Best Friends Read online

  Fat Larry specialized in traffic-light colours and had a red suit, a yellow suit and an emerald green.

  ' I ' m going for emerald,' Biscuits boasted.

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  'Oh, like you think you'll make me green with envy?' I said. 'OK, I'll go for a red Fat Larry suit and you'll be red with rage.'

  'Look, stop being daft. You know I'm going to be Fat Larry. I look like him.'

  'I'll look like him too.'

  'But you don't have a sparkly suit.'

  'I will have. My mum's going to

  make one.'

  'Well, she'll have to get a move on.

  'Well, she 11 have to get a move on.

  Didn't you listen? We're presenting the projects the week after next, Mrs Watson said. And there's a prize for the best one.'

  'That's ages away,' I said airily, but I started to panic inside. I'd have to watch Fat Larry videos every day and try very hard with my cooking.

  I tore out of school to meet Grandad.

  'Hello, Iced Gem. What are you in such a hurry for?' said Grandad, taking my hand.

  'I want to watch Fat Larry and do some serious cooking before Mum comes to pick me up at your house, Grandad,' I said.

  'Oh help!' said Grandad. 'Fat Larry watching is fine, but I'm not so sure about the serious cookery bit. Your dad phoned me today. I don't want you grating away any more fingers, OK?' He gently squeezed my plastered thumb.

  'I've got to practise somehow, Grandad. Do you 146

  think I could come round at the weekend and we could learn to cook together then?'

  'I'm busy at the weekend, sweetheart,' said Grandad, with a strange smile on his face.

  'Grandad, please!'

  'No – can't, darling. I've got a special job.'

  'Oh bum,' I said. 'I wish you didn't have your bogging job.'

  'Language, language! It's quite a good job, sweetheart. Particularly this weekend special. Some old lady's hurt her leg on a visit to her daughter and she needs to be collected and taken down to her other daughter in London. She won't fly and she can't take the train because her leg needs to be propped up. She's decided to do the journey in comfort, so I'm picking her up in the Mercedes.'

  I wondered why Grandad was rambling on about this old lady at such length.

  'Guess where she lives, Gemma!' said Grandad, eyes gleaming. 'Eastern Scotland – about forty or fifty miles away from Alice's new place. So I thought what we could do is pop you in the car and take you on a little trip too. If we drive up Friday night then you could spend all Saturday with Alice. Would you like that?'

  'Oh Grandad!' I said.

  I leaped up and threw my arms round his neck, hugging him tight.

  Thirteen

  Iwas so excited I felt I was skimming the pavement, tap-dancing in thin air.

  Then Mum stuck her oar in.

  'Your grandad's gone soft in the head. You can't go all the way to Scotland and back in a weekend.

  And this old lady won't want you in the car, Gemma, it's just ludicrous. And Karen will object strongly if you turn up on her doorstep. I know she thinks you're a bad influence on Alice, and you are.'

  I felt like Mum had a real oar in her hand and was whacking me over the head with it. I came down to earth. It felt like she was hammering me through the floorboards, down and down and down until my chin was on the carpet.

  Dad was dozing on the sofa as always.

  But then he opened his eyes. He got up.

  He went over to Mum. 'What's all this?'

  She told him. 'Your dad's got no

  right to start all this. He's got Gemma all worked up. Look at the state of her!'

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  'Please let me go, Mum. Grandad said it would be fine,' I sobbed.

  'Never mind your grandad. I'm your mum and I say you're not going.'

  Dad picked up his cup of coffee. He took a long sip. 'I think you should mind your grandad, Gemma,'

  he said. 'I'm your dad and I say you are going!'

  I stared at Dad. Mum stared at him too.

  'What on earth are you on about? It's a crazy idea. Your dad's crazy'

  'No he's not. He just can't stand Gemma being so miserable because she's missing young Alice. I don't get your objections. Dad knows what he's doing. He's the safest driver you could wish for. He'll make sure he's well rested. The car hire company will create if they find out about Gemma but if Dad's willing to take that risk I don't see why we should object. She can tuck herself away in a corner of the Merc easily enough. She might even prove good company for this old lady. And yes, we all know our Gemma isn't flavour of the month with snotty old Karen but I doubt she'll have the heart to turn her away if she arrives on the doorstep. Let the kids have one good day together. It can be like an early birthday for them both.'

  Dad took a long gulp of coffee. He was probably dry. He wasn't used to saying so much all at one time.

  Mum usually said lots and lots but now she 149

  seemed struck dumb. I held my breath.

  She looked at Dad. She looked at me. She shook her head. 'It's a mad idea. I have a horrible feeling it'll only end in tears.'

  'Look at the kid. She's in tears now,' said Dad.

  'We're going to let her go.'

  Mum sighed. Then she shrugged. 'All right. I can't fight you both. Gemma can go.'

  I shot straight up in the air again, so happy I was bouncing up to the ceiling. I sweet-talked Jack into letting me use his computer right that second, even though he was in the middle of searching for information for some boring old school project about our galaxy.

  I thought momentarily about my school project but I suddenly didn't care too much. Maybe I'd let Biscuits be Fat Larry after all, seeing as he was fat, he was getting a sparkly suit and he could cook. I couldn't understand why I'd been making such a fuss.

  I was only fussed about one thing now. Seeing Alice!

  Hello, Flora. Please give the following Ultra Important message to Alice AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.

  Dear Alice, I don't know if you've got anything planned for Saturday but if so, un plan it immediately because guess what guess what guess what!!!! My grandad's 150

  driving me up to Scotland on Friday night and he's taking me round to your place on Saturday morning. Isn't that WONDERFUL!!! I can't WAIT. But don't tell your mum because she doesn't like me now.

  Lots of love from your best friend ever, Gemma

  I hoped the dozy Margarine Girl would nip round to Alice's sharpish but no such luck. I had to wait AGES for a reply. I kept plaguing and plaguing Jack, terrified he might absent-mindedly have deleted my message or mixed it up with his school project and sent it off to some far-flung corner of the galaxy.

  But eventually Alice sent a message back.

  Dear Gem,

  That is great news! I can't wait to see you. Do you know what time you're coming? And when you're going? The thing is, I usually go to the shops with Mum in the morn-ings but don't worry I'll say I've got a headache or an earache or something, so I get to stay home. Although if I make too much fuss Mum might make me go to the doctor's. But don't worry, I'll sort something out. Flora will help, she always has good ideas.

  Love, Alice

  I got a bit bothered by the Flora bit. Why on earth did Alice want to bring her into it? I was the one who 151

  had good ideas. And bad ideas. I'm famous for it.

  I had another brilliant idea. Dad had said it would be like an early birthday for both of us, so what we needed was a birthday cake. Then we could blow out our candles together and make our very special best friends for ever birthday wish. Then we were safe for another whole year.

  There was a slight problem, however. I didn't know how to make a birthday cake.

  I knew a boy who did.

  'Hello, Biscuits,' I said the next day at school.

  Biscuits blinked back at me nervously.

  'What's up?' he said.

  'Nothing's up,' I said.

  'Then why are you