Sleepover Girls on Safari. Angie Bates

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      Morning came and I still hadn’t come up with a solution.

      To make matters worse my fringe totally would NOT lie down. “Oh, well,” I told my reflection unhappily. “Looks like you’ll be spending the day looking like a scruffy blonde cockatoo.”

      When I went downstairs, I discovered Mum had woken me up half an hour later than usual. So it was one mad dash to bolt down my Crispy Loops and sprint to the car.

      To make my day even more depressing, Joe and Hannah screamed in their car seats all the way to school. Did I mention they look exactly like my stepdad? Don’t laugh, it’s true! Andy has absolutely no waistline and only a very, very small amount of fine, tufty hair. Don’t get me wrong. I’m crazy about Andy. I tell my mates he’s the best stepdad in captivity. But I’m not crazy about being trapped in a small car with two roaring, miniature, Andy look-alikes. Not to mention my brother Callum who was whingeing about this stupid game he’d seen on kids’ MTV.

      By the time Mum dropped me off, I’d gone deaf in both ears. I’m not exaggerating. I couldn’t even hear the bell. I was also humungously late. By the time I stumbled into my classroom Mrs Weaver was reading out the last name on the register. It was awful. The entire class turned to stare at me.

      I sheepishly took my seat. Rosie whispered, “Any ideas yet?”

      I shook my head. “Not yet.”

      In my embarrassment, I’d completely forgotten my Rosie dilemma, but now it came flooding back.

      Rosie deserves to go on this safari more than anyone, I thought fiercely. Life is rough for her at times. Her dad walked out on them some time ago and since then he hasn’t really showed much interest in her and Tiffany. He makes slightly more effort with her brother Adam, who has cerebral palsy. But Rosie says it’s like he thinks she doesn’t need him or something. Luckily Rosie’s mum copes brilliantly, but sometimes money is tight.

      I’d feel terrible if we had to go without her. But I still had no idea how to help. Suddenly I realised that the entire class was looking in my direction.

      “What do you think, Felicity?”

      Mrs Weaver’s voice sounded deceptively kind. Unfortunately I had no idea what she’d just said.

      “Urmm, could you please repeat the question?”

      Mrs Weaver narrowed her eyes into two scary laser beams. “Weren’t you listening, dear?”

      This was a toughie. Frankie would have no problem telling a little white lie. But this is me we’re talking about and I am physically incapable of being dishonest. Take my promise to Rosie. I’d never break her confidence, even if I was threatened with hideous torture. That’s the way I am.

      So I was forced to stammer out the truth. “No, s-sorry, Mrs Weaver. I wasn’t listening. It won’t happen again.”

      I didn’t think Frankie would ever let me live it down. She mimicked me all through break. “Sorry, Mrs Weaver, it won’t happen again,” she said in a breathy little voice. “Fliss, you’re SUCH a wuss!”

      Lyndz thought Frankie’s impression was brilliant. She shrieked with laughter until – you guessed it – she got one of her famous attacks of hiccups. Usually I flap around like a mother hen, suggesting every cure in the Bible of Hiccups. But this morning I had absolutely no sympathy. Lyndz shouldn’t have been laughing at me in the first place.

      “Frankie, will you leave Fliss alone? It’s getting boring now!”

      It was Rosie’s turn to do an impression, a scarily accurate one of her bossy big sister, Tiffany.

      Frankie scowled. “Kenny thinks it’s funny, don’t you, Kenz?”