Live and Fabulous! by Grace Dent

Author:Grace Dent
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2010-02-25T16:00:00+00:00

“Wow!” gasps Fleur. “We’re like our own republic now or something!”

“Yeah, and there’s no excuse for getting lost,” announces Claude, attaching it to the tent’s roof, where it flutters majestically in the evening breeze.

We all pause a second to survey our handiwork.

Agggh! It feels so marvelous to be here!

As Claude and I start to become a touch sentimental, Fleur disappears into the tent to begin commandeering space for herself.

“Ooh my God! It’s actually quite dark in here!” she shrills. “Did anyone bring a flashlight? And I feel a bit hay-fevery too. Has anyone packed tablets?”

Claudette rolls her eyes, then looks at me and winks. We both crack up giggling.

“Right, girls,” says Daphne, crawling out of her tiny silver tent. “How’s it all going?”

“We’re good!” I say, smiling.

“You must be tired by now, eh? It’s nearly ten o’clock. Sheesh, I know I am,” she announces, rubbing her eyes dramatically, not sounding the slightest bit sleepy.

“Er, not really,” I mumble.

“Me neither,” says Claude.

“Oh,” says Daphne disappointedly, looking at her watch.

Then her mobile phone bleeps again. Another text message?

Fleur lets out a little muffled grunt from inside the tent, sounding very much like she may have chanced upon Claude’s stash of muffins.

“Daphne Swan!” she shouts. “You’re not trying to get us to go to bed, are you?”

“No, er ... nooooo!” mumbles Daphne. “Well, not really.”

“What do you mean not really?” shrills Fleur, poking her head out of the tent, with chocolate chips around her mouth.

“Mmm ... well ... ,” says Daphne, looking a little put on the spot, “it’s just that ... er, I was going to pop along to another field and sort of ... ahem ... meet someone.”

Daphne mumbled that last part. I didn’t quite catch it.

“You’re going to what?” squeaks Fleur. “Meet someone? Meet who?”

“Nobody you know, Fleur. It’s just someone I met when I was in Nepal,” stammers Daphne, “who, er, happens to be at Astlebury too.”

“Oh, right! Now, that is convenient, isn’t it?” scoffs Fleur.

“Did they come all the way from Nepal especially? That’s a long bus ride!” Fleur is clearly loving this piece of gossip.

“No, he’s British,” huffs Daphne. “And he’s called Rex, actually.”

“Rex!” hoots Fleur.

“My aunty had a dog called that,” says Claude seriously, before deciding to stay well out of this conversation.

“Rex!” repeats Fleur. “Well, that’s just great, isn’t it? There you were, groveling up to Dad saying you want to chaperone us! And all the time you’ve got a boyfriend up your sleeve that you want to hook up with!”

“Pgghh! He’s not my boyfriend, actually,” fumes Daphne. “And I offered to escort you out of the goodness of my heart.”

“Goodness of your heart, my ass!” shouts Fleur.

Claude looks at me and sighs.

“Fancy a can of Coke?” she says, rooting about in her rucksack.

“Ooh, go on then,” I say, sitting down on the camping rug.

“You’re just a troublemaker, Fleur. Always have been!” sniffs Daphne.

“Pah, takes one to know one!” splutters Fleur. “Dad would never have known Tarrick was climbing through my window if you’d not reset the burglar alarm!”

“Oh, pur-lease, that was your own stupid fault!” shouts Daphne.

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