Holiday Read online

  ‘Nan and Pa!’ yelped Iris. ‘They said to call and let them know when we’d arrived at the hotel! Can I phone them?’

  ‘Definitely,’ said her mum. ‘And when you’ve done that, you can come downstairs with me and find a newspaper. Dad won’t be back till late this afternoon, so the three of us are going to find a movie to see.’

  Iris felt as though she could float away like a balloon with all the happiness inside her. Could this holiday get any better?

  Downstairs in the lobby, Iris, her mum and Kick looked around for a newspaper.

  ‘There,’ whispered Iris, pointing to a coffee table surrounded by windows and fat leather armchairs. The table was full of different newspapers, all folded and neatly set out.

  Their mum led the way. Iris tried to follow with a particularly grown-up walk, not making any sound with her feet. Kick, of course, clumped over noisily as though he spent his whole life wandering around hotels.

  Iris sat next to her mum, sinking deeply into the soft, warm leather of the sofa. She never knew just sitting could be so nice.

  ‘All right,’ said her mum, rustling through the paper to the back pages. ‘Here are the movie ads. Let’s see …’

  Iris and Kick grinned at each other. They hardly ever went to the movies at home. Usually they waited until the movies came out on DVD, and then they watched them on the weekend. Seeing a movie at the cinema was a real treat.

  Their mum looked at her watch. ‘If we leave right now, we can walk into town and be at the cinema in twenty minutes. And the next movie sessions start in half an hour. You guys up for it?’

  ‘Absolutely!’ Iris said.

  But Kick groaned, ‘Do we have to walk? Can’t we get another taxi?’

  Iris pulled a face. How spoilt is he? Was he really complaining?

  But their mum didn’t seem annoyed. ‘The walk will do us good,’ she said as she got to her feet. ‘Come on. Let’s go.’

  Iris, Kick and their mum walked along the very busy and colourful city streets. There was so much to see.

  Even Kick stopped dragging his feet and was quiet for once as he took in the new sights.

  Iris breathed in. The air smelt different here. Fresher or warmer or breezier, or something. Different, anyway.

  ‘There’s the cinema,’ Kick said, pointing across the road. ‘Can we get a choc-top ice-cream and a super-sized drink?’

  Iris gave her brother a dirty look. This was supposed to be the greatest trip ever, but if Kick was going to keep acting spoilt, he could wreck it. Wasn’t it enough for him to finish the school term early, catch a plane, stay in a hotel and go out in the middle of the day to see a movie with their mum?

  Of course, having a choc-top and fizzy drink would be great, but Iris thought it was far better manners to wait and see if their mum brought up the idea herself.

  Well, Iris decided, I’m going to show Mum that at least one of us knows how to behave.

  Iris loved going to the movies so much, it almost didn’t matter which movie she saw. It felt exciting just lining up for tickets in the dimly lit foyer and standing on the red carpet with the smell of popcorn in the air.

  She looked longingly at posters for the movie about an all-girl rock band, but Kick was acting like the robot movie was a done deal. Iris frowned at him. She didn’t see why Kick should get his own way in everything. It was true, she wanted to behave, but did that really mean she had to watch some stupid robot movie?

  Her mum whispered in her ear. ‘We’ll let him have his way on this one, OK, sweetie? And I’ll make it up to you later.’

  Iris looked up quickly and said, ‘It’s OK. I don’t mind.’

  But that was only half true. When Iris thought about her mum, of course she didn’t care what movie they saw. When she looked at Kick, though, she felt herself getting angry. He wasn’t even nice about getting his own way. Instead, he was jumping around gleefully.

  Sometimes she wished she was an only child. It would be much nicer to have her mum all to herself instead of having to be the big sister all the time, letting Kick have his own way again.

  ‘Iris?’ said her mum. ‘Are you sure you’re OK with Kick’s movie?’

  Iris realised her face had scrunched up into a scowl again. She took a deep breath and then let it out in a sigh. She looked at her mum.

  ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘It’s fine. Really.’

  Maybe she could try to pretend Kick wasn’t there. But that wouldn’t be easy.

  ‘Hey, Mum,’ Kick yelled, even though he was standing right beside them. ‘Can I have some money? I want to line up for choc-tops. And can we have popcorn too? And that drink?’

