Free Music and Lies (George and Finn Book 1) by Gill-Marie Stewart

the group they were talking to, and joined Becky who was sitting on the grass banking with three or four people dressed in the usual assortment of glam and thrift shop. All of them were smoking.
    ‘Oh hi there,’ she said in a dreamy way that made my heart sink. I was starting to recognise the sweetish smell of dope, and it was so strong around them I was surprised I wasn’t getting stoned myself.
    ‘I’ve just spoken to Dad,’ I said.
    ‘Mmm?’
    ‘Yeah.’ Her friends were looking at me, wide-eyed, as though I was some weird species. I indicated we should go further up the slope. I really didn’t want to talk about something as embarrassing as this in public.
    ‘Mmm?’ Becky looked at me in that unfocused way, pushing the heavy dark locks over her shoulder. ‘You want to move? Okay. But let’s go this way. I don’t want to be anywhere near those people .’ She shuddered as she indicated the police with her short cigarette.
    ‘Fine.’ I encouraged her up towards the tree line where we could talk privately.
    It was lovely here. The trees weren’t too close together and the grass was short and fairly dry. There were the remnants of an old stone wall that must once have separated the field from the trees. We could see over the whole of the grounds to the river which ran fast and brown on the far side. The festival site was starting to look busy, with all the tents going up and more and more people arriving.
    Oh God, it was all so brilliant. And I was going to have to leave.
    ‘I’ve got to go home. Dad’s found out that I’m home alone and he and your mum are hot-footing it back.’
    ‘Huh?’ Becky sat down on a damp log and I perched beside her.
    I explained again.
    ‘But you’re not home alone.’
    I sighed. ‘No, we know I’m not. But if I tell him I’m here he’ll just freak out even more. I’ve got to get back there, and before they arrive.’
    She seemed to have come to a bit by now and looked horrified.
    ‘You need to get back there? I could ask Dex, but he won’t be pleased, he’s got things on ...’ She frowned and lapsed into silence.
    ‘I suppose I could get a bus. Or two. Or three.’ I had no idea how easy it would be to get to Dad’s house on public transport.
    ‘No, don’t do that,’ she said. She chewed her lip. ‘I wonder ...’
    ‘What?’ I could really do without her going all dreamy when we had a crisis on our hands.
    ‘You didn’t mention anything to him about me?’
    ‘No. I didn’t think you’d want me to. And I couldn’t tell him I was here.’
    ‘No, of course not. But how about we tell him I’m there, at the house, with you? How about we say I turned up and I’m looking after you. So they can stay away on their holiday? Do you think they’d go for that?’
    ‘Becky! You’re amazing!’ I hopped up off the damp log in my excitement. ‘Come on, let’s go and phone them right now before they’ve made any plans to head back.’
    I started to lead the way to the place where we could get phone reception.
    ‘I hope they don’t ask about Dex,’ she said moodily. ‘They won’t want Dex in the house.’
    ‘Well, that’s all right. Because he won’t be in the house, will he?’
    That made her giggle. ‘No, he won’t.’ She ground the last of the short cigarette under her heel. ‘Come on then, let’s do it.’
    Becky was brilliant. I’d never heard anyone lie so smoothly. She didn’t even sound stoned, just impatient as though she was rather busy and needed to keep the call short. When they asked her why I hadn’t mentioned her before, she said she’d told me not to, but that she realised now they’d rather I was with her than alone. And when they asked why we were both using our mobiles and not the house phone she said, ‘George said it wasn’t working properly. No dial tone or something.’ I would never have come up with something like that on the spur of the moment. ‘Yeah, yeah, we’ll do that. Yeah. George, they want another word