Izzy's River by Holly Webb Read Free Book Online

house that made her feel less shy than usual.
    Jake nodded. “He would be. He hates baths. See you later, Izzy.”
    “Usually, he’d take off all his football stuff and just stuff it in the machine,” Poppy’s mum whispered toIzzy as Jake went upstairs. “He’s being polite because you’re here.”
    Izzy giggled, and tried not to spit chocolate everywhere.
    “Shall we go and watch a film?” Poppy arrived, and grabbed her chocolate. “Thanks, Mum.”
    “You won’t have time for a film, dinner won’t be long,” her mum pointed out.
    “Mmm, washing Billy took ages. OK. We’ll just put the TV on.”
    They curled up on the sofa happily, and Izzy thought how nice it was not to feel guilty about watching a stupid girly soap. Sometimes it was what she felt like, but she knew Dad hated them, so she hardly ever put them on.
    They were just happily criticising one of the girls’ hairstyles when Poppy frowned, then turned to Izzy with her finger to her lips. “Listen!” she whispered, turning the sound on the TV down a little.
    “What is it?” Izzy whispered back, a little anxiously.
    “Alex! On the phone, ssshhh!” Poppy tiptoed closer to the garden door.
    Alex was sitting outside on a bench – he obviously didn’t realise that the door was open, and the girls could hear him.
    Izzy felt a bit guilty eavesdropping, but Poppy clearly didn’t. Perhaps it was a brother/sister thing that you just didn’t understand if you were an only one? Poppy’s eyes were glittering with gleeful excitement.
    “He is! He’s talking to a girl!” she hissed to Izzy. “And I’m practically certain it’s not Lucy. She lives up the road, he’s been seeing her on-again off-again for ages.”
    Alex was talking very quietly so the girls found themselves leaning dangerously round the door to hear. But he was so intent on his conversation that he didn’t notice them at all.
    “OK. Yeah. Tomorrow night, then. Bye, Maddy.”
    He finished the call and jumped up so quickly that he caught Poppy by surprise, and she fell backwards into the doorway giggling, and half squashing Izzy.
    “Oi! Poppy, were you listening?” Alex stopped staring happily down at his phone, and advanced on Poppy looking menacing.
    “Of course I was!” Poppy kept laughing. “Who’s
Maddy
, Alex?”
    “No one!” he snapped.
    “OK, I’ll just ask Jake.”
    “Don’t you dare!”
    “Hang on. Maddy…” Poppy stared at him, her eyes widening. “It’s not that girl from your canoe club that he’s fancied for ages?”
    Alex went red. “He never even spoke to her,” he muttered. “I gave him loads of time. We just got talking…”
    “He’ll kill you!” Poppy stood up, folding her arms, and shook her head sadly. “You are
dead
.”
    “She doesn’t belong to him,” Alex muttered, but he looked guilty. “Don’t tell him, Poppy.”
    “Why not? He’s going to find out anyway.”
    “Yeah, well, I want him to find out gradually. If I get together with Maddy, I’ll tell him then, OK?”
    “You really owe me, if I don’t tell him,” Poppy pointed out.
    “I helped you bath the dog!”
    “This is worth way more than bathing the dog!” Poppy squeaked. “And I’m holding you to it. Just wait.”
    Alex stomped out of the living room, muttering, and Poppy hugged Izzy.
    “Oh, that was so funny. Now we just have to wait till we need a big, big favour…”

FOUR
    “Izzy! Your dad’s here!”
    Izzy and Poppy were upstairs in Poppy’s room, listening to some music after they’d had dinner, and plotting ways to call in the favour Alex owed them.
    Izzy picked up her damp, muddy school dress and cardigan, and shook them out – she’d been trying not to think about them, and she’d almost forgotten.
    “Is your dad going to be annoyed?” Poppy asked apologetically. “I’ll tell him it was my fault. And Billy’s.”
    “I shouldn’t think he’ll mind that much,” Izzy said hopefully. But it was quite a new dress, and she’d torn it on