  If I were the deaf one, she thought, I’d take my hearing aids out now, and switch off Kick’s voice like a bad song on the radio.

  After the movie, Iris was starving. The choc-top hadn’t filled her up for long. Of course Kick was hungry, too, and he was being really loud about it.

  ‘I want a hamburger,’ he said. ‘I’m so starving, all I can think about is a hamburger. And chips. And a milkshake. Can we get one, mum? Please?’

  Iris’s mum bent down and put her hand on Kick’s shoulder. ‘Slow down, Kick. How about Iris gets a turn to choose?’

  ‘OK,’ Kick shrugged.‘Hey, Iris, choose hamburgers, OK? And hot chips with sauce. That’s the best choice, OK?’

  Iris liked hamburgers as much as Kick did, but right then she felt like doing the exact opposite of whatever he wanted just to spite him. What was the opposite of a hamburger?

  ‘Well, Iris?’ said her mum. ‘What will it be?’

  Iris smiled sweetly. She had an idea that would annoy Kick and please her mum.

  Perfect! ‘I’d really love some sushi, actually,’ she said.

  ‘Great!’ said her mum. ‘Exactly what we need after all that junk food.’

  Kick groaned, and Iris smiled again.

  Suffer, brother! she thought.

  Walking through the city, Iris felt so hungry that she started to worry that cold rice and seaweed wouldn’t be enough to stop her stomach growling. Especially when they kept walking past the delicious smells of hot pizza and kebabs.

  But then her mum found a sushi train restaurant.

  ‘It’s so cute!’ Iris said. She hadn’t seen anything like it before. A miniature train was trundling along around the benches, pulling little carriages of sushi behind it!

  ‘Right, here’s what we’ll do,’ said her mum as they sat down. ‘One plate at a time off the train, and finish what you’ve got before you take another one.’

  The little train rattled past them, and Iris’s mum took a plate of glistening cubes of raw fish.

  ‘What a good suggestion, Iris,’ she said. ‘This is lovely.’

  Kick piped up, ‘I don’t want any of this fancy, spicy stuff. Where are the normal tuna rolls like we get at our sushi place at home?’

  Iris’s mum gave Kick some chicken and avocado sushi, but he kept complaining.

  ‘I’ll eat it,’ he grumbled. ‘But I won’t like it. And I still want a hamburger more than ever.’

  ‘Tough, Kick,’ Iris snapped. ‘It was my choice, and Mum agreed, so there.’

  ‘That’s enough,’ her mum said firmly. ‘Just eat. If you can both behave yourselves for two minutes, I’ll order some fat noodles for us all. Will that do?’

  ‘Hey, yeah, cool!’ said Kick cheerfully.

  Iris, though, was amazed. Both behave yourselves? Both? How unfair was that? It was Kick that was acting all spoilt, not Iris.

  It’s Kick’s fault, she thought, hurt. There wouldn’t even have been an argument without him.

  After their fat noodles, their mum took Iris and Kick to the science museum. Normally, Iris would have thought it was fantastic to try out all those machines and gadgets, and Kick seemed to be having a good time, but she was fed up.

  It was like there was only room on holiday for one kid. At home, Iris and Kick had worked out how to share things so that it was mostly fair between them.
That wasn’t happening here, though. Kick was getting everything his own way, and Iris was left with nothing.

  Well, I guess we all know which kid this holiday is really for, she thought sulkily.

  The next morning, Iris was dressed and choosing a ribbon for her new hairstyle when room service knocked on the door with breakfast.

  The hotel waiter pushed a trolley full of food into their room and checked off their order. Iris was having scrambled eggs and sausages.

  Iris’s dad had gone to pick up a hire car to drive everyone to Nan and Pa’s, while the rest of them had packed their bags, ready to check out of the hotel.

  Iris got a secret, naughty thrill at the thought of leaving all the beds unmade and the towels on the bed, and she had one tiny wrapped soap tucked safely in her bag.

  Iris ran up the path to her nan and pa’s house and banged on the door.

  ‘Nan and Pa!’ she yelled through the glass panels.

  Kick thumped down the path behind her. ‘Nan!’ he bellowed, standing next to Iris on the top step. ‘Mum got you flowers!’

