Don't Ask Alice Read Online Free PDF

him.’
    â€˜So what are you going to do about it?’
    She sighed again.
    â€˜There’s nothing I can do, is there? It’s too late for him to go home and change, and a big row wouldn’t help anything.’
    â€˜But how is Miss O’Herlihy going to fall for your dad if he dresses like that?’ I asked.
    Alice shrugged.
    â€˜Lighten up, Megan. It’s not his fault. He thinks he’s going on a school tour. He doesn’t know he’s meant to be impressing anyone. And anyway, without Mum to boss him around, he has no idea of how to dress himself properly.’
    I wasn’t letting her off that easily.
    â€˜Well what about you? Have you no control over him? Couldn’t you have made him wear something a bit less embarrassing?’
    Alice shrugged once again.
    â€˜I didn’t know, did I? I stayed with Mum last night. I just saw him now, same as you did.That’s what this is all about, remember? This whole plan is to get my family back together so fashion disasters like this will never happen again.’
    I nodded. I was so shocked at the sight of Peter, I’d kind of forgotten what this was all supposed to be about.
    Alice smiled suddenly.
    â€˜Anyway, like I said, there’s nothing we can do now. Let’s hope Miss O’Herlihy can see past the horrible clothes to the nice man inside.’
    I glanced over at Miss O’Herlihy who looked quite pretty (for a teacher) in a pale blue dress and sparkly flip-flops. Next to her stood Peter, looking like a very bad joke. I didn’t feel like laughing though. This was so not a laughing matter.
    * * *
    As soon as everyone arrived, we all got onto the bus. Miss O’Herlihy sat in the front seat with Rachel, the class assistant. Alice and I sat on the other front seats, with Grace and Louise justbehind us. Melissa and her four buddies grabbed two whole rows of seats. Peter went down to the back seat with all the bold boys. I wondered if maybe it would be best if he jumped out of the emergency door before the bus even got going. Already I had a very bad feeling about the day.
    As we drove away from the school, the boys started singing really loudly. Alice nudged me without turning around.
    â€˜Just listen to them. Boys can be so immature sometimes.’
    I laughed when I heard what they were singing—
    â€˜ Oh you have a lovely bottom… … … set of teeth.’
    Miss O’Herlihy wasn’t very happy though, and she turned around and shouted,
    â€˜Really, children, that’s hardly appropriate behaviour. You’re letting the school down before we even turn the first corner. At your age you should know better. We…’
    She suddenly stopped talking, and I turnedaround to see why. Peter was right in the middle of the group, singing louder than any of the boys. Miss O’Herlihy’s face went a sudden pink colour, and she sat back in her seat.
    Alice put her head in her hands.
    â€˜I can’t believe it,’ she said. ‘He’s showing off. He’s trying to impress a bunch of bold kids. What have I done?’
    * * *
    Twenty minutes later, when we were well on the road to Charleville, we came to a huge traffic jam. Cars and lorries were stopped for as far as we could see. Miss O’Herlihy kept looking at her watch.
    â€˜We’re going to be late. We’ll miss our seating for lunch,’ she said, ‘And then what will we do?’
    Just then Peter stood up. Leaving the boys alone in their version of ‘You should never push your granny off a bus’, he came up to the front of the bus. He tapped the bus-driver on the shoulder.
    â€˜I know a short cut,’ he said.
    The driver scratched his head and said nothing.
    â€˜Really,’ said Peter, ‘We just have to edge forward to this turn here on the left, and then we can by-pass Charleville altogether. We’ll save loads of time.’
    I leaned over and whispered in Alice’s