Postby KP Presents » Wed Mar 27, 2013 3:09 am
“So how does it feel to be the hero of the hour?”
My eyes were still smarting a bit from all the bright lights as I walked back down the stairs, accompanied by Lord Holderness. He smiled at me and said “Well done,” as Mum and Dad hugged me, and then Jenny asked the question.
“I don’t know,” was my honest reply, “but does this mean we can have some cake?”
“Oh yes, poppet,” Dad said as he ruffled my hair, “It means you can have all the cake you want today.” I smiled at that thought, before I heard a low groan and looked at Granny.
“Not me,” she said shaking her head, as Aunt Connie held her back and smiled.
“Dave,” she said, and I could hear she was not exactly herself, “I think we need to go somewhere.” I looked at Uncle Dave, only to see that he was as white as a sheet on a hospital bed - or the one at Pippa’s house.
“Come on,” Granny said as she picked up her coat, “I’ll drive you. There’s nothing to worry about, girls,” she then said as she looked at me and Jenny, “I just need to take your Aunt and Uncle home to pick something up.”
“Is your aunt all right,” Suzie said as she came over.
“I think so - she probably just has a sore back, right Dad?”
Dad just nodded his head, as he put his hand around Mum’s waist. “Come on,” he eventually said, “Cake you asked for, and cake you shall have.”
“Do you want a slice of cake before you go?”
Mum was looking at me across the dining table, as I finished my lunch. “Yes please Mum,” I said as I took the plate, and drained the rest of the fruit juice from my cup. I had changed out of the joggers and sweatshirt into a pair of jeans and a long sleeved blue top, and my feet were snug and warm in a pair of thick socks and trainers.
“Dad will take you to the sports club, and then bring an overnight bag over for you later tonight,” Mum said as she poured herself a cup of tea. Dad nodded as he put his cup down and wiped his chin on a napkin.
“Give me five minutes,” he said as he stood up, “and I’ll be ready.” As he left the kitchen, Jenny came in and sat down.
“Is Dad still going to take me tonight,” she said as she poured herself a glass of juice.
“Oh yeah - the big date with Colin,” I said, and I giggled as I said it. I just found it difficult to think of my big sister going out with a boy - it wasn’t nasty, just funny, and the fact it was making Jenny blush made it even funnier.
“Get your coat, Cassie,” Mum said as she stood up. “Time you weren’t here.”
I stood up, stuck my tongue out at Jenny as she drank her juice, and then went to get my blue padded coat. As I was putting it on, Dad came down with my duffle bag in my hand.
“In the car, poppet,” he said as we walked out to the garage, and I climbed in the back, strapping myself in as Dad started the car and we headed off.
The sports club had been built next to the big shopping centre at the far side of town - a big white block that looked as if it was just another shop front or warehouse or whatever those buildings big parcels come from are. Anyway, Dad pulled into the car park and turned the engine off, before he got out and opened the door for me.
As I got out, I heard Pippa shouting “Cassie,” and I looked to where she was standing outside the entrance. As always, her long brown hair had been platted into two pigtails, and she had on her steel rimmed glasses. She was also wearing jeans, but with a red t-shirt over a white long sleeved top.
Her mother was standing with her, wearing a black leather jacket over a brown jersey dress, and knee length shiny black boots. “Hello Cassie,” she said as I walked over, “I’m glad you could stay over tonight.” She had shorter brown hair, and smiled at Dad as he handed me the duffel bag.
“Thanks for inviting her, Jackie,” Dad said as he stood with us. “I’ll bring her bag over with her friend Suzie later.”
“Suzie,” Pippa said, “She’s the one who did that amazing magic trick at your party isn’t she? I heard she was related to the family who live at the Manor House.”
“Yeah - they’re her grandparents,” I said as a few more of our friends turned up. “Don’t let that put you off, though - my Aunt Cassie teaches her class, and apparently she’s a real trouble maker.”
“Sounds fun,” Pippa said as we saw Hazel and Claire walking over with their parents. As always, they were dressed identically, this time in denim dresses with a white jumper underneath, and black Ugg boots over their white tights.
“Sorry we’re a bit late,” their father said as he joined us, “but I had to get their bags packed.”
“I’ll come and get them now,” Pippa’s mother said, and as she and their dad walked over Hazel’s mum said “Right - in we go.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow Cassie,” Dad said as he waved to me. I waved back and then followed the others through the large glass doors.
I’ve stayed in a few hotels with Mum and Dad, and when I went inside I thought I was in one of them again. There were a few big comfy chairs scattered around, and a big white desk with a woman in a white blouse standing behind it.
“Good Afternoon,” she said as we walked towards her, “Can I help you?”
“We have a swim party booked for this afternoon,” Hazel’s mum said as she showed her a letter. The woman looked at it and said “Ah yes - if you would all come this way?”
