Almost Home

Chapter Thirty-Two

Tom and Jamie are huddled in the corner of the room, muttering quietly to each other and I want to know what the big secret is! They've been whispering like this for over an hour and it's putting me off my homework. Not because I can hear them, oh no. I wouldn't mind if I knew what they were saying. They're putting me off because they're planning something and I want in!

Pretending to need a book out of my backpack I inch my way closer, straining my ears to eavesdrop on their conversation.

'We should ask your dad if we can have some of that leftover wood from his shed and we could build a den!' Tom sounds excited. More excited even then when Chelsea won the championship.

I rifle slowly through my bag, picking books out at random and throwing them back in, hanging on their every word.

'Yeah, that sounds awesome!' Jamie replies with as much enthusiasm. 'And we could sleep in there every night in the summer holidays.'

'What are you two talking about?' Curiosity getting the better of me as I march on over, proving my case right that it was a secret when the two of them dive apart looking panic-stricken.

'Nothing that concerns you!' Tom bites back and I fold my arms in temper.

'Say it! If you don't I'll tell mum on you.'

I've got him there. He turns to Jamie and the two of them have a non-verbal discussion with their eyes, gauging whether or not to let me in on their secret.

Deciding the repercussions were too great, Tom grabs my hand and pulls me down to the floor. 'Okay we'll tell you but you have to promise not to tell anyone else. We'll find out if you did!'

'I promise!' My interest is peaked as I raise my fingers in a scouts honour, the oath-swearing pledge of the Austin household.

'Okay...Jamie, you tell her.'

'We found somewhere!'

'...Okay...?' Yeah, I'm definitely going to need more here.

'A hidden place that only we know about.' He speaks as if he's about to reveal the next wonder of the world and in my ten years of age, I must admit I was lapping up every word. 'It's amazing! We've been going out there after school every day and we're turning it into our hideout.'

'Can I see it?'

Again they look to each other for confirmation before nodding their heads and jumping up, leading me out of the house and stopping at the end of the garden, the boys scanning the area for any prying eyes.

'What, here?! This is your amazing, secretive place? The back garden!' The boys look self-satisfied despite the frown on my face and simply utter two words.

'Follow us.'

So I followed them, climbing through a gap in the hedge behind the greenhouse and scampering along after them until we came to an opening, the boys turning to face me with deep satisfaction.

I look around me. We were surrounded by trees and not much else and I find myself struggling to see what all the commotion was about. Am I missing something here? I don't want to let them down though, they seem so passionate and Tom and Jamie have never let me hang out with them before. If I say the wrong thing it might never happen again and it was boring being stuck at home all the time.

'Um, yeah. It's great.' Trying to show as much eagerness as they were. Luckily the boys were so excited they didn't notice my hesitancy.

'We're going to build a den in this tree.' Jamie slaps the trunk of the massive oak we were stood under and I lean my head back so I could take it all in. That tree was high. I don't like heights! 'We're going to put our sleeping bags in there and camp out in the summer.'