The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2579 by Angharad Copyright© 2015 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
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We had to be at Reading for noon, what with the episode of the police and MI5 and the technician’s computer, I couldn’t have felt less like going to the football stadium had I wanted. At least I knew where to go this time which made life a little easier.

I showered, dried my hair and was dressed before seven—hence feeling tired. I roused the girls including our very own Waynetta Rooney, who I’d expected to be bouncing out of bed ready to go—apparently I was mistaken. She pulled up the bedclothes and snuggled down again.

“Danielle, unless you get up now, you could be late for your meeting at Reading.”

“Okay, okay,” she said probably on autopilot. She didn’t move. I went and roused the others who did get up. Returning to her bedroom I said loudly, “If you are not up and in the shower in two minutes I will not take you to Reading. If I don’t take you, you won’t get to play for England.”

I let her process what I’d said, which took about half a minute. I could see her fighting to wake but with difficulty. “Danielle, get up and into the shower, this minute.” As I spoke I pulled the duvet off her and she reached for it but it was at the bottom of her bed. “Don’t you want to play football for England?”

Her eyelids opened like a roller blind being released. “What?” she asked sleepily.

“Get your pretty little bum into the shower now or you won’t get to Reading in time.”

She rubbed her eyes, “What time is it—god, Mummy, look at the time, I’m going to be late—why didn’t you wake me?” She scuttled into the shower just beating Julie who swore at her. I started packing for her then went down to organise the chimps breakfast party.

Julie and Danni were still swapping insults as they came down for breakfast. Daddy returned with Kiki and spoke to the assembled throng—he was taking the girls to school for me with the exception of Danni who’d been given special leave of absence to play football. If she got selected, she’d get lots of publicity for the school.

Jim arrived for breakfast. He’d decided to stay with us until this business was over and Chas and Dave had a free roaming role—one had apparently travelled to London on the same train as Simon and Sammi, though neither had seen him on the train. His mission to keep them safe.

Jim decided to stick with Danni and I, so he had to tag along with the two of us when we set off to travel up for the football weekend and possibly Danni’s date with destiny.” She agonised most of the way there, were we going to be late and so on. If she hadn’t sat back quietly, I was tempted to leave her standing on the motorway hard shoulder and drive off without her, she was whining so much.

Arriving at the football stadium in plenty of time, we had a quick cuppa before saying goodbye, she ambled off towards registration and I had to call her back, she’d left her overnight bag in the boot of the car—at least I hoped it was there. It was. She’d admitted she hadn’t slept a wink most of the night she was too excited. I’d had a similar experience and to prove it yawned all the way back to the car.

Jim offered to drive and I let him, nodding off to sleep on the drive home. Tomorrow, we had a bus ordered to take us to see the match. The girls had all got permission to go and watch their big sister, even Julie had arranged to close for eleven o’clock, the game was due to start at three. If she came home we could have a nice lunch and leave at midday, then amble up against most of the traffic. I had a whole pile of tickets and everyone but Stella and Jacquie were coming. Neither liked crowds so they stayed home to look after the little ones.

We returned unimpeded which meant very little. The bad guys could be biding their time, hoping we’d relax enough to catch us off guard or I was being paranoid. No, Edward had given me a coded warning to beware the football game—or did he mean Reading? It’s quite a biggish place, cosmopolitan like Portsmouth—why should we be at any extra risk at a football match? There’d be loads of police about and zillions of schoolgirls—perhaps that’s what he meant—ordeal by schoolgirl.

David did a beautiful roast lamb dinner after which I felt quite mellow. Danni Skyped us from her hotel room. They didn’t pick the team until the morning, she was still in with a chance or so we all hoped. We were still coming to watch. If she wasn’t picked in any capacity she’d text and we’d find her and she could come and sit with us and then come home with us afterwards. If she was picked, she’d have to shower and we’d collect her an hour or so afterwards.

I fell asleep on the settee in my study reading the Mammal Review. I’d really zonked and slept for a couple of hours. The result was I couldn’t sleep that night when we went to bed, tossing and turning until about three or four o’clock when exhaustion caused me to finally sleep. I was up again at seven. We might only be going to a soccer game, but no one was going to show me up, so it was showers and smart casual clothes.

The girls had been excused school to support their sister, it was rumoured quite a few wanted to attend the game so unbeknownst to us a bus load of girls from St Claire’s were on the road just after we left, including both their soccer teams but without their star players.

An early lunch saw us ready to go at midday, so as the bus arrived we got our stuff together and boarded, next stop Reading FC. James was accompanying us, Chas or Dave had gone on ahead and the other was watching the house, hopefully meaning we had all bases covered. Famous last words—I hoped not.