Just Peachy Read Online Free Page B

like my worst nightmare come true.
    Mrs Bradbeer obviously saw the panic on my face. She said, “Try not to look so worried, Peaches!”
    Peaches? Heads snapped round. The whole class stared. I felt like digging a hole and burying myself. Trust Mum! Peaches had been her choice. She couldn’t just pick something ordinary and unremarkable like Amy or Emma. Oh, no! She had to go for something that would make everyone turn and stare.
    Mrs Bradbeer smiled reassuringly. “You don’t have to say more than you feel comfortable with. Just a few words will do. Zoe, why don’t you get us started?”
    Zoe was one of the ones that had come up from Juniors. Full of self-importance, she pushed back her chair and bounced to her feet. You could tell she was someone that just loved the sound of her own voice. In loud, ringing tones she announced that she was Zoe Kingman and that her big ambition was to be successful and make a lot of money. She said she had a dad that was an architect and a mum that was “in the City”.
    “Like she’s really high up in one of the big banks, only I’d better not say which one cos of people getting jealous and thinking she’s probably making too much money, which Mum says is just the politics of envy. I personally think that if you work hard you deserve to make lots of money; I don’t see anything wrong in it. At any rate,” said Zoe, “that is what I am going to do.”
    She sat back down with a self-satisfied flump . I noticed that the girl next to me was pulling a face. I felt a bit like pulling one myself but I wasn’t quite brave enough. Several people were nodding, and one girl even started to clap.
    Mrs Bradbeer said, “Thank you, Zoe. That’s got the ball rolling. Lola? You next?”
    One by one, everybody got up and told us about themselves. They all seemed to have mums and dads that were doctors, or solicitors, or bank managers. I waited for someone to say her dad was a butcher, or her mum was a cleaning lady, but it didn’t happen. I sat glumly, hunched at my desk, wishing I was at Winterbourne instead of having to sit here listening as people went gabbing on about themselves and their hugely important parents. I didn’t think anyone at Winterbourne would really care what other people’s mums and dads did. I certainly wasn’t going to tell them anything about mine!
    Mrs Bradbeer was going round the class at random. She seemed to be leaving me till last. Maybe, with any luck, the bell would ring and I wouldn’t have to do it.
    “Millie?” said Mrs Bradbeer. “Shall we hear from you?”
    The girl next to me sprang up.
    “Millie O’Dowd,” she said. “One mum, one dad, three annoying little sisters. My mum’s called Sinead, my dad’s called Kevin, and my sisters are the Diddy People. Well, that’s what I call them. Dunno what else to say, really. Oh, except my mum’s a school dinner lady and my dad’s on the buses, only I’d better not say which one cos of people getting jealous and thinking bus drivers are greedy when they want more money.”
    Someone gave a little titter. Mrs Bradbeer put a warning finger to her lips.
    “That’s about it really,” said Millie. “I haven’t yet decided what my big ambition is, but hopefully I’ll end up a millionaire.”
    This time lots of people tittered. Mrs Bradbeer said, “Thank you very much, Millie. Short and sweet and very pointed.”
    Millie grinned at me again as she sat down. It was an impish sort of grin, like, ‘ I enjoyed that! ’ An uncertain silence had settled over the room. I could almost see people wrestling with the idea that someone should have a mum that was a dinner lady and a dad that was on the buses. I felt suddenly bold, and gave Millie a big grin in return. She mouthed at me: “You in a minute!”
    I was still praying that the bell would ring and let me off, but no such luck.
    “Peaches?” said Mrs Bradbeer with a kindly smile.
    I dragged myself to my feet.
    “Peaches McBride,” I said. Well, I