Free How to Get to Rio by Julie Fison

after a while.’ Persephone paused and looked at me. ‘I just wanted to spend time with someone fun for a change. Does that make me selfish?’
    I laughed. ‘No. It makes you normal.’
    I watched the sea for a bit, processing the idea that Persephone preferred to hang out with me rather than Tori. Tori was so glossy and perfect. I was just average and not perfect at all, but Persephone thought that made me fun. I’d never thought of myself like that before.
    It seemed like the right time for my own confession. ‘I was meant to go camping with Mia and Izzy, but I decided to come here with you because I’d prefer eating ice-cream and swimming at the beach to eating burnt sausages and digging my own toilet. Does that make me selfish?’
    Persephone smiled. ‘No. It actually sounds pretty normal to me.’
    ‘I really like Izzy and Mia. They’re amazing and really great friends. But sometimes I feel …’ I paused, searching for the right words, ‘a bit out of place. They’re so similar to each other, and that makes me feel different.’
    Persephone nodded. ‘I totally get that. Everyone in my group just wants to be like Tori. I seem to be the only one who wants to be a whole separate person. I’m actually a bit sick of all of them. It’s much more fun hanging out with you.’ Persephone looked at me, expectantly, like she was waiting for me to say something meaningful.
    But I wasn’t quite sure what to tell her. Surely she doesn’t want to know that other people think her friends are stuck-up? And then something came to me.
    ‘Why don’t you forget about Tori, and hang out with us?’
    I could tell by the way Persephone’s face lit up that I’d said the right thing. ‘Really? You think I could?’ Then her face dropped. ‘But I don’t play water polo.’
    ‘That’ll make two of us,’ I said, grinning.
    Persephone’s face brightened into a big relieved smile. ‘Do you think Izzy and Mia will like me?’
    I gave her a hug. ‘Of course they will.’
    It was settled. Persephone would join our group when we got back to school. I’d just need a bit of time to work on Izzy and Mia to change their minds about her being stuck-up. Once Izzy had an idea in her head she was very determined to stick to it. Her determination made her great at sport, but it also meant she was a bit on the inflexible side. I was confident, though. When they got to know Persephone, they’d see she wasn’t like Tori and the rest of her group. Persephone was very cool, but she was also really fun.
    ‘Thanks, Kitty,’ Persephone said. ‘You’re a real friend.’
    I got to my feet and pulled Persephone up. ‘Should we head back?’
    She nodded. Then something behind me caught her eye. I turned to see two girls coming towards us. For a moment, I thought it was Mia and Izzy. But, of course, it couldn’t be. They were camping in some fly-blown, remote corner of the country, digging their own toilets and fighting off snakes and leeches.
    Then the two girls waved. My heart sank. It was Mia and Izzy!
    My brain started spinning. I was trying to remember exactly what I’d told them, searching for my excuse for not going camping. Oh, man! I told them I’d sprained my ankle.
    ‘Hey. What a surprise seeing you two here,’ Izzy said, stopping in front of us. Izzy was not smiling.
    I knew I was in big trouble.
    ‘How’s that sprained ankle, Kitty?’ she asked. ‘I’m surprised you made it over all those rocks with an injury like that.’
    Mia, Izzy and Persephone all stared at me. I knew everyone was waiting for my answer. I had about five seconds to work out what to say.
    Should I just tell the truth? Or should I try to get away with the lie about my ankle?
     
 

 



‘Hey! I’m glad you made it!’ said Persephone, getting up to meet me, Izzy and Mia. She reached out to give me a hug and then seemed to change her mind, and gave my hand a squeeze instead.
    ‘Sorry, my phone died and we got a bit lost getting here,’ I said,