Jessica,’ her dad interrupted. ‘I’m afraid we haven’t got time to trail around all your friends’ houses on the off chance that you can stay with one of them. We have to get going. The rest of The High Flyers will already be on their way. Jump in, please.’
‘But…’ Jessica’s face fell as she realized that she didn’t have any choice. Sighing heavily, she climbed into the back and flounced down. Leaning over, she thrust her overnight bag under the seat.
‘Cheer up, Jess,’ her mum said, turning round to smile as Mr Tennant pulled the van away from the kerb and headed out of town. ‘I don’t like to see you with such a long face.’
Jessica felt so fed up, she could feel her face getting longer and longer. It would sag right on to the floor at this rate.
‘You might even have a good time. You used to think that hot-air ballooning with us was pretty exciting,’ her mum said.
‘Yeah! That was when I was little and before I knew that I seriously hated heights and found out that you had to hang around for hours when the weather’s not right for flying. Which is most of the time!’ Jessica said bitterly.
Mrs Tennant laughed. ‘You do exaggerate, Jessica Tennant! Anyway, the forecast’s pretty good for this weekend.’
Jessica wasn’t cheered by this news.
Mr Tennant glanced at her in the driver’s mirror. ‘You should be all right at Northampton. It’s a really big festival. There’ll be all sorts of stalls and displays and funfair rides to go on,’ he said cheerily.
‘All by myself? Great,’ Jessicamurmured through gritted teeth. She wished her mum and dad would stop trying to cheer her up. Nothing was going to make her feel better.
Crossing her arms, she slid down in her seat as they reached the motorway and joined the endless stream of cars and trucks. Time seemed to crawl and the next two hours felt more like two weeks.
When they eventually reached the festival, Jessica saw people everywhere, putting up stalls, erecting tents and roping off display areas. Mr Tennant parked next to a gleaming motorhome that was the size of a single-decker bus. It made their camper van look small and shabby.
‘Look at that! It’s even got its own satellite dish!’ Jessica said, impressed despite herself.
‘That’s an American model. They call those RVs. I reckon you could live in that in the middle of a desert,’ her dad said.
‘What’s an RV?’ Jessica asked.
‘A Recreational Vehicle. I’d love one of those!’ her dad said.
‘We’d have to sell the house first,’ MrsTennant commented drily. She got into the back of their van and began getting things out of cupboards for lunch.
‘Could you go and get some water, please, Jessica?’
Jessica picked up the container and went trudging off across the car park. She really wished Sheena was here. She was missing her loads.
As she walked past an empty marquee, at the side of the car park, Jessica spotted a girl coming towards her. The girl looked about twelve, two years older than Jessica, and she was wearing a designer T-shirt and jeans.
Jessica brightened. This looked like someone she might be able to make friends with. ‘Hi!’ she said, as she andthe girl drew level. ‘Do you know where there’s a water tap?’
‘Do I look like I’d know?’ the girl snapped.
‘I suppose not,’ Jessica said, thinking that she seemed very grumpy. Maybe her parents had forced her to come with them too. ‘Are you here with a balloon club? I’m Jessica Tennant, by the way,’ she said, introducing herself.
‘I’m Gayle Young. I’m with The Cloud Racers. It’s the best club ever,’ the girl said, tossing her long brown hair over one shoulder.
‘Dad says that about The High Flyers too,’ Jessica joked. ‘That’s the club we belong to.’
‘Huh! And I’m supposed to care?’Gayle murmured, poking at the grass with the toe of one expensive-looking trainer.
Jessica’s smile wavered, but she wasn’t easily put off. ‘I saw some
‘But…’ Jessica’s face fell as she realized that she didn’t have any choice. Sighing heavily, she climbed into the back and flounced down. Leaning over, she thrust her overnight bag under the seat.
‘Cheer up, Jess,’ her mum said, turning round to smile as Mr Tennant pulled the van away from the kerb and headed out of town. ‘I don’t like to see you with such a long face.’
Jessica felt so fed up, she could feel her face getting longer and longer. It would sag right on to the floor at this rate.
‘You might even have a good time. You used to think that hot-air ballooning with us was pretty exciting,’ her mum said.
‘Yeah! That was when I was little and before I knew that I seriously hated heights and found out that you had to hang around for hours when the weather’s not right for flying. Which is most of the time!’ Jessica said bitterly.
Mrs Tennant laughed. ‘You do exaggerate, Jessica Tennant! Anyway, the forecast’s pretty good for this weekend.’
Jessica wasn’t cheered by this news.
Mr Tennant glanced at her in the driver’s mirror. ‘You should be all right at Northampton. It’s a really big festival. There’ll be all sorts of stalls and displays and funfair rides to go on,’ he said cheerily.
‘All by myself? Great,’ Jessicamurmured through gritted teeth. She wished her mum and dad would stop trying to cheer her up. Nothing was going to make her feel better.
Crossing her arms, she slid down in her seat as they reached the motorway and joined the endless stream of cars and trucks. Time seemed to crawl and the next two hours felt more like two weeks.
When they eventually reached the festival, Jessica saw people everywhere, putting up stalls, erecting tents and roping off display areas. Mr Tennant parked next to a gleaming motorhome that was the size of a single-decker bus. It made their camper van look small and shabby.
‘Look at that! It’s even got its own satellite dish!’ Jessica said, impressed despite herself.
‘That’s an American model. They call those RVs. I reckon you could live in that in the middle of a desert,’ her dad said.
‘What’s an RV?’ Jessica asked.
‘A Recreational Vehicle. I’d love one of those!’ her dad said.
‘We’d have to sell the house first,’ MrsTennant commented drily. She got into the back of their van and began getting things out of cupboards for lunch.
‘Could you go and get some water, please, Jessica?’
Jessica picked up the container and went trudging off across the car park. She really wished Sheena was here. She was missing her loads.
As she walked past an empty marquee, at the side of the car park, Jessica spotted a girl coming towards her. The girl looked about twelve, two years older than Jessica, and she was wearing a designer T-shirt and jeans.
Jessica brightened. This looked like someone she might be able to make friends with. ‘Hi!’ she said, as she andthe girl drew level. ‘Do you know where there’s a water tap?’
‘Do I look like I’d know?’ the girl snapped.
‘I suppose not,’ Jessica said, thinking that she seemed very grumpy. Maybe her parents had forced her to come with them too. ‘Are you here with a balloon club? I’m Jessica Tennant, by the way,’ she said, introducing herself.
‘I’m Gayle Young. I’m with The Cloud Racers. It’s the best club ever,’ the girl said, tossing her long brown hair over one shoulder.
‘Dad says that about The High Flyers too,’ Jessica joked. ‘That’s the club we belong to.’
‘Huh! And I’m supposed to care?’Gayle murmured, poking at the grass with the toe of one expensive-looking trainer.
Jessica’s smile wavered, but she wasn’t easily put off. ‘I saw some
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