Becky's Terrible Term (6 page)

“I know, but Becky probably thinks we have, Bel. I wish we could sort this out somehow.” Katie bit her thumbnail crossly. “I just can't work out how.”

 

When they got back from Neale Park the triplets mooched about the house, while their mum watched them worriedly, hoping that they'd be able to sort out the problem themselves. Becky had never been unhappy at school before. Maybe she ought to arrange a meeting with her class teacher? It seemed a bit early on for something so drastic.

After staring at the television without really watching it for half an hour, Annabel surgically removed Katie from her football magazine and dragged her up to their room, leaving Becky huddled in an armchair, cuddling Orlando, who'd decided to be friendly at a useful time for once.

“We have to do something! This is so horrible! I feel like I've lost a part of myself,” Annabel said, clutching her stomach dramatically.

“Stop it, Bel! You sound like you're on
EastEnders
.”

“I probably will be, one day,” agreed Bel. “I mean it, though. I really hate not being friends with Becky – and imagine how she feels, not talking to either of us.”

“I know,” said Katie, worriedly. “But what can we do? Becky's being stupid! She needs to stand up for herself at school. She basically said she didn't think we should have any other friends, and that's wrong. It's not that you and Becky aren't still my best friends, but I really like Megan. She's like – like my football friend, and Saima is your—”

“My clothes-mad friend!” giggled Bel.

“Exactly! Becky just needs a cat-and-guinea-pig-obsessed friend like her. See what I mean?”

“Of course I do, but Becky won't. Especially as we can't even talk to her! It's useless. We're going to have to try and push her into making some new mates – I've just got no idea how,” Annabel said glumly.

Chapter Nine

Becky had been hoping that school might miraculously improve the second week. It didn't. She still wasn't talking to Katie and Annabel, although at least they seemed to have given up glaring at her. And now she had to deal with Mum giving her worried looks all the time as well. Mum was trying not to be obvious, but Becky kept catching her following her around with a worried little frown between her eyebrows and a bad excuse for why she was hovering halfway up the stairs.

At Monday breaktime, Fran noticed Becky sitting on the steps to one of the classrooms, reading. She wondered whether to go and talk to her, but reckoned that Becky probably wouldn't want to chat – she might disappear again, like she had on Saturday, and that would just be embarrassing. She decided to go and join in the chase game that Annabel and Katie were playing in over the other side of the playground.

Shortly before the end of break, the game broke up – everyone was shattered! Fran found herself collapsed at the bottom of the big tree with Annabel and Katie, and decided to ask them about Becky.

“Your sister's really good with animals, isn't she?”

Katie and Annabel looked at her in surprise, and one of them – Fran thought Annabel, as she had fancier hair – nodded. “How did you know? I didn't think Becky had even opened her mouth in class recently, let alone had a conversation with anybody.”

“Oh, she hasn't. But I met her in the park on Saturday – she helped me catch my dog, Feathers. He'd run off after a squirrel and Becky found him. Feathers is really big, he's a Golden Retriever, but she wasn't scared of him like some people are – so that's why I thought she must like animals,” Fran finished in a rush.

Katie and Annabel felt miserable. They hadn't even known Becky had gone to the park – normally they'd have got a detailed description of any dog Becky had met, right down to the colour of his collar. It just made them feel even more determined to sort all this out.

“Did you talk to her for long?” asked Katie, thoughtfully.

“No, that's the funny thing – she ran off all of a sudden, said she had to go. I nearly went to talk to her again earlier on” – Fran nodded at Becky, still sitting reading on the steps – “but I wasn't sure if she'd want to.”

Just then the bell rang, and they all headed back to the classroom. Katie smiled at Fran. “Look, don't worry. I bet she'd love to talk to you about your dog. Becky's just shy sometimes – I'm sure it'll sort itself out.”
Or we'll sort it for her
,
she said to herself grimly.

 

Becky hadn't spent her breaktime reading – she'd just been staring at her book, and mentally kicking herself for being so stupid with Fran on Saturday. There she'd been, a really nice possible-friend – with the most gorgeous dog ever – and Becky had run off like an idiot. She was going to have to apologize . . . sometime. . . She'd seen Fran hovering at break, and tried really hard to summon up the courage to wave at her. But what if Fran was cross because Becky had dashed off on Saturday? She might not want to talk to her again. Becky spent the rest of the morning moping to herself, and at lunchtime she wandered off on her own again, determined to make her sisters think she could manage without them. At the edge of the playground she nearly walked into Amy Mannering, and her two hangers-on.

