by Sally Rippin
Lola frowns.
Miss Swan leans in closer to look at Billie’s crazy sculpture.‘My goodness, this must have taken you ages,’ she says.‘Did you have some help?’
‘Um, yes, actually.’ Billie looks at Jack and giggles. ‘My baby brother helped me!’
Billie B Brown has one packet of mints, twelve coloured pencils and a brand-new suitcase on wheels. Do you know what the B in Billie B Brown stands for?
Bouncy.
Billie B Brown is bouncing all over the place. She is as excited as a bunny! Do you know why Billie is so excited? She’s going to stay with her grandma for a whole week!
Billie loves her grandma.
She lives in a city that is very far away. Too far away to drive. So Grandma is taking Billie there on a plane. How exciting!
On the plane, Grandma lets Billie sit by the window. Billie has never been on a plane before.
She wants to try all the buttons and games. She eats her whole packet of mints before the plane even takes off.
‘Billie,’ says her grandma. ‘How about you draw a picture or read a book?’
But Billie is too excited to draw or read. She has been counting sleeps for weeks!
When the plane takes off, it moves very fast and makes a loud noise. Billie is a teensy bit scared.
She peeks through the little window. The cars and houses outside get smaller and smaller below.
Billie has never seen anything so wonderful. It looks like fairyland! She’s not scared anymore. But she squeezes Grandma’s hand as they go through the clouds. Bumpity bump bump.
Billie has written a list of all the fun things they are going to do at Grandma’s.
Billie can’t wait until they get there. They have so much to do!
When they arrive at Grandma’s apartment it is already dark.
Billie feels very tired. Grandma tucks Billie into a fold-out bed in the study.
The sheets feel cool and crisp. But Billie feels hot and itchy. She has a bit of a tummy-ache.
‘Probably just all the excitement, love,’ Grandma says. She kisses Billie goodnight. ‘You’ll feel better tomorrow.’
Billie finds it very hard to get to sleep.
Grandma’s apartment looks spooky in the dark. The traffic outside is very noisy! And Billie feels hotter and itchier than ever.
When Billie wakes up the next morning she is covered in spots. Do you know what they are? Chickenpox!
‘Chickenpox?’ says Billie.
‘Chickenpox,’ says Grandma shaking her head.‘Luckily I’ve already had it so I can’t catch it again.
But we don’t want other children catching it. You’ll have to stay inside until you are better.’
‘But what about the zoo?’ Billie gasps. ‘And the movies? And my new shoes?’
Big fat tears roll down Billie’s spotty cheeks.
‘I’m sorry,’ sighs Grandma. ‘But there’s nothing we can do. How about you get out your sketchbook and pencils? I’ll make you breakfast in bed. French toast?’
‘With banana?’ Billie says, wiping her eyes.
‘With banana,’ says Grandma.
Billie eats up all her breakfast. Then she calls her mum and dad.
‘Guess what?’ Billie’s mum says. ‘Baby Noah has chickenpox, too!’
Billie laughs. She can’t imagine her little brother all covered in spots.
‘Hello, Noah!’ Billie shouts down the phone.
After Billie says goodbye, she climbs back into bed and takes out her sketchbook and pencils.
But it’s no use. She can’t think of anything to draw.
Billie feels itchy and scratchy all over. Grandma says that Billie shouldn’t scratch her spots or they will scar. Billie sighs. She wishes she could go outside to the park and the shops and the zoo.
Billie wrote so many fun things on her list and now she can’t do any of them. What a miserable holiday!
Then, Billie has an idea. A super-dooper idea!
You’ll never guess what she is up to.
‘OK, Grandma,’ Billie calls. ‘You can come in now!’
Grandma walks into the lounge room. ‘Wow, Billie! This looks brilliant,’ she says.
Billie giggles. Grandma is right. The lounge room looks…well, it doesn’t look like a lounge room any more.
Billie has been drawing pictures of zoo animals all morning. While Grandma made lunch, Billie stuck the pictures around the room.
She even moved some of Grandma’s furniture to look like cages. Now the lounge room looks like a zoo!
