Sleepovers (8 page)

Chloe's mum served Chloe and Emily with their pizzas. Then she fetched Amy's and Bella's.

“Are you sure you meant to use
chocolate
sauce, Bella?” said Chloe's mum, putting Bella's very brown pizza in front of her.

“Oh yes, yummy! Chocolate's my favourite
thing in all the world,” said Bella happily.

“Well, I'll fetch you some chocolate drops to put on top, if you like,” said Chloe's mum, laughing.

She was joking but Bella said, “Yes, please!”

Chloe's mum went to get Bella some chocolate drops – and she brought my pizza too.

“You must love anchovies even more than Bella loves chocolate, Daisy,” said Chloe's mum.

I stared at her. I stared at my pizza. There was still a face with cheesy hair and olive eyes and a pepper mouth. But all the plain skin gaps in between were filled in with grey slimy anchovies. Hundreds of them!

“It looks very effective, my love, but I'm really not sure you should eat so many anchovies. You'll make yourself sick,” said Chloe's mum.

“I – I don't like anchovies,” I whispered.

“Then why on earth put them on your pizza?” said Chloe, snorting with laughter.

I hadn't put them on my pizza.

I knew who
had
.

It must have been Chloe herself. But I couldn't say anything at her own party. And Chloe's mum and dad wouldn't have believed me anyway. They thought Chloe was the best little girl in the world. I knew she was the
worst
.

I tried to eat the cheesy hair on my pizza but the anchovies had even got under there. It was as if they were still alive and had wriggled everywhere. I couldn't swallow a mouthful.

“That was a bit of a waste, Daisy,” said Chloe's mum. “Still, never mind. I'm sure you can fill up on Chloe's birthday cake.”

Chloe had the biggest cake in the whole world. It was in three tiers, just like a wedding cake. The bottom layer was fruitcake with extra cherries and bright yellow marzipan under the white icing. The middle layer was chocolate fudge cake with lots of chocolate buttercream. The top layer was vanilla sponge with strawberry jam and fresh cream. It had
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHLOE, SWEETHEART
in silver iced writing with silver hearts studded all around the edge.

“We'll make sure
your
slice has a special anchovy filling, Daisy,” Chloe whispered.

I think she might have been joking this time. But I couldn't take any chances. I didn't eat a bite of this most beautiful birthday cake. I sat and
watched the others eating it. (Bella had a big slice from each layer.)

I felt my lips go trembly and my eyes starting pricking but I was absolutely determined not to cry in front of Chloe.

I didn't cry later on when we all went up to Chloe's bedroom and I saw I'd been put in a sleeping bag all by myself over by the door.

I didn't cry when we all watched a scary horror movie on Chloe's television about an evil child with a teddy bear possessed by the devil. He smothered all these little kids but he ended up being horribly ripped to bits. I was very glad Midnight was still zipped up in my overnight bag or
he
might have cried.

I didn't cry when we all got ready for bed and it was my turn in the loo and the lock didn't work properly and Chloe suddenly opened the door on me and everyone laughed.

I didn't cry when we all got into bed (I got into bag) and we watched a much, much, much scarier horror movie about a witchy white ghost who crept up on these girls in a college dormitory and murdered them one by one.

“This is
too
scary, Chloe,” Emily said.

“It's like it's
real
,” said Amy, sucking her thumb.

“Can't we watch some other movie?” said Bella. “I'm not going to be able to sleep for worrying about the witchy white ghost.”

“It's OK,” said Chloe. “If the witchy white ghost comes creeping up on us she'll get Daisy first as she's the one nearest the door! And anyway you don't
sleep
at a sleepover party.”

I certainly didn't sleep. I stayed awake all night long, hunched into a ball in my sleeping bag, clutching Midnight tight. But then he nearly turned into Devil Bear and wanted to smother me. I had to grip him in my knees. They were right up under my chin because there might be anchovies wriggling round the bottom of the sleeping bag. And all the time the witchy white ghost wailed just outside the bedroom door, waiting to come and get me . . .

“
NOT LONG NOW
till your birthday, Daisy,” said Mum.

I didn't say anything.

Lily went, “Ur ur ur ur ur.” She was lying on the rug and I was tickling her.

“I suppose you want to have a sleepover party too,” said Mum.

I didn't say anything.

Lily went, “UR UR UR UR UR!”

“Daisy! I'm talking to you! And stop tickling Lily.”

