Read Chocolate Box Girls: Coco Caramel Online

Authors: Cathy Cassidy

Tags: #Juvenile Fiction, #General, #Social Issues, #Love & Romance, #Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance, #Family, #Juvenile Nonfiction, #Siblings, #Marriage & Divorce

Chocolate Box Girls: Coco Caramel (24 page)

I guess I hate goodbyes as well.

A week ago we took Honey to Heathrow to
catch her flight to Sydney. Honey looked small, lost, alone as she walked out through
the security gates, and I panicked suddenly that we might lose her forever. Living with
a stormcloud like Honey has never been easy, but I don’t think I will ever get
used to her not being around. In some ways, this has been the worst week of my life.

In other ways, it has been the best.

As I play, a pony comes towards me through
the long grass, a rough-coated bay with a wild, dark mane and tail, her eyes soft and
shining. Caramel watches me solemnly
for a while, ears pricked as I
play. It turns out that she really was Jasmine’s birthday pony, but of course
there will be no room for her at Jas and Lawrie’s gran’s house. Fitting
three people and a skinny mongrel in is one thing; finding space for an Exmoor pony is
something else entirely.

‘You sent me cupcakes and jasmine
flowers,’ the little girl explained to me last week. ‘Before you even met
me. That was kind. And you saved Caramel and kept her safe, so … will you look
after her for me now? Please?’

I promised that I would.

Just a few weeks ago I thought that if I had
Caramel, all my troubles would be over; she’s mine now, pretty much, but I have a
feeling my troubles are just beginning. I said this to Honey at the airport last week,
and she laughed and told me that I’d be fine, that I was just growing up. Well,
maybe.

I slide down to the ground, put my violin
away and take Caramel’s halter, leading her up to the stable she shares with
Humbug the sheep. I saddle her carefully, adjust her reins and swing up on to her back,
and together we walk out through the field gate heading down, slowly, towards the
beach.

Caramel tosses her head in the wind and
skitters a little as her hooves sink into the sand. We turn to face the vast shimmering
expanse of ocean, now streaked with red and gold as the sun drops steadily lower in the
sky, and I think of another afternoon, riding Caramel across the moors with
Lawrie’s arms round me. Then I shake the memory free and press my heels in gently
and we bound forward into a canter, out along the beach, heads down, happy, glad to be
alive.

shy, quiet, always on the
outside … sometimes finds it hard to separate truth from fiction
14 years old
Born:
Glasgow
Mum:
Kiko
Dad:
Paddy
Looks:
small; slim;
coffee-coloured skin; straight, dark hair with a fringe, often worn in little
bunches
Style:
bright skinny jeans,
T-shirts, anything with a Japanese theme
Loves:
dreaming, stories, cherry
blossom, Irn-Bru, gypsy caravans
Prize possessions:
kimono,
parasol, Japanese fan, photo of her mum from long ago
Dreams:
of being part of a
family
friendl, eccentric, individual, imaginative
13 years old – Summer’s identical twin
Born:
Kitnor
Mum:
Charlotte
Dad:
Greg
Looks:
shoulder-length blonde
hair, blue eyes, big grin
Style:
floppy hats and vintage
dresses, scarves and shoes
Loves:
history, horoscopes,
dreaming, drawing
Prize possessions:
her collection
of vintage dresses and the fossil she once found on the beach
Dreams:
of travelling back in
time to see what the past was really like …
quiet, confident, pretty, popular, and very
serious about dance
13 years old – Skye’s identical twin
Born:
Kitnor
Mum:
Charlotte
Dad:
Greg
Looks:
long blonde hair, always
tied back in braids or a neat ballerina bun; blue eyes; moves gracefully
Style:
anything
pink … neat, pretty, fashionable clothes and dance-wear
Loves:
dancing, especially
ballet
Prize possessions:
pointe shoes
and tutu
Dreams:
of going to the Royal
Ballet School, becoming a professional dancer and one day running her own ballet
school
cheeky, energetic, friendly, adventurous, crazy
about animals
12 years old
Born:
Kitnor
Mum:
Charlotte
Dad:
Greg
Looks:
chin-length wavy blonde
hair, always tangled; blue eyes; freckles; big grin
Style:
tomboy: jeans, T-shirt,
always messy and dishevelled
Loves:
animals, climbing trees,
swimming in the sea
Prize possessions:
Fred the dg
and the ducks
Dreams:
of having a Ilama, a
donkey and a parrot
a drama queen: moody, selfish, often
sad … but also bright, charming, organized and sweet
15 years old
Born:
London
Mum:
Charlotte
Dad:
Gerg
Looks:
long, ringletty blonde
hair that reaches to her waist; blue eyes; creamy skin; tall; slim
Style:
cool: little print
dresses, strappy sandals, shades, shorts and T-shirts
Loves:
drawing, painting,
fashion, music … and Shay Fletcher
Prize possessions:
hair, diary,
sketchbook, turret bedroom
Dreams:
of being a model, actress
or fashion designer

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