Grandma and Billie walk around Billie’s zoo looking at all the animals. ‘Be careful of that one!’ Billie says. She points to Mr Fred who is sitting in Grandma’s laundry basket. ‘He’s a ferocious bear!’
Grandma pretends to look scared. Billie laughs.
Grandma has packed a picnic for lunch. After they have seen all the animals, they sit down on the carpet to eat their sandwiches.
‘How about we go to the ice-cream shop next?’ asks Grandma, winking.
‘Yay!’ says Billie following Grandma into the kitchen.
Grandma pretends to be the ice-cream shop lady. She hands Billie a bowl of vanilla ice-cream.
Billie hands her some pretend money.
Then Grandma takes some things out of the cupboard. Bananas, choc-chips, peanut butter, maple syrup and sprinkles.
‘Would you like to choose a topping, madam?’ she asks in a silly voice.
‘Can I put anything on it?’ Billie asks.
‘Of course!’ says Grandma.
Billie smiles. ‘Can I put everything on it?’
Grandma laughs. ‘Whatever you like, love.’
Billie mixes everything into her ice-cream until it is a big goopy mess. Delicious! This holiday is much more fun than she thought.
That night after Billie’s bath, Grandma puts a special cream on Billie’s spots to stop them itching.
The spots are red and even itchier than before. But Billie is doing a very good job of not scratching them.
When Grandma has finished, Billie hops into bed and takes out her holiday list. She crosses out Zoo. What is next?
Shopping - new shoes.
Oh dear! How can they go shoe shopping when Billie has to stay inside? But then Billie has another idea. A super-dooper idea. Even super-dooperer than the last one!
Can you guess what she is thinking?
The next morning Billie gets up early. There is so much to do!
‘What’s our plan for today?’ Grandma asks over breakfast.
‘Shoe shopping!’ says Billie.
‘Great,’ says Grandma. ‘I love shopping for shoes!’
Billie and Grandma go into Grandma’s bedroom. Billie tries on all the shoes in the wardrobe. Pink ones, sparkly ones, boots and sandals.
Finally Billie finds the perfect shoes. They are exactly the same purple as Billie’s T-shirt. They are a teensy bit big, but Billie doesn’t mind.
Billie and Grandma pay Mr Fred, who is the shopkeeper.
Billie crosses Shopping - new shoes off her list.
‘What’s next?’ asks Grandma.
‘Going to the movies,’ says Billie.
‘Hmm, OK,’ says Grandma.
‘How about I get my neighbour to pick us up some DVDs? We can make popcorn!’
‘Yay!’ says Billie. She jumps up and down in excitement.
‘Glad to see you’re still my bouncy Billie,’ says Grandma. ‘Even with the chickenpox!’
Billie makes movie tickets for herself and Grandma. Then she closes all the blinds in the lounge room so it is nice and dark. Just like at the movies!
When the cinema is ready, she helps Grandma make popcorn in a big saucepan.
Billie loves watching the popcorn jump around inside the pan. Pop pop pop!
Billie and Grandma spend all week inside, but Billie never gets bored.
One morning Billie makes an adventure playground out of cushions. And that night she gets to play Waterworld - in
the bath. What a mess!
On the last day of her holiday, Billie’s spots have cleared up enough for her to go outside.
Which is lucky, because it is time for Billie and Grandma to catch the plane home again.
On the plane, Billie fiddles with all the buttons on the armrest. She accidentally pushes the button to call the flight attendant.
‘Oops, sorry!’ says Billie when the woman arrives.
‘That’s all right, dear,’ says the attendant. She smiles at Billie and Grandma.‘Are you on holiday with your grandma?’
‘Yes,’ says Billie.‘But I got the chickenpox so I couldn’t go outside. We had to stay inside for a whole week!’
‘Oh, what a shame,’ says the attendant. ‘That must have been a pretty boring holiday.’
‘No way,’ says Billie.
‘We went to the zoo and ate ice-cream. We went shopping and I even went to Waterworld!’
