Izzy's River (10 page)

Izzy sat squashed up in the bow of the narrowboat with Poppy and Maya and Emily, with a glass of lemonade in one hand, and a chocolate biscuit in the other. There was a little bench seat, and there was just about enough room for the four of them, especially as Poppy was kneeling up, and throwing chocolate bourbons to Alex and Maddy and Jake and the others, who were escorting the
Painted Lady
down the river in their canoes. Emily’s dad was standing on the bank taking photos, and everybody else was crammed on to the boat, drinking tea, and eating biscuits, and chatting, and generally feeling pleased with themselves.

Poppy’s dad had even gone home to fetch more supplies, and Billy too, as he’d helped to start off the whole idea, and now the big dog was happily sitting at Izzy’s feet, edging closer and closer to a packet of chocolate bourbons, which Poppy had foolishly left almost in his reach.

“It looks good, doesn’t it?” Poppy said proudly, as they sailed under the bridge, and everyone admired the decorated wall. “George says we should finish it in a couple more afternoons.”

“It’s lovely. It was a fab idea,” Maya agreed.

Izzy frowned at the long grasses growing around the edge of the bridge. “Poppy, look!” she cried. “It’s one of those butterflies!”

The others stared out across the water.

“There, you see? Just fluttering around those bushes. I’m sure it is one.”

“You’re right!” Poppy looked delighted. “I know it isn’t really because of our clearing up, but it feels like it is! It has to be a good sign, doesn’t it? Yay us!”

“Oh, Billy…” Izzy turned to follow the flight of the butterfly as it swooped across the water, and noticed the dog. He glanced up at her guiltily, shreds of biscuit wrapper trailing from between his teeth.

“Not the whole packet?” Poppy sighed.

“And the wrapper, I think,” Izzy said worriedly.

“Huh. That won’t make much difference, he eats tissues on purpose. His insides are made of iron, the vet said.” Poppy shook her head. “Well, I suppose you deserve a treat, since this all started because of you. But you’re a bad dog!”

Billy laid his ears flat and whined, and Maya and Emily and Izzy all went, “Awww…” since they weren’t as used to his sneaky ways as Poppy was.

Poppy rolled her eyes. “Honestly, he’s a thieving horror, and you’re feeling sorry for him.”

“It
is
a party,” Izzy pointed out, scratching Billy under the chin so that he groaned happily. “And it was all because of him, and his silly paws.” She giggled. “Maybe we should find some more chocolate biscuits, and throw one in the water for that rat he was chasing!”

Billy sat up and stared at her, his bright black eyes sparkling.

“Does he know what rat means?” Izzy asked in surprise.

“Probably. Oh, Billy, no!” Poppy made a grab for his collar, but she was too late. Billy was already gone. He hit the water with a mighty splash, and set about paddling furiously around, clearly hunting the rat that he was convinced must be there somewhere.

“I don’t believe it,” Poppy muttered. “He’s going to have to scramble out on the bank, I’m not going in after him.”

“He’s a very good swimmer,” Izzy said admiringly. Then she smiled, and nudged Poppy. “And at least
there can’t be any more bikes in there for him to get tangled up in. We carried bits of at least six up to Dad’s truck in the end.”

Billy seemed to have given up on the imaginary rat now. He paddled hopefully over to Alex and Jake, and scrabbled at the edge of Alex’s canoe.

“Poppy!” Alex yelled. “Couldn’t you look after the dumb dog for once?”

“Sorry,” Poppy shouted back. “He got confused. He went ratting again.”

“Typical,” Alex muttered, reaching down and hoisting Billy into the cockpit of the kayak in front of him. Billy sat up beautifully, staring ahead down the river, as though he was born to the water. Maddy was paddling along next to Alex, but maybe it didn’t matter. Jake’s canoe was right up next to the
Painted Lady
, and he was chatting to another girl who’d come to help out. She was lying on the roof next to the flowers, and leaning down to talk to him.

“You know what this means?” Emily said, hopping up suddenly.

The others looked at her in surprise.

“We can open another packet of chocolate biscuits, without having to share them with the dog!”

Izzy laughed, and took a bite of biscuit. The sun
was definitely hot now, and it really felt like summer. It was one of the nicest parties she’d ever been to, Izzy decided. Perhaps it was because they’d been working so hard. Or maybe it was just being on a boat, with all the flags fluttering, and people on the bank waving at them as they floated slowly past. It made her feel like someone really special.

And they were, Izzy realised suddenly, looking at Poppy and Maya and even Emily, all giggling and waving. They were special, all four of them, and she was so, so lucky!

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