Hannah in the Spotlight Read Free Page B

as a detective, anyway. Sitting in a café spying on people might be fun, but I wasn’t so keen on the idea of snooping round old cottages in the dead of night, or trying to stay hidden while following someone on a bike, or having to dress up as a tramp to listen in on secret conversations.
    Then I thought about wanting to go to drama camp. Was there some way I could put the ideas together? We wouldn’t have a teacher, of course, or even a big group, but was there something we could do on our own?
    ‘HANNAH!’ Maisie was stuck on a word and I hadn’t noticed.
    ‘OK, Maisie, show me where you’ve got to,’ I told her. I’d just have to work out the details later. But I felt the surge of happiness that having a new plan always brings.
    As soon as Mum got home I hopped over the garden wall to knock on Meg’s front door. The older lady I’d seen going in earlier answered it.
    ‘Hello, I’m Hannah, I live next door. I just wanted a quick word with Meg if that’s all right.’
    The lady smiled. ‘I’m Sadie. Nice to meet you, Hannah.’ She called over her shoulder to Meg, who appeared from the kitchen. ‘Don’t be too long, Meg. I’m just putting lunch on the table.’
    ‘Sorry to interrupt,’ I said to Meg. ‘I was just wondering if you can come over this afternoon?’
    ‘Sure,’ she said. ‘What have you got in mind?’
    ‘I’ll explain everything later. Come over to my house about 2.30, OK?’
    ‘See you then!’ Meg said, smiling as she closed the door.
    Now I just needed to get hold of the other two. I looked at my watch. Still only one o’clock, so I couldn’t call over for Ruby just yet. I could drop a note in for her though, so she’d see it as soon as she got home from ballet camp. I’d have to call Laura from the landline at home. Ruby and I reckon we are the only twelve-year-olds in the entire country who don’t have mobile phones. Mum says I don’t need one until I go to secondary school next year. Laura has one, but she says it’s not much use when she can’t text her two best friends.
    I just had time to phone Laura and tell her about the plan, then I rushed to help Mum unpack the groceries and make the lunch. The boys were getting a lift home from the party, so at least she didn’t have to worry about that.
    Mum said it was fine if I asked the girls over that afternoon, and she promised to keep Maisie occupied if Iwanted to use my room. I wasn’t so sure about that one. Keeping Maisie occupied is not easy, especially when you have three other children to look after too. I decided the garden was the best option, unless it started raining or something.
    At quarter past two, I dragged the garden table into the middle of the lawn. Actually, that’s where it’s supposed to live, but the boys keep moving it because it gets in the way of their games. I set up four chairs and got a cloth to wipe away all the cobwebs – it had been a while since we used it, and it looked like the spiders had taken it over. I got out my notebook and pen, and I filled a jug with juice and put it on a tray with four glasses.
    The doorbell rang and I rushed to answer it.
    ‘Hey,’ said Ruby. ‘I got your note – hope you don’t mind me being early!’
    ‘No, it’s great! Come on in – you can help me with the biscuits and stuff.’
    Ruby followed me in, saying hello to Mum and Emma as she passed. I’ve known Ruby since we were three years old. Our mothers met at toddler group. I’m maybe not as close to her as I am to Laura, but that’s not because we don’t get on or anything. It’s really just because Ruby spends so much of her time on her ballet. As well as the normal classes she gets extra one-on-one lessons from the head of the ballet school, and she seems to spend most ofthe school holidays at a ballet camp. When she has a show coming up she has all these extra rehearsals, and she’s forever doing exercises or stretches or something at home too. Ballet is the number one thing in her