Buch lesen: «Hey Baby!»

Oh, hiya. No fooling you Sleepover fans, is there? Yes, it’s me, Frankie! Look, it’s great to meet you here, but please don’t tell anyone else you’ve seen me.

I’m serious. I’m keeping a low profile until this whole thing blows over. Why do you think I sneaked out of the house wearing dark glasses and this sad saggy old hat?

Lucky for me Grandpa Joe left his fishing hat behind last time he stayed. Yeah, yeah, I know; it’s not the coolest head-gear in the world. For one thing, it smells like mouldy mushrooms. But it’s brilliant for hiding my hair. Especially with my collar turned up.

I’ve got masses of the stuff. Hair, I mean. Auntie Joan says I could stuff a mattress with it. I figured my hair was the real Frankie giveaway. Apart from my lanky legs, that is. But there’s nothing I can do about them, unless I disguise myself as a mermaid!

Anyway, I’m glad it was you, not the M&Ms who spotted me. Remember them? They’re sworn enemies of the Sleepover Club. Their real names are Emma Hughes and Emily Berryman. We call them the M&Ms for short. Neat, eh?

You see, on our last sleepover, quite by accident, we did something the M&Ms will NEVER forgive us for. And take it from me, they won’t give up till they’ve paid us back. Those girls are so spiteful it’s unreal.

Would you mind looking out for them, while I pull Grandpa’s hat down a teensy bit further? Don’t worry, they’re dead easy to recognise. Look out for two sinister figures without shadows. Just kidding! No, you nutcase, I’m not scared! But I don’t need any extra hassle. I’m still totally stressed out from our last sleepover.

OK, let’s just see if you remember all the Sleepover members. There’s a whole bunch of us: Laura McKenzie, otherwise known as Kenny. She’s been my best friend for ever. Then Fliss. (Her full name is Felicity Sidebotham, poor thing.) Lyndsey Collins – we call her Lyndz. And Rosie Cartwright; Rosie hasn’t lived in Cuddington very long.

And then there’s me! Francesca Theresa Thomas, Frankie for short. But you guessed that by yourself, didn’t you? I’ll have to get better at disguises, if I’m going to be a world-famous actress! It was my nail varnish that gave me away, right?

I’m crazy about silver. It’s the coolest colour in the universe. I’d paint my whole room silver if my parents would let me. Up till now they won’t even let me have silver curtains! And now Mum’s expecting a new baby, I can probably kiss goodbye to that space-age bedroom I’ve been hankering for. My parents are too busy buying cute little vests and booties.

Actually I’m over the moon about the baby. Being a lonely only is so-o bo-ring. But Mum’s pregnancy doesn’t mean I’m letting them off the hook. I don’t want them to think I’ve lost my touch! Besides, I think a totally silver room would be excellent, don’t you? Not as good as sleeping in a real space station, but still pretty cool. I could even camouflage my boring old bed to look like a space pod or something. Mind you, I’m not sure the other Sleepover members would approve. Especially Fliss. Her bedroom furniture looks exactly like that shiny stuff in department stores. It’s dead girly – like a Barbie catalogue. And her room’s so tidy, it’s scary!

Still, what can you expect from a Virgo? I’m an Aries, if you didn’t know. A natural born leader. Act first and think afterwards, that’s me.

Where was I? Oh yeah. I was explaining why I’m creeping round the village wearing this gruesome disguise.

Have you noticed how the things that seem totally mega-brilliant at the time, are the exact same things which make your parents go ballistic when they find out? Life’s so-o-o unfair.

Look, pop over to Rosie’s with me and I’ll tell you all the really juicy details of our sleepover as we go. (Private joke!) I could do with the company. Don’t tell the others, but I’ve got butterflies in my tummy.

You see, I promised Rosie I’d tell Mr and Mrs Quormby what really happened, and I can’t let her down, can I? I’m going to be someone’s big sister soon. I’ve got to practise being dead grown-up and sensible before he or she arrives.

Didn’t I explain about the Quormbys? They’re Rosie’s new neighbours. They’ve got this really cool baby called Morgan. Mr Quormby’s the grim silent type. Mrs Quormby’s OK, but she’s such a fusspot! Can you believe she’d never ever left her precious little Morgan with anyone before? Not even for five minutes!

Until last Friday that is…

No one believes us, but the whole thing started out as an incredibly kind deed. Two kind deeds, if you’re counting.

It began when Rosie’s big sister Tiff and her boyfriend Spud had a quarrel. We could tell Rosie was upset the minute she walked into the classroom. When Rosie’s upset, everyone knows about it. Of course, she won’t actually tell you what’s wrong for hours. Her star sign’s Cancer. Sensitive but secretive, that’s Rosie. She’s such hard work sometimes.

It took us nearly all lunchtime to drag it out of her. Then instead of just telling us like a normal person, she turned on the waterworks. And once she gets started, that girl could cry for England.

“Tiff and Spud broke up,” she choked. “I heard her sobbing through the wall. It was awful.”

“Poor Tiffany,” said Fliss, with that mushy look she gets if anyone even mentions boyfriends.

Tiff is Rosie’s big sister. She’s fifteen. Personally, I don’t think she’s that special. I mean, the way Rosie goes on you’d think she’s some kind of superstar. But when I pictured little Miss Perfect crying in the dark over some stoopid boy, I felt a bit upset myself. Even though I don’t like her. Weird, eh?

“What about Adam?” asked Lyndz. “He really likes Spud, doesn’t he?” Lyndz has a soft spot for Adam.

Rosie nodded miserably. “They talk about computers for hours.”

I yawned. Computers are cool, but talking about them is incredibly sad. I suppose it’s different for Adam, though. He’s got cerebral palsy and his computer helps him speak and everything.

“So of course Dad’s invited Adam to stay for the weekend,” Rosie moaned.

Rosie and Adam are great mates. But that doesn’t stop her getting all churned up about how their dad spends more time with her brother than he does with her. She’s got this huge chip about how everyone in her family leaves her out. She’s always on about it, so now I switch off as soon as she starts.

I tuned back in just as Rosie said, “So we can’t have the sleepover at my house after all. Mum says it’s not fair to Tiff.”

Now, nothing and no one interrupts Sleepover business, OK? Especially not Tiffany Cartwright’s love life. I did some quick thinking.

“Why don’t you tell us exactly what happened, Rosie,” I said cunningly. “Tell us everything. I mean, what did they fight about?”

Kenny saw how my mind was working.

“Yeah, Rosie,” she grinned. “We need inside info.”

Rosie blinked with surprise. We mostly shut her up when she goes on about her family!

“It’s obvious Tiff and Spud are in lurve,” I explained. “They just need a teensy bit of help. Then they’ll snap back together like… like… fridge magnets!”

Lyndz, Kenny and Fliss cracked up. Even Rosie gave a feeble grin.

I beamed. Crisis over. We’d get Tiff and Spud back together, no problem. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. And our sleepover could go ahead like we planned. YIPPEE!