Bhangra Babes Read Free Page A

night?” Geena said.
    “Well, really!” Jazz was disgusted. “If adults can't keep a secret, how do they expect us to?”
    “I still think we should keep quiet,” I said. “If it can't be traced back to us, we can't get blamed.”
    “Keep quiet about what?” said Kim, who had just come up behind me.
    What do you need to know about Kimberley Henderson? Kim is my friend, but she's also a major pain in the butt. She's another of Auntie's little projects.
    BA (before Auntie), Kim was quiet and shy and wouldn't say boo to a mouse, let alone a goose.
    PA (post-Auntie), she's becoming more assertive—
    some would say obnoxious—by the day. I can't tell her what to do anymore. Now, is that a bad thing or is that a bad thing?
    “Nothing.” I telegraphed a warning to Geena and Jazz with my eyebrows.
    “Of course it's
something”
Kim said spiritedly. “If it was nothing, you wouldn't have to keep quiet about it. And your eyebrows wouldn't be going up and down like they're on strings.”
    “Kim,” I said, “when are you going to learn that there's a very thin line between being assertive and being annoying?”
    “We can't tell you, anyway,” Jazz chimed in.
    “OK, let me guess.” Kim stroked her chin, looking thoughtful. “You don't seem worried, so it can't be bad news. It must be something good. Is it a party? A new baby? A wedding?
Oh!”
Her eyes grew round as marbles. “Auntie and Mr. Arora are getting married!”
    “Shhh!” I clapped my hand over Kim's mouth. “Do you want the whole town to know?”
    “I think they already do,” Jazz said.
    “So it is true!” Kim spluttered, slapping my hand away. “I can't
believe
you weren't going to tell me!”
    “Auntie told us not to,” I said.
    “Oh, like you three would take any notice of that!” scoffed Kim, very rudely, I thought.
    “Actually, I find your tone quite offensive, Kim,” Geena said. “We really haven't told anybody.”
    “See?” Jazz moaned. “I told you we were going to get blamed, whatever.”
    “Oh, this is great.” Kim clasped her hands ecstatically. “I'm so happy! When's the wedding? Can I borrow a salwar kameez, Amber?”
    “Who said you're invited?” I replied.
    “I'd better be,” Kim said, “or I'll want to know why not.”
    “Kim,” I sighed as we reached the school gates, “don't you ever long for the days when you were quiet and sweet and shy?”
    “Not at all,” replied Kim, smiling widely. “This is so much more fun.”
    “Isn't this wonderful?” Jazz gazed reverently up at the new school building, a marvel of light, glass and sparkling paintwork. “No more bits of plaster in our hair while we're doing French conversation.”
    “It's a shame, in a way,” I remarked, glancing at the old, tumbledown Coppergate School across the road, which was now being demolished. “The end of an era. A bit like us and Auntie.”
    “Hardly an era,” Geena pointed out. “It's hardly been even a year.”
    “Oh!” Kim clapped a hand to her mouth. “I just realized—Auntie will be moving out, now she's getting married.”
    “What's that about your auntie?”
    Chelsea Dixon and Sharelle Alexander, two of my friends, were hovering behind us, ears flapping. How they could overhear anything above the noise in the playground was a mystery, but nevertheless they were staring at us with eager faces.
    “Auntie?” I shot Kim a warning look. “Oh, nothing.”
    “I thought you said she was getting married,” Chelsea said accusingly.
    “No, not married,” said Geena.
“Carried.”
    “Carried?” Chelsea and Sharelle repeated suspiciously.
    “Yes,” Geena replied. “As in—er—carried away.”
    “Oh, that is so lame,” Jazz muttered.
    We all smiled brightly at Chelsea and Sharelle, who still looked suspicious. Everyone at school knew about Mr. Arora and Auntie's romance. They were following it with the kind of avid interest normally accorded to celebrity love affairs. If they even got a hint of the wedding, there