Jack and Jem sit up at the table.

‘I hope you like spicy food, Jack?’ Jem’s mum asks.

‘Um, sure,’ says Jack. He is too shy to tell her he has never tried spicy food before.

Jem’s mum puts a big dish on the table.

‘Not curry again!’ Jem grumbles.

‘Jem,’ says his mum crossly. ‘You’ll eat what you are given.’

Jem’s mum puts some rice on Jack’s plate. Phew! Jack thinks. I like rice.

But then she spoons curry over the rice.

Jack can see chicken, carrots and potatoes in the yellow sauce. Jack doesn’t like carrots much. He feels nervous.

Jack looks at Jem. He is eating everything. Jack pokes his fork into a piece of chicken. He puts it into his mouth.

Suddenly his mouth starts to burn. His eyes water.

‘Oh dear,’ says Jem’s mum. ‘Is the curry too hot for you, Jack?’

Jack swallows the chicken. Then he takes a big drink of water to try to cool his mouth. ‘Maybe a little bit,’ he says to Jem’s mum in a squeaky voice.

Jem giggles.

Jack frowns. Why is Jem laughing at me? he thinks. His cheeks get red and hot.

‘That’s all right, Jack,’ she says. ‘You don’t have to eat it. I don’t know what I’m going to give you for dinner, though.’

‘I like rice,’ Jack says shyly.

‘Can I just have rice, too?’ Jem asks.

Jem’s mum shakes her head. ‘Jack is our guest,’ she says. ‘He is allowed to eat what he wants. You need to finish your dinner as usual.’ She gives Jack a bowl of plain rice.

‘Aw, that’s not fair!’ says Jem crossly.

‘Sorry,’ whispers Jack to Jem. But Jem pretends not to hear.

Jem eats all his dinner without looking at Jack once.

Jack can’t understand why Jem is acting so strangely.

‘Would you boys like to watch a DVD before you go to bed?’ asks Jem’s mum. ‘I have to do some work.’

‘Yes, please!’ says Jack.

‘Whatever. I don’t care,’ says Jem grumpily. He sits down on the couch next to Jack.

The two boys watch a movie. The movie is very funny, but Jem doesn’t laugh once.

Jack wishes he was back at home. At least when he watches a movie with his mum and dad, they laugh at the funny bits.

Jack feels a little bit grumpy with Jem.

Jack had been looking forward to this sleepover for a long time. It was supposed to be the best sleepover ever. Instead it has turned out to be the worst!