Boy Trouble by Sarah Webb Read Free Book Online Page A

Mum was having none of it.
    “Ah, Amy,” she said. “He’s only a toddler. You could have brought the whole ceiling down.” He may be small, but he’s pure evil sometimes and he knows exactly what he’s doing. He has Mum wrapped round his podgy little finger.
    Clover bounds in the door without waiting for an answer to her knock, like Tigger after too much sugar. “Oi, Beanie, what’s up? I was worried; you never rang me back. And Sylvie says you’re in a stinker.” She sits on the side of my bed and lies back, her head pressing into my stomach.
    I sit up and push her head away. “Get off,” I say. “You’re heavy.”
    “Must be all the brains in there.” She smiles at me. She has pink lip gloss on her slightly gappy front teeth. “You look terrible. What’s wrong? Boy trouble?” She tilts her head. “Go on, you can tell me.”
    I shake my head but say nothing.
    “Beans. It’s me; your fave person in the whole world.” She scrunches up her nose, which makes her look like a rabbit. “Go on, tell me. It can’t be that bad. I brought some new letters to show you. You think your life is doggy-do, wait till you read these. Bound to cheer you up. You can help me answer them. But back to you first; what’s up, jelly tot?”
    “It’s
her
, OK? Not a boy.” I’m dying to tell someone. Mills isn’t answering her mobile and Sophie would probably just laugh at me. I hope Clover will understand. “Little Miss Perky’s only gone and ruined everything again.”
    Clover pulls a face. She doesn’t like Shelly either. “Go on,” she says.
    “They’ve got a new puppy. Justin.”
    “Justin?” Clover snorts. “What’s wrong with Rover or Shep?”
    “I know, I know. She has this sad thing for Justin Timberlake. Anyway, Dad promised I could go to the dog’s home with him. Help choose a new puppy. And name him or her. We hadn’t decided on the sex. But they went yesterday, without me. It was her idea. She didn’t want me there.” I made the last bit up of course, but I’m sure it’s true.
    “I’m not surprised you’re upset,” Clover says. “What a witch! But she’s such a control freak. Wait till the puppy poops all over her precious lawn and digs up her flower beds. And eats all the gold tassels on the end of her curtains. She’ll probably beg you to take him away then.”
    “Dave has allergies,” I remind her. “We can’t have any pets.”
    “Sorry, I forgot. Bummer.” She pushes my hair back off my face, her hand cool against my hot cheek. “Look, Beanie, your dad’s with Shelly now and you’ll just have to accept that, even if she is a bit of a ditz. But I’m sorry about the puppy thing. Justin.” She shakes her head. “Poor dog. What breed? Another Lab?”
    When we were all living together – me, Mum and Dad – we had a black Labrador called Timmy. He died three days after Mum and Dad told me they were separating. Great timing.
    “I never asked,” I say.
    Clover walks over to my chest of drawers and pokes around in my make-up bag. “What are you doing on Saturday morning?” She picks up my new Juicy Tube and tries it out.
    “Nothing, why?”
    “I’m taking you shopping, that’s why.” She puts the lip gloss back and smacks her lips together. “Mmm, watermelon, delish.”
    I manage a smile. Shopping with Clover is always fun.
    “That’s better,” she says. “You have a lovely smile, Beans. You should use it more often.”
    “Clover! You sound just like Mum.”
    Clover frowns. “Can’t be helped, I guess. We are sisters.” She jumps on to the bed and throws her arms round me, hugging me tight.
    “Get off, you mentaller.” I laugh and swat her away as she pulls up my T-shirt and blows a sticky lip gloss raspberry on my stomach.
    It’s hard to be in a bad mood with Clover around.

Chapter 9
    By Saturday morning I can’t wait to get out of the house. I put on some music while I’m packing my bag for Dad’s place and Evie starts crying.
    “Turn that down,