The Bed and Breakfast Star by Jacqueline Wilson Read Free Book Online

words on the wall so that my little girl learns dirt like that?’
    They stopped sniggering and started scattering, seeing that Mack meant business. Mack caught hold of one of them, the boy I’d made the face at. He was pulling faces again now, trying to wriggle free.
    ‘It wasn’t me that wrote that word, honest!’ he yelled. ‘It was her.’
    He pointed to me. All his pals stopped and pointed to me too.
    ‘Yes, it was that girl.’
    ‘Yes, that one with all the hair.’
    ‘Yeah, that little girl with the loud voice.’
    It looked like I was in BIG TROUBLE.
    I was.
    I tried to explain but Mack wouldn’t listen.
    He hit. And I hurt.

Mack stayed in a horrible mood all that day. All that week. And Mum wasn’t much better. She didn’t get mad at me and shout. She didn’t say very much at all. She did a lot of that sitting on the bed and staring into space. Sometimes Mack could snap her out of it. Sometimes he couldn’t.
    I hated to see Mum all sad and sulky like that. I tried telling her jokes to cheer her up a bit.

    ‘Hey Mum, what’s ten metres tall and green and sits in the corner?’
    ‘Oh Elsa, please. Just leave me be.’
    ‘The Incredible Sulk!’
    I fell about. But Mum didn’t even smile.
    ‘OK, try this one. Why did the biscuit cry?’
    ‘What biscuit? What are you on about?’
    ‘Any biscuit.’
    ‘Can I have a biscuit, Mum?’ said Pippa.
    ‘Look, just listen to the joke. Why did the biscuit cry, eh? Because his mother was a wafer so long.’
    I paused. Nobody reacted.
    ‘Don’t you get it?’
    ‘Just give it a rest, Elsa, please,’ Mum said, and she lay back on her bed and buried her head under the pillow.
    I stared at Mum worriedly. I so badly wanted her to cheer up.
    ‘Mum? Mum.’ I went over to her and shook her arm.
    ‘Leave her be,’ said Mack.
    I took no notice.
    ‘Mum, what happened to the lady who slept with her head under the pillow?’
    Mum groaned.
    ‘When she woke up she found the fairies had taken all her teeth out!’
    Mum didn’t twitch.
    ‘Elsa, I’m telling you. Leave her alone,’ Mack growled.
    I tried just one more.
    ‘Are you going to sleep, Mum? Listen, what happened to the lady who dreamed she was eating a huge great marshmallow?’
    ‘Can I have a marshmallow?’ said Pippa.
    ‘When she woke up her pillow had disappeared!’
    Mum didn’t move. But Mack did.
    ‘I’m warning you, Elsa. Just one more of your stupid jokes and you’re for it!’
    ‘Dad, can I have some biscuits or some sweets or something? I’m hungry,’ Pippa whined.
    ‘OK, OK.’ Mack fumbled in his pocket for change. ‘Take her down to that shop on the corner, Elsa. Here.’
    ‘What do Eskimos use for money? Ice lolly!’
    ‘I thought I told you. NO MORE JOKES!’
    ‘OK, OK.’ I grabbed Pippa and scooted out the room.
    ‘Why are adults boring?’ I asked her, as we went down the stairs. ‘Because they’re groanups.’
    I roared with laughter. I’m not altogether sure Pippa understood, but she laughed too to keep me company. The big bunny lady in reception put her pointy finger to her lips and went ‘Sh! Sh!’ at us.
    ‘She sounds like a train,’ I said to Pippa. ‘Hey, what do you call a train full of toffee?’
    ‘Oh, toffee! Are you buying toffee? I like toffee too.’
    ‘No, Pippa, you’re not concentrating. What do you call a train full of toffee? A chew-chew train.’
    Pippa blinked up at me blankly. I laughed. She laughed too, but she was just copying me like she always does. I wished she was old enough to appreciate my jokes. I longed to try them all out on Naomi, but she was at school.
    That was one of the advantages of going to live at the O Yal Htl. I couldn’t go to my old school because it was miles and miles away. No-one had said anything about going to any other school. I certainly wasn’t going to bring the subject up.
    I took hold of Pippa’s hand and we went out of the hotel and down the road to where there was this one shop selling sweets and