  Iris elbowed him. ‘Don’t say that! It was meant to be a surprise!’

  ‘It doesn’t matter, Iris,’ her mum said, shaking her head. ‘The flowers will be just as pretty whether they’re a surprise or not.’

  Then the front door opened and Iris saw her nan and pa. She loved it how they always came to the door together, as though they were so excited to see Iris and Kick that neither of them could wait in the kitchen.

  ‘Here you are, my little darlings!’ cried her nan, coming out onto the porch to hug them before they could even get into the house.

  ‘Let me look at them,’ said her pa, coming through the door. Iris and Kick both wriggled out of their nan’s hug to cuddle with their pa instead.

  ‘Good grief!’ he said, making an amazed face at Iris’s mum. ‘Who are these people? I thought you were bringing little Iris and Kick, and instead you’ve come with some beautiful young lady and this huge bruiser of a man.’

  Iris laughed and rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, Pa!’

  ‘Oh, it is you, Rissy!’ he chuckled.

  Iris’s dad struggled down the path with some of the bags from the car.

  Her pa called out to him, ‘Christopher, my boy! I think you’ve grown, too! Come over here, son, and let me see those muscles.’

  Iris giggled. It was so weird to hear her pa teasing her dad like he was still a little boy. Especially because that was exactly how her dad teased her and Kick!

  ‘Come on,’ said her nan. ‘The bags can wait, but my caramel slice can’t.’

  ‘Caramel slice!’ yelled Kick, bounding inside.

  ‘Yes, and coconut biscuits and sultana cake, too,’ her nan said, smiling at Iris. ‘Just something for you to nibble on while we get lunch ready.’

  Iris grinned. She followed her nan down the long corridor to the kitchen, past framed photos of her and Kick as babies, and of their cousins, Lauren and Nigella, who lived in England and went to boarding school.

  They reached the kitchen and their pa said, ‘You’d better sit down, kids. Nan won’t be happy until she sees you eating. The coconut biscuits are for you, Rissy.’

  Iris glanced at her mum. At home, they weren’t allowed sweet things until way after lunch.

  But her mum smiled and shrugged. ‘It’s a holiday,’ she said. ‘And your nan’s gone to a lot of trouble.’

  Iris grinned. She didn’t need to be told twice!

  ‘So what are you going to do while you’re here?’ Iris’s pa asked them.

  ‘I’d like to see the new display at the art gallery,’ her mum said, jumping in straight away. ‘And then I thought we could take the kids over to the war memorial.’

  Kick snorted. ‘Bo-ring! Can I stay here with Pa and watch telly instead?’

  Iris glared at him.

  ‘Kick!’ said her mum, sounding impatient with him at last. ‘We haven’t decided what we’re doing yet, but whatever it is, you’re coming with us. We’ll have a good time.’

  ‘Oh, please? Pretty please? I’ll be good,’ he said, looking pleadingly at their dad instead.

  Iris watched them all exchanging looks over Kick’s head. Iris knew that Kick was about to get his own way again.

  ‘Well …’ said her mum.

  ‘Ah, he’ll be terrific,’ said her pa. ‘We’ll watch the game on TV and he can help with dinner.’

  ‘Yesss!’ Kick cheered.

  ‘Why don’t you kids get the rest of the bags out of the car while Mum and I talk to Nan and Pa for a minute?’ their dad said, throwing Iris the keys. ‘You know where your bedroom is.’

  Iris snatched the keys out of the air and strode down the corridor, not caring if Kick was keeping up with her or not. She carefully and quietly opened the front door, but then stomped grumpily down the path to the car.

  Kick came and stood beside her as she opened the boot and started hauling the bags out.

  ‘Don’t give me Dad’s bag,’ he said. ‘It’s way too heavy. I’ll take Mum’s and mine.’

  ‘Anything else?’ Iris said crossly.

  ‘What’s your problem?’ Kick said.

  ‘You!’ she hissed. ‘You’re selfish, and bratty, and acting like the whole holiday is about you getting everything you want – that’s what!’

  Kick shrugged. ‘Whatever, Rissy.’

  ‘Don’t!’ she growled. ‘That’s Pa’s name for me. No-one else’s.’

