Free The Girls from See Saw Lane by Sandy Taylor

prize vegetable or something. She swung her top leg and her slipper dangled off her foot. Mary, in the opposite chair, was quietly copying her every move. I was having to hold onto my stomach to stop myself laughing.
    â€˜Stop slouching, Dottie,’ Rita said.
    â€˜I’m not slouching.’
    â€˜Yes, you are. She is, isn’t she, Mum, she’s slouching.’
    I made a sort of snorty noise as I straightened up and the laughter came out of me. This made Mary start laughing too. She clapped one hand over her mouth. I couldn’t look at her.
    â€˜She’ll have to lose some weight before the wedding,’ said Rita. ‘She’ll ruin the photos otherwise.’
    She was referring to me, obviously.
    â€˜Dottie’s not fat,’ Mary said, through her laughter. ‘She’s perfect!’ 
    â€˜Well, you would say that, wouldn’t you?’ said Rita. ‘That’s like her telling you, you’re not small.’
    â€˜You’re not small,’ I said at once and we both went all hysterical again.
    â€˜I think Dottie has lost weight,’ Mum said thoughtfully. She squeezed the top of my arm. ‘She’s more podgy now than fat.’
    Just then Clark came banging through the back door and into the front room.
    â€˜Have you heard the news?’ he said.
    â€˜What news would that be, then?’ said Rita all sarcastically.
    â€˜There’s been a big robbery,’ said Clark. His face was all red and sweaty with excitement. Clark was going to be a journalist when he grew up so he listened to the news a lot.
    â€˜What, round here?’ said Mary.
    â€˜No,’ said Clark, ‘somewhere near Buckinghamshire. Someone’s robbed the Royal Mail train and got away with nearly three million pounds, they think it’s a gang from London.’
    â€˜Well, it would be, wouldn’t it,’ said Aunty Brenda ‘that’s where they all live.’
    â€˜My dad used to live in London,’ said Mary.
    â€˜What’s that got to do with anything?’ asked Rita.
    â€˜Nothing, I was just saying.’
    I looked across at Mary and she had crossed her eyes. I had to look away before I burst out laughing again.
    â€˜They hit the train driver over the head and he’s in the hospital,’ said Clark.
    â€˜Now I draw the line at that,’ said Mum, ‘I mean taking money is one thing, not that I approve of it, mind, but attacking a poor innocent man who was just doing his job is just plain wrong.’
    Rita cleared her throat loudly. ‘Excuse me, that’s all very interesting, but aren’t we supposed to be planning my wedding?’
    â€˜But that poor man, Rita, his family must be worried sick,’ said Mum.
    â€˜Exactly, his family, not ours, now can we please get back to what is important to our family.’
    â€˜ You , you mean,’ said Clark.
    â€˜And why not?’ said Rita. ‘This is going to be my special day.’
    â€˜And don’t we all know it,’ I said.
    â€˜And you can shut up,’ said Rita, glaring at me.
    â€˜Now now,’ said Aunty Brenda. ‘Let’s get back to the dresses, shall we? Where were we up to?’
    â€˜Mum was just telling Dottie that she was podgy,’ said Rita.
    â€˜I don’t think she said it quite like that, Rita,’ said Aunty Brenda.
    â€˜All I meant,’ said Mum, ‘is that Dottie isn’t as round as she used to be. I’m sure that when she’s older she’ll have a beautiful figure.’
    â€˜Fat chance,’ said Dad. He wasn’t trying to be ironic. He doesn’t know how.
    â€˜And you can shut up an’ all, Nelson Perks,’ said Mum. ‘We all know where Dottie gets her weight from. We’ll be lucky to find tails off the peg for you, with your fat belly and short legs.’
    Â â€˜What short legs?’
    â€˜Yours!’ said Mum. ‘They’ll have to get a suit