she sprinted back into the room. She
reached up and pinned it to Belle's jumper. 'Now you can wear your lucky cape-thingy, after all!'
'Thanks, Holly – it's awesome!' Belle cried, giving
her a big hug.
'Wow! That's so cool!' Cat laughed. 'Could you
shrink some of my clothes and make jewellery out of
them for me too?'
Holly felt much better. Now she could go to the
bonfire party with a clear conscience.
Holly linked arms with Cat and Belle and joined a
group escorted by Mr Garcia to walk the short distance
across the square to the bonfire party in Kingsgrove Park.
Belle looked fabulous in her designer jeans and
black jumper with her hair in two long thick plaits like
a blonde Pocahontas. Cat looked great too, of course,
in her leather jacket over a short red wool dress, worn
with thick black tights and biker boots, and her auburn
hair spilling out from under her black wool cap. It was
a cold night and Holly was glad of her fluffy grey
cable-knit jumper.
Almost all the students from Superstar High were
there, as well as several of the staff, who'd come along
to make sure they were all safe – but the park was also
open to the public, and was crowded with dads
carrying small children on their shoulders and mums
pushing toddlers in buggies. Holly closed her eyes and
inhaled the magical Bonfire-Night smell: smoke, hot
dogs, baked potatoes, toffee apples . . .
She spotted their friends and they hurried over to
join Nathan, Gemma, Serena, Nick, Lettie, Zak,
Frankie and Mason, their faces all glowing orange in
the blaze of the fire.
A few moments later, Ethan arrived, with Ben Stein,
pushing Felix in a wheelchair. Ethan was grinning. 'We
borrowed it from the St John Ambulance people. They
took pity on a poor invalid!'
The large group of friends chatted, stamping their
feet and blowing on their hands to keep warm. 'Whose
idea was it to have a fireworks party in November?'
Gemma asked. 'In Australia we wouldn't pick the
coldest time of year for a cookout!'
'Nor in Mexico,' Nathan agreed. 'Carnival in the
cold? No gracias!'
Holly grinned. She couldn't see Nathan Super-shy
Almeida as a fiesta-animal, whatever the weather!
'Suggestion for you, mate!' Nick yelled at the Guy
on the bonfire. 'Next time you want to blow up
Parliament, try August!'
Holly laughed, and took the hot dog that Ethan
offered her. She glanced at Belle, who was anxiously
scanning the crowds for Jack.
'There he is now,' Cat whispered. 'With his shadow
as usual.'
Jack was hurrying towards them; Bianca minced
along behind him, her high heels sinking into the mud,
followed by Mayu. Belle smiled and looked down at
her feet.
'Hey, Belle!' Jack called, working his way through
the group to stand next to her. 'How's it going?'
Bianca elbowed in next to Jack and thrust a lit
sparkler into his hand. 'I'll write your name and you
write mine,' she simpered, starting to emblazon Jack on
the night sky.
'That reminds me . . .' He passed his sparkler straight
to Belle, then reached into his coat pocket and pulled
out several packs. 'The sparklers are on me!' he said,
handing them round. Everyone cheered and jostled to
light them from the tip of Belle's sparkler. Soon the
darkness was etched with a mass of glowing white
spirals.
'Lettie and I are going to get some drinks,' Nick
announced as the last of the sparklers fizzled out.
'Anyone want anything?'
Jack turned to Belle. 'Let's go and give them a hand.'
Holly watched Belle's face – which was already
glowing from the cold and the bonfire flames – light
up even more as she set off with Jack towards the
drinks tent, leaving Bianca scowling at her cold, dead
sparkler.
Mason, Frankie and Zak had started goofing around,
sword-fighting with candyfloss sticks. Ben was pushing
Felix – who was now sporting a PENNY FOR THE GUY
sign – in the wheelchair, spinning it like a BMX
stunt-bike. A few minutes later, Jack and Belle pushed
their way back through the crowd with a tray of hot
chocolates. They were talking
reached up and pinned it to Belle's jumper. 'Now you can wear your lucky cape-thingy, after all!'