  ‘OK, Rissy,’ he laughed. ‘Sorry, Rissy. I won’t do it again, Rissy. I didn’t realise you were the boss of me, Rissy.’

  ‘I’m warning you, Drop-Kick,’ she said, pointing her finger at him.

  ‘Oooh, like I’m so scared, Rissy!’

  With a little scream of frustration, Iris jumped over the bags at her feet and punched her brother in the shoulder. ‘You brat!’

  Kick fell backwards over the edge of the gutter and sat down hard on the nature strip. ‘Ow!’ he yelled, clutching his leg. ‘Look what you’ve done!’

  ‘You’re not hurt,’ said Iris, narrowing her eyes. ‘You’re just noisy and sooky and a pain in the bum!’

  ‘What’s going on here?’ said a cross voice behind her. Iris looked up to see her mum, dad, nan and pa all standing by the garden gate, staring at her with surprise and disappointment.

  ‘Iris! What have you done?’ their mum said as she knelt down beside Kick.

  Iris threw herself down on the bed in her nan and pa’s spare room. She was sharing the room with Kick, but he was smart enough to stay out of her way for now.

  She couldn’t remember ever being so angry. It was just so completely unfair. Kick had been a pain the whole trip, but now she was the one getting in trouble.

  All they care about is their precious Kick, Iris thought bitterly. Like he’s a helpless little baby, when he’s actually just a giant brat!

  Iris could hear Kick out in the kitchen, acting extra charming and funny and saying please and thank you very much about a million times a minute.

  As if Nan and Pa haven’t already figured out who the good kid is, she thought grumpily. She rolled over towards the wall. I might as well not even be here.

  Then she felt her bed sag as someone walked in and sat on the end of it. She ignored whoever it was.

  ‘Iris?’ It was her mum.

  Iris lay still and pretended not to hear.

  ‘Iris, come on. I want to talk to you.’

  Iris rolled over very slowly and sat up without looking properly at her mum.

  ‘Kick’s laying it on a bit thick out there,’ her mum whispered. ‘I think he’s trying to make up for his appalling manners earlier.’

  Iris frowned. ‘Huh?’

  ‘Oh, yes,’ her mum said, ‘you’re not the only one who’s noticed how ordinary his behaviour’s been so far. And you’re not the only one who’s embarrassed, either.’

  Now Iris was really surprised. ‘Who else is embarrassed?’

  ‘Kick is!’ her mum said. ‘After you ra
n inside, Pa told him to pick himself up and stop making such a racket. And Nan asked him what on earth he’d done to make you so cross. And then Dad made him bring in all the bags by himself.’

  Iris was amazed. ‘You were all on my side? But I was sure everyone was totally disappointed in me.’

  ‘Well, I wouldn’t say we were exactly proud of you for whacking your little brother, but we do understand. He’s been one demanding boy.’

  Iris gulped and said, ‘So I haven’t wrecked the holiday? Not completely?’

  Her mum laughed and hugged her. ‘Honey, it’s a family holiday, and you can’t wreck family as easily as that! No, we’re going to have a great holiday. I just need you to take it a little easier and enjoy yourself. It’s not up to you to make sure Kick is behaving. Leave that to Dad and me, OK?’

  ‘OK,’ Iris smiled.

  Iris heard her nan calling out, ‘Is everyone ready for lunch?’

  Iris jumped up off the bed. ‘Coming, Nan!’

  To Iris’s surprise, before she could say sorry to Kick for hitting him, he came up to her while she was washing her hands for lunch.

  ‘Sorry, Iris,’ he mumbled. ‘I’ve been a pain.’

  ‘Wow,’ she said, staring at him. ‘Thanks. I’m sorry, too. And thanks for saying sorry first. That’s cool of you.’

  He grinned at her. ‘Yeah, I am cool. Plus, Nan said if I didn’t make up with you she wouldn’t let me have any pudding tonight.’

  ‘There’s pudding?’ Iris grinned back. ‘Which one?’

  ‘The chocolate one that makes its own sauce in the dish.’

  Iris nodded.‘Oh, yeah, that one’s worth saying the first sorry.’

  Iris couldn’t help giggling to herself at the lunch table. It was so obvious that Kick was trying to be on his best behaviour. He was being way too polite.