you was one of them. ‘You’re no grouch. Well, maybe you are, but I deserved it.’
‘Be careful, Angel. You’re the only one of us on your own—I don’t like that.’
‘I’ll be fine. I’ll text and let you know how I get on.’
Head held high, I hurried off to the performers’ area. Al was on the desk again, attention on a little TV screen. I thought it might be CCTV then noticed it was playing a rugby match. I yanked my pass from my shoulder bag and slipped it over my head.
‘Hey, Al, all quiet on the western front?’
He looked up and grinned. ‘If it isn’t Little Miss Alternating Current. How’s things, AC?’
‘Great. Anything exciting happened yet today?’
‘If you think the arrival of the Gifted tour bus is exciting, then yeah.’ He scratched his generous belly and yawned. ‘Their majesties have decided to pitch up early to catch some of the other acts.’
‘Don’t you like Gifted?’
‘They’re not bad.’ He leaned over the edge of his counter. ‘Believe me: that’s a compliment from me.’
‘See you later.’
‘Take care.’
Walking across to the yurt, I hugged my arms to my sides, feeling a little chill in the early-morning air. So Gifted were here: all I had to do was worm my way into their presence. Hah—piece of cake. They were probably over in the celebrity camping area as that was where the other tour buses and motorhomes were parked. Some groups had hired big trailers called Winnebagos, a mobile home from home. No sleeping on sheep droppings for the headliners. My spirits lifted when I realized I knew someone who would know exactly where they were set up.
‘Morning, Henry!’
Henry looked up from her mug of tea, shadows under her eyes. She looked rough; even her lips were without their usual sheen of perfectly applied lipstick. ‘Hi, Angel. Had a good night?’
‘Yes, it was fun. I checked out the folk tent with my friends.’
‘Hear anything good?’
I grimaced.
‘You should’ve come to the main stage. Total Zone were playing.’
‘I know—I could hear them.’
‘They were great.’
‘Looks like you made a late night of it.’
‘Those other friends of yours—Matt, Joey, and Fresh—don’t seem to need sleep. Matt insisted I stay.’
I chuckled. ‘I bet they’re sleeping it off now—not like you, with a job to do. Shall I go throw a wet flannel at Matt in revenge?’
She pursed her lips, remembering she was supposed to be the prim watchdog on the yurt entrance, but then her mischievous side won out. ‘Would you?’
‘Can you show me where his pitch is?’
She pulled out a map of the camping ground. Boy, aren’t I the super spy! I didn’t even have to ask. Her red polished nail tapped a spot. ‘Matt’s here. Joey and Fresh are bunking down next door.’
I took out my phone. ‘Mind if I take a photo of that? I’m rubbish at remembering where things are.’
Her hands splayed over the map. ‘I’m not supposed to show anyone.’
‘Just imagine: lovely cold dripping flannel, sweetly sleeping drummer thinking he’s
My friends smiled, too ready to forgive me my faults when I knew I should act more responsibly.
‘I’m sorry, Will. I’ll be more careful. You’re right: I’ve been caught before but I’ve always been able to pretend it was some cool conjuring trick like those magicians you see on TV.’
‘If Davis or one of his people sees you, they’ll know at once that it’s no illusion.’
‘I get it—I really do.’ Feeling a little crushed, I did my usual thing of bouncing up with an even wider smile. ‘Now, I’ve had my knuckles well and truly rapped, I’ve got to go blag my way into the Gifted inner circle if anyone’s arrived yet. Wish me luck.’
Will stood up and hugged me. ‘Sorry to be a grouch.’
I savoured his big brotherly embrace. There were just some things you couldn’t have as an only child: an older brother grumbling at you was one of them. ‘You’re no grouch. Well, maybe you are, but I deserved it.’
‘Be careful, Angel. You’re the only one of us on your own—I don’t like that.’
‘I’ll be fine. I’ll text and let you know how I get on.’
Head held high, I hurried off to the performers’ area. Al was on the desk again, attention on a little TV screen. I thought it might be CCTV then noticed it was playing a rugby match. I yanked my pass from my shoulder bag and slipped it over my head.
‘Hey, Al, all quiet on the western front?’
He looked up and grinned. ‘If it isn’t Little Miss Alternating Current. How’s things, AC?’
‘Great. Anything exciting happened yet today?’
‘If you think the arrival of the Gifted tour bus is exciting, then yeah.’ He scratched his generous belly and yawned. ‘Their majesties have decided to pitch up early to catch some of the other acts.’
‘Don’t you like Gifted?’
‘They’re not bad.’ He leaned over the edge of his counter. ‘Believe me: that’s a compliment from me.’
‘See you later.’
‘Take care.’
Walking across to the yurt, I hugged my arms to my sides, feeling a little chill in the early-morning air. So Gifted were here: all I had to do was worm my way into their presence. Hah—piece of cake. They were probably over in the celebrity camping area as that was where the other tour buses and motorhomes were parked. Some groups had hired big trailers called Winnebagos, a mobile home from home. No sleeping on sheep droppings for the headliners. My spirits lifted when I realized I knew someone who would know exactly where they were set up.
‘Morning, Henry!’
Henry looked up from her mug of tea, shadows under her eyes. She looked rough; even her lips were without their usual sheen of perfectly applied lipstick. ‘Hi, Angel. Had a good night?’
‘Yes, it was fun. I checked out the folk tent with my friends.’
‘Hear anything good?’
I grimaced.
‘You should’ve come to the main stage. Total Zone were playing.’
‘I know—I could hear them.’
‘They were great.’
‘Looks like you made a late night of it.’
‘Those other friends of yours—Matt, Joey, and Fresh—don’t seem to need sleep. Matt insisted I stay.’
I chuckled. ‘I bet they’re sleeping it off now—not like you, with a job to do. Shall I go throw a wet flannel at Matt in revenge?’
She pursed her lips, remembering she was supposed to be the prim watchdog on the yurt entrance, but then her mischievous side won out. ‘Would you?’
‘Can you show me where his pitch is?’
She pulled out a map of the camping ground. Boy, aren’t I the super spy! I didn’t even have to ask. Her red polished nail tapped a spot. ‘Matt’s here. Joey and Fresh are bunking down next door.’
I took out my phone. ‘Mind if I take a photo of that? I’m rubbish at remembering where things are.’
Her hands splayed over the map. ‘I’m not supposed to show anyone.’
‘Just imagine: lovely cold dripping flannel, sweetly sleeping drummer thinking he’s
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