Billie B Brown, Collection 1 Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  The Bad Butterfly

  The Soccer Star

  The Midnight Feast

  The Second-best Friend

  The Extra-special Helper

  The Beautiful Haircut

  The Perfect Present

  The Secret Message

  The Big Sister

  The Birthday Mix-up

  Copyright Page

  www.BillieBBrown.com

  Billie B Brown has two messy pigtails, two pink ballet slippers and one new tutu. Do you know what the B in Billie B Brown stands for?

  You guessed it!

  Ballerina.

  Today Billie has decided that she is going to be a famous ballerina. That is why she is wearing a tutu.

  Do you think she looks nice in her new tutu?

  Billie’s best friend is Jack.

  Billie and Jack live next door to each other. They do everything together. If Billie decides to play soccer, then Jack will play soccer too. If Jack decides to listen to music, then Billie will too.

  If Billie decides to make a super-dooper sandwich with banana and honey and sprinkles, Jack will make a sandwich too. But he prefers salami.

  Today Billie and Jack are going to ballet class. What’s that? You didn’t think boys could do ballet? Of course they can.

  Boys can be very good ballet dancers.

  Billie is wearing her new tutu. Jack is wearing his soccer shorts.

  Billie and Jack’s new ballet teacher is called Miss Dainty. Billie thinks Miss Dainty is beautiful.

  Miss Dainty puts all the girls into one group.

  In the group there is a girl called Lola. She is also in Billie’s class at school.

  Lola’s tutu has sparkles on it and Billie feels a teensy bit jealous. Billie wishes she had a tutu with sparkles!

  ‘All right, girls!’ says Miss Dainty.

  ‘You are all going to be butterflies. When I play the piano I want you to float around the room like beautiful, delicate butterflies.’

  Lola flutters her arms up and down. She looks a lot like a delicate butterfly.

  ‘Lovely, Lola!’ says Miss Dainty.

  Billie wants to show Miss Dainty that she can flutter her arms like a butterfly too.

  She flaps her arms up and down very fast and spins around.

  ‘Ow!’ says the girl next to Billie.‘My toe!’

  ‘Ow!’ says the girl in front of Billie.‘My nose!’

  ‘Watch out!’ says the girl behind Billie. ‘My glasses!’

  ‘Thank you, Billie,’ Miss Dainty says. ‘Let’s wait until we are all ready, shall we?’

  Miss Dainty walks over to the group of boys. There are only three boys, including Jack. Jack waves to Billie. Billie waves back.

  ‘All right, boys,’ Miss Dainty says. ‘I want you to be fierce, stomping trolls. You are fierce stomping trolls that are trying to catch the dainty butterflies. Is everyone ready?’

  ‘Yes!’ shouts everyone in the class.

  Billie shouts the loudest of all. Billie wants to make sure that Miss Dainty knows that she really, really wants to be a beautiful ballerina butterfly.

  ‘OK, class. Let’s get started,’ Miss Dainty says.

  She sits down at the piano. With her right hand she plays a tinkly butterfly tune.

  With her left hand she plays a deep stomping troll tune.

  Billie races around the room, flapping her arms. She is a very fast butterfly. Sometimes she accidentally bumps into the other butterflies that get in her way.

  ‘Ow!’ cries one butterfly.

  ‘Watch it!’ cries another butterfly. But Billie doesn’t stop. She is a beautiful ballerina butterfly, flying in the breeze.

  Jack is a troll. He tries to catch Billie but she is too fast. Billie is faster than all the butterflies. She is faster than all the trolls! She flaps her arms up and down and runs around the room.

  As Billie runs, she looks to see if Miss Dainty is watching.

  She wants Miss Dainty to see what a good butterfly she is. But then – Crash!

  Billie runs straight into the mirror!

  ‘Oh dear!’ says Miss Dainty. She rushes over. ‘I think you’d better slow down, Billie! Are you all right?’

  Billie has banged her head. It hurts a lot, but Billie doesn’t want to cry in front of Miss Dainty. She sits down and rubs her head and scrunches up her eyes until the wobbly feeling goes away.

  Miss Dainty puts her cool hand on Billie’s forehead. It makes Billie feel much better.

