Chapter 25
25
2001
Fireworks Night used to be a favourite date for me and Uncle Kevin. While Mum made bangers and mash, we’d spell our names in the night air with sparklers out in the back garden. He’d buy me boxes of fun snaps and pretend to be really scared at the noise when I threw them on the ground. He always found an amazing display to go to. Last year’s had a waterfall with water drops made of white sparkles. Mum said it was the prettiest thing, like a wedding dress’s train. A dress with a railway on it doesn’t sound very pretty to me.
This year I want to spend it with Flint. It’s next week. I asked Mum and she said he can come to tea. She wondered if he’d be doing anything with his family but they haven’t got the money to visit a display and won’t use sparklers in their back garden in case they frighten the rabbits and guinea pigs.
We’re sitting in the tree house. It’s a Saturday morning, which means hours and hours off school. Fireworks Night is next Friday – only six days to go.
‘Mum’s promised to make us bangers and mash, just like old times,’ I say.
Flint puts down his book and his face splits into a grin. Today he’s wearing one of his older brother’s old jackets. It’s a little bit big for him. ‘That’s awesome, especially as Sally has started trying to make us go vegetarian.’
Flint calls his mum by her name. It sounds very grown-up to me.
He pulls a face. ‘Last night she served up burgers made of something called soya.’
I don’t know what that is but it sounds disgusting.
‘I couldn’t eat more than a mouthful and made myself a cheese sandwich instead.’
‘I wish my mum would let me skip her meals. We had fried eggs last night. I don’t like the white.’
‘Me neither. But the yolk is yummy, especially with sticks of toast dipped in.’
Me and Flint have loads in common. Unlike everyone in my class, he also doesn’t much like the Spice Girls.
‘Alice threw an egg sandwich at my jumper yesterday. It smeared across it. All afternoon she said I smelt like farts. Everyone laughed and made raspberry noises when they came near me.’ I curl my fists. ‘I really hate her. It’s just getting worse. Everyone has forgotten about the spider.’
‘She needs to be taught a lesson that will really hurt.’
‘Like what?’
Flint pulls his ponytail tighter. ‘If only we could get a firework. You could throw it at her feet. Watch her scream when it goes off.’
I gasp. ‘Wouldn’t that be dangerous? She could get burnt really badly and I’d get into big trouble.’
‘She was horrid about your Uncle Kevin, remember.’ Flint shrugs. ‘If it was me I’d get her back big time for that. The worst thing that could happen is that she might catch fire a little and have to strip off her dress.’
I can’t help giggling at the thought of Alice standing in the playground in her stupid bra. We’re only seven but her mum bought her this fancy matching underwear and she struts around in the PE changing rooms acting like a pop star. She called me a baby for wearing Eeyore knickers.
‘A firework would be really hard to find, though,’ he says. ‘We need to find another way you can scare her.’
Alice keeps going on about a party she is going to on Fireworks Night. It’s at the house next to hers. She plays with the children even though they are older than her. Alice fits in at school and out. Nothing will ever break her popularity.
But Alice did say she isn’t going to a display because she hates loud noises. Flint’s given me an idea. I remember Uncle Kevin’s fun snaps. I still have a box in my bedroom.
I say goodbye to Flint after we’ve played tag and focus on next Friday. Flint reckons the idea of fun snaps is a bit tame but says to throw them at her during lunch. Hopefully the shock will make her choke. He’s right. If they really frighten her, it will be a good payback. She’d know a little bit of how Uncle Kevin suffered when those planes crashed into his tower.
I wish the nightmares would stop. A few weeks ago I even wet the bed. But Mum didn’t get cross. She asked me to tell her about the dream. It’s always the same. Uncle Kevin is trapped inside the tower at a window, and he looks down at me. We wave and I’m sick with panic that I can’t help him. He starts crying and takes off his jacket. The flames get nearer and he calls out in pain. With one last wave, he mouths I love you and then climbs outside the window and I wake up in a sweat.
It’s Alice’s fault that I have these nightmares and that makes me more determined to teach her a lesson.
Enough is enough.
Flint is right.
Next Friday, I’ll spook her with something even scarier than the spider.
As he says, it’s only fair that I make her jump as well.