Clementine Rose and the Special Promise 11 by Jacqueline Harvey Read Free Book Online

fill with tears. ‘But Fifi and Dodge died,’ she blubbered.
    â€˜Who’s that?’ Clementine asked.
    â€˜My grandparents,’ Saskia sniffed.
    Mrs Bottomley clasped her hands in front of her. ‘I see. Well, you can invite an elderly friend. There are lots of children doing that. Clementine is bringing her Aunt Violet and Uncle Digby.’
    â€˜But I don’t know any old people,’ Saskia whined.
    â€˜You can borrow my nan,’ Angus said cheekily.
    â€˜I don’t want your nan,’ the girl snapped. ‘She’s probably got blue hair and wrinkles and smells funny.’
    There was a ripple of giggles around the room. Mrs Bottomley’s mouth opened and closed like a goldfish and Roderick Smee did all he could to stifle a laugh.
    â€˜ She’s his nan,’ Joshua said with delight, pointing at Mrs Bottomley.
    â€˜You tricked me!’ Saskia screeched in the most unforgiving manner, then promptly burst into tears.
    Roderick Smee walked over to the girl. ‘It’s all right, Saskia. I’ll speak with your mother this afternoon. I’m sure we can work something out.’
    Ethel Bottomley offered the child a handful of tissues. ‘No need to cry about it. There are plenty of other children in the same boat.’
    â€˜Yeah, my granny kicked the bucket,’ Joshua said. ‘Before I was even born.’
    Lester nodded. ‘Same.’
    â€˜Enough! Please, have some respect, boys,’ Mrs Bottomley ordered. ‘I want everyone in the hall straight after lunch for a full rehearsal. We have songs to practise.’ The woman proceeded to read out the names of the children who were to recite stories and poems on the day. Clementine was among them. ‘And remember that I still have to choose the host of the show,’ Mrs Bottomley reminded them.
    All of a sudden Saskia stopped her bawling. ‘I could do that,’ she said, perking up, ‘seeing as though I don’t have anyone.’
    â€˜Well, you can try out at the rehearsal,’ the woman said.
    Clementine stared at the girl next to her. She wanted that part and Saskia knew it.

    Clementine grabbed the soccer ball as the rest of the children raced down onto the oval. ‘Do you want to play?’ she called out to Saskia. Thegirl had so far spent the whole of lunchtime complaining about the yucky fish fingers they’d had for lunch and telling the children how much better things were at her old school.
    Saskia shook her head. ‘I told you yesterday that I don’t like soccer.’
    Clementine shrugged, somewhat relieved, and jogged away with Poppy. She waved to Will, who was running around with some of the older kids in Year Two.
    â€˜She’s a bit bossy,’ Poppy whispered.
    Clementine nodded. ‘She’s worse than that.’
    It wasn’t long before there was a giant game of soccer underway. The children raced up and down the oval shouting and cheering. After a while of sitting on her own, Saskia slunk over to the sidelines.
    â€˜Do you want to be on our team?’ Joshua asked the girl.
    â€˜I suppose,’ she said, and wandered onto the field.
    â€˜I thought she didn’t like soccer,’ Poppy said to Clementine.
    Will raced along, dribbling the ball. He then booted it to Clementine, who broke free of the pack. Joshua sped across from the other side of the field. Just as Clementine was about to go for the goal, the boy raised his leg and kicked as hard as he could – right into Clementine’s shin.
    â€˜Ow!’ she screamed, and fell to the ground.
    â€˜Sorry,’ Joshua yelled, sprinting away with the ball. He kicked it out to Saskia just before being tackled by Lester. The girl charged up the field and booted the ball straight past Evie, who was playing with her doll in the dirt, and into the back of the net.
    Joshua high-fived Saskia and ran back to the middle of the field, where Clementine was still sitting on