important.
“Excuse me butting in,” said the girl, “but I don’t suppose you’ve heard yet, have you?”
Suzi’s eyes brightened. She could smell gossip a mile away. “Heard what?” she said at once.
The girl took her time folding Bella’s new t-shirt and sliding it carefully into the bag. “About Mimi Taylor,” she said, pushing the bag towards Bella.
“What about her?” Bella asked. For some reason, her heart had started thumping. There was something in the girl’s face.
“She’s moving to Sandmouth,” said the girl triumphantly. “Her boyfriend’s just been bought by the Hornets.”
Louie choked.
“Sandmouth Hornets have bought Idaho Taylor?” Bella gasped out loud.
The girl leaned forward. “My boyfriend works at the estate agent’s up the hill,” she said in a confiding way. “He’s just sold a big house to a footballer who needed somewhere for himself, his wife, his son and his very small dog. Idaho Taylor is going to be playing for the Hornets next season!”
Louie charged out of the shop. “IDAHO TAYLOR!” he yelled. “IDAHO TAYLOR’S GONNA PLAY FOR THE HORNETS!”
Suzi dashed out of the shop after him. “LOUIE!” Bella heard her mum hollering. “LOUIE, come back here!”
Bella tried to gather her scattered thoughts. Mimi Taylor! Here in Sandmouth! It was unbelievable!
“I’m really sorry my brother’s yelling like that,” she said to the girl behind the till. Words and thoughts were tumbling through her head like a rockfall. “I hope it wasn’t meant to be a secret!”
“It was until this morning,” said the girl cheerfully. “But nothing stays a secret in Sandmouth for long. It’ll be in the paper today, I expect. But don’t forget – you heard it here first!”
Outside the shop window, Bella could see that her mum had caught Louie and was now scolding him. Louie was hopping up and down like a rabbit on elastic but he had stopped shouting Idaho Taylor’s name.
Still in a daze at the news that a mega fashion icon like Mimi Taylor was going to be living in her home town, Bella knelt down to untie Pepper. Pepper jumped up at her, barking madly. Louie’s excitement was infectious.
“Mimi Taylor is coming to live in Sandmouth!” Bella said breathlessly, giving Pepper a big squeezy hug that made him yelp. “I can’t WAIT to tell Amber!”
Bella skipped the whole way home, the bag with her new t-shirt swinging from her hand. She was meeting Amber at the beach in an hour. She’d tell her about Mimi Taylor then. It would be great. She couldn’t wait to see the shock on her best friend’s face!
“IDAHO,” Louie began, swinging round a lamp-post.
“Louie!”
“Sorry, Mum…”
Bella skipped after her mum and her brother, down on to the seafront and along the beach. The wind gusted in over the sand, taking away the heat of the bright May sunshine.
“MIMI,” she sang. “MIMI! MIMI!”
“Hey!” said Louie indignantly. “How come you’re not telling Bella off, Mum?”
“I’m just singing,” Bella giggled. “Mimimimimi…”
“That’s enough, kids,” said Suzi. She looked quite breathless herself. “The first editions of the Sandmouth Bugle should be in by now. I wonder if it’s got the news?”
Judging from the group of people standing around the news kiosk on the beach, the news was already spreading. Suzi bought a paper, lifting it high out of Louie’s reach. IDAHO COMING TO SANDMOUTH! roared the headline.
Pepper barked and jumped up at the paper like it was a bone. Suzi rolled it tightly against the wind and tucked it under her arm.
“We can read it back at home,” she said. “Come on. My first appointment today is at ten-thirty, and it’s nearly twenty-five past.”
“Who’s coming?” Bella asked. She hoped it would be someone who’d be as excited as she was about Mimi Taylor.
“Mr Evans,” said Suzi. “Barney and Nugget both need a wash and a trim.”
Bella gave a whoop. Her teacher Mr Evans had two golden retrievers. One of them, Nugget, had stayed with Bella for a while until Mr Evans had offered Nugget a permanent home. Now Nugget was one of Bella’s favourite customers. Mr Evans wasn’t a big follower of fashion though. She’d have to save her news for Amber after all.
Mr Evans was standing outside Dream Dogs as Suzi rushed up to the salon door with her keys.
“Have you heard the news, Mr Evans?” said Louie breathlessly. “Idaho Taylor is coming to play for the Hornets!”
“I know,” Mr Evans smiled, “His son is joining Cliffside Primary. Your class, in fact, Louie. I was sworn to secrecy, of course. But now the news is out, I suppose there’s no harm in telling you.”
“Idaho Taylor’s son is going to be in my class?” said Louie. He sounded almost hysterical. “My class?”
“What’s the lad called?” asked Suzi, unlocking the salon door and letting everyone in. “Tiger or something, isn’t it?”
“Panther,” said Mr Evans. “Pan for short, apparently.”
Bella giggled. It was a crazy name. But theneverything felt crazy today.
Bella helped Suzi adjust the water temperature in the shower head as Suzi and Mr Evans chatted about the news. Louie raced to the flat, keen to look up all the facts he could find about Idaho Taylor.
“Come on, Nugget,” said Suzi, coaxing the golden retriever up the steps that led to the waist-high bath. “Come along now. This won’t hurt.”
Maybe they’d actually meet Mimi Taylor at the school gates, Bella thought dreamily. She fondled Nugget’s ears, and the big golden dog jumped up at her.
“Down, girl!” she laughed, and aimed the shower head at Nugget’s shaggy back.
Nugget was very shaggy. It took ages just to get her fur wet enough to lather up the shampoo. She stood patiently as Bella and her mum soaped around her face and under her tummy, round her feet and her tail.
“I wonder if Mimi will bring her little dog to the salon?” Suzi said suddenly.
“Oooh!” Bella gasped. Dream Dogs was the only dog salon in Sandmouth. Mimi and Crystal were bound to visit!
“Oooh!” Mr Evans shouted, but for slightly different reasons. “Be
