Finally, the bell rang and maths was over. Everyone started talking and packing up. Mr Perelli had to shout to be heard.

‘Be here by 8am tomorrow morning. If you’re late, you’ll be left behind.’

Sophie decided she was going to be there at 7.30am.

‘Do you want to walk home with me?’ asked Alice.

‘I’m meeting Megan at the front gate,’ explained Sophie. ‘Maybe we could all walk home together?’

‘No, that’s OK,’ said Alice, quickly. ‘I’ve just remembered something I have to do. I’ll see you tomorrow.’

Sophie sighed.

Why wouldn’t her friends even try to like each other?

Megan was waiting by the gate. She was wearing a new outfit today but that was no big surprise — Megan often had new clothes. Her mum worked for a fashion magazine and brought home lots of cool stuff. Not just clothes either — she also brought CDs, posters and nail polish.

Sophie never felt jealous though, because Megan was very generous. She gave lots of CDs to Sophie, and even some clothes. But somehow the clothes never looked as good on her as they did on Megan.

Megan was the sort of person that people turned around to stare at. Maybe it was her long, dark hair or her curly eyelashes. Perhaps it was her smile. Probably it was all of these things together.

When Sophie wore Megan’s clothes she felt like a little kid dressing up. But when Megan put them on she looked like she should be in her mum’s magazine.

Today Megan was wearing a pair of jeans turned up at the cuffs, a pink jacket and a checkered cap. Sophie knew the cap would look stupid on her, but on Megan it looked cute. Under the cap though, Megan’s face wasn’t happy.

‘I don’t want to go on this dumb camping trip,’ she sighed, as they started to walk home.

‘Why not?’ asked Sophie, her heart sinking.

She felt like she could never find the right thing to say when Megan was in a bad mood.

‘It’s going to be cold and awful,’ said Megan. ‘Mrs Tran said there isn’t any electricity!’

‘I’ve heard there aren’t even any showers,’ said Sophie, without thinking.

Megan looked at her in horror. ‘No showers? That’s gross!’

Sophie was actually looking forward to not having a shower.

‘It won’t be so bad,’ she said, trying to cheer Megan up. ‘Even if you don’t have a shower, no-one will think you smell, because everyone else will be smelly too!’

‘That’s what I’m afraid of,’ said Megan, gloomily.

Then Sophie remembered something Mr Perelli had said that might make Megan happy.

‘There’s going to be a disco,’ she said.

That worked.

‘Really?’ said Megan, actually smiling. ‘That might be OK, I suppose.’

Sophie had a feeling she knew why Megan was suddenly interested. She was imagining dancing with Joel Haddon.

Joel had spiky blond hair and green eyes and lots of girls had secret crushes on him. Sophie didn’t, though. She thought he was a big, fat pest.

The only person who was a bigger pest than Joel was his friend, Patrick Lee.

‘See you tomorrow!’ Sophie said, when they arrived at Megan’s house.

‘Bye,’ said Megan. ‘Don’t forget to bring snacks. The food will be terrible. Sultanas and stuff.’ Megan pulled a face — she hated sultanas.

‘OK,’ said Sophie. ‘And don’t worry about camp. I bet we’ll have fun.’

Megan snorted. ‘I’m glad you think so,’ she said. ‘I’m not so sure.’

And deep down, Sophie wasn’t so sure either.