Narinder Dhami - Sleepover Girls Go Karting

“I reckon Frankie will be a good driver,” Lyndz said. “She was the only one who didn’t get bumped when we went on the dodgems.”

“I think Fliss could be quite good,” Frankie remarked, “if she stops worrying about her hairdo for five minutes!”

“Well, I reckon Lyndz is going to be the best,” Rosie added. “She’s always good at things like this.”

“Mum, have you got those free passes?” I asked impatiently, as we went up to the ticket office.

My mum stared at me. “No, I thought Fliss gave them to you.”

“What!” I howled. “She did – but then I thought I gave them to you to look after! Oh no, that means we’ll have to go back home for them—”

“Oh, wait a minute.” My mum grinned at me, and then pulled them out of her handbag. “Here they are.”

I glared at her while the others roared.

“Looks like you’re not the only queen of the wind-up, Kenny!” Frankie spluttered.

“Oh, very funny, Mum!” I said crossly, as we went into the arena. Then I stopped and stared round. “ Wow! Hey, you guys, look at this!”

There were karts hurtling round the tracks, right before our eyes. The track close to us was the kids’ one, and the adults’ track was on the other side of the building. The tracks weren’t just straight and flat, they had lots of bends as well as ramps leading up to bridges. They were surrounded by these banks, which must have been there to stop the karts coming off. There were men in overalls with flags, standing at the side watching everything that was going on – I think they were the race marshalls. The noise was pretty loud, but it looked incredibly exciting. I couldn’t wait to be out there doing exactly the same thing!

“Look, there’s a café and a restaurant as well,” Lyndz said as we made our way further into the arena.

“And somewhere for spectators,” Frankie added, pointing at a large, fenced-off area filled with seating.

“You’ll be able to sit there and watch us, Mum,” I said eagerly.

“Yes, and I’ve brought a book to read in case I get bored,” my mum replied.

“Bored!” I repeated, amazed. “How could anyone get bored watching the Sleepover Club go karting?”

Parents! Don’t you just love ’em?

“Well, I’ll try not to,” my mum said with a grin. “I’m off to have a cup of tea in the café. The girl at the ticket office said you’re to wait here, and someone will be along to get you kitted up and give you some driving instruction before you’re allowed out on the track.”

Fliss was looking a bit sick as my mum went off.

“Those karts go really fast, don’t they?” she muttered. “What if I can’t keep up?”

“And look, this is only a practice session,” Lyndz pointed out, glancing up. An illuminated board above our heads was flashing the words Practice Session at us. “It’s not even a race.”

“Don’t worry, Flissy,” I said. “I’ll just give you a bit of a bump up the backside with my kart!”

“Don’t you dare, Kenny!” Fliss squealed.

“Yeah, Kenny, this isn’t the dodgem cars now,” Frankie chimed in.

“You’ll probably get thrown off the track if you do something like that,” Rosie added.

We stood there watching the karts zoom round the track. There were eight of them going round, and there was one which was always at the front. It looked very different from the other karts, which were red, blue, green and white. This kart was black with gold flashes on it, and the driver was wearing a black race suit and a black helmet with gold writing on the front, which read King of the Track .

I nudged Frankie.

“Seen that one?” I pointed it out. “Bit flash, isn’t it?”

Frankie nodded. “I wonder who it is?”

Just then one of the race marshalls jumped out and waved a chequered flag. The karts started pulling off the track into the pit stop, the black and gold one at the front.

“Come on,” I said to the others. “Let’s go and have a nose!”

We went over to the side of the track, and hung around watching what was going on. Mr King of the Track got out of his kart, and took his helmet off. He was about our age. He had dark hair, and the name Josh was embroidered on his black race suit in gold. I dunno why, but he looked really steaming mad!

“Hey, you!” He was glaring at another boy, who was just getting out of his kart. “Don’t you know the rules? You’re not supposed to race during a practice session!”

“I only tried to overtake you because you cut me up,” the other boy retorted. “You were swinging about all over the place.”

“Don’t tell me what to do!” Josh snapped. “My dad owns this track, and I can get you banned from it any time I like!”

The other boy didn’t say anything this time, he just stormed off. Meanwhile, our eyes were out on stalks.

“What a bighead!” I whispered to Frankie. “I’m surprised he can find a helmet to fit him!”

“Yeah, he really thinks he’s something else, doesn’t he?” she said, looking disgusted.

Fliss was looking worried. “I hope we don’t have to race against him ,” she muttered.

“Look, he’s having a go at someone else now,” Rosie hissed.

“You’re never going to be a good driver if you don’t take risks, Alex,” Josh was explaining in this snooty voice to one of the other drivers, a weedy-looking boy with red hair. “You’ve got to try and improve your cornering.”

“I know,” Alex said. “But it won’t make much difference – your kart’s so much faster than anyone else’s.”

A smug smile spread across Josh’s already-smug face. “I know,” he replied.

“Urgh!” I rolled my eyes at the others. “Pass me the sickbag, someone – and make it a giant-sized one!”

“Hi, girls.” Josh had just noticed us all staring, and was looking down his nose at us. “Like the kart? It’s mine, not the centre’s. Brilliant, isn’t it?”

“We’re not looking at your kart – we’re looking at you and wondering why you’re such an annoying twit!” is what I wanted to say, but I didn’t because Frankie kicked my ankle as soon as I opened my mouth. What I actually said was “Ow!”

“I’m Josh Stevens,” Josh went on. “My dad owns this karting centre. And these are my two mates, Alex and Robin.”

Robin was another weedy-looking kid with blond hair and specs. It was obvious that Josh my dad owns this karting centre Stevens liked having mates he could boss around, because they were both standing there looking up at him as if he was the best thing since sliced bread.

“So, girls.” Josh said the word girls in a way that made me want to punch him on the nose. “Have you been karting before?”

I was dying to say that I was the World Under-Eleven Karting Champion, but I knew that would be a mistake. So I just said, “No.”

“Oh, right.” Josh grinned at us in this really annoying way. “Just take it slowly, and you’ll be OK. It’s not a sport for girls, really, anyway.”

I clenched my fists. “Why not?”

“Kenny!” Frankie hissed in my ear, but I took no notice. Meanwhile Rosie, Lyndz and Fliss had shuffled in closer to me, as if they thought they were going to have to hold me back from thumping the little creep. They were right!

“Well…” Josh shrugged his shoulders in this incredibly patronising way. “Everyone knows men are better at things like football and motor sport. Girls are better at things like netball and sewing!” He sniggered, and Alex and Robin sniggered too. “It’s the same with karting. It’s a man’s sport!”

“Oh?” I said. “And is it a sport for slimy little creeps, too?”