Read Online Annabel's Starring Role by Holly Webb - Free Book Online

a plan.”
    â€œHey, catch up you three!” Auntie Janet was waving. “You’re coming with me for a bit – your mum wants to go and look at presents for you.”
    Annabel beamed at the others. Fantastic! And presents as well! She just hoped that Mum had been listening properly earlier on. She and Katie and Becky tried not to look too excited as Mum disappeared off – they couldn’t wait to let Auntie Janet in on the plan.
    As soon as Mum had gone, Auntie Janet turned back to them, looking suspicious. “What are you three planning? Annabel, you look too smug for it to be anything sensible.”
    â€œNo, it’s really sensible, honestly. We just need to borrow you without Mum knowing, and she’s given us the perfect chance. Come on!”
    She led the way into a shop she’d spotted earlier on, full of the kind of clothes Mum liked but never really had the confidence to buy for herself.
    â€œAnnabel, where are we going? You won’t fit this stuff, and I don’t think they have a teen range…” protested Auntie Jan.
    â€œIt’s not for us,” Katie put in, propelling their aunt along from the other side. “It’s for Mum!”
    Katie and Becky gave Auntie Jan a quick rundown of the plan and marshalled her to the fitting rooms, while Annabel nosed along the rails looking for likely stuff.
    Five minutes later a walking pile of clothes appeared outside the fitting-room door. “This’ll do to start with,” said Annabel cheerfully, dumping all the stuff on a bench. “Why haven’t you taken your coat off?”
    Auntie Janet looked down at the pile in horror. “Annabel! This’ll take years to try on. And look at it, it’s all so – not black!” Auntie Janet almost always wore black, or sometimes grey when she fancied a change. Bright colours weren’t her thing at all.
    â€œI know. Mum really likes bright clothes, but she doesn’t buy them because she thinks she’ll look washed out. She just needs the right ones, that’s all. And that’s where you come in.” Annabel grabbed a couple of tops to start with and pushed Auntie Jan into the changing room.
    She came out a few minutes later to face the triplets, who were sitting on the bench looking critical. Annabel stood up, folded her arms and put her head on one side. “Could you at least try to smile?” she asked acidly. “It’s hard to tell when you look like it actually hurts.”
    Auntie Jan muttered something, and fingered the burnt-orange fabric in distaste. “OK. Pretending for the moment that I would actually wear any of this, what kind of thing are you aiming to give your mum? Everyday clothes, party stuff, what?”
    The triplets looked thoughtful. They hadn’t really got that far. Annabel glanced at the others enquiringly as she answered. “Something in between? Not hanging round the house clothes, but she doesn’t really go out to parties much. I suppose some of these sparkly things might not be quite right.” She stroked a sequinned top regretfully, and picked up a flowery dress instead. “This one?” she asked Katie and Becky.
    â€œYeah, I’ve always thought Mum wants to look like a walking rosebush, Bel. No,” said Katie firmly.
    â€œI think Katie’s right,” Becky put in. “Mum wouldn’t wear that very often.”
    Annabel frowned to herself, and looked carefully at the pile of clothes. Maybe she had gone a bit mad with some of them. “How about this?” She picked up a pretty blue cardigan with a velvet ribbon round the edges. “She could wear that with jeans, or a skirt. It’s, um, versatile .”
    Katie and Becky nodded approvingly. They could imagine Mum in that.
    Annabel still made Auntie Jan try five more outfits before they were happy, though. As she said, they didn’t want to miss anything. By the time they met up with Mum