'Thanks, Holly – it's awesome!' Belle cried, giving
her a big hug.
'Wow! That's so cool!' Cat laughed. 'Could you
shrink some of my clothes and make jewellery out of
them for me too?'
Holly felt much better. Now she could go to the
bonfire party with a clear conscience.
Holly linked arms with Cat and Belle and joined a
group escorted by Mr Garcia to walk the short distance
across the square to the bonfire party in Kingsgrove Park.
Belle looked fabulous in her designer jeans and
black jumper with her hair in two long thick plaits like
a blonde Pocahontas. Cat looked great too, of course,
in her leather jacket over a short red wool dress, worn
with thick black tights and biker boots, and her auburn
hair spilling out from under her black wool cap. It was
a cold night and Holly was glad of her fluffy grey
cable-knit jumper.
Almost all the students from Superstar High were
there, as well as several of the staff, who'd come along
to make sure they were all safe – but the park was also
open to the public, and was crowded with dads
carrying small children on their shoulders and mums
pushing toddlers in buggies. Holly closed her eyes and
inhaled the magical Bonfire-Night smell: smoke, hot
dogs, baked potatoes, toffee apples . . .
She spotted their friends and they hurried over to
join Nathan, Gemma, Serena, Nick, Lettie, Zak,
Frankie and Mason, their faces all glowing orange in
the blaze of the fire.
A few moments later, Ethan arrived, with Ben Stein,
pushing Felix in a wheelchair. Ethan was grinning. 'We
borrowed it from the St John Ambulance people. They
took pity on a poor invalid!'
The large group of friends chatted, stamping their
feet and blowing on their hands to keep warm. 'Whose
idea was it to have a fireworks party in November?'
Gemma asked. 'In Australia we wouldn't pick the
coldest time of year for a cookout!'
'Nor in Mexico,' Nathan agreed. 'Carnival in the
cold? No gracias!'
Holly grinned. She couldn't see Nathan Super-shy
Almeida as a fiesta-animal, whatever the weather!
'Suggestion for you, mate!' Nick yelled at the Guy
on the bonfire. 'Next time you want to blow up
Parliament, try August!'
Holly laughed, and took the hot dog that Ethan
offered her. She glanced at Belle, who was anxiously
scanning the crowds for Jack.
'There he is now,' Cat whispered. 'With his shadow
as usual.'
Jack was hurrying towards them; Bianca minced
along behind him, her high heels sinking into the mud,
followed by Mayu. Belle smiled and looked down at
her feet.
'Hey, Belle!' Jack called, working his way through
the group to stand next to her. 'How's it going?'
Bianca elbowed in next to Jack and thrust a lit
sparkler into his hand. 'I'll write your name and you
write mine,' she simpered, starting to emblazon Jack on
the night sky.
'That reminds me . . .' He passed his sparkler straight
to Belle, then reached into his coat pocket and pulled
out several packs. 'The sparklers are on me!' he said,
handing them round. Everyone cheered and jostled to
light them from the tip of Belle's sparkler. Soon the
darkness was etched with a mass of glowing white
spirals.
'Lettie and I are going to get some drinks,' Nick
announced as the last of the sparklers fizzled out.
'Anyone want anything?'
Jack turned to Belle. 'Let's go and give them a hand.'
Holly watched Belle's face – which was already
glowing from the cold and the bonfire flames – light
up even more as she set off with Jack towards the
drinks tent, leaving Bianca scowling at her cold, dead
sparkler.
Mason, Frankie and Zak had started goofing around,
sword-fighting with candyfloss sticks. Ben was pushing
Felix – who was now sporting a PENNY FOR THE GUY
sign – in the wheelchair, spinning it like a BMX
stunt-bike. A few minutes later, Jack and Belle pushed
their way back through the crowd with a tray of hot
chocolates. They were talking
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