The World of David Walliams: 7 Book Collection

4pm Chef training

5pm Mountain climbing

6pm Tennis

7pm Drama workshop, Shakespeare and his contemporaries

8pm Show jumping

Thursday

2am Learning Arabic

3am Dance lesson, break-dance, hip-hop, krumping

4am Oboe lesson

5am Tour de France cycle training

6am Bible studies

7am Gymnastics training

8am Calligraphy class

9am to 4pm School

4pm Work experience shadowing a brain surgeon

5pm Opera singing lesson

6pm NASA space exploration workshop

7pm Cake baking class, level 5

8pm Attend lecture on ‘A History of Victorian Moustaches’

Friday

1am Triangle lesson, grade 5

2am Badminton

3am Archery

4am Fly to Switzerland for ski-jump practice. Learn about eggs from an expert on eggs (TBC) on outbound flight.

6am Do quick ski-jump, and then board inbound flight. Take pottery class on flight.

8am Thai kick-boxing (remember to take skis off before class).

9am to 4pm School

4pm Channel swimming training

5pm Motorbike maintenance workshop

6pm Candle making

7pm Otter rearing class

8pm Television viewing. A choice between either a documentary about carpet manufacturing in Belgium, or a Polish cartoon from the 1920s about a depressed owl.

And that was just the weekdays. The weekends were when things really got busy for Annabelle. No wonder Chloe felt ignored.

“Well, I suppose things at home are…are…” stammered Chloe. She wanted to talk to him about it all, but she wasn’t sure how.

Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong!

No, I haven’t lost my mind, readers. That was meant to be the church clock striking four.

Chloe gasped and looked at her watch. Four o’clock! Mother made her do her homework from four until six every day, even in the school holidays when she didn’t have any to do.

“Sorry Mr Stink, I have to go,” she said. Secretly Chloe was relieved. No one had ever asked her how she felt before, and she was beginning to panic…

“Really, child?” said the old man, looking disappointed.

“Yes, yes, I need to get home. Mother will be furious if I don’t get at least a C in Maths next term. She sets me extra tests during the holidays.”

“That doesn’t sound much like a holiday to me,” said Mr Stink.

Chloe shrugged. “Mother doesn’t believe in holidays.” She stood up. “I hope you liked the sausages,” she said.

“They were scrumptious,” said Mr Stink. “Thank you. Unimaginable kindness.”

Chloe nodded and turned to run off towards home. If she took a short-cut she’d be back before Mother.

“Farewell!” Mr Stink called after her softly.

4 Drivel (#ulink_cfa9698b-8bff-58c7-b05b-06eb5cc98fbb)

Terrified of being late for homework hour, Chloe began to quicken her pace. She didn’t want her mother to ask questions about where she’d been or who she’d been talking to. Mrs Crumb would be horrified to find out her daughter had been sitting on a bench with someone she would describe as a ‘soap-dodger’. Grown-ups always have a way of ruining everything.

Chloe stopped hurrying, though, when she saw that she was about to pass Raj’s shop. Just one chocolate bar, she thought.

Chloe’s love of chocolate made her one of Raj’s best customers. Raj ran the local newsagent shop. He was a big jolly jelly of a man, as sweet and colourful as his slightly over-priced confectionery. Today, though, what Chloe really needed was some advice.

And maybe some chocolate. Just one bar, of course. Maybe two.