  ‘I’m fine,’ says Billie in a squeaky voice. ‘Look!’ She flaps her arms up and down like a butterfly with a broken wing.

  ‘All the same, I think you should sit out for a bit and rest,’ Miss Dainty says.

  ‘I’ll stay with her,’ says Jack.

  ‘Thank you, Jack,’ says Miss Dainty.

  Then she stands up and claps her hands loudly. Everyone turns around.

  ‘OK, class, let’s see those wings fluttering. Beautiful, Lola! Yes, that’s right! Come along, trolls. Let’s see your stomping. Great work!’

  Billie hangs her head. ‘I’m no good at ballet!’ she says to Jack.

  She frowns and stares at the ground.

  ‘Yes, you are!’ says Jack.‘We just need to practise. Don’t worry, we can practise at home.’

  ‘Really?’ says Billie. ‘Thanks, Jack.’

  That evening, Billie eats her dinner quickly.

  ‘Can I go to Jack’s?’ she asks her mum and dad.

  ‘No dessert?’ asks her dad.

  ‘It’s banana pudding!’ says her mum.

  ‘I’ll have some later,’ says Billie.‘I have to practise my ballet!’

  Billie rushes out the back door into the garden.

  In Billie’s garden there is an old wooden fence with a hole in it.

  It is just the right size for Billie and Jack to fit through!

  Billie squeezes through the hole into Jack’s garden.

  Billie looks through Jack’s window. She sees that Jack and his family are still eating their dinner.

  When Jack sees Billie, he waves and begins to eat very quickly. Jack’s dad turns around and waves for Billie to come inside.

  ‘Hi, Billie!’ Jack’s dad says.

  ‘Jack was just telling me what good dancers you are.’

  Billie feels very proud. She smiles at Jack.‘Yes. We’re going to be famous ballerinas!’ says Billie.‘But I still need to practise a bit.’

  ‘Let’s go!’ says Jack, hopping up.

  ‘No dessert?’ asks Jack’s mum.

  ‘It’s cheesecake!’ says Jack’s dad.

  ‘Later!’ Billie and Jack shout together. They run up to Jack’s bedroom.

  Billie practises being a butterfly. Jack practises being a troll.

  Billie flaps her hands fast and flutters around the room. Crash!

  She bumps into Jack’s Lego table. Lego pieces fly everywhere.

  Bang! She bumps into Jack’s desk. All his Star Wars figures fall on the floor.

  ‘Billie! You are going too fast!’ Jack says.‘You have to float like a butterfly. Gentle and slow. Like this.’

  Jack stands on his toes and flaps his arms gracefully.

  Then he flutters around the room. Just like a real butterfly.

  Billie frowns. She stamps her foot.

  ‘I can’t do it,’ she says. ‘It’s too hard! I’ll never be a famous ballerina!’

  ‘You look more like a stomping troll,’ Jack laughs.

  Billie smiles at that.‘Hey,’ she says.‘I’ve got an idea!’

  All week, Billie and Jack work on their ballet after school. Sometimes they dance in Billie’s bedroom. Sometimes they dance in Jac
k’s bedroom.

  Sometimes their parents hear them practising: Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

  ‘Are you sure that’s ballet you’re doing?’ they call out, when the stomping gets very loud.

  ‘Yes!’ call Billie and Jack together.‘Don’t come in!’

  When it’s time for their next ballet class, Billie and Jack are ready.

  Billie puts on her tutu. Then, instead of her soft pink ballet slippers, Billie puts on her big red boots.

  Can you guess what Billie is up to?

  Billie’s mum drives Billie and Jack to dance class. When they get inside the hall, Miss Dainty claps her hands.

  ‘Hello, children,’ calls Miss Dainty.‘It’s very nice to see you again.

  Are you all ready to dance like butterflies and trolls?’ Billie and Jack look at each other and nod.

  ‘Now, Billie, perhaps you can follow Lola today? Jack, you can go over with the boys.’

  ‘Um, actually, we’ve decided to swap parts,’ Billie says.

  ‘What do you mean?’ Miss Dainty asks.

