Becky's Terrible Term Read Online Free PDF

you?”
    â€œDon’t be such a grump!” Annabel told her sister.
    Becky put her arm through Mum’s. She couldn’t believe how much better it made her feel to see her. Mum was great at making you feel loved, and Becky felt like she needed that just now.
    â€œSorry, Mum,” said Katie, not sounding particularly sorry. “But you did say we could go home on our own – we’re not little any more! We’re at secondary school now, it’s different.”
    Annabel nodded, serious for once. “She’s right, Mum.”
    Both Katie and Annabel sounded almost eager for things to change, thought Becky, squeezing Mum’s arm and feeling the hole that had been growing in the middle of her stomach all day get a bit bigger.
    â€œIt’s so good to see you!” she burst out, and Mum looked down at her, slightly worried. “But Katie’s right,” Becky added quickly, not wanting Mum and the others to know what she was really feeling. “We can definitely walk home on our own now.”
    â€œWell, I promise it was just this once,” said Mum apologetically. “Now, please, put me out of my misery – tell me what it was like! Becky, how did it go?”
    Becky summoned a bright smile from somewhere, a kind of emergency back-up smile, and said determinedly, “It was fine. Different, but fine. Really.”
    Katie gave up looking cross and started to tell Mum about the PE lesson as they walked home. “Manor Hill’s got a girls’ football team, Mum!” she chattered excitedly. “Well, two, really, but this is the junior one. And Mrs Ross – that’s our PE teacher, she’s really nice – said that she was looking for people to be on it, and she’d be keeping an eye on me! They play lots of games against other school teams. It would be so excellent to be on a proper football team!”
    â€œKatie, that’s wonderful. Well done,” said Mum in a delighted voice. “Does that mean I’m going to be standing on a freezing football pitch all winter watching you?”
    â€œDefinitely!” Katie grinned. “And you two’ll come and watch as well, won’t you, if I really get on the team?”
    â€œCourse we will, silly!” said Becky.
    Annabel looked thoughtful. “We could be your cheerleaders! I’m sure we could make some pompoms easily!”
    â€œ No , thank you! You don’t get cheerleaders at football, Bel! You’ll just have to come and yell at the ref like everyone else. And can you imagine how cold you’d be on that football pitch in a cheerleader’s outfit in December?”
    â€œThey’re ever so pretty, though, those little skirts. I’ve seen them on TV. I’d look nice in one of those, I think,” called Annabel, as she went twirling off down the pavement, making up a cheerleader-ish dance and waving her schoolbag in a vaguely pompom-like way. She stopped outside the window of Silver, and beckoned to her sisters. “Look! That’s the dress I was talking about this morning. Isn’t it gorgeous? I love those glittery beads.”
    Katie and Becky caught up with her. “Oooh, yes!” agreed Becky. “That’s really pretty. Fab colour.” It was a short dress in a satiny, pale-blue fabric, with twinkly silver beads round the neck and the hemline.
    Mum gazed into the window thoughtfully. “Oh yes, that is nice. Well, I don’t think I can quite run to buying dresses today, but why don’t we go in and have a look? Maybe you should each have a little something – to celebrate your first day at Manor Hill!”
    â€œOh, Mum! Thanks!” “Excellent!” “Come on, let’s go in!” came the excited chorus from the triplets, and Annabel pushed the door open.
    Silver was a treasure-trove of gorgeous stuff, and the girls rushed here and there, darting back to show the best things to their mum.