Read Becky's Terrible Term Online
Authors: Holly Webb
Becky's Terrible Term
The
Series
Becky's Terrible Term
Annabel's Perfect Party
Katie's Big Match
Becky's Problem Pet
Annabel's Starring Role
Katie's Secret Admirer
Becky's Dress Disaster
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Emily Feather and the Enchanted Door
Emily Feather and the Secret Mirror
Emily Feather and the Chest of Charms
Emily Feather and the Starlit Staircase
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Catmagic, Dogmagic, Hamstermagic, Rabbitmagic,
Birdmagic, Ponymagic, Mousemagic
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Chapter One
It was half-past seven on the first morning of the new school year â and things were not going to plan in the Ryan house.
“Mum! Where's my pencil case?”
“And my PE kit?”
“And my other shoe?”
Three excited and slightly panicky voices spoke at once, and Mrs Ryan looked round from the kitchen counter in horror. “What on earth's happened? You had everything yesterday â it can't all have disappeared overnight.”
Sometimes, generally when all the floor-space in the house had disappeared under piles of washing, Mrs Ryan wondered how her daughters managed to cause at least ten girls' worth of confusion. What was it about the triplets that made them seem like three blonde hurricanes? She looked at the girls scurrying round the kitchen in a panic and laughed. At least she got more than three times the fun as well!
“Your shoe's there, Becky, under the table, look.”
“I definitely didn't leave it there â I wish you'd play football with your
own
shoes, Katie. It's always mine that end up kicked into stupid places.”
“I'm
wearing
my shoes, silly. You shouldn't leave them lying around â it's too tempting. Where is that pencil case, I know I had it. . .”
Katie rummaged around on the kitchen table, rootling through Mrs Ryan's newspaper, and threatening to disturb the large pile of her mother's filing that was towering in the middle of the big pine table.
“Oh, Katie, I was reading that! And please don't knock that pile over, I'd just sorted it â oh, well,” Mrs Ryan sighed. “Look â your pencil case is here, in your bag where you put it last night. Honestly, you three, I think you all need glasses. Annabel, what did you say you'd lost?”
“My PE kit, but I haven't, Orlando's sitting on it. Get off, you great lump!”
Annabel tugged at her purple PE bag, trying to dislodge the fat ginger cat who'd decided that her tracksuit and trainers were definitely comfier than his expensive cat basket. Orlando yawned, and stretched, and then shook out his fearsomely clawed paws as slowly as he could. He gave Annabel a look of total contempt and strolled over to Becky to see if he could get a second breakfast out of her.
“Come here, Orlando,” said Becky, picking him up and rubbing her face against his ears, starting a rumbling purr from somewhere deep inside him. “Ignore that awful Annabel, she doesn't love you at all, does she?”
“Huh. When that cat apologizes for being sick on my best T-shirt, then I might just decide to like him again. But I'm still waiting. Fleabag!” Annabel hissed, mock-furiously.
Orlando hissed back, and then turned his “I'm starving” face on Becky, and gave a piteous little mew.
“Uh-uh,” said Becky. “I'm not falling for it today, puss. I know
I've fed you. It's your own fault if you ate the whole bowl in ten seconds flat.” She tapped his nose with one finger firmly. “No more food!”
Orlando wriggled crossly till Becky put him down, and then stalked off to sulk in next door's garden. Maybe today would be the day that all his hours of watching their bird table finally paid off.
“Sit down and eat your breakfast, you three. You need to have plenty to keep you going. I should think you'll be running about all over the place,” said Mum, sipping her coffee.
“I'm really glad that we went to the Open Evening,” said Katie. “At least we know where we're going. I think I do, anyway.”
“Well, I can't remember anything,” said Annabel. “Except that all the corridors had paint the colour of sick.”
“Uurrgh! Bel, that's disgusting. I was going to have some muesli and now you've really put me off.” Becky pushed her bowl away, shuddering. Her stomach wasn't happy anyway, as all her nervousness about the new school seemed to be having a party in there, but now she felt even worse.
“I don't know how you can eat that stuff, anyway. It looks
exactly
like the mix you give the guinea pigs. It's probably just the same thing in a different packet.”
“Except I think the guinea-pig food costs more,” put in Mum. “Your zoo in the shed is eating us out of house and home, Becky.”