‘Waterworld?’ says the attendant. ‘But I thought you stayed at home?’
‘We did,’ says Billie.‘And I had the best holiday ever!’
The flight attendant looks confused.
But Billie and Grandma look at each other and giggle.
Billie B Brown has one fancy headband, two purple shoes and three star buttons on her top. Do you know what the B in Billie B Brown stands for?
Buddy.
There is a new girl arriving in Billie’s class today. Her name is Mika. She has come all the way from Japan.
Ms Walton has asked Billie to be Mika’s buddy. She can’t wait. She has dressed up especially. Doesn’t she look nice?
Billie and her best friend Jack walk to school with his mum. They are very excited to meet Mika.
‘I wonder what she’ll be like?’ Billie says. ‘Ms Walton says she has black hair like me!’
Billie and Jack reach the school gate.
Ella and Tracey are waiting for them.
‘Cool top!’ says Tracey.
‘Thanks,’ says Billie.‘I just got it on the weekend.’
‘The new girl is here!’ Ella says.‘Come and see. She’s in the classroom.’
Billie and Jack run after Ella and Tracey.
They all peer in the classroom window. Ms Walton is talking to the new girl’s mum. The new girl has black hair and big brown eyes.
Billie thinks she looks lovely.
Ms Walton sees them peeking through the window. ‘Billie, come and meet Mika,’ she calls.
Ella and Tracey run over to the monkey bars. Jack goes to play soccer. Billie walks into the classroom to meet Mika.
‘Mika, this is Billie,’ says Ms Walton. ‘She will look after you until you know your way around.’
‘Hi!’ says Billie excitedly. ‘Nice to meet you!’
Mika looks at Billie. Then she looks at her mum. Mika’s mum smiles and says something to Mika in Japanese. Mika nods and her cheeks turn pink. ‘Hello,’ she says quietly.
‘Mika doesn’t speak much English yet,’ Ms Walton explains to Billie.
‘Oh,’ says Billie.
Just then the bell rings. All the kids in Billie’s class start coming inside and sitting at their desks.
Normally Billie sits next to Jack, but today she sits with Mika.
Jack waves at her from their usual seat. Billie waves back. She feels very proud. She is a good buddy!
At recess, Billie and Mika sit under the big tree. They eat their snacks and watch the kids in the playground. Billie smiles at Mika. Mika smiles back.
All day long Billie looks after Mika. Sometimes Billie does actions to explain to Mika what Ms Walton is saying. But mostly Mika just watches what Billie does.
Billie is sure that Ms Walton will be very happy with her.
The next morning Billie gets ready quickly. Then she waits at her front door for Jack. She is excited to see Mika again.
When they get to school, Billie rushes straight into the classroom to look for Mika.
‘Hi, Billie,’ says Ms Walton. ‘Mika will be happy to see you. In fact, it looks like you have a fan!’
Billie looks over to where Mika is sitting. Mika stands up and waves to Billie.
Then she turns around in a circle to show Billie what she has on. Billie can’t believe her eyes! Mika is wearing…
One fancy headband, two purple shoes and three star buttons on her top.
Just like Billie was wearing yesterday!
Billie is surprised. She feels strange seeing Mika wearing the same clothes as her. Billie likes looking different. She doesn’t know what to say.
But Mika just smiles and follows Billie out into the playground.
Lola is standing over at the drink taps with Tracey and Ella. Billie likes Tracey and Ella but Lola can be annoying.
‘Hey,’ Tracey says.‘Mika has the same top as Billie.’
‘They must be twins!’ Lola says.
Billie feels her face get hot.‘No, we’re not!’ she says.‘That’s just silly.’
But secretly she feels cross that Mika has copied her.
At recess, Mika follows Billie to the soccer pitch. They sit down to watch. Jack runs up to them. ‘Hi, Billie,’ he says.‘Do you want to join our team?’
‘Um…’ Billie isn’t sure. She loves playing soccer but she doesn’t want to leave Mika on her own.
‘Come on,’ pleads Jack. ‘We’re losing. We need you!’
