Angela Nicely Read Online Free Page A

“Right, let me show you to your room. Lights out at 10 p.m. I’ll meet you in reception tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. sharp, dressed for exercise.”

    The next morning, Angela and her mum waited by reception, their stomachs rumbling. Breakfast had been a measly bowl of muesli.
    “When do we go in the swimming pool?” asked Angela.
    “Soon,” said Mrs Nicely. “I expect they want to give us tea and a tour of the hall first.”
    Miss Bullock arrived, wearing a running vest and tiny shorts. She didn’t look dressed for tea.
    “Good,” she said, rubbing her hands. “We’ll begin with a light jog.”
    “A jog?” said Mrs Nicely. She hadn’t jogged since she was at school.
    “But it’s raining,” protested Angela.
    “Pah! A spot of rain will do you good,” said Miss Bullock. She bounded off down the drive. “Come on, keep up!”

    An hour later, Angela and her mum staggered up a steep, grassy bank. They were soaking wet, muddy and exhausted.
    “No dawdling!” yelled Miss Bullock.
    “I can’t go any further,” panted Angela.
    “Nor me,” gasped Mrs Nicely.
    Miss Bullock looked at her watch. “COME ON! We’ll miss lunch!”
    Angela ran. Her mum broke into a feeble trot. At the bottom of the hill was a large muddy puddle.
    SPLAT!
    Angela skidded and sat down with a squelch. Her mum slid down the hill and fell on top of her. They slipped and slopped around like two hippos in a mud bath.
    Miss Bullock rolled her eyes. “Get up, the pair of you!” she barked. “Last one back to the hall does twenty press-ups!”

Chapter 3
    After a quick shower they hurried down for lunch. Angela was so hungry she thought she could eat three whole bowls of spaghetti. She sat down. A waitress set down two plates in front of them.
    Angela stared at her plate. Three tiny slices of beetroot sat on a bed of shredded carrot.
    “I can’t eat this!” cried Angela. “I hate beetroot!”
    “Don’t be so fussy,” said her mum. “It’s good for you.”
    Angela chewed a bit of carrot and pulled a face.
    “Excuse me,” her mum asked the waitress. “Isn’t there anything else?”
    “Oh yes, there’s dessert,” said the waitress. “Low fat yoghurt or half an apple.”
    Half
an apple? Angela slumped back in her chair. Were they trying to starve them to death? This was meant to be a holiday! Well, holidays had chips and ice creams – Bracegirdle Hall was more like a prison.
    “Can’t we go home?” she moaned.
    “Certainly not,” said Mrs Nicely.
     
    “Exercise and healthy eating will do us the world of good.”
    Angela leaned forward. “I know where we can get lots of exercise,” she said.
    “Where?” said her mum.
    “Splash City! They’ve got six slides and—”
    “NO, Angela!” cried Mrs Nicely. “We are staying and that’s final.”
    After lunch, Miss Bullock had a special treat for them. Their next session was in the swimming pool.
    This is more like it,
thought Angela. At last she could have some fun!
    She raced out of the changing room and stopped dead. There had to be some mistake. Where were the slides, the Rocky Rapids and the Turbo Twister?
    Miss Bullock blew her whistle. “Right, jump in. Six lengths front crawl!”
    “But I can’t do crawl,” Angela moaned.
    Miss Bullock rolled her eyes. “What can you do?”
    “Doggy paddle,” said Angela. “And only if I’m wearing arm bands.”
    Miss Bullock thrust a foam float into her hands. “Get going,” she ordered.

    After an hour of swimming lengths, Angela and her mum staggered back to the changing room.
    Mrs Nicely flopped on to a bench. “No more, please!” she gasped.
    “I’m starving,” moaned Angela. “Can we get some crisps?”

    “Crisps aren’t allowed,” said Mrs Nicely.
    “What about doughnuts?”
    “No!”
    “Iced buns?” said Angela.
    Mrs Nicely covered her ears. “Angela will you
please
stop talking about food!”
    Angela looked at the clock on the wall. It was hours till dinner time. She’d never last out. If