The Honeymoon Sisters by Gwyneth Rees Page B

of questions and I had to give her something or she’d never have shut up. Maybe I should’ve told her your dad’s in prison instead?’
    She glared at me angrily. ‘You didn’t have to tell her anything ! Hey, what’s this ?’
    She had been emptying out her schoolbag looking for her homework diary and she’d just discovered the poem Anne-Marie had put there earlier.

    I once killed a bird
    Whose last words were absurd –
    ‘I’d be chuffed to be stuffed,’ it did say.
    So I said I would pay
    To put it on display
    And the taxidermist came the next day.

    I laughed when Sadie showed it to me. It was actually one of Anne-Marie’s better creations. In fact, I couldn’t help wondering if her dad had helped her with it. He’s a bit of a joker and I could imagine him encouraging her with something like this.
    ‘It’s not funny!’ Sadie said angrily. ‘People really do kill animals and birds just to get them stuffed.’
    ‘Come on, Sadie,’ I protested. ‘Anne-Marie was just having a bit of fun. She’s the last person who would hurt an animal. She’s totally potty about them. Her whole back garden and conservatory are full of rabbit hutchesand cages with gerbils and guinea pigs and hamsters and stuff. She gets them from rescue centres and looks after them all by herself, cleaning out their cages and using her pocket money to buy them things they need. I’m telling you she’s animal mad.’
    Sadie had gone alarmingly quiet. ‘I had no idea,’ she finally murmured.
    ‘Well … yeah …’ I was a little confused by her reaction.
    ‘So it’s a sort of zoo for small furries?’
    ‘Well … sort of, I suppose …’
    ‘I don’t agree with zoos. Or with animals being kept locked up in cages.’
    ‘Oh come on, Sadie, they’re pets. They’d die in the wild.’
    ‘Better to die in the wild than live in a cage for your whole life,’ Sadie said.
    ‘But they aren’t in cages the whole time. The rabbits get the run of the garden and the guinea pigs have an outside run too. Anyway, they’re domestic rabbits. They’re meant to be kept as pets.’
    ‘Alison says a cage is a cage however you try and dress it up,’ she stated firmly.
    ‘She would ,’ I muttered.
    ‘Did I tell you she got expelled from school last year for trashing the science lab?’ she added proudly. ‘It was a protest because she found out our science teacher used to work in a laboratory where they did experiments on animals.’
    ‘Crikey!’ Now she had my attention.
    She grinned. ‘Actually that’s just given me an idea of how to deal with snooty Anne-Marie.’
    ‘Sadie, leave it. She doesn’t need dealing with.’
    She smirked. ‘I think she does.’
    My phone started ringing and I saw that it was Dad.
    ‘Hi, Dad. Is everything OK ?’ I asked, forgetting about Sadie for a moment. Normally Dad phones because he needs to cancel or rearrange something and I was already bracing myself for the disappointment. Then I realised we didn’t actually have another day together set up yet.
    ‘Poppy, I’m phoning about Friday. Presumably you’re already aware that it’s my birthday?’ Dad always sounds horribly businesslike on the phone.
    ‘Of course, Dad!’ How could he think I’d forget?
    ‘Kristen suggested the three of us go out for an early supper somewhere. She could meet you from school and bring you into town. The two of you can go shopping orsomething first and then I’ll meet you and take you somewhere special for dinner. How’s that?’
    ‘Oh.’ To say I was surprised would be an understatement. In fact, I loved the idea of going shopping with Kristen, though I knew I’d have to be careful not to sound too enthusiastic in front of Mum.
    ‘Poppy?’ He sounded a bit impatient and I realised I hadn’t given him an answer.
    ‘That sounds great, Dad.’ To actually see Dad on his birthday and get to celebrate it with him would be fantastic! ‘I just need to check with Mum.’
    ‘If there’s a problem, get her