by Judi Curtin
When it was time to go, Mum came to our front gate to wave goodbye to Alice and me.
‘Phone when you’re leaving school,’ she said. ‘And phone when you get to the adventure centre, and phone before you go to bed, and phone ………’
I sighed. I was beginning to wonder if having my own phone was such a good idea after all.
Mum was still talking, ‘…… and phone if you don’t feel well, and phone if you just feel like a chat, and ……….’
‘Muuuum,’ I wailed, and Mum stopped talking.
‘Too much?’ she asked.
I nodded.
‘Much too much. How about I just phone you when I get there?’
Mum nodded slowly.
‘OK, but …….’
Alice saved me like she often has to.
‘We’d better go or we’ll miss the bus,’ she said.
So I gave Mum one more hug and raced down the road before she had time to say anything else.
* * *
Everyone was very excited as we gathered outside the school gates. Grace, Louise, Alice and I all got on to the first bus and sat together near the back. Just as we were settling down, I saw Marcus walking down the bus towards us. As usual, he was on his own. He seemed to be heading for the empty seat just in front of me. Suddenly I felt embarrassed. Usually I was happy enough to see him, but now I just wanted to hang out with my friends. Marcus stopped at the empty seat. Then he looked at Alice, Grace and Louise who were laughing at a stupid joke that Grace had just told.
Marcus shrugged.
‘I think I’ll sit down here,’ he said, pointing towards the back of the bus.
I was glad to see him go, and that made me feel really, really bad.
As soon as we got to the adventure centre, we had to change into our oldest clothes and meet at the edge of the woods.
Our PE teacher, Miss Ryan, was waiting for us when we got there.
‘You’re going orienteering,’ she said. ‘Divide yourselves into teams of four.’
I quickly looked at Grace, Louise and Alice, but then the teacher continued.
‘All teams are to be mixed – two boys and two girls.’
In the end, Alice and I went with two boys from her class, Josh and Luke. Grace and Louise teamed up with two boys I didn’t know. The teacher explained the rules, and then she gave us all maps and control cards.
When it was our turn to go, Alice grabbed the map and raced off into the woods without even reading it.
Josh and Luke laughed.
‘Is she always like that?’ asked Luke.
I laughed too.
‘Mostly,’ I said. ‘Now let’s go, or we’ll never see her again.’
The orienteering was soooo much fun. We got lost loads of times, but it wasn’t scary like the time Alice and I had got lost in the forest in France. For one thing, we had a map, and even though none of us was very good at reading it at first, in the end we got the hang of it.
Luke and Josh were really funny, and I was kind of sorry they weren’t in my class. Then I decided that it didn’t matter. Without Alice, I wouldn’t have been brave enough to talk to them anyway.
It seemed like no time until we were at the finishing point. Somehow our group managed to come third, and won a box of chocolates between the four of us. Generous Alice insisted on sharing with everyone, so we only got one each. Mum would have been very happy about that.
We went back to the hostel and showered and changed, and when it started to get dark, the hostel workers lit a huge fire, and showed us how to cook potatoes and sausages in it. Alice said everything tasted like ashes, but I didn’t care. I knew if I was at home I’d be eating organic lentil stew or something exciting like that.
When the potatoes and sausages were finished, we all just sat around the fire chatting and toasting marshmallows. After a while Marcus came along. In the flickering of the flames he looked a bit wild and a bit scary. He sat down beside Alice, Grace, Louise and me. Grace had been telling a joke but she stopped suddenly when Marcus showed up, and no one said anything for a while.
‘Did you enjoy the orienteering?’ I asked Marcus.
He shrugged.
‘It was OK, I suppose,’ he said.
There was another silence after that.
‘Did you like the food?’ I asked. I knew it was a stupid question, but I didn’t care. The silence was starting to make me nervous.
Marcus shrugged again.
‘It was OK, I suppose,’ he said. ‘But I’d have preferred one of your mum’s sandwiches.’
