Sleepover Club Vampires. Fiona Cummings

was going to explain to me why they couldn’t stay with us after all. I braced myself for the worst.

      “Er, h-hello?” I stammered, taking the phone from Mum.

      “Kenny! How are you?” a warm chuckly voice asked.

      Now any adult who calls me Kenny instead of my stupid proper name is all right by me.

      “Fine thanks!” I grinned.

      “So I’m finally going to meet you and one of your friends – two for the price of one, eh?” he guffawed.

      “Erm yes, thanks for letting Lyndz come too, Great Uncle Bob,” I said. “We really appreciate it.”

      “The more the merrier. How are the rest of your Sleepover chums?” he asked.

      Well, you could have knocked me down with a feather! How on earth did he know about them?

      “Erm, fine thanks,” I whispered. I was beginning to see why Mum thought the guy was a bit strange.

      “It seems such a pity that only one of your friends is going to accompany you up to Bonny Scotland. How about inviting the others as well? What are their names again? Frankie, Fliss and who’s the other one?”

      The guy was seriously starting to spook me out now.

      “R-Rosie!” I squeaked.

      “Ah yes, that’s the one!” he chuckled. “I love reading about your sleepover exploits in your Christmas letters!”

      Phew! So that’s how he knew about the Sleepover gang. (Mum makes us write these stupid letters to our rellies at Crimbo time and I always fill mine with stuff about our best sleepovers and of course news of Leicester City FC!)

      Anyway, when I’d recovered myself I suddenly realised what Great Uncle Bob had suggested. It was like he could really read my mind!

      “Thanks, Great Uncle Bob!” I screamed. “That’d be brilliant! I’ll ask them all tomorrow.”

      “Oh Kenny – there’s just one thing before you go.”

      “Yes?”

      “Do you think you could just call me ‘Uncle Bob’? I don’t want to feel like a doting old fool just yet!”

      I grinned. “OK Uncle Bob, you’ve got it. See ya!”

      I handed the phone over to Dad, who was hovering by my shoulder. This was just wicked! I couldn’t wait to see the others at school the next day. But I was going to make sure that I had some fun with them first.

      The next morning I was in the playground first for once. As soon as Rosie appeared, I started doing this crazy jig.

      “You look like a turkey with a firework up its bottom!” she shrieked. “What on earth are you doing?”

      “The highland fling!” I shouted, throwing myself into my dancing with gusto. “Lyndz and I have to learn it for Uncle Bob’s party. It’s going to be wicked.”

      “Oh!” Rosie’s face fell. “Right.”

      “Yeah, he has this mega big party every year and we’re going to be there for it. It’s going to be ace! Hey Lyndz, I’m going to have to teach you the highland fling before we go up to Scotland, you know!”

      Lyndz was walking into the playground with Frankie and Fliss. She looked kind of embarrassed when I mentioned the Scottish trip, like she didn’t want to upset the others or something. But I didn’t let that stop me.

      “Uncle Bob’s got this stonking great pile of a house. It’s really mega. You’d love it, guys!” I looked round the others then clapped my hand over my mouth. “Oops sorry, I forgot! Still, Lyndz and I’ll tell you all about it when we get back, won’t we?”

      Lyndz just went bright red and looked at her feet. The others looked seriously peeved.

      But I didn’t stop there. By lunchtime I’d told them that Uncle Bob had hundreds of servants, including chefs who could knock up any delicacy you fancied. I’d also told them how all the guests at his party would be in the height of fashion and dripping in diamonds. You should have seen their faces! Honestly, if looks could kill, I’d be dead a million times over.

      I was just about to launch into a description of Uncle Bob’s (imaginary) helicopter and speedboat when Frankie snarled:

      “OK McKenzie, I think we get the picture! You and Lyndz are going to have a fantastic time in Scotland and we’re not. Well quite frankly I pity Lyndz. I wouldn’t want to spend all my half-term with such a bragger. I don’t know what’s got into you, Kenny. You’re not the same girl we used to know.”

      The others stared at me hard and shook their heads. Even Lyndz was looking at me sadly.

      “We wouldn’t come to Scotland with you if you paid us, would we girls?” Frankie growled.

      “No way!”

      “No thanks!”

      I grinned. My plan had worked.

      “Well that’s a pity,” I said innocently. “Because I was going to ask you all if you wanted to come with us too!”

      “You’re kidding!” The others started doing impressions of goldfishes with their mouths open.

      “No, straight up,” I admitted. “Uncle Bob invited you himself last night. I was just winding you up to pay you back for being so mean yesterday!”

      “Kenny, you creep!” Frankie leapt on to my back.

      “Still, if you’re not going to come it doesn’t matter,” I shrugged, shaking her off.

      “‘Course we will, you dill!” Frankie grinned. “Especially if your Uncle’s place is as fantastic as you say.”

      “Ah well, I actually made that up!” I confessed. “I’ve never even been there myself. It could be one big run-down old shack for all I know.”

      “Oh well, in that case,” Rosie said jokingly, “I don’t think we should go. What do you think, Fliss?”