"There are hundreds and hundreds of chocolates!" she said. "So I've won. Give us the notebook then."
"But they are meant to be all different things," I said.
"You didn't say so," said Chloe.
"I thought it was obvious."
"It's obvious you're just a bad loser," said Chloe. "I want my notebook!"
So I had to give it to her, even though Emily and Amy agreed it wasn't really fair. Bella was too busy helping herself to Chloe's chocolates to comment.
I couldn't stick Chloe. I decided that I didn't want to go to her sleepover party. But I very, very badly wanted to go to Emily's. I tried so hard to think of a good birthday present for her. Mum took me shopping on Saturday morning and I spent ages and ages and ages looking at pens and crayons and books but nothing seemed special enough for Emily.
Lily was in a good mood at first and slumped to one side, daydreaming, but after an hour she started fussing. Loudly.
"Shut up, Lily," I hissed. "Why do you always have to spoil things?"
"Hey, hey!" said Mum. "It's not Lily's fault. And she's been really really sweet today. You're the one who's grumpy."
"Well, I can't choose," I said, nearly in tears. "And Emily's party is this afternoon. I can't be the only one not giving her a present."
"All these birthday presents!" said Mum. "It's getting a bit much. Still, I suppose it's your birthday soon. Are you still keen on this sleepover idea, Daisy?"
"Yes. No. I don't know," I said.
I didn't want to think about my birthday. I wanted to think about Emily's. I was so looking forward to going to her house – and she had said she'd show me her little teddy, Buttercup.
"I've had an idea!" I said.
We went down to the toy department. I searched along a whole shelf of teddy bears. There were great big growly ones, tiny baby ones, plump teddies in silk waistcoats, soft teddies with velvet paws, smiley teddies and sad teddies and silly teddies with goofy faces. And right at the very end of the row was a little girl teddy. She had pink fur and a little blue pinafore frock embroidered with a tiny white flower.
"She's perfect for Emily's birthday present!" I said.
Seven
Emily loved her bear. She gave me a big hug.
"A bear hug!" she said. "Oh Daisy, she's so sweet. And look, she's got a daisy on her pinafore. I'll call her Daisy."
"I think teddies are stupid," said Chloe. "They're for babies."
Chloe gave Emily a special CD album of girl singers. She left the price on to show it was very expensive. Emily gave her a hug too. Emily gave everyone a hug. She was so happy she got very pink in the face. She matched Daisy Bear's fur.
Chloe suggested Emily play her new CD so we could all dance but Emily's mum said she'd sooner we didn't play music just at the moment as Emily's little brother Ben was having a nap, and there wasn't really space for us to dance, so perhaps we could all go out in the garden for half an hour while she got the picnic ready.
So we went into the garden with Emily's dad and played football. Emily got to pick her team first as it was her birthday. She picked Chloe and me. Emily's dad went on Amy and Bella's team but guess what – we still beat them! Emily is very good at football and Chloe is very good at barging into people to stop them getting the ball and, although it sounds like showing off, I happen to be very good at football too.
"We are the champions!" Emily and Chloe and I sang, and we jumped up and down and hugged each other every time we scored a goal. It felt very strange hugging Chloe. Maybe we were proper friends now.
Maybe not. When we were setting off for the picnic Emily suggested I fetch Midnight while she got her Buttercup and brand-new Daisy.
"Yuck! What do you want them for?" said Chloe.
"It's a picnic, Chloe!" said Emily.
"A teddy bear's picnic!" I said.
We both started singing that funny old teddy bear's picnic song. Amy joined in. Bella joined in.
We sang it in the car. Emily's mum and dad joined in. Emily's baby brother Ben tried to join in. Chloe didn't even try. She sat scowling and sighing and muttering that we were all dead babyish. When we got out the car at the park Chloe suddenly gave me a push so that I fell on my knees and got my new trousers all dirty. It hurt too. I tried very hard indeed not to cry.
"Did you push Daisy, Chloe?" said Emily's mum.
"No, of course not. I was just helping her out the car. It was an accident," said Chloe.
It was accidentally on purpose. I hid my face in Midnight's fur.
"Oh look at little diddums with her teddyweddy," Chloe muttered.
I wished Midnight was a real bear and could bite her.
We had another game of football but my knees were bleeding and sticking to my trousers so it was too sore to run. I couldn't be on a team. I had to sit on a rug beside Emily's mum and her little brother Ben.
Still, that wasn't so bad. Ben got a bit grizzly so Emily's mum let me give him his bottle. I am very used to helping people drink. I know exactly the right angle.
"You're just like a little mum, Daisy," said Emily's mum. "Have you got a little brother at home?"
"No, I've just got . . . my sister," I said, sitting Ben up and burping him.
"Is she still a baby?" said Emily's mum.
"Not really," I said, vaguely.
"Well, anyway, I'm very glad you and Emily have made friends. You must come round and play whenever you want. You'd be very welcome."