Alice gave me a funny look, but didn’t say anything.
Then there was a very long, embarrassing silence. I couldn’t think of anything else to say, and it didn’t look like anyone else could either.
In the end Marcus got up.
‘Bye,’ he muttered, as he walked back towards the hostel.
‘He’s weird,’ said Grace as soon as he was gone.
‘He’s bad,’ said Louise.
‘What was he saying about your mum’s sandwiches?’ said Alice.
Now everyone stared at me. I hoped no one would notice my blush in the firelight.
‘Come on,’ said Alice laughing. ‘Tell us everything.’
I knew Alice wouldn’t give up until I answered.
‘There’s not much to tell,’ I said. ‘I gave him a sandwich once, and he seemed to like it. That’s all. Are you saying there’s something wrong with someone liking my mum’s sandwiches?’
‘No,’ said Alice giggling.
I threw a marshmallow at her, pretending I was cross. She caught it and ate it, and then threw one back at me. Then we had a brilliant marshmallow fight, until the hostel workers said it was time to go to bed.
Chapter fourteen
All the girls were to sleep in a huge dormitory. Grace, Alice, Louise and I got four beds in the corner of the room. Before long the PE teacher came around to make sure we were all in bed, and to turn out the lights. As soon as she was gone, Alice sat up.
‘Come on girls,’ she whispered. ‘Time for ghost stories.’
So the four of us sat on Grace’s bed, and took turns to tell scary stories. Alice told a totally creepy story about a ghost and his pet boar, who ate a whole child every day. It was a stupid story, but Alice told it so well that I could feel goosebumps running up and down my arms.
Then Grace and Louise told stories; I knew it was my turn next. I couldn’t make anything up, so I repeated a story I’d read the year before. No one guessed that I hadn’t made it up, and I realised Mum was right whenever she tells me to – read more, because you never know when stuff you read might be useful.
After that we shared a huge bar of chocolate that Louise had brought, and when Alice couldn’t stop yawning, we decided it was time to go back to bed.
I was just drifting off to sleep when I heard a funny snuffling noise. All I could think of was the boar in the story Alice had told. I know that boar don’t really eat children, but it still made me shiver.
‘Alice?’ I called softly, but she didn’t answer. She was breathing deeply and probably already asleep.
Now who would save me?
Then I listened a bit more and realised it wasn’t an animal noise. It was a human noise and it was coming from the bed just next to mine.
I sat up and rubbed my eyes. In the dim light, I could see Jane curled up in bed, sobbing softly.
I climbed out of bed and tip-toed over to Jane.
‘What’s wrong?’ I whispered. ‘Are you sick? Do you want me to call a teacher?’
Jane shook her head, still sobbing.
‘Well, what is it?’ I said a bit impatiently. I was tired, and the floor was cold under my bare feet.
Jane stopped sobbing for a second.
‘I’m homesick,’ she said. ‘I’ve never been away from home before and I miss my mum and dad.’
At first I thought she was being a bit silly, but then I remembered the year before when I was staying in Dublin wit
h Alice, and we had a fight, and I really, really wanted to go home.
So I tried to sound a bit kinder as I said, ‘What about Lyndsay?’ (Lyndsay was her new best friend.)
Jane pointed to the next bed along.
‘She’s there, but she’s asleep.’
‘Do you want me to wake her up? I bet she wouldn’t mind, and chatting to her might make you feel a bit better.’
And I’d feel a whole lot better if I could get back to my bed and get some sleep.
Jane shook her head quickly.
‘No, don’t wake her up. I don’t want her to think I’m a baby.’
‘So what do you want me to do?’
Jane wiped her eyes.
‘Would you … would you mind just staying here for a little while? I feel better now that you’re here. Please?’
And what could I say to that?
So I sat on the edge of Jane’s bed, curled my feet under me to try to keep them warm, and waited.
Gradually Jane’s sobbing stopped. Every few minutes she opened her eyes, like she was checking to see if I was still there. It was kind of peaceful just sitting there in the half-dark, listening to the breathing of the other girls.
