Lily had just come into the room. She gave me this irritated look.
“What’s going on?”
She wasn’t used to me having private conversations on the telephone. She was the one that was supposed to do all the talking!
“Who is it?” she hissed. “Is it the Blob?”
“No,” I said. “It’s Adroola.”
“Who’s Adroola?”
“Adroola the Drooler. She’s a pop star. Listen!”
I held out the receiver. Katie’s voice came drooling down the line. Rather disgusting, actually. It sounded like someone belching into a bowl of syrup.
“Have you gone mad?” said Lily.
I shouted, “Yes! Raving!” and danced about in front of her with my eyes crossed and one hand held up like a claw. Lily stared at me, with her mouth gaping open.
“Raving! Raving! Bluurgh!”
“Mum! She’s gone completely mad!” wailed Lily.
“Has she?” said Mum. “Well, I shouldn’t worry about it. She seems quite happy.”
“But people might think I’m mad!” said Lily. “They might think she’s me!”
It is true that just lately people do seem to have started getting us more muddled up than they used to. Even, sometimes, people at school. I can’t think why, since we are not in the least bit alike. Lily will tell you that I am completely mad. It is since knowing Katie. She gets you that way! She is so bright and bubbly, she makes me bright and bubbly, too.
It is such fun to have a friend! We do all kinds of things together. I’ve slept over at Katie’s place, she’s slept over at mine. (Lily was excluded. But I might let her in on it next time. If she behaves herself!)
What else have we done? We’ve been shopping together. Lots of times! We really enjoy shopping. We’ve been on the Eye. At last – and for real! Not just in my imagination. We’ve been ice skating! (Katie’s mum took us.) Oh, and we’ve written loads more for Girlzone. We did the celebs, and we did a quiz, and we did a special interview with Adroola. Our latest thing, the thing we’re working on at the moment, is Makeover of the Month. We’re going to have Befores and Afters. Like this:
These are true photographs! We did all the makeup and stuff in my room, with the door barricaded so that Lily couldn’t get in. She was practically foaming at the mouth! She knew something was going on, she just didn’t know what. Hah! That makes a change. But I don’t see why I should let her in on all my secrets.
I have lots of secrets, these days. I share them with Katie. Natch! Most of them are private giggle material, just between her and me. We go round the playground, arm in arm, giggling away together. Sometimes we giggle so much we give ourselves a stitch. People look at us as if we have taken leave of our senses. But do we care?
NO WAY!
Also by Jean Ure
Lemonade Sky
Love and Kisses
Star Crazy Me!
Over the Moon
Boys Beware
Sugar and Spice
Is Anybody There?
Secret Meeting
Passion Flower
Boys on the Brain
Skinny Melon and Me
Becky Bananas, This is Your Life!
Fruit and Nutcase
The Secret Life of Sally Tomato
Family Fan Club
Ice Lolly
Special three-in-one editions
The Tutti-Frutti Collection
The Flower Power Collection
The Friends Forever Collection
And for younger readers
Dazzling Danny
Daisy May
Monster in the Mirror
HarperCollins Children’s Books
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Text copyright © Jean Ure 2002
Illustrations by Karen Donnelly 2002
Cover illustrations by Nicola Slater
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Source ISBN: 9780009143900
EBook Edition © JUNE 2013 ISBN: 9780007439898
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