‘Oh, all right,’ says Billie. Then she turns to Mika. ‘You wait here. OK?’ She taps the bench. ‘I am going to play soccer.’ Billie points to the soccer field.
Mika smiles and nods. Then, before Billie can say anything, Mika runs onto the soccer pitch! Billie’s mouth drops open.
What? That’s not what Billie meant! She watches Mika run after the ball. Mika is fast. Very fast! Maybe even faster than Billie.
‘Hey, Mika is good at soccer!’ Jack says. Then he runs onto the pitch too.
Billie plonks back down on the bench and squeezes her mouth tight. She feels a big angry ball growing inside her. It’s not fair! Billie is the best girl at soccer. Not Mika!
When the bell rings, Billie stomps back to class. Mika follows her.
The next lesson is Art. Mika sits next to Billie. Billie is still feeling cross.
‘OK, class,’ says Ms Walton.
‘Today I’d like you all to draw an imaginary land. I want you all to come up with something unique.’
Hmmm… thinks Billie. Something unique.
Then Billie has an idea. A super-dooper idea. She will draw a polka-dot land. Polka-dot trees, polka-dot houses, even polka-dot people.
No-one else will think of that! thinks Billie. She works hard on her drawing all lesson.
Ms Walton walks over. ‘That’s a wonderful drawing!’ she says from behind Billie.
‘Thanks!’ says Billie, feeling proud. But when she looks up, she sees that Ms Walton is speaking to Mika.
Billie looks over at Mika’s drawing and gasps.
Mika has drawn a polka-dot land too. Polka-dot trees, houses – even polka-dot people. Just like Billie!
Billie is furious. That was her idea! She feels like she is going to explode. She stands up and stomps her foot.
‘Stop copying me!’ she shouts at Mika.
Mika looks at Billie. Her eyes grow very wide.
Just then, the bell rings for lunch. Billie runs out of the classroom. She never wants to be a buddy again!
Billie sits under the big tree in the playground. She still feels angry. But she also feels a teensy bit bad for shouting at Mika.
Billie sees Ms Walton walking towards her. She feels nervous. She is sure Ms Walton is going to be cross. Ms Walton sits down on the bench beside Billie.
‘You know you shouldn’t have shouted at Mika,’ Ms Walton says.
Billie nods.‘I know,’ she says.‘It’s just that… it’s just…she won’t stop copying me. It’s SO annoying!’
Ms Walton smiles.‘I said you had a fan, didn’t I?’
Billie frowns.‘She doesn’t ha
ve to do everything I do!’
‘Imagine what it must be like for Mika,’ says Ms Walton. ‘Everything is new and different for her. Imagine if you couldn’t understand what anyone was saying.’
Billie thinks about this. It sounds scary.
‘Then imagine if you met someone who looked after you. Someone kind, like you, Billie,’ says Ms Walton.
Billie looks up at Ms Walton in surprise.
‘Mika’s mum said she couldn’t stop talking about you yesterday,’ says Ms Walton. ‘She went shopping last night to get Mika the same top as yours.’
‘Really?’ Billie says. She hadn’t thought about it this way before.‘So that’s why she’s copying me? Because she likes me?’
‘That’s right,’ says Ms Walton.
‘I feel bad for shouting at her,’ Billie says.
‘Would you like to say sorry?’ Ms Walton asks.
Billie nods. Ms Walton calls over Mika.
‘I’m really sorry I yelled at you,’ Billie says to Mika.
‘So, do you still want to be Mika’s buddy?’ Ms Walton asks.
Billie shakes her head. ‘No,’ she says. ‘Not anymore.’
‘Oh dear, why not?’ says Ms Walton, looking worried.
Billie grins at Mika. ‘Because I’d rather be your friend.’
Mika looks confused.
Maybe she doesn’t understand me, thinks Billie. Then she has an idea. A super-dooper idea.
‘Wait here!’ she says.
Billie runs to the school library. She sits down in front of a computer and types in a message. Another message comes up on the screen in strange squiggly letters. Billie copies them onto a piece of paper.