Annabel's Starring Role by Holly Webb Read Free Book Online Page A

gave her a troubled look. “It won’t be like that! It’s nearly Christmas, we’re going to do loads of present-shopping. Don’t you want to get something nice for Megan?” she wheedled.
    â€œCourse I do!” Katie snapped back. “But it’s all going to be clothes shops and stupid girly stuff – really boring.”
    â€œSpeak for yourself,” muttered Annabel, who’d let them catch up again. She was feeling grumpy herself after her spat with Katie, but she couldn’t stay down for long with the prospect of a day’s shopping. Everywhere would be all Christmassy, with loads of party outfits in the shops, and decorations all over the place. If there was anything better than just plain shopping, it was shopping at Christmas. She looked sympathetically at Katie. How awful to be depressed by shopping! Suddenly she remembered that Katie had sorted out her audition-disaster for her, and felt guilty. She gave her sister a hug. “It won’t all be clothes, honestly. We’ll go to places you like too. And I’ll be good today, I promise. Perfect little angel until home time, and then I’ll go crazy. OK?”
    Annabel managed to keep her word – just. When she felt the excitement bubbling up (a particular problem in geography – it was a mystery at Manor Hill how Mrs Travers managed to be quite so amazingly boring) she looked very firmly at Katie, and thought about her being sweet enough to do a detention for her. As soon as she got outside the school gates, though, she gave in completely. She shoved her bag into Becky’s arms, dashed down the road far enough to find a clear spot, and actually turned a cartwheel to work off some of the accumulated craziness. She was giggly and silly all the rest of the way, and when they got home she dashed upstairs immediately.
    The triplets’ mum, who’d seen her go past only as a streak of blonde hair, looked worried. “What’s the matter with Annabel?”
    â€œNothing,” explained Becky, grinning. “She’s just desperate to get changed out of school clothes and get the weekend started.”
    She was interrupted by Annabel, hanging over the banisters. “Come on! You have to change too, I don’t even want to see school uniform. I wish we lived in America.”
    She disappeared again, leaving her mother looking confused. “What’s America got to do with anything?”
    Katie smiled understandingly. “They don’t wear school uniform over there. We’ll be down soon.”
    Annabel’s giggliness could be very infectious – if you weren’t in a bad mood to start with – and she’d tried so hard to be sensible all day that Katie had forgiven her entirely and started to get excited about the weekend too. After all, it would be fun to see Auntie Jan, and Becky was right, she did need to get Christmas presents. The three girls spent teatime giggling so much that Becky got hiccups from trying to laugh through her shepherd’s pie. It took them longer than usual to eat, but as soon as they had choked down enough, Annabel dragged the other two upstairs. “Come on! I’ve got really important stuff to talk about!”
    Becky sat down on her bed, clutching Orlando, and cooing sweet nothings in his ear. “What is it, Bel?”
    â€œChristmas-present shopping!” Annabel announced importantly.
    â€œWe know!” Katie looked unimpressed.
    â€œWhat I mean is, we ought to make a plan. There’s no point going shopping with no idea what you want to buy. I mean, a bit of impulse buying is good, definitely, but we ought to know what we think people want for Christmas, or we’ll end up with three things for Saima, say, and nothing for Megan.”
    Katie nodded – for once Annabel was right. How did she manage to be sensible and organized only when it came to shopping?
    Annabel rounded on Becky. “And you’ve got