Free The Sleepover Club Bridesmaids by Angie Bates

mystery surprise?”
    The great thing about this particular Friday was that as well as being Mum’s wedding day minus one, it also happened to be the last day of term. This meant we had no actual lessons, YIPPEE! Which, as Kenny said, was really just as well, seeing as by this time all five of us were in like, dizzy nonstop orbit around Planet Wedding!
    Frankie and I walked home together, trying to guess what on earth Patsy’s surprise could be. Some of our guesses got pretty wild!
    “It’s her secret recipe for cabbage soup,” Frankie suggested. “It’s so hush-hush, she’s going to write it down in code and make me learn it off by heart. After that she’ll make me swallow it. And if I don’t, I needn’t think I’m going to get ANY pudding!”
    “No, I know what it is,” I giggled. “You’ve won an entire five minutes at the PatsyProudlove Charm School!”
    But the joke was on us, as it turned out.
    Andy’s mum called out to us as we were coming in through the front door. “We’re in the living room, dears,” she said. And if it had been anyone else but Andy’s mum, I’d have sworn she sounded excited.
    Frankie followed me in. “Hi, everyone,” she beamed. Then her face kind of crumpled. “Oh, hi Amber,” she said bravely. “Wow, that dress really suits you.”
    No WONDER poor old Frankie didn’t know where to look.
    Amber was striking this really haughty pose beside the window. But that’s not all. She was only wearing her bridesmaid’s dress, would you believe! Talk about rubbing Frankie’s nose in it. Amber couldn’t have been more tactless if she’d tried. Though in passing, I DID notice that the dress looked heaps better on her than it had last night. I hated to admit it, but she looked completely amazing.
    OK, now I’m going to let you in on the big secret, right?
    In case you hadn’t guessed, Mum, Patsy, Jilly and Amber had cooked up a wicked little plot between them. Unknown to Frankie and me, Amber was totally acting her socks off. To be honest, she was the only plotter who managed to keep a straight face (I put it down to all those acting lessons!).
    Mum, Jilly and Patsy did TRY to look innocent, bless them. But their twinkly eyes just wouldn’t co-operate. So it soon became obvious, even to us, that something very fishy was going on.
    Suddenly Frankie couldn’t stand the suspense another second. “So is anyone going to tell me about this surprise or what?” she blurted.
    “Da-DA,” sang Mum, and she whipped a second bridesmaid’s dress from behind her back.
    Frankie and I stared at it, hopelessly confused.
    “Patsy and Amber have been working so hard while you were at school. They really ought to get medals,” said Mum.
    “It was Patsy’s idea,” Amber chipped in.
    “I still don’t get it,” I said. “What idea?”
    “To make a new dress for Amber, of course,” beamed Mum. “Patsy and Amber just didn’t think it was right for Frankie to miss out.”
    And my mum presented the dress to a totally stunned Frankie.
    “You mean I can still be your bridesmaid after all?” she gasped.
    Mum nodded, beaming.
    “Wow!” Frankie breathed. Then she rushed at my mum and hugged her madly around the middle. “Thank you SO much,” she said in a muffled voice. “This is a very very happy moment and I think I’m going to cry.”
    That’s one way in which Frankie hasn’t changed at all. She’s still a TOTAL drama queen!
    Amber stepped forward. For the first time since I’d met her she looked really unsure of herself. “Can I hug Frankie too?” she said. “I mean, since we’re both going to be bridesmaids now.”
    All this time, Patsy had been busily inspecting her nails, but suddenly she wentzooming towards the door. “I think I’ll just go and make everyone a nice pot of tea,” she called over her shoulder.
    But I got the definite feeling she just wanted to get WAY out of hugging range! And for the first time, it occurred to me that Patsy’s prickly hedgehog