Read Online Don't Ask Alice by Judi Curtin - Free Book Online Page A

didn’t matter anyway, as it didn’t look like she was going to tell me.
    Alice went towards the door.
    â€˜Time I went home,’ she said. ‘Get a good night’s sleep, Meg. You’re going to need it. Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day.’

Chapter fourteen

    N ext morning Alice arrived early. She came into my bedroom and kind of fizzed around the place, picking things up and putting them down in the wrong places – stuff like that. I’d made up my mind to be tough, so as soon as she sat down I said the words I’d been practising in my head.
    â€˜Tell me your plan or I won’t help you.’
    Alice laughed.
    â€˜OK. OK.’
    I was surprised.
    â€˜You mean just like that? You’re not even going to argue with me?’
    Alice shrugged.
    â€˜Argue? Me?’
    I had to laugh at her as she continued.
    â€˜It’s no biggie anyway. We’re just going to plan a romantic dinner date for Dad and Linda. It’ll be perfect. It’ll—’
    I interrupted her.
    â€˜How exactly are you going to set that up? Are you going to get into their minds? Are you going to magically persuade Peter to ask Linda out? Are you going to magically persuade her to accept? Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think you’re going to pull this off.’
    Alice made a pouty face.
    â€˜Of course I’ll pull this off. Have I ever failed before?’
    Hello?
    Had Alice’s memory just evaporated?
    What about the disaster with Miss O’Herlihy?
    What about mid-term when she tried to get rid of her mum’s boyfriend who turned out not to be a boyfriend anyway?
    What about the time Alice hid under my bed for days on end?
    It didn’t seem fair to remind her of all this stuff, so I just avoided the issue.
    â€˜Anyway,’ I said, ‘Linda can’t go out on a romantic dinner date. She might ignore most of Mum’s rules and regulations, but she won’t go out and leave Rosie and me here on our own. Mum would surely hear about it, and she’d never forgive her. Ever.’
    Alice grinned.
    â€˜Don’t worry. I’ve thought of that. I’ve thought of everything. The romantic date is going to be here.’
    â€˜But how…?’
    Alice waved her hand in the air.
    â€˜I’ll tell you later. For now, all we have to do is convince Linda that you and I should cook dinner tonight.’
    As she spoke, she set off into the kitchen, dragging me behind her. Linda was busy pouring brightly-coloured cereal into a bowl for Rosie. Rosie was smiling so much it looked like her face was going to burst.
    â€˜Look, Megan,’ she said, ‘Linda’s nice. No yucky porridge.’
    Linda made a face at me.
    â€˜I won’t tell your mum if you don’t.’
    I laughed.
    â€˜It can be our little secret.’
    Alice nudged me, so I continued.
    â€˜Er…Linda?’
    Linda looked up.
    â€˜Yes?’
    â€˜How about if Alice and I cook dinner tonight?’
    Linda shrugged.
    â€˜Why would you want to do that?’
    Alice piped up.
    â€˜It’s a project we have to do ….. for Guides.’
    Linda looked surprised.
    â€˜I didn’t know you went to Guides, Megan,’ she said.
    (Maybe that’s because I don’t.)
    I smiled and tried to think of an answer that wasn’t the truth, but wasn’t a lie either.
    â€˜Well, Mum thinks Guides are good. She thinks Guides do lots of helpful environmental stuff.’
    This was kind of true. I’d never exactly heard Mum say that, but I bet it’s what she thinks.
    Linda smiled.
    â€˜Well, I don’t see why you can’t cook dinner. Otherwise we would have been ordering another takeaway.’
    I felt like crying. I love takeaway food, and Mum never lets us get it. Did Alice have any idea what I was giving up for her?
    Linda continued,
    â€˜What are you going to cook?’
    I looked desperately at Alice who was playing with Rosie and