Monkey Business by Anna Wilson Page A

Ooo, ooo, ooo!’ He finished with a pretty cheesy impression of a monkey, jumping about, his long arms
dangling by his sides.
    Felix flinched at the sight. Why had Zed chosen to impersonate a monkey? Surely he didn’t suspect anything . . . ? But when Zed stopped abruptly and looked a bit sheepish, Felix realized
it was just his uncle up to his usual silly jokes.
    ‘We are
not
going to the zoo! Shortfleet is a safari park,’ Felix said importantly, before hurling himself at Zed in an affectionate rugby tackle.
    Zed chuckled. ‘I know, sorry. Hey! I’ve got something for you. Cool it a minute, man. You might break the present,’ he gasped, as Felix’s rough-and-tumble tickling attack
got a bit over-boisterous. He gently pushed Felix back and handed him the interesting-looking parcel, which was wrapped in brown paper and held together with a sliver of gold ribbon.
    ‘But you’ve already given me a present,’ Felix reminded him. ‘The orang-utan, Reggie – remember?’
    Zed blushed. ‘Yeah, but me and Silvs, we just felt bad about that, dude. Y’know – all that stuff about you thinking he really was coming to live with you. We thought we should
give you something for real. Sorry Silvs couldn’t come too, by the way. No room in your dad’s car for the both of us. She wanted to give you this, as well,’ Zed added, picking up
a plastic bag he’d placed by the door. ‘But you’d better open the other present first.’
    ‘Thanks!’ said Felix as he walked towards the kitchen. ‘Flo’s not here yet. Do you want a drink?’ he called over his shoulder.
    Mum came out to say hello. ‘I wouldn’t recommend the coffee,’ she said, raising one eyebrow.
    ‘Why not?’ Felix protested, but he didn’t really care. He was in too much of a hurry to open the present.
    Zed grinned. ‘It’s OK. I’m not into coffee any more, sis,’ he said. ‘Gives me the shakes, y’know?’
    Mum smiled wryly. ‘Oh?’ she said. ‘OK, well have some mint tea if you like. I’ll put the kettle on.’
    ‘OH WOW!’ Felix yelled, holding up the object he’d just freed from the brown paper. ‘Look at this, Mum! It’s soooooo wicked!’
    Mum frowned. ‘What is it?’ she asked.
    ‘It’s a butterfly and moth kit! I’ve ALWAYS wanted one!’ he cried, dancing round and round in a circle and whooping madly. ‘You put the caterpillars in the
caterpillar home with loads of sugary stuff and then you watch them change into butterflies or moths. Woooo!’
    ‘Lovely,’ said Mum, mentally clocking up how many mini-beast houses and other animal homes she was going to have to dust around from now on.
    Dyson rushed in from the garden and was soon adding to the commotion by barking and leaping all over the place.
    ‘DYSON, OUT!’ Mum yelled, pointing to the back door. ‘OOOOH, there’s mud everywhere, and just when we were ready to go.’
    ‘Can I see what’s in the bag now?’ Felix asked.
    Zed nodded and handed it over, carefully taking the caterpillar kit back so that Felix had a free pair of hands.
    The contents of the bag resulted in even more jumping and leaping and shouting: ‘A BIRD’S NEST!’ Felix shrieked. ‘FOR MY COLLECTION!’
    ‘Yeah, it’s an abandoned blackbird’s nest, man. Make sure you label it.’
    ‘WHOOOPPPEEEE!’ Felix yelled, punching the air in delight with the hand that wasn’t holding the nest.
    ‘Can’t you lot shut up?’ Merv emerged, low-slung pyjamas revealing more than anyone would ever want to see, his hair sticking up in so many different positions that he looked
more like a porcupine than any real live one.
    ‘Merv!’ Mum admonished. ‘You could at least say happy birthday to your brother.’
    ‘“Happy birthday to your brother”,’ Merv sneered, and then for good measure he added: ‘Squirt!’ and disappeared back up to his bedroom, slamming the door
behind him.
    Felix put the nest down on the kitchen table before throwing his arms round Zed and squeezing him.