“Watch it!” Amy snapped nastily, tossing her strawberry-blonde hair. Then she sniggered to her friends. “One of the little Ryan triplets – we were wrong, Cara, they're
not
tied to each other with string. Had a fight, have you?” she observed cruelly, noting Becky's woebegone face. “Your sisters decided they've got better things to do than talk to you?” Amy's friends laughed as she pointed to Katie and Annabel, both gossiping with friends.

“Leave me alone. . .” Becky quavered, looking round desperately for help. She wasn't used to being on her own in this kind of situation. The triplets had always attracted quite a lot of attention, and sometimes people were mean to them – Mum always said it was because other people found them threatening. (Becky couldn't imagine anyone finding her threatening, especially not right now.) But whenever someone decided to have a go she'd always had Katie on one side, and Katie would stand up to anyone, whatever their size. Then she'd have Annabel on the other side, making funny comments about the person who was trying to upset them. Faced with the three of them, most people slunk away after a couple of minutes, especially boys, who always seemed to get embarrassed at being laughed at by three very pretty girls who couldn't care less what was being said about them. Facing a pack of bullying girls on her own was a completely new experience, and Becky was lost.

Amy, by contrast, appeared to know exactly what she was doing. “What's it like being the boring triplet?” she taunted. “Annabel's the funny one, Katie's the clever one – what are you? Oh, I see, the crybaby,” she laughed, seeing Becky's eyes fill with tears. “Go on, run and tell your big sisters we're being all mean. If you think they'll care,” she added shrewdly.

Becky looked round desperately. Where were Katie and Annabel? Even though they weren't talking to her, she was sure that if they knew what was happening they'd come and help. She stared hopefully over at the group on the other side of the playground, and saw Katie and Annabel looking straight at her, apparently having some kind of argument. Annabel looked as though she was coming to help – thank goodness! – but Katie was stopping her. What was going on? As Becky watched, Annabel gave her a last worried look, shrugged and went back to the huddle, turning her back on Becky.

This had never happened before. In Becky's world, your sisters were there to protect you, always. She looked back at the sneering faces of Amy and her little groupies. What was she going to do? Tears streaming down her face, she did the only thing she could think of – she ran.

 

Annabel was feeling torn apart. Although she always seemed confident and had a funny answer for everything, she was also very soft-hearted, and she was gutted about what had just happened to Becky. She and Katie had been happily chatting until Annabel happened to look up, and spot Becky and her tormentors. She'd grabbed Katie's arm. “Look – isn't that Amy over there? I think she's having a go at Becky! Come on!” and she'd started to head across to sort it out, her natural reaction – no one was going to get away with something like that.

But Katie had caught hold of her sweater. “Leave it, Bel! We can't just run over there, we're leaving Becky alone, remember? That's what she wanted. She doesn't want us to help. Look, we'll talk about it at home.” Katie folded her arms stubbornly and glared at Bel, as though daring her to disobey.

“But­­—” said Annabel, looking worriedly back and forth between her sisters, sure she could feel Becky's misery.

“
No
.” And Katie pulled Annabel round, fixing her with a stare that seemed to pin her to the ground. Katie was definitely the strongest character of the three triplets, and Annabel was just used to doing what Katie said. Helplessly, she went back to the game, casting one last worried look at Becky.

 

That night Katie and Annabel held a Council of War. They hadn't spoken properly to Becky since Friday evening now, and it was feeling almost painful. They still thought she was being an idiot, but just thinking that wasn't getting them anywhere. Annabel was guilt-stricken over abandoning Becky at lunchtime, and she'd convinced Katie that this couldn't go on. They were going to get Becky and Fran to be friends, whatever it took.

“I still don't see why we can't just tell Becky how nice Fran is, and what a perfect mate she'd be,” argued Katie, lying on her bed and kicking her pillow crossly. They were up in their room, hiding from Mum more than Becky – Becky seemed to be spending all her time in the shed. She'd even started doing her homework in there, generally with Vanilla curled up in her lap trying to chew her exercise books.

“Because, dimwit, one, we aren't talking to Becky, and no way is she talking to us, especially after today, and two, how would you like it if Becky and I told you we'd found a perfect friend for you and all you had to do was go and say hello? You'd kill us. No. We've got to be sneaky,”
mused Annabel, searching for ideas.

“S'pose so,” said Katie, doubtfully.

“What kind of dog did Fran say she'd got?”

“A big Golden Retriever, why?”

“Look at that!” crowed Annabel triumphantly, pointing at Becky's chest of drawers.

