I'd spent the rest of the day keeping my mouth firmly shut, while we went on visiting people, and I hadn't come up with anything. But suddenly an idea swam right into my head from nowhere. It was
beautiful.
“I've got it,” I said. “We'll pierce Jazz's ears.”
“I beg your pardon?” Jazz spluttered.
“We'll pierce your ears,” I repeated. “We'll do it ourselves. Right now. That'll show her.”
Geena grinned. “Great idea, Amber.”
“Hold on a minute.” Jazz wasn't looking very enthusiastic. “Exactly
how
are you going to do that?”
“With a pin,” I said. “We'll sterilize it in disinfectant first, so you don't catch anything nasty.”
Jazz frowned. “But it'll
hurt
.”
“No, it won't,” I said. “We'll numb your ears first with some ice from the freezer. It won't hurt a bit.”
“Can't I just go into town after school tomorrow, and get my ears pierced in Claire's Accessories?” Jazz pleaded.
I shook my head. “Come on, Jazz,” I said. “Don't be a baby. It's a perfect way to show Auntie that she can't boss us around.”
“Yes, except that it involves pain,” Jazz grumbled. “
My
pain. And what about Dad?”
“I didn't think of that.” Geena glanced at me. “Dad will kill us, Amber.”
I shrugged. “He'll get over it.” I wasn't about to give up my brilliant idea. Auntie had defeated us on all fronts so far, and anyway, Dad had one foot in the enemy camp now. “Come on, Jazz,” I coaxed her. “You really want those second holes, don't you?”
Jazz was wavering. “Well, yes …”
“And I promise you it won't hurt,” I went on, crossing my fingers behind my back.
“All right then.”
“Yes!” I slapped Jazz's shoulder. “You go and get the ice, and Geena and I will organize everything else.”
“Make sure it's a really small pin,” Jazz ordered us, going over to the door.
“Sure,” I agreed. “Get the biggest needle you can find,” I said under my breath to Geena. “It won't work otherwise.”
By the time Jazz came back, we had everything sorted. Geena had found a gigantic needle, which we'd put in a tooth mug of Dettol and hidden behind a pile of books. We didn't want Jazz to freak out.
“Where's the ice?” I asked. Jazz had a family pack of frozen peas in her hand.
“There wasn't any,” she said. “I thought this would do instead.”
“All right, sit on the bed and stick it on your ear,” I instructed her.
“Ow, it's cold,” Jazz complained, clapping the frozen peas to the side of her head. “Where's the pin?”
“Don't worry about that,” I said, advancing toward her. I touched her ear. “Now, relax. I'm just going to—”
“
Aargh!
” Jazz screeched, pulling away from me.
“I'm just marking some dots on your ear with a pen, you idiot. Look.” I dangled the pen under her nose. “I haven't even started yet.”
“I'll put a CD on,” Geena said. “That'll help you to relax, Jazz.” She raised her eyebrows at me. “And it'll muffle the screams,” she whispered.
Geena put a Coldplay CD on, and I marked two dots on Jazz's ears, using the first holes as a guide. It was difficult to get the dots in the right place, but it wouldn't be too noticeable if the holes weren't quite level. I hoped. Then I took the giant needle out of the disinfectant.
“Close your eyes, Jazz,” I said, keeping it behind my back.
Jazz did as she was told. I squinted down at her left ear. I was aiming the needle at the pen mark, when the bedroom door opened.
“I've made some tea—” Auntie began.
Several things happened. Jazz opened her eyes, saw the size of the needle and let out a hysterical scream. I almost jumped out of my skin. The needle flew out of my hand and across the room, straight toward Geena like an arrow. She leaped backward, and knocked the tooth mug of disinfectant over theCD player. Coldplay ground to a watery, shuddering halt.
“What are you doing?” Auntie asked in quite a reasonable tone of voice, considering.
“We're
beautiful.
“I've got it,” I said. “We'll pierce Jazz's ears.”
“I beg your pardon?” Jazz spluttered.
“We'll pierce your ears,” I repeated. “We'll do it ourselves. Right now. That'll show her.”
Geena grinned. “Great idea, Amber.”
“Hold on a minute.” Jazz wasn't looking very enthusiastic. “Exactly
how
are you going to do that?”
“With a pin,” I said. “We'll sterilize it in disinfectant first, so you don't catch anything nasty.”
Jazz frowned. “But it'll
hurt
.”
“No, it won't,” I said. “We'll numb your ears first with some ice from the freezer. It won't hurt a bit.”
“Can't I just go into town after school tomorrow, and get my ears pierced in Claire's Accessories?” Jazz pleaded.
I shook my head. “Come on, Jazz,” I said. “Don't be a baby. It's a perfect way to show Auntie that she can't boss us around.”
“Yes, except that it involves pain,” Jazz grumbled. “
My
pain. And what about Dad?”
“I didn't think of that.” Geena glanced at me. “Dad will kill us, Amber.”
I shrugged. “He'll get over it.” I wasn't about to give up my brilliant idea. Auntie had defeated us on all fronts so far, and anyway, Dad had one foot in the enemy camp now. “Come on, Jazz,” I coaxed her. “You really want those second holes, don't you?”
Jazz was wavering. “Well, yes …”
“And I promise you it won't hurt,” I went on, crossing my fingers behind my back.
“All right then.”
“Yes!” I slapped Jazz's shoulder. “You go and get the ice, and Geena and I will organize everything else.”
“Make sure it's a really small pin,” Jazz ordered us, going over to the door.
“Sure,” I agreed. “Get the biggest needle you can find,” I said under my breath to Geena. “It won't work otherwise.”
By the time Jazz came back, we had everything sorted. Geena had found a gigantic needle, which we'd put in a tooth mug of Dettol and hidden behind a pile of books. We didn't want Jazz to freak out.
“Where's the ice?” I asked. Jazz had a family pack of frozen peas in her hand.
“There wasn't any,” she said. “I thought this would do instead.”
“All right, sit on the bed and stick it on your ear,” I instructed her.
“Ow, it's cold,” Jazz complained, clapping the frozen peas to the side of her head. “Where's the pin?”
“Don't worry about that,” I said, advancing toward her. I touched her ear. “Now, relax. I'm just going to—”
“
Aargh!
” Jazz screeched, pulling away from me.
“I'm just marking some dots on your ear with a pen, you idiot. Look.” I dangled the pen under her nose. “I haven't even started yet.”
“I'll put a CD on,” Geena said. “That'll help you to relax, Jazz.” She raised her eyebrows at me. “And it'll muffle the screams,” she whispered.
Geena put a Coldplay CD on, and I marked two dots on Jazz's ears, using the first holes as a guide. It was difficult to get the dots in the right place, but it wouldn't be too noticeable if the holes weren't quite level. I hoped. Then I took the giant needle out of the disinfectant.
“Close your eyes, Jazz,” I said, keeping it behind my back.
Jazz did as she was told. I squinted down at her left ear. I was aiming the needle at the pen mark, when the bedroom door opened.
“I've made some tea—” Auntie began.
Several things happened. Jazz opened her eyes, saw the size of the needle and let out a hysterical scream. I almost jumped out of my skin. The needle flew out of my hand and across the room, straight toward Geena like an arrow. She leaped backward, and knocked the tooth mug of disinfectant over theCD player. Coldplay ground to a watery, shuddering halt.
“What are you doing?” Auntie asked in quite a reasonable tone of voice, considering.
“We're
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