The Best Day Ever

her cry.

This was supposed to be the best day ever. Now it’s turned into the worst!

Billie snuggles deep into the beanbag. The film they are playing is Finding Nemo. It is her and Jack’s favourite film. This makes Billie cry even harder.

Now tears are pouring down her cheeks. She tries to cry quietly so no-one can hear her.

Billie wishes Jack was here. Jack makes everything better.

Just then, Billie hears a little voice behind her.

‘Billie? Is that you?’

Billie knows that voice!

‘Jack!’ she says loudly. Her heart squeezes with happiness. She wipes her nose on her hand.

‘Shhh!’ says everyone in the cinema. Billie hears Jack giggle. She hears other voices in the dark that she recognises, too.

‘Billie! Is that you?’ That’s Rebecca’s voice.

‘Hey, Billie’s in here!’ That’s Ella’s voice.

‘Shhh, kids!’ comes another voice. ‘No talking in the cinema.’ That’s Ms Walton.

Jack wriggles into the beanbag next to her.

Billie holds his hand tightly in the dark.

‘I thought I’d lost you!’ Jack whispers.

‘I thought I’d lost you!’ Billie whispers.

When the lights come on, Billie is still holding Jack’s hand. She doesn’t even care if anyone sees.

They run back into the busy, noisy playground.

Mika rushes up to Billie. ‘We looked for you everywhere!’ she says.

‘Yeah,’ says Sara. ‘We waited for you to go on the Super-Dooper Snake ride.’

‘Come with us?’ Ella says. ‘It looks SO scary! Jack’s already been.’

Billie looks at Jack.

She can’t believe it. ‘You went on the ride by yourself?’ she asks. ‘Weren’t you scared?’

Jack shrugs. ‘Nah,’ he says. ‘It’s not scary at all!’

‘Wow, you’re so brave! I’m going with Jack,’ she tells her friends. ‘He’s not scared of anything!’

Billie’s other friends pair up and stand in the queue. The man in charge of the ride checks off the wristbands as kids climb into the cars.

‘Sorry I ran off before,’ Billie says quietly to Jack.

‘That’s OK,’ Jack says. ‘I knew I’d find you. It’s only school!’

Billie laughs at Jack’s joke.

The Super-Dooper Snake ride stops and Billie and Jack jump into a car.

It whizzes around and around. Billie squeezes her eyes shut and squeals. She holds Jack’s hand tightly.

‘Are you scared?’ Jack asks her.

‘No way!’ Billie shouts. And it’s true.

With Jack next to her, she’s not scared at all.

The Best Day Ever

published in 2021 by

Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing

Wurundjeri Country

Ground Floor, Building 1, 658 Church Street

Richmond, Victoria 3121, Australia

www.hardiegrantchildrenspublishing.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers and copyright holders.

Text copyright © 2021 Sally Rippin

Illustration copyright © 2021 Aki Fukuoka

Series design copyright © 2021 Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing

eISBN 9781743587249

Hardie Grant acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the country on which we work, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation and the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, and recognises their continuing connection to the land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

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