“Ohhh!” Katie went over and picked up the slim photo album lying on the top. She looked at the first picture. “
Is
that a Golden Retriever?” she asked hopefully.

“Course it is, silly!” Annabel stretched out a hand for the album. “They almost all are. Becky cuts them out of her dog magazine. You know she's desperate for a dog, and a retriever's what she'd really like. That's her dream dog.”

“And Fran's
got
one. There's got to be something we can do with this!”

“Mmm. Your turn, I've had today's brainwave. Make us up a plan, Katie.” Annabel flopped back on to her bed, as though spotting the photo album had taken a lot out of her.

“Well,” said Katie, slowly, thinking it out. “We've got to get them both talking, haven't we? Without Becky running off in the middle like an idiot. I reckon if Fran sees this, she'll ask Becky about it, won't she? And maybe,
maybe
,
if Becky's not expecting it, she'll be too surprised to be shy? What do you think?”

“It's OK, as far as it goes,” said Annabel critically. “But it's not fantastic, is it? How do we get these photos in front of Fran, without Becky knowing?”

“If it was in class” – Katie paced the room as she thought out loud – “Becky couldn't run off! I think we've got to make it happen during the history lesson. Look, Becky's got a folder for all the stuff Miss Fraser's been giving us, hasn't she? And she's bound to get it out for something. We put that book in there, and there we go!”

Annabel looked at her sister. “Honestly. Is that the best you can come up with? I find you a brilliant opportunity, and that's your plan?”

Katie raised an eyebrow at her sister. She knew this game – Annabel loved being contrary whenever she could.

“Oh, all right then,” Bel conceded. “Have we got history tomorrow?”

“Think so. It's a double after lunch, isn't it? We'll have to sneak the album into Becky's bag after she's got up, somehow. She'll notice if we do it now.”

“Good,” said Annabel in a satisfied way. “It makes me feel very
nice
,
doing all this for Becky, when she's basically being a complete pain.”

Katie's eyebrow went up again, and Annabel grinned shamefacedly. They both knew quite well that she was missing Becky loads, she just wasn't going to say so – not without turning it into a heartbreaking dramatic scene, anyway.

 

Annabel and Katie spent the next morning feeling like daring conspirators, jumping every time Becky even looked their way. By the time it got to the history lesson just after lunch, they were nervous wrecks.

“Did you put it on top of her folder?” hissed Annabel to Katie, as she passed her, on the way to sharpen a pencil that was already sharp enough to stab Max with.

“No, just underneath the photos of the school Miss Fraser gave us. Oh, I hope she takes it out soon – why am I so nervous?”

Over on her table, Becky's group were trying to work out what their project was actually going to be about. They had loads of facts – but what were they going to do with them?

“Becky,” asked Jack, politely, but giving Robin a
watch out, I could be taking my life into my hands here
kind of look. “Have you got all that stuff about our school? Maybe we could do something about how it's changed?”

Becky nervously scrabbled through her folder, and Annabel and Katie gazed at each other in a kind of horrified delight.

“It's a good idea, but that's the problem – I think everyone will do that,” said Fran worriedly. “It would be nice to be different –oh!” She broke off and squeaked in delight. “Becky, that looks
just
like Feathers, is that your dog? You didn't say you had one as well!” She leafed eagerly through the album.

Becky was completely confused. “I – no. That's – oh, you'll laugh. I don't even know what it's doing in here!” She looked shyly at Fran and the others. “You'll think I'm really stupid.” Then she thought,
Oh, who cares, they probably do anyway
.
“I haven't got a dog at all – these ones are from magazines. They're the kind of dog I'd love to have one day. You're so lucky,” she told Fran enviously. “Have you seen her dog?” she asked Jack and Robin. They shook their heads. “Well, he's just like that – only gorgeouser.”

“And normally muddier,” grinned Fran. “You may think he's gorgeous. Wait till he's dragged you
over a few molehills.”

They all laughed – and Becky joined in.

“So why don't you have a dog?” asked Fran.

“Two cats,” explained Becky. “And my mum says she's got enough to look after with the three of us, without a dog too. I'm working on her, though. I'm sure the cats could cope.”

Katie and Annabel watched gleefully as they all chatted – it was working! Becky caught them staring, and gave a small, hesitant smile, which got her two big grins in return. She pointed Katie and Annabel out to Fran and the others. “I think those two put the album in there to make me talk to you.” She gave an embarrassed grin, and looked round the three of them, even daring to catch Jack and Robin's eyes. “I'm not used to not having them to work with – sorry I've been a bit, um, weird.”