Dance-off! by Harriet Castor Read Free Book Online Page A

you’re talking about.”
    “It’s like the original High School Musical ,” said Frankie, in a sing-song voice you’d use to a baby. “Why don’t you google it?”
    Kenny growled and, picking up her paintbrush, flicked a fine spray of red paint into Frankie’s hair. Frankie squealed; giggling, she did it back, with blue.
    But it wasn’t their lucky day.
    “Francesca and Laura!” thundered Mrs Weaver’s voice. “Outside the door! Now!”
    “Just when the fun was starting,” muttered Kenny with a shrug as she walked past.

The next Saturday Mum helped me pick out my clothes for Fliss’s sleepover. We chose some light blue leggings, a denim mini that she’d bought me last summer, a long-sleeved T-shirt with a scoop neck, and my flat black pumps. Mum did my hair in a ponytail, and tidied the wisps with a couple of sparkly clips that Tiffany had lent me.
    “Lose them and you’re in big trouble,” Tiff had said. Sisters – charming, huh?
    Now Mum turned me round. “As a finishing touch,” she said, “you should have a neck scarf!” She produced a little silk scarf that Gran had given her once, but that she’d never worn.
    “Mu- um !” I complained. “It’ll look naff!”
    “No, it won’t,” said Mum firmly, fixing it round my neck with the knot at the side. She pulled me over to the mirror. “Look – that’s proper Fifties style, that is.”
    And I had to admit that it did look quite cool.
    Down in the sitting room I did a twirl for Adam, who gave me a big approving grin. Then Mum took me in the car round to Fliss’s.
    When Mrs Sidebotham answered the door I could hardly believe my eyes. She had dressed up too! She was wearing a bright yellow, really full skirt, with loads of petticoats underneath, topped with a wide shiny black belt, which she’d nipped in really tightly to make her waist look dead small. Her clingy top was yellow, to match the skirt, and she had her hair in a ponytail like mine. But it was her feet thatsurprised me the most. Have you ever seen a mum in frilly ankle socks? Well, that’s just what Mrs Sidebotham had on, plus a pair of white pumps that were so clean they looked like she’d gone over them with toothpaste.
    “You look great, Mrs Sidebotham!” I said as I took off my coat.
    “That’s very sweet of you, Rosie,” replied Fliss’s mum, patting her hair. As I bent down to take off my shoes (it’s one of the rules of Fliss’s house: no shoes indoors) she added, “As a special concession you can keep your shoes on today. I realise that they’re part of your costume.”
    In the sitting room I discovered Fliss, looking like an exact replica of her mum, except that her top and skirt were pink. Kenny was there too, in a Leicester City shirt (surprise, surprise), and jeans.
    “Nice outfit, McKenzie,” I laughed.
    “Blue jeans are very Fifties,” she said. “Apparently.”
    When Lyndz arrived it turned out she was injeans too, and a leather jacket that Tom had lent her. I could tell Fliss was a bit disappointed – she had hoped everyone would wear girly things, like her. So it was a relief when Frankie turned up in a madly flowery dress, with bangles on her wrists and her hair in bunches.
    “Dad spotted the dress in a charity-shop window,” she said, holding the skirt out to the sides and doing a wobbly curtsey.
    Just then Andy, Fliss’s Mum’s boyfriend, came in with a tray of luscious-looking milkshakes and we all cheered.
    When he’d gone, Frankie said, “Fliss, I don’t mean to be funny, but what’s happened to Andy’s hair?”
    Fliss giggled. “Mum made him put loads of Brylcreem in it and comb it into a quiff,” she said.
    The rest of us looked at each other in puzzlement, then we suddenly cottoned on. “It’s very Fifties!” we chorused, and then all fell about laughing.
    First off, we watched the film, and it was absolutely, fantastically brilliant. Sandy (the maingirl in the film) and her friends even had a sleepover!
    We bopped away to