Girl, Missing Read Online Free PDF Page B

nodded, thoughtfully.
    â€˜You know, Dave, we could all do with a holiday,’ she said to my dad that evening. ‘It’s been two years since we went anywhere as a family.’
    Dad mumbled a bit about his holiday allowance at work. But I could see that if Mum wanted to go, he wasn’t going to put up much of a fight.
    I showed them the travel research Jam and I had done. ‘We’ll have to wait a couple of hours to change planes in Boston,’ I said. ‘But the flights are really cheap.’
    It had taken us ages to work out all the connecting flights. Boston was the closest big place to Vermont that I could see on the map. While Mum and the others were waitingfor their flights up to New Hampshire, I could get a flight from Boston to Burlington in Vermont, and then a bus to Marchfield.
    All I needed was money.
    For the next few days I worked my butt off, running errands for our neighbours and doing all the food shopping for Mum. We were due to fly out early on the Friday morning that half-term started – missing one whole day of school. Jam came round to see me on the Tuesday evening before. I was in my bedroom, sorting out the backpack I was going to take with me to Marchfield.
    I knew something was up as soon as Jam appeared in the doorway. His face was red and he was, very selfconsciously, holding something behind his back.
    â€˜What’s going on?’ I said.
    Jam held out his hand. There, in the palm, were two crisp hundred-dollar bills.
    â€˜Where d’you get that?’
    Jam shrugged. ‘Paper round, birthday – plus my nan sent me a bit. And I was saving up for a computer.’
    I bit my lip. I knew how much Jam wanted a computer of his own. He hated having to share the family PC with all his sisters.
    â€˜You are such a friend, Jam,’ I said. ‘I’ll pay you back, I promise.’
    He smiled. ‘Maybe, when you get back—’
    Then Mum started shouting downstairs.
    I ran out of my bedroom.
    â€˜You can’t do this, Dave,’ Mum yelled.
    I’d worked out what was wrong before my feet hit the bottom step: Dad was saying he was too busy at work to go on the holiday.
    Sure enough, as I raced into the kitchen I caught the words: ‘But it’s the biggest client the firm’s ever had.’
    Mum and Dad both looked at me.
    Mum wiped her hands furiously on a tea towel. ‘You tell her,’ she spat.
    Dad hung his head. He mumbled something about work pressure and a big new contract, but I wasn’t listening. I had worked so hard to be ready for this trip. And now here was Dad telling us he couldn’t go.
    Mum was watching me, twisting the tea towel round her hand.
    When Dad finished speaking I turned to her. ‘But you, me and Rory can still go, can’t we?’ I said.
    Mum’s jaw tightened. ‘If Dad can’t come, then it won’t be a proper family holiday.’ She glared at him. ‘So no, we can’t go.’
    â€˜But . . . but we’ll lose all the money if we cancel now.’ I couldn’t believe it. Simply could not believe that all my plans were falling apart.
    Mum pursed her lips.
    â€˜This is so totally unfair.’ I stormed out of the room. The shouting started again before I got back up to my bedroom. I slammed the door shut and sank onto my bed. Jam was still there, looking out of the window.
    The rucksack I had already packed stood in the corner. I could see the edge of my pink purse sticking out the front pocket. I thought of all the money I’d saved up and about Jam, giving me his savings too. Tears welled up in my eyes.
    Jam turned round. I didn’t need to ask if he had heard what had happened. They’d probably heard three streets away.
    â€˜Maybe you could persuade your mum to let someone else take your dad’s place,’ he said, ‘so the money wouldn’t be wasted.’
    I stared at him. It seemed like a long shot, but it was worth a