Jane was OK really. It was wrong of me to dismiss her just because she liked different stuff to me. In a way, I was sorry that she wasn’t the kind of girl I wanted to be friends with. Then I decided she probably didn’t want to be friends with me either, and I felt a bit better.
After a while, Jane’s eyes hadn’t opened for ages, and she was breathing deeply like someone who was sound asleep. I waited a few more minutes, just to be sure, then I tip-toed back to my own bed, and seconds later I was fast asleep and dreaming of burnt sausages, and yummy, warm marshmallows.
* * *
When I woke up in the morning, I looked over towards Jane’s bed. She was sitting up chatting happily to Lyndsay. Suddenly she turned around and saw me.
‘Thanks, Megan,’ she whispered.
I smiled at her.
‘You’re welcome,’ I said, and then I couldn’t say any more as Alice suddenly jumped on my bed and whacked me with her pillow, and we had a pillow fight until Miss Ryan came in to see what all the noise was about.
After breakfast (more sausages), we had time for one more activity before it was time to leave.
‘Let’s go canoeing,’ said Alice.
I’d never been canoeing before, and it sounded a bit scary. As usual, Alice read my mind.
‘Don’t worry,’ she said. ‘I’ll mind you.’
I know she was trying to make me feel better, but it didn’t really work.
We were kitted out in life-jackets, and the instructor helped us into a two-person canoe.
‘Have you done this before?’ he asked.
‘Yeah, loads of times,’ said Alice.
‘OK,’ said the instructor. ‘Off you go then. Be back in an hour. I’ll blow my whistle to let you know when it’s time.’
Then he gave us a big push and we slid off towards the centre of the lake.
‘When did you do this before?’ I asked.
Alice laughed happily.
‘Never.’
‘So why …?’
Alice laughed again.
‘I just wanted to get started. I didn’t want to listen to him going on and on. And anyway, how hard can it be?’
Actually it was very hard. We kept going around in circles, and crashing in to the bushes at the edge of the lake.
‘Are you OK girls?’ called the instructor after a while.
We weren’t, but of course Alice wasn’t admitting that.
‘Fine,’ she called back. ‘Just practising our strokes.’
The instructor laughed.
‘Keep practising then,’ he said, as turned to help another group.
‘Where’s your friend Marcus this morning?’ said Alice after a while.
I’d seen him when we were walking towards the lake. He was sitting on the ground behind a tree, smoking. For some reason I didn’t tell Alice this. I didn’t want her to think badly of him.
So I just said, ‘Don’t know.’
Alice didn’t ask any more – she was too busy steering us into yet another bush.
Much later we heard the sound of the whistle calling us back. We had somehow managed to get to the other side of the lake, but we still hadn’t figured out how to go in a straight line. There was no way we were going to get back to the jetty any time soon.
‘Should we call the instructor?’ I said. ‘We shouldn’t be late back.’
‘No,’ said Alice crossly. ‘I’m just getting the hang of this.’
She paddled furiously, and we crashed into yet another bush, and I had to duck to avoid being whacked by a huge branch.
Just then Josh and another boy paddled by.
‘Need help?’ called Josh.
‘No, thank you,’ said Alice.
‘Yes, please!’ I said at the same time.
Luckily they listened to me.
‘Throw us the rope that’s tied to the front of your canoe,’ said Josh.
Alice sulkily did as he suggested, and they pulled us clear of the bushes. Then they showed us how to paddle in time. Like most things, it wasn’t so hard once you know how to do it properly, and by the time we got to the jetty, I was beginning to enjoy myself.
We just had time for a quick shower. Then we had lunch and it was time to leave. As Alice, Grace, Louise and I waited to climb onto one bus, I was kind of glad to see Marcus getting on to a different one.
We sang all the way home, and I felt totally happy until we pulled up outside the school, and I remembered that the next day I’d have to manage without my friends again.
