said.
‘How?’
‘I don’t know how. It just was. Now be quiet for a minute and let me think.’
Kate sat quietly and watched me. Her calm expression made me nervous. I could see that she trusted me completely, even though I hadno idea of what to do next.
‘The man’s coming back at four o’clock,’ I said after a while.
Kate made a face.
‘We know that, but how does it help us?’
‘Because we know that’s how long we’ve got to rustle up some support. Those men won’t listen to you and me, but if there are more people here, they can’t ignore that.’
Kate smiled, but a second later her smile faded away.
‘Who’s going to come here to support us?’
‘Maybe some kids from your school?’
She shook her head violently.
‘I’m not popular like you, Eva. Some of the kids in my school call me names and the rest ignore me. None of them would help me.’
I’d been afraid of that. I should have felt really angry on Kate’s behalf, but there was no time for that. I had to come up with a tree-saving plan.
‘Er … maybe my mum and dad would come,’ I said ‘And Joey. And you could go and get Martha.’
Kate shook her head again.
‘Martha wouldn’t come.’
‘Er … maybe Cathy and Lily?’
Now Kate laughed, a loud, scornful laugh.
‘No chance. They’d be afraid of damaging their nails, or messing up their hair.’
She was right, and I felt bad when I realised that up to recently, I’d have been the same.
Kate folded her arms.
‘I’ll stay here and keep watch, in case the men come back early. You go and round up the crowd.’
I sighed.
Why did I have to get the hard job?
I raced back home, and went into the kitchen where Mum, Dad and Joey were still eatingtheir breakfast.
I told them my story.
‘Cooooool,’ said Joey.
‘Poor Kate,’ said Mum. ‘We can’t let this happen.’
‘I always wanted to be an eco-warrior,’ said Dad. ‘Will I have time to grow a beard?’
‘Seriously,’ I said. ‘Who’s going to come and help us?’
‘Me,’ shouted Joey. ‘And I’ll bring all my friends.’
‘You’ve got friends?’ I asked in amazement.
Joey ignored my insult.
‘Yes, I’ve got heaps. Well three or four anyway. We play soccer on the beach every day. There’s Danny and Simon, and a big guy with red hair – I don’t know his name but I’m too afraid to ask him, and there’s—’
‘OK, enough, already,’ I said. ‘I don’t need to know what they’re called.’
Joey shrugged.
‘OK. I’ll just go and ask them to come and help us save the tree.’
I smiled at him. Who ever would have thought he’d be good for anything?
‘I’ll come too,’ said Mum. ‘That poor girl’s been through enough already. Just let me do the washing up first.’
Dad laughed.
‘You’ll save the world, but only once the kitchen’s clean?’
Mum pretended to punch him.
‘Help me, so,’ she said. ‘And then we can get on to the important stuff.’
‘What about you, Dad?’ I asked. ‘Will you come and protest?’
‘It’s not exactly my idea of a fun day out,’ he said. ‘And I had planned to fix those loose windows at the back of the house, but your mum’s right. We can’t let this happen. So you go back up there and stay with Kate, and we’ll be along in a while.’
On the way back to the field, I met an old man called Miley, who hangs around near the beach, collecting firewood. I told him the story, and he stood there nodding slowly. I wasn’t sure if he’d understood.
‘It’s for Kate,’ I said. ‘We’re doing this for Kate.’ Miley smiled.
‘Kate’s a good girl,’ he said.
‘So will you come to the big field at three-thirty ?’ I asked.
He just kept nodding his head ever so slowly. I gave up, and continued up the hill.
‘Where’s everyone?’ asked Kate when I got back. ‘I thought you were going to bring a crowd of helpers.’
‘Don’t worry,’ I said, trying to sound confident. ‘They’ll be here. Now just relax for
‘How?’
‘I don’t know how. It just was. Now be quiet for a minute and let me think.’
Kate sat quietly and watched me. Her calm expression made me nervous. I could see that she trusted me completely, even though I hadno idea of what to do next.
‘The man’s coming back at four o’clock,’ I said after a while.
Kate made a face.
‘We know that, but how does it help us?’
‘Because we know that’s how long we’ve got to rustle up some support. Those men won’t listen to you and me, but if there are more people here, they can’t ignore that.’
Kate smiled, but a second later her smile faded away.
‘Who’s going to come here to support us?’
‘Maybe some kids from your school?’
She shook her head violently.
‘I’m not popular like you, Eva. Some of the kids in my school call me names and the rest ignore me. None of them would help me.’
I’d been afraid of that. I should have felt really angry on Kate’s behalf, but there was no time for that. I had to come up with a tree-saving plan.
‘Er … maybe my mum and dad would come,’ I said ‘And Joey. And you could go and get Martha.’
Kate shook her head again.
‘Martha wouldn’t come.’
‘Er … maybe Cathy and Lily?’
Now Kate laughed, a loud, scornful laugh.
‘No chance. They’d be afraid of damaging their nails, or messing up their hair.’
She was right, and I felt bad when I realised that up to recently, I’d have been the same.
Kate folded her arms.
‘I’ll stay here and keep watch, in case the men come back early. You go and round up the crowd.’
I sighed.
Why did I have to get the hard job?
I raced back home, and went into the kitchen where Mum, Dad and Joey were still eatingtheir breakfast.
I told them my story.
‘Cooooool,’ said Joey.
‘Poor Kate,’ said Mum. ‘We can’t let this happen.’
‘I always wanted to be an eco-warrior,’ said Dad. ‘Will I have time to grow a beard?’
‘Seriously,’ I said. ‘Who’s going to come and help us?’
‘Me,’ shouted Joey. ‘And I’ll bring all my friends.’
‘You’ve got friends?’ I asked in amazement.
Joey ignored my insult.
‘Yes, I’ve got heaps. Well three or four anyway. We play soccer on the beach every day. There’s Danny and Simon, and a big guy with red hair – I don’t know his name but I’m too afraid to ask him, and there’s—’
‘OK, enough, already,’ I said. ‘I don’t need to know what they’re called.’
Joey shrugged.
‘OK. I’ll just go and ask them to come and help us save the tree.’
I smiled at him. Who ever would have thought he’d be good for anything?
‘I’ll come too,’ said Mum. ‘That poor girl’s been through enough already. Just let me do the washing up first.’
Dad laughed.
‘You’ll save the world, but only once the kitchen’s clean?’
Mum pretended to punch him.
‘Help me, so,’ she said. ‘And then we can get on to the important stuff.’
‘What about you, Dad?’ I asked. ‘Will you come and protest?’
‘It’s not exactly my idea of a fun day out,’ he said. ‘And I had planned to fix those loose windows at the back of the house, but your mum’s right. We can’t let this happen. So you go back up there and stay with Kate, and we’ll be along in a while.’
On the way back to the field, I met an old man called Miley, who hangs around near the beach, collecting firewood. I told him the story, and he stood there nodding slowly. I wasn’t sure if he’d understood.
‘It’s for Kate,’ I said. ‘We’re doing this for Kate.’ Miley smiled.
‘Kate’s a good girl,’ he said.
‘So will you come to the big field at three-thirty ?’ I asked.
He just kept nodding his head ever so slowly. I gave up, and continued up the hill.
‘Where’s everyone?’ asked Kate when I got back. ‘I thought you were going to bring a crowd of helpers.’
‘Don’t worry,’ I said, trying to sound confident. ‘They’ll be here. Now just relax for
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