Sleepover Girls on the Range. Fiona Cummings

my mum,” Fliss suddenly piped up. “Maybe we could have a bit of line-dancing at this Open Day! I’m sure our mums could persuade some of their friends to come along.”

      “That’s a good idea, Fliss,” Frankie nodded. “Because then Mrs McAllister could show off her stables to people who might not even know about them.”

      “And we could have real cowboy food!” I giggled. “Round a big campfire like they always have in those films!”

      “Yes!”

      We started to dance around. This was going to be brilliant!

      Then it hit me. We weren’t supposed to be organising Mrs McAllister’s Open Day at all.

      “But guys, the Open Day isn’t really anything to do with us!” I stopped jumping around.

      “It isn’t?” They all looked surprised.

      “No!” I laughed. “As well as having the Open Day for everybody, Mrs McAllister wants to give a special treat to just the five of us. It’s her way of saying thank you to us for helping raise money for the stables last time.”

      “Great! What is it?” asked Frankie.

      I took a deep breath. This was the moment I’d been waiting for!

      “Well, what about a sleepover? In one of the barns? We’ll be like real cowboys – it’ll be so cool! What do you say?”

      No-one said anything. They just stared at me.

      

      Fliss was the first to speak.

      “A sleepover in a b…barn? I don’t think so, Lyndz.”

      She looked round at the others for encouragement. Now I had expected problems from Fliss, but not from everyone else. I thought they’d be thrilled.

      “You mean, you want us to sleep where Alfie sleeps?” asked Rosie incredulously. “What if he tramples us or something?”

      “And wouldn’t it be a bit, you know, stinky?” sniffed Frankie. “You know what a mess it is when you’re mucking out.”

      I started to laugh.

      “De-err!” I put my finger to my head. “We’d be sleeping in an empty barn, dumbos, not a stable! We’d probably give Alfie nightmares if we pitched down our sleeping bags with him!”

      “Well, it sounds brill to me!” Kenny suddenly leapt up and flicked the brim of her cowboy hat with her finger. Then she put on a terrible American accent. “There’ll be a wild time in that ol’ barn when the Sleepover Club move into town. Yes siree!”

      “I’m still not sure,” Fliss mumbled. “It’ll be kind of spooky in a barn at night, won’t it?”

      “Mrs McAllister does have lights in there, you know,” I explained. “She’s had a full security system fitted too, and her house is right next door to the barn anyway. Come on Fliss, it’ll be as safe as anything. What do the rest of you think?”

      “I think it’s a brilliant idea. Count me in!” Kenny came to stand next to me. “What about you, Frankie? You’re not wimping out as well, are you?”

      “Nope.” Frankie stood up and came over to join us. “As long as the horses aren’t sleeping over with us, you can count me in too!”

      “And me!” Rosie leapt up. “It’ll be great, really different. It’s a brilliant idea, Lyndz!”

      Phew – that was a relief!

      “Well Fliss, are you in or out? Because you’re definitely outvoted, four to one,” Kenny told her firmly. “So we’ll be having this sleepover whether you’re there or not!”

      Now as you probably know, Fliss hates being left out more than anything else in the world. She reluctantly got to her feet.

      “OK, I’m in,” she agreed. “But I’m not really happy about it.”

      “Nice one, Fliss!”

      We grabbed each other in a circle and started to dance round, faster and faster. By the time we’d collapsed in a heap on the grass, even Fliss was smiling again!

      “So,” panted Frankie as we were all getting our breath back. “What did Mrs McAllister say when you suggested your great plan to her?”

      “Well,” I admitted slowly. “I haven’t actually mentioned it to her yet. I wanted to clear it with you lot first.”

      “Oh?” The others looked at me wide-eyed. Fliss began to smile.