Chapter fifteen
By the time Friday came around, I was really looking forward to Home Ec – my favourite part of the week. Alice was still a total disaster in the cookery room. Miss Leonard was starting to get used to her though, and once she realised that Alice wasn’t deliberately making a mess of everything she touched, she was actually quite nice to her.
‘I’ll make a chef of you, Alice O’Rourke, if it’s the last thing I do,’ she often said. Secretly I hoped Alice’s cookery skills wouldn’t improve – Home Ec class wouldn’t have been half as much fun then.
After school that Friday Grace, Louise, Alice and I walked home together. We were all going to the shopping centre. Grace and I were making Louise laugh by telling her about Alice’s efforts to make custard.
‘It was totally gross,’ said Grace. ‘There were lumps everywhere. It was like …’
‘… yellow porridge,’ I finished her sentence for her.
‘It was Miss Leonard’s fault,’ protested Alice laughing. ‘She should have allowed me to use the carton of ready-made custard, like Mum suggested.’
Now I laughed.
‘I don’t think opening a carton would count as a cookery lesson,’ I said. ‘That would be like getting a lesson in using a scissors, and I think we all learned that back in infants class.’
Louise sighed.
‘I wish I’d done Home Ec with you. It sounds like sooo much fun.’
Just then Alice grabbed my arm and squeezed it tightly. Then she did the same to Louise. Lucky Grace had time to escape.
‘Ow,’ I said. ‘That hurt, Alice. And I know you only did it so we’d stop going on about your lumpy custard.’
Alice shook her head.
‘I didn’t. Honest. Just look over there.’
We all looked where Alice was pointing, and then we all gasped.
‘Is that …?’ asked Louise.
‘Could it be …?’ began Grace.
‘That’s Melissa,’ I said, without any doubt. I could tell by the way she was walking and by the way she was flicking her hair.
Before anyone could say anything else, Melissa was next to us.
‘Hi, everyone,’ she gushed. ‘I’m home for the weekend. Isn’t that totally great?’
Then before we could escape she hugg
ed each one of us like we were her best friends in the whole wide world.
Then we all stood and looked at each other.
‘So, Melissa, how’s school?’ asked Alice eventually.
Melissa looked at her like it was a trick question.
‘Er, fine,’ she said. Then she seemed to recover herself. ‘I mean great. School is great. Totally great.’
‘And how’s the swimming pool, and the super-duper hockey pitch?’ asked Alice.
‘Great,’ said Melissa. ‘Everything’s totally, totally great. You know, Madonna nearly sent her daughter to my school, but she changed her mind at the last minute. Did I tell you that before?’
‘Only about a hundred times,’ said Alice giggling.
Melissa didn’t seem to notice that Alice was laughing at her.
‘So where are you all going?’ she asked.
‘To the shopping centre,’ said Louise.
Then there was another long silence. At last Alice smiled.
‘Would you like to come with us?’
Melissa smiled back.
‘I’d totally love that,’ she said. So off we all went.
It was kind of weird. Grace and Louise used to like Melissa, but now they don’t.
Alice seems to like everyone in the world except for Melissa, and I’d always been a bit afraid of her.
And now we were all hanging out at the shopping centre like we were best friends.
After a while, Grace, Louise and Alice went to try on some clothes, and I found myself standing outside the dressing room with Melissa.
‘So, is your new school really great?’ I asked, trying to make conversation.
Melissa hesitated. ‘Weeeell, yeeeees,’ she said in the end.
‘You don’t sound very sure,’ I said.
Melissa sighed.
‘It’s a really cool building, so that’s great. And the swimming pool is great. And most of the girls are really nice, and that’s great too. But …’
‘But what?’ I asked, wishing the others would come out and rescue me.
Melissa lowered her voice.
‘But …… sometimes I feel a bit lonely. I miss my friends from primary school. Sometimes I wish I was right back in Miss O’Herlihy’s class. Do you think that sounds stupid?’