  ‘Well, Jack is a much better butterfly than me,’ Billie explains.

  ‘And I think I am a very good stomping troll!’

  Miss Dainty smiles.‘What a marvellous idea!’ she says. ‘Of course you can be a stomping troll, Billie. And Jack, if you would like to be a butterfly, that’s fine with me.’

  ‘Yay!’ say Billie and Jack together.

  Jack flutters around the room and Billie stomps after him. Jack makes a very good floating butterfly and Billie makes an excellent troll. They both have lots of fun.

  At the end of the lesson, Jack’s dad is waiting for them at the front door.

  ‘Well,’ he says, ‘how did dance class go tonight? Still going to be a famous ballerina, Billie?’

  ‘Maybe,’ says Billie, smiling at Jack.‘But I think I prefer soccer.’

  Billie B Brown has fifteen freckles, six pairs of stripy socks and one banana sandwich. Do you know what the B in Billie B Brown is for?

  Brave.

  Sometimes Billie B Brown has to be very brave. Today is one of those days.

  Billie has a best friend. His name is Jack.

  Billie and Jack are in the same class at school.

  Every lunchtime they play on the monkey bars together. Billie hangs upside down.

  Jack swings from one side to the other. Then they climb to the top to eat their lunch.

  They can see the whole playground from there. It is a good place to eat lunch.

  Today a boy from their grade runs over. His name is Sam. Sam stands under the monkey bars and looks up at Billie and Jack.

  ‘We need another soccer player,’ he says.

  ‘OK,’ Billie says. She looks at Jack. ‘Let’s go!’

  ‘Um, no girls,’ Sam says. Billie frowns. ‘Why not?’ she asks.

  ‘Girls can’t play soccer,’ Sam says.

  Billie has never heard of such a silly thing.

  ‘Rubbish,’ she says. ‘Anyway, I don’t want to play. Soccer is a stupid game.’

  ‘Really?’ says Jack. ‘You’re a fast runner, Billie. I bet you’d be good at soccer!’

  But Billie shakes her head.

  She wants to tell Jack not to go and play. She wants to tell him that if he goes, she’ll be left all alone on the monkey bars without her best friend.

  But Billie feels too shy and too cross.

  When she opens her mouth, nothing comes out.

  ‘You coming?’ Sam says to Jack.

  ‘Sure,’ says Jack. ‘Want to come and watch, Billie?’

  ‘No,’ says Billie.‘I told you, soccer is boring.’

  So Jack swings down to the ground.

  Then he and Sam jog over to the soccer field.

  Billie sits by herself on the monkey bars. She still has half a banana sandwich left in her lunchbox. Banana sandwiches are her favourite, but Billie doesn’t feel hungry anymore.

  The cross feeling and the sad feeling have muddled up her tummy. She closes her lunchbox and waits for the bell to ring.

  When the bell rings, Billie waits for Jack by the water taps. She sees him walking with the soccer boys. He looks very happy.

  ‘Hey, Billie,’ Jack says. ‘We won the game! I kicked a goal! You should have seen me!’

  Billie looks at Jack’s big smile. He has a gap in his teeth that makes him look funny. Billie laughs.

  She isn’t feeling so cross anymore.

  ‘Cool!’ she says.‘Let’s go. We are starting our project today.’

  ‘I am going to sit with Benny and Sam,’ says Jack. ‘We are going to make a soccer field.

  Come and sit with us!’ ‘Billie can’t make a soccer field,’ says Sam.

  ‘Why not?’ says Billie.

  ‘Because you’re a girl,’ says Benny.‘Girls don’t play soccer.’

  Now Billie is mad again. She feels cross with Sam. She feels cross with Benny.

  But most of all she feels cross with Jack. Jack is her best friend! They always sit together.

  ‘I don’t want to sit with you boys anyway,’ she says. ‘I don’t want to make a soccer field. Soccer is boring!’

  Billie’s tummy starts to feel jumbled up again. She walks quickly away from the boys. She is worried that she might cry.

  She scrunches up her face and her hands until the feeling goes away.

  Ella and Tracey walk past. Ella and Tracey are best friends. They always do their hair the same way.