Becky grinned. She knew Mum didn't mean it. She loved having all the animals around. It wasn't just Orlando and the guinea pigs â there was Pixie, the little black cat who'd turned up in the garden one morning two years ago, and stayed, and every so often a bird that Becky had rescued, generally from Pixie, who was a ruthless hunter. Becky thought it might be because Pixie had lived as a stray â she wasn't used to two delicious bowls of Whiskas a day, and she liked her food on the move.
“How about some toast instead?” Mum offered.
“OK. I'll put some on â anyone else?” said Becky, jumping up. Perhaps a piece of toast would help her feel less weird.
Annabel looked longingly at the loaf that Becky was waving at her in a tempting fashion. “Nope,” she said finally. “Can't manage it.”
“I'm not surprised. You practically inhaled that cereal,” said Katie. “I'll have some, please, Becky. Can you pass the peanut butter, too?”
Mrs Ryan started to assemble three packed lunches from the fridge. “So you think you know where your classroom is, Katie?” she said.
“Yes, I think so. And the hall. And I definitely know how to get to the playing fields. They looked excellent. Loads more space than our old school. I can't wait.”
Annabel looked at her sister sadly. “Mad. Probably got hit on the head by a football â a tragic case.”
“Huh. Well, at least I've got some clue where I'm going. Can you remember anything? Oh no, course not â there's no clothes shops at school. And Becky'll only know where there's a bird's nest in the playground. It'll be me looking after the two of you,
as usual
.”
Katie was quite right. She was much the most organized of the triplets, and she did tend to lead the other two around. The triplets might look identical, but their characters were totally different. Katie, confident and a bit bossy, Annabel, a head-in-the-clouds, happy-go-lucky show-off, and Becky, the shyest and most thoughtful of the three.
And of course
,
thought Mrs Ryan, as she surveyed the fridge,
they
would
all like different food
. Had she got it all in the right boxes? One purple and silver lunchbox with cheese sandwiches, one Manchester United lunchbox with ham, and one blue box with a kitten on, with cheese
and
ham. At least they all liked granary bread â this week, anyway!
Mrs Ryan finished her coffee, then noticed the time and panicked. “You'd better have one last check that you've got everything, girls, and then put your jumpers on. It's nearly quarter-past eight.”
Becky and Katie licked toast crumbs off their fingers and went to put their plates in the sink.
“Are you working at home today, Mum?” asked Annabel, running her spoon round her cereal bowl for the last few drops of milk. Mrs Ryan worked as a translator, translating books in French and German into English, and the other way round. Most days she worked at home, but about once a week she went into an office. It was a good system, as it meant she was able to fit in work and looking after the triplets.
“Yes, I'll be here all day. I'm in the office for a meeting on Thursday. I've got a lot to do this week.”
“Excellent. Does that mean we get to cook dinner?” asked Annabel. She loved to cook â especially cakes that she could decorate afterwards â and then eat! The others loved to cook, too, but it generally ended up with Becky doing the washing up, after Katie had fought with Annabel to try and make her clean up her own mess.
“Mmm, I could certainly do with some help. Of course, I'll have to fit in the shopping first. Any requests?”
“Fish fingers. Can we have them for tonight's tea?” asked Katie.
“We're nearly out of crisps, too. And can we have some more of those minty biscuits?” added Annabel.
“You're such a junk-food freak,” said Becky. “Don't forget the cat food this time, Mum.”
“Hang on, hang on, I need to write this down. Biscuits, yes,” muttered Mrs Ryan, grabbing a pad from by the kitchen phone. “Cat food. . .”
“Come
on
,
Mum, if you're sure you really want to come.” Katie had her arms folded, and was looking impatient.
“Of course I'm coming with you on your first morning! Get your things together, girls, we'd better be off. Manor Hill is a bit further away than your old school.”
“I'm glad we can still walk though,” said Katie, closing the front gate behind her, and patting Pixie, who'd managed to squash herself on to the gatepost. “Watch it, Pixie â move one paw a centimetre and you'll be in a real state. I don't know how
she can sit there like that â it can't be comfy.”
“I think she's just proving she can!” giggled Becky, as they all headed up the road towards their new school.