Being Bee Read Online Free Page B

POSTBOX on it in large letters and wired it to the outside of their cage. I stayed in the cubbyhouse until it was quite dark hoping that Dad would come out to see where I was and what I was up to, but in the end I gave up because the tree ferns made scary tapping noises on the cubbyroof and it seemed sensible to go inside where the lights were on.

Harley and To Be

    When Jazzi picked me up from school later that week she wasn’t smiling.
    â€˜Beatrice, come on, hurry up. We’ve got to go somewhere.’
    â€˜I’m thirsty.’
    â€˜We haven’t got time for this, come on.’
    When I rush something my fingers and feet seem to get bigger and it’s hard not to fumble and stumble. I tried to pull the zipper up on my backpack but it got stuck, so I just threw it over one shoulder and ran after Jazzi, who was marching off, her little heels clip-clopping quickly.
    â€˜I’m thirsty,’ I said again, catching up. ‘We had running before and Mrs P wouldn’t let anyone get a drink afterwards. She’s so mean.’
    â€˜You can get something later,’ Jazzi said, turning back to look at me. And then, ‘Oh, you silly girl, Beatrice, you’re spilling everything.’
    â€˜I need a new backpack,’ I told her as we picked everything up. ‘I think this one is broken.’
    â€˜It’s not broken, you’ve jammed something in the zip. Here, what’s all this?’ Jazzi yanked at my scarf.
    â€˜That’s my knitting!’ I said. ‘Don’t touch that!’
    â€˜But it’s caught, Beatrice. Look.’
    Sure enough there was a piece of my special fat chunky yarn stuck between the zipper teeth.
    â€˜Oh no,’ I wailed. ‘It’s really ruined now.’
    â€˜You’ll get it out,’ Jazzi said, grabbing my hand, ‘but later, okay. Right now we have to hurry.’
    â€˜It’s taken me ages,’ I said, ‘all that knitting. It’s a bit weird, I know, but it was my first go and you can muck up your first go. Why are we in such a hurry?’
    She didn’t answer, just pushed me along to her car. It might have been clean, but that didn’t mean it started any more easily.
    â€˜I’m really thirsty,’ I told Jazzi again, in case she’d forgotten. ‘We did running this afternoon and then Sam pushed Andrew and Andrew flicked water at him and we weren’t allowed—’
    â€˜Bee, just shut up, will you! I’m trying to make this car start.’
    I was so shocked that Jazzi had called me by my right name that I shut my mouth straightaway and swallowed the rest of my sentence.
    â€˜Come on,’ Jazzi muttered at the car, ‘please work.’ She tried the key again and the car made a hopeful coughing sound that died away almost immediately.
    â€˜I think you’ve flooded it,’ I said, forgetting to keep my mouth shut. ‘Nanna does that sometimes in winter. Her car doesn’t like the cold.’
    Jazzi looked at me and I thought she was going to shout again. Instead she took such a deep breath I could hear it go all the way down to her tummy.
    â€˜I think you’re right, Beatrice,’ she said. ‘I think that’s exactly what I’ve done. Okay, that’s okay. Why don’t you just run up to that shop and get us two juices while we wait for this old car to work?’
    She handed me a ten dollar note.
    â€˜I don’t suppose you’re hungry too?’ I asked.
    â€˜Something to eat, too – something salty,’ Jazzi said, ‘for both of us. But nothing with chicken flavour.’
    â€˜I hate chicken flavour.’
    â€˜Well, we’ve got something in common then.’ Jazzi smiled a small, sad smile.
    When I got back the car was humming away, Jazzi had new lipstick on and her nose was all flakey-lookingbecause she’d powdered it.
    â€˜I didn’t know whether to get one packet or two,’ I told her,