  Billie likes Ella and Tracey, but she doesn’t like doing her hair like them.

  ‘Hey, Billie,’ says Ella. ‘What are you making for your project?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ says Billie. ‘We’re making a circus,’ says Tracey.

  ‘Cool,’ says Billie.

  ‘Can I be in your group?’

  ‘Sure,’ says Tracey. ‘But what about Jack? Don’t you want to sit with him? You always sit with him.’

  ‘He only wants to play with the soccer boys now,’ says Billie.‘Sam and Benny say girls can’t play soccer.’

  ‘They are right,’ says Ella. ‘Who wants to play soccer? Yuck!’

  ‘Yeah,’ says Tracey. ‘Soccer is for boys.’

  ‘That’s just silly!’ says Billie. ‘Girls can play soccer, too!’

  Suddenly Billie doesn’t feel sad.

  She doesn’t feel bad and she doesn’t even feel mad.

  Billie B Brown has an idea!

  After school, Jack and his mum are waiting for Billie at the gate. Billie always walks home with Jack because they live right next door to each other.

  ‘Hi, Billie,’ Jack’s mum says. ‘So, did you two have a good day at school?’

  ‘Yeah!’ says Jack. ‘I played soccer. I kicked the winning goal!’

  ‘That’s great,’ says Jack’s mum. She takes their hands to cross the road. ‘What about you, Billie? Did you play, too?’

  ‘No,’ says Billie.‘I didn’t want to.’

  ‘That doesn’t sound like you, Billie,’ Jack’s mum laughs. ‘You and Jack do everything together!’

  Billie takes a big breath. She feels nervous.

  Sometimes you have to be very brave to tell the truth. It can feel scary. But today Billie has decided to be brave.

  ‘I didn’t like it when you played soccer without me,’ she says to Jack.

  ‘Don’t you want to be my friend anymore?’

  Jack looks surprised. ‘Of course I want to be your friend! You’re my best friend, Billie! I thought you didn’t want to play with me !’

  Billie feels glad that Jack is still her friend. She was worried that maybe now he would only want to play with the boys.

  Billie grins.‘I have an idea. But I’ll need your help. Come to the park with me when we get home?’

  Jack looks at his mum.

  She nods and smiles. ‘Sure, I can take you kids to the park,’ she says. ‘Billie, you’d better go and ask your mum. We’ll meet you out the front of your place in ten minutes.’

  ‘OK!’ say
s Billie.

  Jack smiles. He can see that Billie has had one of her super-dooper ideas. he asks.

  ‘What are we doing?’

  ‘I’ll explain at the park,’ says Billie.

  ‘Bring your soccer ball. And your red cap!’

  The next day, Billie’s dad walks Billie and Jack to school. Sam is waiting for Jack in the playground.

  ‘Hey, Jack,’ says Sam. ‘Playing soccer at lunch?’

  ‘Yep!’ says Jack. He looks at Billie. They grin.

  In class Billie and Jack sit together, as normal. But when the bell goes for lunch, Jack runs outside with Sam. Billie stays behind.

  What do you think Billie and Jack are up to?

  Jack and Sam eat their lunch in the shade. Then they run over to the oval. The other team is already there.

  ‘Hey, look!’ says Jack. ‘The other team has a new player!’

  The new player is wearing a red cap and red stripy socks.

  They start the game.

  Sam plays hard. Benny plays hard. Jack plays the hardest of all. But they are no match for the other team.

  The new player on the other team is good. Sam and Jack and Benny are fast but the new player is even faster.

  The new player runs past the boys and kicks the ball into the goal.

  Everybody cheers! But not Sam and Benny. They are feeling worried.

  The other team is winning!

  ‘Their new player is fast!’ says Sam to Benny.

  ‘He sure is,’ says Benny.

  ‘We don’t have anyone that fast on our team!’

  Benny and Sam run as hard as they can. But they can’t catch the new player in the red cap and stripy socks!

  Soon the bell rings. The other team has won! Benny and Sam look cross. But Jack looks happy.

  ‘Why are you smiling?’ Benny says.‘We lost!’

  ‘It’s unfair!’ Sam says.‘Their new player is too good!’