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

all the songs. Fliss knew most of them off by heart. Sometimes her mum couldn’t resist coming in and bopping too – you could tell the theme for the sleepover had been her idea!
    During the film we’d gorged ourselves on popcorn and Andy’s yummy milkshakes. When it was finished, it was time for hot dogs and hamburgers with loads of mustard and ketchup, which Callum, Fliss’s little brother, managed to smear all down his front. Then it was ice cream, with a choice of chocolate or strawberry sauce out of squeezy bottles. We were all in food heaven, though afterwards we felt so full we had to lie down on the sitting-room floor and have a Grease singalong while our tummies recovered.
    After that Fliss’s mum ordered Callum to bed and the five of us went up to Fliss’s bedroom.
    “You know what was great as well in that film?” said Lyndz, sitting down on the spare bed, which Fliss keeps covered with neat rows of about fivehundred and one cuddly toys. “The dancing! That jive competition was cool! Couldn’t we put some of the moves in our routine?”
    “Great idea!” exclaimed Frankie. “Hey – we should have a go now while we remember!”
    Apprehensively I glanced at Fliss. Up until now, no one had mentioned the dance competition. I figured it was still a sore subject.
    But the next minute, Kenny said, “Fliss! You know the film really well. Can you show us some moves?” And straight away Fliss’s expression changed from about-to-turn-grumpy to really keen. Smart move , Kenny ! I thought, feeling relieved.
    “Well, for a start there’s hand-jive,” Fliss said, “which means things like this.” And she waggled her hands in front of her, holding each elbow in turn, and then doing something which looked like she was playing ‘One potato, two potato’ with herself.
    We all had a go, and after a few false starts even I got some hand-jive moves going pretty well.
    Kenny said, “What about those amazingjumps, when the girl’s legs swing right up?”
    Some of the dancing in the film had been pretty acrobatic, with the boys flinging the girls around as if they were rag dolls.
    “Oh, it’s seriously tricky, that stuff,” said Fliss.
    “Let’s have a go!” said Kenny. “That’s exactly the sort of thing we should have in our routine. Gobsmackingly brilliant moves that’ll leave the M&Ms gasping!” Fliss was hesitating, so Kenny held out her hands. “Come on!” she coaxed. “Can’t be much harder than a piggyback, can it? I’m pretty strong, and you weigh about as much as one baked bean.”
    Which to Fliss – who worries about her weight because she’s dead slim and bananas – was a big compliment. “OK, then,” she said. She faced Kenny and put her hands on Kenny’s shoulders. “Hold me round the waist,” she said. “I’m going to do one little bounce, and then jump up with my legs either side of you, right? If you sort of bend forward into it, you can swing me back up into the air before I land.”
    Kenny nodded confidently, but I had a sneaking suspicion she didn’t have a clue what Fliss was talking about.
    “You sure about this?” Fliss asked. Kenny nodded again.
    So Fliss did one little bounce on the spot, then she flung herself towards Kenny as if she were trying to hug her with her legs. Holding Fliss round the waist, Kenny swung forward like she’d been told to, till Fliss’s feet were pointing to the ceiling.
    “Er, I’m stuck,” said Kenny in a strangulated voice.
    Fliss was giggling. Her head was nearly on the floor. “Just swing me up again!” she said.
    “Heeeeaaaaave!” groaned Kenny, putting all her strength into the swing.
    She so nearly made it. She pulled Fliss upright again, although she didn’t manage to swing her into the air, as Fliss had suggested. It would have been fine – if only Fliss’s left foot, heading back towards the floor, hadn’t got tangled in a loop of lace from her petticoats.As she landed, Fliss stumbled, and since her arms were still