"Brrrrr. Brrrrr. Brrrrr."

"Uh!"

"Brrrrr. Brrrrr. Brrrrr."

I grabbed what I now recognised as my phone from the bedstand and clicked it on.

"Hello?"

"Oh you are there"

"What?"

The voice was familiar but I couldn't place it.

"Wake up Drew! You're gonna be late!"

Blast! Maddy! I was supposed to meet the others before school this morning.

"Drew are you there?"

"Er sorry Mad, I had a bad night"

"Well get yourself over here and you can tell us about it"

"Sure, fifteen minutes?"

"Ok you can have breakfast here. Now go!"

"Bye"

I shut the phone off and dragged myself out of the mess of my bedclothes.

Twenty minutes later I parked my bike in the Peters garage and was ushered into the dining room by Maddy.

"Hi guys, sorry I'm late"

"Morning Drew" Rhod offered

"Someone's not a morning person eh Mad?"

"Well he was up early enough when he stayed over!"

I tried to disappear into the hard wooden chair.

"Let him alone" Ally instructed

"Toast Drew?"

"Yes please"

Mad went to put some bread on to toast while I helped myself to some juice.

"Okay then, who's got any ideas then?"

"Ideas?" I had to ask

"Der, that's why we're here dummy" Rhod intoned

"Right, just testing"

"Well I have" offered Bernie, "how about the Armouries at Leeds"

"That'd be cool, they have jousting and stuff don't they?" Ally queried

"Yeah, we went last year, they do sword fights and other demo's too" Maddy filled in

"Sounds good" I put in.

"Oops your toast Drew!" Maddy leapt up and returned with some slightly charred bread.

"Sorry Drew, shall I do some more?"

"No, mum says a bit of burnt is good for you"

"Anyone else got any ideas?" Rhod asked

"Well how about Joddrell Bank?"

"What's that Drew?" Ally queried

"It's a big radio telescope near my Gran's, you remember they went there in The Grimleys*"

"Sounds a bit dull to me" Maddy suggested

"You got anything better then?" I quipped

"How about York, it's always full of Americans"

"I still think Joddrell would be good" I pouted

"You got any ideas Rhod?"

"Howz about Lincoln then?"

"It's like York on a hill isn't it?" Maddy queried

"Nah, it's much quieter and there's a proper castle" I advised, "we often go after I've been racing near there."

"Time to go kids!" Mrs Peters called through.

"Well I guess we've got a few ideas anyhow" Ally offered

"Yeah, bye Mum!"

We followed Maddy out and chorused

"Bye Mrs Peters!" as Mad pulled the door shut

We chatted as we walked to school and being Wednesday the girls didn't share any classes with me or Rhod hence our early morning meeting.

"Well..."

"Oh you want Gaby to go to the party? Like no way! You have got to be just so kidding!"

"Is that a no then?"

"Yes that is a no. I am never going to be Gaby again! Whatever gave you that idea?"

Pinkie looked crestfallen and a little taken aback by my vehemence.

"Well Jules said you wore a girls swimming cozzie at the weekend."

That sister of mine has a big mouth.

"That was different, I didn't have my trunks thanks to big sis. I never want to dress in girls stuff ever again."

"Okay, okay. Well if you change your mind"

"I won't"

"Well if you do, the offers open"

Sheesh, I just seem to attract weirdo's who want to see me in a frock! Just why would I, Drew Bond, want to go to a girl's party dressed as a girl? I just hope no one else heard that conversation, it would be all round the school in minutes! Just wait till I see you later Sis.

After that incident the rest of the day went quietly and luckily for Jules eardrums I had too much homework to do to harangue her that evening.

Thursday arrived all too soon but at least I didn't dream of being a girl cyclist! School was it's usual boring and un-instructive self but finally it was time for Mr Woods exchange meeting.

"Everyone here?" the Head asked sweeping into the room

"Yes sir" we all mumbled in reply

"Well I assume most if not all of you have made contact with your exchanges, Drew?"

"Er yes sir" I was surprised by his picking on me

"Anyone got any problems?"

Silence greeted his question

"I'll take that as a no then. Good. Okay we'll move onto the subject of visits" he moved over to the blackboard and assumed ready position.

"Okay where are we going to take our visitors? Charlotte?"

"Er London Sir?"

"Good" he scribbled that on the board

"Anyone else? Yes Madeline"

"York sir"

"Excellent, keep them coming" he wrote York down

"Lincoln" Rhod offered

"The Armouries in Leeds" Bernie added

"Skegvegas**" one of the older kids jokingly suggested

"Serious suggestions please Hargreaves" Mr Wood instructed

"Joddrell Bank sir" I put forward my idea and it was added to the list.

"Any more?"

"Stonehenge?" Jules put in

"Is that it?" getting no more suggestions he continued, "well I see most of you" he looked pointedly at Paul Hargreaves "have given this some thought and I'm sure that we can include some of these suggestions in the programme. Okay unless anyone has any questions? No? Right then same time and place next week then."

"Goodnight sir" Jules offered and everyone else felt obliged to fall in line.

"You coming to the party next week Drew" Charlie asked outside

"Anna's?"

"How many more are there?" she asked jovially

"I told Anna yesterday no"

"Oh go on, it'll be fun"

"Look I said no and I mean it, Jules can you tell Charlie I'm not going she won't listen to me"

"Well I think you should go Drew"

Sisters! We spent the rest of the walk home arguing back and forth and I seemed to be losing the argument! I managed to extricate myself before supper but once in bed I had a chance to go over all the arguments Jules had put forward.

I fell asleep with Gaby on my mind. Screwy huh?

*: Cult UK TV show about schooldays in the 1970's made @

**: Local comedic name for Skegness on the Lincolnshire coast which

Maddy Bell 24.05.03
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