this weekend. They were supposed to enjoy ‘quality time with their host families’, according to Mrs Bailey’s schedule. Jess couldn’t imagine getting through a weekend at home, just her, Mum and Edouard, without them all going stark raving mad in separate rooms, hiding under their duvets and silently eating their pillows. Some kind of communal event would certainly help pass the time. It was a lot easier getting along with Edouard when there were plenty of other people around.
‘I know!’ said Flora. ‘We could go camping!’
‘Excuse me!?’ said Jess. ‘Did you say camping ? You’ve never been camping in your life.’
‘I know, but I’ve always wanted to!’ said Flora. ‘My mum always insists on staying in hotels, but I’d absolutely adore to go camping.’
‘Camping!’ cried Marie-Louise. ‘It’s really a marvellous idea!’
‘But it’ll be freezing!’ said Jess, who had been camping once, in Wales, in the rain, with a mum who was having a migraine.
‘We can have a campfire!’ said Flora. That did sound rather attractive. ‘And besides,’ Flora went on, ‘my dad was talking about the weather yesterday, and apparently there’s going to be a mini-heatwave at the weekend. Perfect for camping.’
‘Where would we go, though?’ said Jess.
‘My auntie Rose lives on a farm,’ said Jodie. ‘She’s got loads of fields.’
‘It would have to have a shower block, and toilets,’ said Fred. ‘I’m not urinating behind any hedges.’
‘Don’t say urinating,’ hissed Jess. ‘It sounds gross.’
‘If we went to my auntie’s,’ said Jodie, ‘we could use her downstairs bathroom. And they’ve got an outside loo.’
‘It would be bliss to get away from my dad for a few hours,’ sighed Flora. ‘He’s always showing off, speaking French and waving his arms about.’
Jess privately agreed. OK, camping might be a bit cold and weird, but it would be great to get away from fussing old parents for a while. This camping idea was growing on her.
Edouard, who had been trying to follow the conversation while eating his chips, asked Marie-Louise something in French. She explained, and Edouard looked surprised, then pleased, then suddenly worried. It was strange how many facial expressions he had when talking French. At home, his face was a numb mask of torment.
‘What’s the problem?’ asked Jess.
‘Edouard is worrying about his hay fever,’ said Marie-Louise. ‘But I told him it is too early in ze year. Zere will be no – how you say?’
‘Pollen,’ said Fred. ‘A lovely name for a gerbil, now I come to think of it.’
Later Jess and Flora enjoyed a brief tête-à-tête in the loos, because whenever they had any free time, Edouard and Marie-Louise were always tagging along.
‘We’ve lost our privacy,’ Jess hissed, as they washed their hands at adjacent basins. ‘The Frenchies are always around. M-L is lovely though.’
‘She’s a bit like a parent,’ said Flora thoughtfully. ‘She’s kind of middle-aged. But really nice.’
‘The camping idea is brilliant!’ said Jess. ‘Only problem is, we haven’t got a tent, let alone two.’
‘Why two?’ asked Flora.
‘One for me and one for Edouard. I’m not sharing with him! He gives me the creeps.’
‘I think he’s rather sweet,’ said Flora. ‘I like short guys anyway. They’re less threatening.’
They were now slightly late for English and had to run. At the corner by the gym, they bumped into the history teacher, Miss Dingle (known as Dingbat, obviously).
‘Jess Jordan!’ she cried, and Jess skidded to a halt. ‘Where’s that essay you owe me about King James and the Rise of Puritanism?’
Jess wondered, fleetingly, why she was always the one to get into trouble. It was going to be one of those days.
Chapter 13
Jess ended up with some extra history homework as well as the King James essay, thanks to Miss Dingle’s mood.
‘Although,’ said Jess as they packed up their bags at the end
‘I know!’ said Flora. ‘We could go camping!’
‘Excuse me!?’ said Jess. ‘Did you say camping ? You’ve never been camping in your life.’
‘I know, but I’ve always wanted to!’ said Flora. ‘My mum always insists on staying in hotels, but I’d absolutely adore to go camping.’
‘Camping!’ cried Marie-Louise. ‘It’s really a marvellous idea!’
‘But it’ll be freezing!’ said Jess, who had been camping once, in Wales, in the rain, with a mum who was having a migraine.
‘We can have a campfire!’ said Flora. That did sound rather attractive. ‘And besides,’ Flora went on, ‘my dad was talking about the weather yesterday, and apparently there’s going to be a mini-heatwave at the weekend. Perfect for camping.’
‘Where would we go, though?’ said Jess.
‘My auntie Rose lives on a farm,’ said Jodie. ‘She’s got loads of fields.’
‘It would have to have a shower block, and toilets,’ said Fred. ‘I’m not urinating behind any hedges.’
‘Don’t say urinating,’ hissed Jess. ‘It sounds gross.’
‘If we went to my auntie’s,’ said Jodie, ‘we could use her downstairs bathroom. And they’ve got an outside loo.’
‘It would be bliss to get away from my dad for a few hours,’ sighed Flora. ‘He’s always showing off, speaking French and waving his arms about.’
Jess privately agreed. OK, camping might be a bit cold and weird, but it would be great to get away from fussing old parents for a while. This camping idea was growing on her.
Edouard, who had been trying to follow the conversation while eating his chips, asked Marie-Louise something in French. She explained, and Edouard looked surprised, then pleased, then suddenly worried. It was strange how many facial expressions he had when talking French. At home, his face was a numb mask of torment.
‘What’s the problem?’ asked Jess.
‘Edouard is worrying about his hay fever,’ said Marie-Louise. ‘But I told him it is too early in ze year. Zere will be no – how you say?’
‘Pollen,’ said Fred. ‘A lovely name for a gerbil, now I come to think of it.’
Later Jess and Flora enjoyed a brief tête-à-tête in the loos, because whenever they had any free time, Edouard and Marie-Louise were always tagging along.
‘We’ve lost our privacy,’ Jess hissed, as they washed their hands at adjacent basins. ‘The Frenchies are always around. M-L is lovely though.’
‘She’s a bit like a parent,’ said Flora thoughtfully. ‘She’s kind of middle-aged. But really nice.’
‘The camping idea is brilliant!’ said Jess. ‘Only problem is, we haven’t got a tent, let alone two.’
‘Why two?’ asked Flora.
‘One for me and one for Edouard. I’m not sharing with him! He gives me the creeps.’
‘I think he’s rather sweet,’ said Flora. ‘I like short guys anyway. They’re less threatening.’
They were now slightly late for English and had to run. At the corner by the gym, they bumped into the history teacher, Miss Dingle (known as Dingbat, obviously).
‘Jess Jordan!’ she cried, and Jess skidded to a halt. ‘Where’s that essay you owe me about King James and the Rise of Puritanism?’
Jess wondered, fleetingly, why she was always the one to get into trouble. It was going to be one of those days.
Chapter 13
Jess ended up with some extra history homework as well as the King James essay, thanks to Miss Dingle’s mood.
‘Although,’ said Jess as they packed up their bags at the end
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