Read Online The Honeymoon Sisters by Gwyneth Rees - Free Book Online Page A

classics and reciting poetry right from when he was in his pram, weren’t you, Leo?’
    Mr Anderson put an arm around his shoulder. ‘Tell you what, Sean. Let’s find the poetry section and you can choose a book for yourself while we’re here. My treat!’
    Sean laughed, while I just stood there feeling self-conscious. It was so weird to see my hunky Englishteacher in ‘dad’ mode – and it was also weird how much less hunky that seemed to make him.
    ‘Come on, Poppy, let’s get it,’ Josh said, leading me towards the front of the shop to pay for my book.
    Suddenly Sean whirled round. ‘Wait a minute … I meant to congratulate you, Poppy.’
    ‘Huh?’
    ‘ Sean. ’ Mr Anderson’s voice held a warning which Sean clearly had no intention of heeding as a grin slowly began lighting up his face.
    ‘What are you on about?’ Even Josh sounded puzzled.
    ‘Mum just told me the story this morning.’ Sean started to laugh. ‘Her and Leo have got this whole Does my bum look big in this? thing going on … and this morning Mum told me what started it. Way to go, Poppy! At least there’s one girl in our school who doesn’t think Leo’s perfect!’
    ‘Sean!’ Mr Anderson sounded cross now, and maybe even a bit embarrassed.
    As for me, embarrassed didn’t even begin to cover it! I could feel myself flushing bright red and all I wanted was to find myself a deep, dark hole to bury myself in.

Chapter Eleven
    Josh laughed all the way back to the park entrance.
    ‘It’s not funny, Josh!’ I wailed. ‘Next time I see Mr Anderson I think I’ll die. In fact I just want to die right now .’
    ‘Don’t be daft! He obviously thought it was funny or he wouldn’t have gone home and told his wife, would he?’
    Josh was still struggling to contain his mirth when we reached the park.
    ‘Just go home, will you?’ I snapped.
    ‘ OK , OK … But it’s no big deal. Just chill …’ I could still hear him laughing as he walked away.
    I entered the park alone. I was fuming. This was all Anne-Marie’s fault for blabbing as usual. Maybe Olivia was right. Maybe I should just dump her completely as a friend. It might be a lot safer that way. If only Olivia was still here, I thought.
    Since there was no sign of Sadie yet I sat down on the nearest bench and took out Just William to have a proper look at it. One of the things I love about old books is the illustrations, and this one had some beauties. I just hoped Dad didn’t think it was a really naff present, that’s all.
    I’m not sure how long I’d been sitting there reading when someone suddenly appeared behind me and grabbed the book. It was Sadie.
    ‘What’s this, then?’ She was grinning as she bent the front and back boards back so that all the pages in between splayed out like a fan.
    ‘Watch it. You’ll break the spine,’ I said angrily.
    ‘So? It’s not like it can feel it, is it?’ She chucked it back at me.
    ‘Where’ve you been?’ I demanded, standing up and glaring.
    ‘Over at my best mate Alison’s place. Don’t tell your mum unless you want that book of yours to need some major spinal surgery!’ She laughed like she thought she was being super witty.
    ‘I thought you were going to see those mates from the other day? The ones who were at the bus stop with you?’
    ‘Yeah … I did!’
    ‘You mean Alison’s one of them ?’
    ‘Yeah.’
    ‘But they were much older than you!’
    ‘Alison’s seventeen. Nearly eighteen actually.’
    ‘But …’ I had a sudden alarming thought. ‘She wasn’t the girl who was hitting you, was she?’
    ‘Hitting me? Oh yeah, I remember. She was mad because I was really late getting there and she’d had to go off looking for me.’
    ‘But how can she be your friend?’
    ‘She calls me her adopted kid sister! She always looks out for me. We lived in the same road for ages. Her mum went off with some other bloke too, so once she knew I was in the same boat she sort of took me under her wing.’
    I guess