I was so happy I gave Baby Ben a big kiss on his button nose. Emily's mum was frowning over at Chloe who was stamping her foot and complaining because Amy and Bella had managed to score a goal. She didn't look as if Chloe was very welcome at all!
I gave a great grin. Emily smiled back at me and came running over. "How are your poor knees, Daisy?" she said.
"Emily! Come back. You're the goalie !" Chloe screeched.
"I'm not playing any more. It's not really fair playing football when Daisy can't join in," said Emily.
"Anyway, now that we've got Ben fed I think it's time for our picnic," said Emily's mum quickly, before Chloe could make any further fuss.
The picnic was delicious: chicken drumsticks and tiny tomatoes and crusty French bread and crisps and apples and cherry flapjacks and a yellow birthday cake in the shape of a teddy bear! Emily insisted Daisy Bear and Buttercup and Midnight all had tiny slices too.
"I wish I'd brought my teddy along," said Bella. "This is yummy cake, Emily. Though I think chocolate's still my favourite. You haven't got anything chocolatey at all."
"I've gone off chocolate," said Emily firmly.
She seemed to have gone off Chloe too! When we got changed into our pyjamas back at Emily's house it hurt pulling my trousers off and my knees bled a bit. Emily looked shocked.
"Your poor knees, Daisy," she said. She looked hard at Chloe. "Look at the state of Daisy's knees, Chloe," she said sternly.
Chloe shrugged. "It was an accident, I said."
"Poor Daisy," said Bella.
"Yes, you're being ever so brave, Daisy," said Amy.
Emily put her arm round me while Emily's mum gave my knees a wash and put stingy stuff on them and bandaged them carefully.
"I don't see why everyone's making such a fuss about Daisy's boring old knees," Chloe muttered. "They're just scratched, that's all."
"Do shut up, Chloe," said Emily.
Then you'll never guess what. Emily said I could share her bed for the sleepover. Amy and Bella shared the other bed. And Chloe had to have the spare mattress all by herself.
Eight
I was certain Chloe wasn't going to invite me to her sleepover party. Especially now that Emily was very nearly my best friend too.
Chloe had special invitations. They were all different colours. Emily had a red envelope, Bella a blue, Amy an orange. Surprise, surprise.
I didn't have an invitation.
"What about Daisy?" said Emily.
"Who?" said Chloe, as if she'd never even heard of me.
/>
"You are funny, Chloe! Daisy," said Emily, putting her arm round me.
"You didn't forget Daisy, did you?" said Amy.
"I didn't forget her," said Chloe. "But my mum says I can only have three people at my sleepover party. So that's Emily and Amy and Bella. Right?"
"That's all wrong," said Emily. She was going very pink in the face.
"It's not fair on Daisy," said Amy.
"Poor Daisy," said Bella, giving me a squeeze.
"Yes, poor Daisy," said Chloe, as if she was really sorry. As if !
"Daisy's got to come too, Chloe!" said Emily, getting even pinker.
"Look, it's not my fault. It's my mum."
"Your mum lets you do anything you want, you know she does. You're just not being fair," said Emily.
"It is fair, because I've been to your sleepover party, Emily, and I've been to Amy's and I've been to Bella's. I haven't been to Daisy's. She doesn't even know for definite if she's going to have a sleepover party," said Chloe.
"You're just being mean, Chloe," said Emily.
"Don't you start getting all stroppy with me, Emily, or you won't be coming to my sleepover party either, even if you are my best friend," said Chloe.
"It's OK, Emily," I whispered.
"It's not OK," said Emily. "I don't want to come to your sleepover party if Daisy can't come too."
She stared very fiercely at Amy and Bella. "You don't want to either, do you?" she said.
Amy and Bella looked uncertain. But then Bella nodded and said, "That's right, Emily."
And Amy nodded too.
Chloe glared at Amy and Bella. She looked as if she might hit Emily. She seemed all set to murder me.
"See if I care then," she said, and she flounced off.
"Oh dear," said Amy.
"She said she was going to have a gigantic chocolate cake at her party," said Bella, sighing.
"She's really going to have it in for me now," said Emily. "You know what she can be like. I've tried and tried to stop being friends with Chloe – but it's better to have her as your friend than your deadly enemy."
"It's all my fault!" I said, feeling truly dreadful.
Emily and Bella and Amy were very comforting but I still felt bad. I didn't tell Mum when I got home from school. I didn't tell Dad when he got home from work.
I waited until it was bedtime and then I crept into Lily's bed and cuddled up with her and told her all about it.
Lily went, "Ur ur ur ur ur."
I decided that was Lily-language for, "That Chloe is a mean hateful pig."
"I'm scared she'll be really, really horrible now," I whispered. "I'm used to her being mean to me. But it'll be so awful if she's mean to Emily too."
Lily went, "Ur ur ur ur ur," as if she were saying, "Don't you worry about it, Daisy."
I did worry. Lots and lots. I didn't sleep much that night. But guess what. Chloe dropped a pink envelope on my desk in the morning.
