Free Sleepover Girls in the Ring by Fiona Cummings Page A

themselves. You’re not going to do anything stupid, are you?”
    “No, ‘course not,” I assured her, my fingers crossed behind my back. “I just want to be prepared.”
    Molly brushed past us.
    “Well, that was a pathetic display, I must say,” she smarmed. “I don’t think anyone will be inviting
you
to join the circus, will they?”
    We pulled gruesome faces at her, but she just laughed. When she’d gone, Rosie said, “I hope your plan works, Kenny, because I’m really SICK of your sister.”
    We all had to agree with that.
    Suddenly Ailsa’s dad appeared.
    “Are you ready for your clown acts?” he smiled. “It’ll only be for a few moments, so just go out there and enjoy it.”
    Then he ran into the Big Top and announced:
    “Now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment you’ve all been waiting for! Tonight we have some very special clowns for you. Put your hands together for… our students!”
    Loud clown-type music started blaring out.
    “Have you got your props?” I asked the others quickly. “Just remember, we’ve got to humiliate Molly – TO THE MAX!”
    We all ran out into the ring. Then, one minute I was on my feet – the next I was making my entrance skidding across the sawdust on my front.
    “What the…?” I looked up, dazed.
    “Enjoy your trip, sucker?” laughed Molly. She’d only stuck out her leg to make me fall over hadn’t she, the creep!
    By the time I’d limped over to the others, they were all pretending to throw the foam pies at the audience, then pulling away at the last minute. When Molly got closer to us, I went up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned round – and I twanged my braces in her face.
    “Take that, dog breath!” I grinned.
    That was the cue! Suddenly the whole Sleepover Club crowded round Molly so that she was cut off from her little friend Edward Marsh.
    “Let me go, you creeps!” she said through gritted teeth.
    “Not likely!” I beamed. “You know what the clowns taught us. You’ve got to interact with other people, remember?”
    I poked my plastic flower right in Molly’s face, but she was a bit too quick for that. She ducked and I ended up squirting Fliss in the eye.
    “GidoutofitKenny!” Fliss squeaked, trying to wipe her eyes and at the same time hang on to the plate she was holding.
    “I’m going to show you what
real
clowning is all about, creeps!” Molly spat, and looked round for Edward Marsh.
    Catching her off guard, Frankie got her right in the chops with a foam pie. SPLAT!
    “You morons!” Molly spluttered, wiping the foam flecks away.
    “Oh, morons, are we?” Fliss asked menacingly – and whammed Molly with a second pie. THWACK!
    I poured a bowl of custard down the front of her trousers as well. And all the while, the audience was in complete hysterics.
    “Do you think she needs some water to wash her down?” I called out to them, running to one of the exits for a water bucket. “Should I throw this at her?”
    The kids in the audience were going crazy! “YESSS!” they were screaming.
    I ran back towards Molly – but suddenly the bucket was whipped out of my hands. Molly had wrenched it from my grasp.
    “Gimme that, scuzz brain!” she snarled, and swung the bucket back.
    “Don’t do it, Molly! it was only a jo—”
    We ducked down just before she threw the whole lot over the audience. And it wasn’t just
any
part of the audience, either.
    “Mrs Weaver… Mrs Poole!”
    Frankie went white as she recognised our teacher and headmistress. Their hair was plastered to their faces and their make-up was starting to run. This had turned into a disaster of earth-shattering proportions!!
    Ailsa’s dad rushed on, blew his whistle and ushered us all from the ring. The rest of the audience were still shrieking and clapping. Then suddenly, I heard a voice thatI knew all too well…
    “You little
idiots
!” roared Dad, grabbing me and Molly. “You’ve gone way too far this time!”
    What a way for the show to