Merry Christmas, Sleepover Club: Christmas Special. Sue Mongredien

forward to this one, too. I mean, sleepovers are always excellent, but when we’ve got something really special coming up, like the pantomime, it makes it even more fun.

      By the end of Friday afternoon, none of us could think about doing any work – we were all too excited about the evening ahead. Luckily, on Friday afternoons, Mrs Weaver always reads to us, so you don’t have to concentrate too hard. This time she took out a copy of Matilda by Roald Dahl, so we all got to sit and listen to that. It was such a good story, I actually managed to STOP thinking about Cinderella and sleepovers for a while – but only just!

      Then all of a sudden it was three-thirty and time to go. Yippeeee! Me and Fliss were going straight back to Kenny’s house with her, while Lyndz and Frankie were going to go home and pick up their bags of goodies first, then come over a bit later. Kenny doesn’t live far from the school, so we all walked back – stopping at the sweet shop first, of course.

      We don’t seem to have that many sleepovers at Kenny’s, partly because of her horrid older sister, Molly Moany-guts, who Kenny shares a room with. Whenever we have a sleepover, Molly has to move in with Emma, their oldest sister, for the night. And boy, does Molly kick up a stink about it! She makes a real fuss if we so much as TOUCH any of her stuff, so I’m always a bit worried about breaking something of hers, especially when Kenny sets up one of her famous assault courses round the bedroom.

      This time, we’d just left the sweet shop when we heard a familiar horrible voice.

      “Ahh, look! It’s the Bedtime Club for little girly-wirlies!”

      You guessed it – Molly and her equally horrible friend, Carli, sniggering so hard they looked as if they were about to wet their pants.

      Fliss looked a bit rattled. She hates scenes, especially in public, where someone might see her. “Ignore them, Kenny,” she hissed. “Come on, let’s go.”

      Ignore them? Fat chance! Kenny doesn’t know the meaning of the word “ignore” when it comes to miserable Molly. She turned round at once, eyes sparkling, ready for battle.

      “Ahh, look! Battersea Dogs’ Home have let some strays loose because they were so hideous, nobody wanted them!” she said sweetly. “Here, doggies! Come here!”

      Molly took a step forward. BIG mistake!

      “Oh, look, they’re so obedient, they even come when I call them!” Kenny cooed in delight. “Good doggy!”

      Molly glared at her younger sister and folded her arms across her chest. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you, LAURA?” she said, using Kenny’s real (hated) name, the name that only teachers and parents are allowed to use.

      “I think, therefore I am,” Kenny shot back. “Shame YOU haven’t learned how to think yet, big mouth!”