CONTENTS

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Copyright Page

  This is Jack. Today Jack is in a wiggly mood. He is wiggling and jiggling so much he can’t keep still.

  Tonight Jack is going to his friend Jem’s house. Jack has never had a sleepover at Jem’s before.

  Jem has a Wii and a PlayStation and a computer in his room. Jack and Jem are going to play games all night. Jack can’t wait.

  At last, it is time to go. Jack’s dad drives to Jem’s house. Jem opens the front door.

  ‘Hey, Jack,’ Jem grins. ‘You’re finally here!’

  ‘Jem is very excited,’ says Jem’s mum to Jack.

  ‘Me too!’ says Jack.

  The two boys run into Jem’s room.

  ‘See you tomorrow!’

  Jack’s dad calls.

  Jem’s room is very cool. First Jack and Jem race cars on the PlayStation.

  Next they play sport on the Wii. Then they go on the computer to build cities. It is lots of fun.

  ‘Let’s go outside and play soccer,’ says Jem after a while.

  ‘Nah,’ says Jack.

  ‘How about we build a cubby, then?’ says Jem.

  Jack shakes his head. He is too busy playing on the computer.

  ‘Well, I’m going outside!’ Jem says crossly.

  He out of the room.

  Hmm, thinks Jack. What’s wrong with Jem? He quickly finishes his game. Then he goes outside to look for Jem.

  Jem is in the garden. He is kicking a soccer ball against the fence. Jack goes over to see if Jem is OK.

  But just then, Jem’s mum calls them for dinner.

  Jem rushes past Jack without even looking at him. Jack follows him inside. He feels confused. Jem is acting very strangely!

  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

  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 .

  ‘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 . 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 sleepover ever. Instead it has turned out to be the worst!

  After the movie it is time for bed. Jack and Jem change into their pyjamas and brush their teeth.

  Jem’s mum comes to say goodnight.

  ‘Hope you boys are having fun,’ she says. ‘Don’t stay up too late talking, will you?’

  Jack lies in the dark. He wishes his mum and dad were here to kiss him goodnight.

  Instead there is just grumpy old Jem who won’t even talk to him.

  Jack feels lonely. He wonders if it is too late to call his mum and dad to come and get him.

  Just then, he hears a noise. A sniffy snuffly sound. Jack realises Jem is crying!

  ‘What’s the matter?’ asks Jack.

  Jem stops crying. ‘Nothing,’ he says.

  Now Jack feels . ‘Why won’t you talk to me?’ he says.

  Jem sits up in bed. He turns on his bedside lamp. ‘You are the boringest friend ever!’ he shouts.

  ‘What?’ yells Jack. ‘No, I’m not. You are! You said we could play games all night and now you don’t want to!’

  Jack is so angry he feels like he might explode.

  Suddenly Jem bursts out laughing.

  ‘What?’ says Jack.

  ‘You look funny,’ Jem giggles.

  ‘I’ve never seen you look that cross before. You look like an angry monkey.’

  Jack tries not to smile, but Jem’s laughter makes his mouth .

  ‘Well, you look like a grumpy gorilla!’ he says.

  Jem laughs. ‘You should have seen your face when you tasted Mum’s curry,’ he says. ‘You went all red like a baboon’s bottom.’

  Jack frowns. ‘I haven’t eaten spicy food before,’ he says. ‘It’s not my fault!’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Jem says kindly. ‘You have to get used to it. I’ve been eating curries since I was a baby!’

  ‘Do you really think I’m a boring friend?’ Jack asks.

  ‘Of course not!’ says Jem. ‘I just wanted you to come and play soccer, that’s all.’

  ‘But you have so many cool video games,’ says Jack. ‘Don’t you want to play with them?’

  Jem shakes his head. ‘Not all the time.

  Usually it’s just me and Mum at home. I have to play video games by myself. It gets boring. And she never wants to play soccer. That’s why I was so excited about you coming over. Finally, someone to play with!’

  Jack feels bad. He might not have any video games, but he always has someone to play with — his dog Scraps, his best friend Billie, even his mum and dad sometimes. He was so to play Jem’s games that he hadn’t thought about what Jem might want to do.

  ‘All right,’ says Jack. ‘Tomorrow it’s your turn to decide what we play.’

  ‘Cool!’ says Jem. ‘But don’t you want to beat my high score on the computer first?’

  ‘Nah,’ says Jack, smiling. ‘I think I’d like to beat you at soccer. That sounds like much more fun!’

  The Worst Sleepover

  published in 2012 by

  Hardie Grant Egmont

  Ground Floor, Building 1, 658 Church Street

  Richmond, Victoria 3121, Australia

  www.hardiegrantegmont.com.au

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means without the prior permission of the publishers and copyright owner.

  A CiP record for this title is available from the National Library of Australia.

  Text copyright © 2012 Sally Rippin

  Illustration copyright © 2012 Stephanie Spartels

  Logo and design copyright © 2012 Hardie Grant Egmont

  Design by Stephanie Spartels

  Typesetting by Michaela Stone

  EISBN 9781742739311

 

 

  Sally Rippin, The Worst Sleepover

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