Hideous Kinky [antikvár]

CHAPTER ONE It wasn't until we were halfway through France that we noticed Maretta wasn't talking. She sat very still in the back of the van and watched us all with bright eyes. I crawled across the mattress to her. 'Maretta will you tell us a story?' Maretta sighed and turned her head away. John was doing the driving. He was driving fast with one hand on the wheel. John was Maretta's husband. He had brought her along at the last minute only because, I heard him tell my mother, she wasn't well. Bea glared at me. 'Maretta ' I began again dutifully, but Maretta placed her light white hand on the top of my head and held it there until my skull began to creep and I scrambled out from under it. 'You didn't ask her properly,' Bea hissed. 'You didn't say please.' 'Well, you ask her.' 'It's not me who wants the story, is it?' 'But you said to ask. I was asking for you.' 'Shhh.' Our mother leaned over from the front seat. 'You'll wake Danny. Come and sit with me and I'll read you both a story.' I looked hopefully at Bea. 'Oh all right,' she relented, and we jumped over Danny's sleeping body and clam-