"I got my mum to change her mind," she said. "You're coming to my sleepover party now, Daisy. And you, Emily. And Bella and Amy."
"Oh great, Chloe!" said Emily, and she gave her a big hug. "Isn't that wonderful, Daisy?"
I wasn't sure.
I was even less sure when Chloe whispered in my ear, "I don't really want you to come, Daisy Diddums."
I didn't want to get Chloe a birthday present. Especially a birthday present she'd really, really like. But when Dad and I went down the video shop on Friday night they were having a special sale and there was this video called "The Spooky Sleepover" and I knew it would be just perfect for Chloe.
Mum was a bit cross with Dad for buying it.
"It's much too scary for a little girl," she said.
"It sounds like this Chloe is much scarier than any soppy video," said Dad.
He took me to the party on Saturday because he said he couldn't wait to meet Chloe. He looked a bit taken aback when he saw her. Chloe is little and cute and she's got big blue eyes and these blonde curls. It's pretty sickening actually.
Chloe gave me this great big false smile when my dad was still there.
"Ooh, what a super-sounding video! I hope it's not too frightening. Thank you ever so much, Daisy," said Chloe.
But the second Dad was gone Chloe stuck her tongue out at me and dropped the video on the floor.
"I saw this ages ago and it sucks. It isn't spooky at all. Trust you to pick a baby film, Daisy Diddums."
Nine
"Come on, Diddums," said Chloe. "We're all in the kitchen. I suppose you'd better come too."
Chloe's kitchen was amazingly big and posh and shiny with all sorts of cupboards and ovens and machines. Chloe's mum was as shiny as her kitchen. She wore a white glittery top and white satin trousers, with a little pink-and-white frilly apron over the top. She looked more like Chloe's sister than her mum.
Emily and Amy and Bella were all standing at a crowded table with big aprons pinned around them and their sleeves rolled up.
"Hi, Daisy!" said Emily. "We're all making our own pizzas – it's such fun."
"We can choose any topping we like," said Amy, arranging pepperoni in a noughts and crosses shape on her pizza.
"I'm making a Bellaroni special," Bella giggled, squirting chocolate sauce everywhere.
"See, I said I was going to have a brilliant sleepover party," said Chloe. "The best in the whole world."
"For the best little girl in the whole world," said Chloe's dad, popping his head round the door.
Chloe's mum was very young, but Chloe's dad was quite old, with a bald head and a big fat tummy. He made a pizza too – with all the toppings.
"Wow!" said Bella, seriously impressed.
"What are you going to put on your pizza, Daisy?" asked Emily.
I thought hard.
"I'm going to make mine a face," I said.
I sprinkled lots of grated cheese on the top half for hair. Then I did olives for eyes and a slice of yellow pepper for a nose and a curvy red pepper slice for a smiley mouth. I placed a tomato each side for rosy cheeks and I used pineapple chunks for gold earrings and a choker necklace.
"Oh Daisy, you are clever," said Emily.
"It looks so good you won't want to eat it," said Bella.
"How about a couple of anchovies for eyebrows?" said Amy.
"No! They'd look good but I hate anchovies," I said. I think they look like grey slimy worms. They always give me the shudders.
Chloe didn't say anything. But when we all followed Chloe's dad into their dining room Chloe hung back to help her mum put the pizzas into the giant oven.
Chloe's dad pretended to be a barman and fixed us all a fruit-juice cocktail. They didn't just have little paper umbrellas like at Amy's. They had tiny plastic Mickey Mouse stirrers and cherries on sticks and ice-cubes in the shape of stars.
We all clinked glasses and when Chloe came into the dining room we sang Happy Birthday. Chloe's dad conducted us and got all watery-eyed at the end. Then he seated us at the dining table. We each had a little present on our side plate. It was a little letter charm on a silvery bracelet. A B C D and E. Chloe's C was gold and her bracelet was a proper gold link one with little golden hearts.
"Real gold for our birthday girl," said her dad.
"And look, I've got real gold heart earrings to match," said Chloe, looping her curls behind her ears. "I had them pierced as an extra birthday present."
We all stared at her ears enviously. My mum says I'm going to have to wait right up until I'm sixteen before I'm allowed to have my ears pierced.
Chloe's mum came in with the first two pizzas. She'd taken her apron off. Her T-shirt top was so tiny it showed her bare tummy and she'd had her belly button pierced! It looked truly cool. I hadn't realized mums could have curvy waists and flat tummies. My mum hasn't.
Chloe's mum served Chloe and Emily with their pizzas. Then she fetched Amy's and Bella's.
"Are you sure you meant to use chocolate sauce, Bella?" said Chloe's mum, putting Bella's
very brown pizza in front of her.
"Oh yes, yummy! Chocolate's my favourite thing in all the world," said Bella happily.
"Well, I'll fetch you some chocolate drops to put on top, if you like," said Chloe's mum, laughing.