She pressed something behind the desk, and two glass doors swung open to allow us all to walk through. Hazel and Claire’s dad joined us as we walked through, and then down a corridor, past some rooms in which we could see men and woman running and doing other fun things.
Their mum had on a cream sleeveless jacket over a grey jumper and a pair of shiny black trousers, that creaked in a funny way as she walked. I could see them looking at me and stifling a laugh as we stopped in front of a door with “Party Changing Room” marked on it.
“If you will go in here,” the other woman said as she opened the door, “You can store your clothes in the locker. The pool can be accessed through the door on the other side.” She smiled at us as all twelve of us girls walked in, their mum joining us as their father left with the woman from the desk.
“Get changed quickly girls,” she said as she sat down, “You don’t want to waste a second, and there will be drinks and snacks afterwards.”
Well come on - twelve kids in a room with the prospect of a swim coming up? It became a race to see who could get changed first, as I pulled my blue swimsuit out and started to strip off.
Well, race is probably the wrong word - more like a mad scramble, as we had to be reminded to put our clothes and other things in a bag, and then into lockers before handing the keys to their mum. We then almost ran through the doors at the other side of the room, and into the swimming pool.
“Wow,” Pippa said as she followed me out, squinting for a moment, “They got inflatables and everything!”
They had as well - the pool was a small one, but it had been divided in half. One side was fairly clear, although there were a number of mats floating on the water. On the other side a large inflatable was running the length of a pool, with bumps, tunnels and other things to scramble over and through.
Dad had taken me for swimming lessons with Jenny, so I was confident enough to go straight for the obstacle float, Pippa following me. Hazel and Claire went into the other side at first, both in red swimsuits, and played with some of the others.
Well, what can I say? I’m not sure how long we spent in there, but I loved every little second of it
Eventually, however, we had to come out, and so we went back into the room, and dried ourselves off. As I pulled my jeans back on, Hazel shouted over “Hey Cassie - how’s your mum?”
“She’s fine thanks,” I called back.
“Excited about the new baby?”
“Yeah - I saw the little brother of Jenny’s friend today. He was so cute; I couldn’t wait to see what my little brother looks like.”
“Or sister,” Claire said as she pulled her jumper on. “You don’t know which it is yet, do you?”
“No,” I said, “but I hope it’s a boy. Then I have a brother of my own to boss around.”
“I wish I had a brother or sister,” Pippa said, “It would be good to have someone to talk to like that.”
I finished lacing up my shoes. “There may still be time,” I said as I looked at Pippa.
“I’d need to get a new dad first,” she said, then shook herself as she said “So where’s the party food?”
As if on cue, the door opened and the woman from the desk came in. “Come with me,” she said, and we were led to a large play room. One side was a large play frame, with slides and a ball pool, and against the wall on the other side was a table with jugs of juice, sandwiches and other snacks.
“GREAT!” we all called out as we descended on the food, and Hazel’s mum and dad sat next to the ball pool.
I ate and drank, and then realised I needed to visit the little girl’s room. As I left the play room, I could see the desk at the front, and that two men were talking to the woman standing there. They didn’t notice me, but I could see they were big men, one of them with ginger hair and the other with a black woollen cap over his grey hair.
Anyway, I saw the sign for the toilet, and went in. When I came out a few minutes later, I saw that the woman and the two men had gone, and there was nobody at the desk.
I could also see a chocolate machine, next to the desk, and I had sudden hankering for a bar of chocolate. I had a little money in my pocket, so I walked down and bought myself a bar of Cadbury’s Milk Chocolate.
I was about to go back to the room when I heard a sobbing sound from a door behind the desk, and I - well, I was curious. The door was solid white, but it was a little bit ajar, so I sneaked over and had a look inside.
I could see the lady from the desk kneeling on the floor, next to another woman, and the two men were looking in a big metal box. That was not really caught my attention though - what did was the fact the two women had a strip of what looked like white plastic around their wrists, holding them together behind their backs.
The ginger haired man suddenly looked over at the door, and for a moment I thought he had seen me, as I put my hand over my mouth. As he turned back to look at the safe, however, I sneaked away from the door, and looked round. There was a telephone on the desk, which I just managed to reach up and lower gently down. Trying to breath normally, I picked up the receiver and dialled three digits.
“Emergency,” the female voice said “Which service please?”
“Police,” I whispered, “there are some bad men - robbers I think - at the place I came to swim at.”
“All right dear,” the female voice said, “Don’t put the phone down. Are the bad men still there?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“All right, what’s your name?”
“Cassie - Cassie Craig.”
“All right Cassie - I want you to hide this phone, but do not touch anything. Then I want you to hide where the men cannot find you - I am going to send someone round, all right?”
“All right,” I whispered before I hid the telephone under the table, and then went back to the play room. I knew I had to keep the others in there, and I had an idea how.”
“Hey Cassie,” Pippa said as I walked back in, “That took a while.” I nodded and then said “Everyone in the Ball Pool! Let’s see who can hide the longest!”