… well … not discreet. I was dreading starting my periods there because I knew she’d make a massive fuss. She was always reminding me that when it happened I wasn’t to put any sanitary towels down her loo in case it got blocked! And then, the last time we were in the supermarket she suddenly says in this really loud voice, “You do realise tampons can block the toilet too, don’t you, hon?” ’
I couldn’t help laughing. ‘At least she called you “hon”.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Ha, ha.’
‘Mum will take you to get a bra if you want,’ I said. ‘You should ask her.’
‘I don’t need her help.’
‘ OK .’ But for once I didn’t believe her tough act and I decided that when I got home I’d have a quiet word with Mum about taking Sadie bra shopping.
*
After school Sadie and Anne-Marie were both waiting for me at the gate. That was a first! Then I remembered that Anne-Marie wanted us to go home with her.
Normally I’d have been pleased, but today I felt so achy and tired that I really didn’t feel like it. But I didn’t want to let Sadie go on her own so I sent Mum a text to let her know we’d be a bit late as we set off for Anne-Marie’s to see her baby rabbits.
On the way Anne-Marie chatted away as usual but Sadie was unusually quiet. I just hoped she didn’t do or say anything too outrageous when we got there.
Anne-Marie’s mum greeted us with a smile, and she was clearly interested to meet Sadie when Anne-Marie introduced her as my cousin.
Then Anne-Marie led us out the back door on to the large covered patio where all the animals are housed in their various hutches and cages. I was looking at Sadie’s face as Anne-Marie began to give her a tour. There were two hutches with rabbits inside (including some totally adorable baby ones), a few cages with hamsters and mice, an enclosure with guinea pigs and gerbils and one with some little tortoises.
Sadie was soon having a good look at all of them, her face solemn. As I stroked one of the rabbits I watched herclosely. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was wrong.
‘It’s like a pet shop,’ she murmured – which only made me worry more, since I know she hates pet shops almost as much as she hates zoos. She looked at Anne-Marie in something like amazement. ‘I can’t believe how many animals you’re keeping here.’
‘Mum calls it my petting zoo,’ Anne-Marie said with a grin.
Sadie flinched. ‘I can see why.’
I tensed, half expecting an argument to kick off, but to my amazement it didn’t happen. Instead Sadie thanked Anne-Marie for showing her round and started to make for the small gate at the side of the house. ‘Can we go out this way or is it locked?’
‘Oh, it’s never locked. You don’t have to go right now, do you? Mum won’t mind if you stay a bit longer.’
‘I’ve seen all I want to see, thanks,’ Sadie said firmly. ‘Come on, Poppy.’ And she was already opening the gate and glaring at me to follow her.
Chapter Sixteen
‘How are you feeling, Poppy?’ Mum asked the next morning as I came into the kitchen, where she and Sadie were already having breakfast. ‘Do you want to take some painkillers with you to school?’ Just as I’d predicted, she had been making a huge fuss of me. She’d even got a bit teary when I told her my big news. She’d run me a bath after dinner, then sent me to bed with a hot-water bottle and a steaming mug of hot chocolate.
‘I think I’ll be OK , Mum,’ I said.
‘Any more bleeding?’
‘Just a tiny bit last night. I thought there’d be more.’
‘I expect they’ll get heavier and more regular with time.’
‘Excuse me … some of us are trying to eat our breakfast here,’ Sadie piped up, sounding slightly revolted.Sadie was getting less and less sympathetic the more Mum doted on me, I’d noticed.
Mum looked across at her sharply, and Sadie must have quickly remembered that she was meant to be sucking up, at least in front of
I couldn’t help laughing. ‘At least she called you “hon”.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Ha, ha.’
‘Mum will take you to get a bra if you want,’ I said. ‘You should ask her.’
‘I don’t need her help.’
‘ OK .’ But for once I didn’t believe her tough act and I decided that when I got home I’d have a quiet word with Mum about taking Sadie bra shopping.
*
After school Sadie and Anne-Marie were both waiting for me at the gate. That was a first! Then I remembered that Anne-Marie wanted us to go home with her.
Normally I’d have been pleased, but today I felt so achy and tired that I really didn’t feel like it. But I didn’t want to let Sadie go on her own so I sent Mum a text to let her know we’d be a bit late as we set off for Anne-Marie’s to see her baby rabbits.
On the way Anne-Marie chatted away as usual but Sadie was unusually quiet. I just hoped she didn’t do or say anything too outrageous when we got there.
Anne-Marie’s mum greeted us with a smile, and she was clearly interested to meet Sadie when Anne-Marie introduced her as my cousin.
Then Anne-Marie led us out the back door on to the large covered patio where all the animals are housed in their various hutches and cages. I was looking at Sadie’s face as Anne-Marie began to give her a tour. There were two hutches with rabbits inside (including some totally adorable baby ones), a few cages with hamsters and mice, an enclosure with guinea pigs and gerbils and one with some little tortoises.
Sadie was soon having a good look at all of them, her face solemn. As I stroked one of the rabbits I watched herclosely. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was wrong.
‘It’s like a pet shop,’ she murmured – which only made me worry more, since I know she hates pet shops almost as much as she hates zoos. She looked at Anne-Marie in something like amazement. ‘I can’t believe how many animals you’re keeping here.’
‘Mum calls it my petting zoo,’ Anne-Marie said with a grin.
Sadie flinched. ‘I can see why.’
I tensed, half expecting an argument to kick off, but to my amazement it didn’t happen. Instead Sadie thanked Anne-Marie for showing her round and started to make for the small gate at the side of the house. ‘Can we go out this way or is it locked?’
‘Oh, it’s never locked. You don’t have to go right now, do you? Mum won’t mind if you stay a bit longer.’
‘I’ve seen all I want to see, thanks,’ Sadie said firmly. ‘Come on, Poppy.’ And she was already opening the gate and glaring at me to follow her.
Chapter Sixteen
‘How are you feeling, Poppy?’ Mum asked the next morning as I came into the kitchen, where she and Sadie were already having breakfast. ‘Do you want to take some painkillers with you to school?’ Just as I’d predicted, she had been making a huge fuss of me. She’d even got a bit teary when I told her my big news. She’d run me a bath after dinner, then sent me to bed with a hot-water bottle and a steaming mug of hot chocolate.
‘I think I’ll be OK , Mum,’ I said.
‘Any more bleeding?’
‘Just a tiny bit last night. I thought there’d be more.’
‘I expect they’ll get heavier and more regular with time.’
‘Excuse me … some of us are trying to eat our breakfast here,’ Sadie piped up, sounding slightly revolted.Sadie was getting less and less sympathetic the more Mum doted on me, I’d noticed.
Mum looked across at her sharply, and Sadie must have quickly remembered that she was meant to be sucking up, at least in front of
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