The Crunch Campaign Read Online Free PDF Page B

school for the final term of year 9 was to fly under the radar. As long as she passed everything, she could conserve her time and energy for Mosquito Advertising. It was all about efficiency.
    The day passed uneventfully, but she was as happy as ever when the bell rang.
    â€˜Remember, girls,’ Ms Whitby said over the chatter, ‘this is an important term and it could be a stressful one for some of you, so if you need to talk – about anything – please see me. I’m a good listener.’
    Katie stuffed her books into her bag and shoved her way past the knots of girls who mooched their way to the bus stops and their parents’ cars. She could never understand why they hung around school for more than a second longer than they had to.
    She was fishing for her front door key when Clementine called her name from the front gate.
    â€˜Hi,’ she called back. ‘You poor thing, you’ve had two days at school – I can’t believe your mum didn’t give you some jetlag leave.’
    Clementine followed her up the stairs. She came from a long line of school captains and academic geniuses, but had the soul of an artist. When she first moved into Dover Street, Katie found her calm unnerving, but now she relied on it.
    â€˜Oh, I’m okay,’ said Clementine as they walked into the house. ‘Two of my brothers were home yesterday. If I hadn’t gone to school they would have hassled me about why I spent my spare time in New York cruising round the galleries rather than visiting the United Nations headquarters.’
    â€˜Pity. We needed you yesterday.’ Katie sat on her bed, untied her shoes and peeled off her socks. Nothing felt better than bare feet on cool floorboards.
    â€˜I know. Joel told me all about it last night.’
    Katie raised her eyebrows. She wondered, not for the first time, if there was anything going on between those two. Not that it bothered her, but it would upset Lorraine and that would be disruptive. ‘Mum’s really upset about it. She and Liam Parfitt think this’ll be the end of the company.’
    â€˜And what do you think?’ Clementine looked out the window as Katie pulled on her grandad’s old army shorts.
    â€˜I don’t know what I think,’ she said. ‘Except that the ban’s stupid and we can’t let it happen.’
    â€˜Any ideas?’
    â€˜Not yet. But give me a minute.’ She grinned as she heard Lorraine arguing with Joel and Dominic out at the front gate. She charged back out to the veranda.
    â€˜Hey!’ she yelled. ‘Go down the side. We’ll meet you out in the tree office. Clem’s here, too.’
    It felt good to have everyone back together again. New York seemed like years ago, rather than days. This was Brisbane, but it was real and, much as she’d loved the States, Katie knew that she had to file the experience away and get down to business. ‘Right,’ she said, ‘we’re all stressed about this ridiculous advertising ban, but we need to forget it for a bit.’
    â€˜Forget about it?’ Joel crammed a fistful of Barbecue Shapes into his mouth. ‘That’s like telling a condemned man to forget about the firing squad. Get real, Kato.’
    â€˜We’ve got until January 1 and Mum and Liam Parfitt are going to keep on keeping on –’
    As Joel laughed, he sprayed the meeting with crumbs. ‘Yeah, I heard they were on . Mum told me. She says Liam was here all the time while we were away.’
    â€˜Shut up, Joel. They work together, so why wouldn’t he come over?’ Katie ignored the smug grin on Lorraine’s face. ‘Besides, Parfitt’s isn’t our only client. Barkers needs attention too. Lorraine, have you had a chance to talk to Andy?’
    â€˜Sure have. I dropped in last night,’ chirped Lorraine. ‘And he’s as happy as a chihuahua in Chanel. Sales are up and he thinks he might