“She likes it. Don't you, Lily?” I said.

“URRR URRR URRR URRR URRR!”

“She'll get over-excited. Stop it, now.”

“URRRRRRRRRR! URRRRRRRRRR!”

Lily got so over-excited she started wailing and wouldn't stop. She cried until she was sick. Mum had to take her upstairs to change her and calm her down.

Lily's wails were very weak and tired now. At least she always slept for ages after one of her bad crying fits. At last she went quiet.

It was very quiet in the living room too. I looked at Dad. I thought he was cross with me. He switched on the television. Then he switched it off. He patted his knee.

“Want to come and have a cuddle?” he said.

I was surprised but very pleased. I tucked in beside Dad and he put his arm round me and kissed the top of my head. Then he pretended he was a sheep and my hair was grass so he went gobble gobble munch munch.

“I love this game. We haven't played it for ages!” I said.

“I'll try to get home from work early more often,” Dad said. “I don't get to see enough of you, Daisy. And poor Mum is always so busy with Lily.”

“Yes,” I said, sighing. “Sorry I made her get upset,” I added in a tiny voice.

“That's OK, pet. You were only playing,” said Dad.

“Yes, but I was playing a bit too much,” I said.

“Don't let's talk about Lily. Let's talk about you – and this birthday of yours,” said Dad.

I didn't say anything.

“What's up?”

“Nothing,” I said.

“Nothing!” said Dad. “Maybe I'm going to start tickling
you
unless you tell me what's making you look so worried. Come on, my little glum chum.” He tickled me under my chin and I collapsed, squeaking and spluttering.

“Don't! Please don't!”

“Well, tell me what's the matter.”

“There's nothing the matter, Dad, honest. It's just . . . I don't really want a sleepover party for my birthday.”

“But I thought they were all the rage. Just recently you've been to heaps.”

“I know.”

“So you really need to invite everyone back.”

“But . . . I don't want to.”

“Why?”

I fidgeted.

Dad put his head close to mine.

“Is it because of Lily?” he whispered.

“A bit,” I whispered back.

“We'll explain about Lily to your friends.”

“But they might still be a bit funny about it. Not Emily. She's ever so special. And Bella's lovely too. And Amy. It's just . . . Chloe. Chloe's
horrible
.”

“The little curly-haired one?” said Dad.

“Her,” I said grimly.

“Oh well, it's easy-peasy,” said Dad. “Invite Emily and Bella and Amy to your sleepover birthday party and leave Chloe out.”

“
Really?
”

“Of course. It's your birthday. You don't have to invite anyone you don't want,” said Dad.

“But Emily and Amy and Bella said it wasn't fair when Chloe tried not to invite me to
her
sleepover.”

“Do they all like Chloe?”

“Well . . . I think they're just a bit scared of her.”

“Then they'll probably be glad she's not invited,” said Dad.

“I'll be ever so, ever so glad!” I said, bouncing up and down on Dad's knee.

“That's it, little Smiley-Face. All settled,” said Dad, beaming.

But it wasn't settled.

Mum said I had to invite Chloe too.

“It's only fair. You went to Chloe's party, Daisy, so she has to come to yours.”

“But she didn't want me to come, Mum! She tried hard
not
to invite me. She's really mean to me, Mum. She gangs up on me at school and she was extra-awful to me at her party.”

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“I
am
telling you!”

“No, at the time, silly.”

“You were busy with Lily. You're
always
busy with Lily.”

“No, I'm not. Not always. Anyway, I'm afraid I've already invited Chloe. Her mother rang up after her party because she was worried you might be sickening for something. She said you didn't eat anything, poppet.”

“Ha! Chloe put anchovies all over my pizza!” I shuddered so hard I nearly fell out of Dad's armchair.

“Oh dear. Well, I told Chloe's mum you'd be having a sleepover party yourself and I automatically invited Chloe.”

“Can't we un-invite this foul little girl?” said Dad, giving me a hug.

“Not really. It would look awful.”

“
She's
awful.”

“She won't be able to be awful to you at our house, not when it's your special party, Daisy.”

I was sure Chloe would find a way.

I didn't say any more to Dad. I didn't say any more to Mum. But after they were asleep I crept into bed beside Lily. She'd been asleep for hours and hours but she was awake now.“I hate Chloe,” I said.

“Ur ur ur ur ur,” said Lily, comfortingly, as if she hated her too.

“She's so mean to me,” I said.