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Back The Sleepover Save as PDF
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. PROLOGUE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. EPILOGUE
  69. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  70. MORE FROM KERI BEEVIS
  71. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  72. About Boldwood Books

‘Tell me what it was like growing up here and about your friends.’

‘You want to talk about that now?

‘I don’t mean about Eileen. I want to know how it was before. The happy stuff. Tell me about your friends. What they were like?’

41

2002

It had always been the four of them – Hannah, Tash, Lauren and Rosie.

They had grown up in the village together, their parents all friends, attended the same schools, birthday parties, and other events.

Lauren and Tash were the most assertive. Bossy Lauren usually trying to self-appoint herself as leader of their little gang, while tomboy Tash tended to challenge and bicker with her. Hannah was happy to take a back seat. Taller than the others, then the first to start developing breasts, she was more self-conscious of her appearance and tried to blend into the background, happy to let the others lead, while Rosie was the baby of the group. Nearly a year younger, tiny and fragile, but stunningly pretty, even from a young age, Tash and Hannah tended to mother and protect her, especially when she got on Lauren’s nerves, which was often.

They hung out together most days, walking to school together, sitting at the same table in the canteen at lunch, and spending their weekends bike riding, exploring, and building dens when the weather was good or watching movies and playing board games when it wasn’t.

Lauren was the most fashion-conscious and as they moved to high school, her interest grew in the latest trends in hair, clothes, and make-up. The group became more interested in boys – even Tash pretending to show an interest at that young age – and with secrets shared about crushes, the little group became even more tightly knit.

That was why Lauren had formed such strong opinions about Jill and Miles Goldberg.

Like the others, she was curious about the newcomers, but, while she was intrigued enough by Jill to welcome her into their circle, she didn’t want to start hanging out with Jill’s younger brother.

Jill was in their year at school and cool, confident and pretty, but Miles was two years younger and shy. His small frame and huge glasses that swamped his face, and the inhaler he was always puffing on, quickly made him a target for bullies.

But the pair of them came as package, which caused Lauren a problem.

Miles was a boy, she had pointed out, and they had a rule. No boys in the group.

‘You just made that up,’ Tash laughed, calling her out.

‘No I didn’t. We agreed.’

‘We’ve never agreed no boys.’

‘But it wouldn’t be right having him hanging out with us. Not with the stuff we talk about. Besides, he’s too young.’

‘I like Miles,’ Rosie sniffed. ‘And he’s nearly twelve.’

‘He needs to find his own friends.’

‘But why can’t I be his friend?’