Free Leave it to Eva by Judi Curtin

me into their hug, and I felt a bit better.
    I’d been to London with my family once before, but being with Jenny was totally different. She was a grown – up, and perfectly capable of minding Ruby and me, but she didn’t act like a grown-up. She acted like a very sensible, but very fun, big sister.
    Jenny didn’t keep warning Ruby and me tostay next her, or to watch out for traffic, or to zip up our jackets. It was like being real people, on a real holiday, and I was certain that we were going to have an amazing time.
    I didn’t care that this time we couldn’t afford taxis to get around – I felt all grown up and sophisticated as the three of us got the bus to Jenny’s flat. We dragged our bags up the two flights of stairs and Jenny flung open the door with a flourish.
    ‘Home sweet home,’ she said as we all trooped inside.
    The flat was tiny – about the size of the smallest bedroom in the house I used to live in – but it was totally cute, with cool pictures on the wall, and a big vase of flowers on the table.
    ‘I am sooo living in a flat like this when I grow up,’ I said and Ruby and Jenny laughed.

    I would have been quite happy to stay in the flatall evening, but Jenny had different plans.
    ‘We’re going out to dinner,’ she said.
    ‘Oh,’ I said.
    Was I going to have to spend all the money Mum and Dad had given me on the very first night?
    But then Jenny smiled, ‘Don’t look so worried, Eva. None of us has much money. There’s a restaurant near here that’s always cheap enough, and at the moment they have a two for one offer.’
    ‘Er, Jenny,’ said Ruby, ‘I know maths was never your best subject, but you do realise that two for one offers don’t work very well for three people?’
    ‘Cheeky!’ said Jenny grinning. ‘Anyway, I thought of that, and that’s why I’ve asked my Italian friend Andrea to join us.’
    How cool was it to be in London without parents, and going out to restaurants with Italian friends? I couldn’t keep the smile from my face,as we changed our clothes and got ready for our big night out in London.
    Jenny, Ruby and I were already at our table in the restaurant when Jenny looked up and smiled.
    ‘Oh good,’ she said. ‘Here comes Andrea now.’
    I looked up and was surprised to see a very tall, very handsome man walking in our direction. I looked at Jenny, puzzled.
    ‘Didn’t I mention that in Italy Andrea is a boy’s name?’ she asked innocently.
    ‘OMG,’ said Ruby. ‘How dare you have a boyfriend and not tell me?’
    Jenny’s cheeks went pink, but we couldn’t say any more, as Andrea was already beside us. Jenny introduced everyone, and then Andrea kissed everyone on both cheeks, and I thought I was going to faint from excitement.
    I like Ruby a lot, but sometimes she’s a bit too thoughtful and quiet for me. With Jennythough, it was like the two of them were a very funny, comedy double-act. After dinner, they started talking about the time their mother pretended to be a fortune-teller. I’d been right at the middle of that story, and so knew every single detail, but still, when I heard Jenny and Ruby telling it, it seemed like I was hearing it for the very first time. Andrea kept shaking his head and saying ‘No? Really?’ and Ruby and I kept nodding and saying, ‘Yes. Absolutely.’
    And then the four of us laughed so loudly that I thought we’d surely be asked to leave the restaurant.
    ‘Know what?’ said Jenny, as I wiped tears of laughter from my eyes for the hundredth time. ‘I think we’re going to have a totally fun few days.’
    And I felt sure that she was right.

Chapter Eleven
    I n the morning, Jenny walked us to the bus stop around the corner from her flat.
    She put money into a machine and handed Ruby and me a ticket each.
    ‘Bus number 127 will take you to the school where the interviews are on,’ she said. ‘It comes every ten minutes or so. And you get off at Whitehaven Road.’
    ‘You mean we’re going on our