Read Izzy's River for Free Online Page B

suddenly, and Poppy shrieked as Billy attempted to make a quick getaway.
    “Alex, stop him!”
    Billy was attempting to shoot between the legs of one of Poppy’s twin older brothers. But Alex squashed his knees together, so he was almost riding Billy, and grabbed his collar.
    Izzy laughed. “You look like you’re in a rodeo,” she said shyly, as Alex stared at her.
    He snorted. “Oh. Yeah, Billy would make a good bucking bronco. Aww, Poppy, he’s covered in mud, it’s all over my trousers now.”
    “Durr,” Poppy said unsympathetically. “That’s why we’re trying to bath him, idiot.”
    “You two’ll never get him in there,” Alex said. And he grabbed Billy round the chest, groaning with the effort, and dumped him in the bath so quickly that Billy didn’t have time to realise what was going on.Even though there was hardly any water, a tidal wave still splashed over the edge of the bath.
    Billy’s claws scrabbled frantically, and he howled, and tried to jump out, but Alex had hold of his collar. “Hurry up then! Wash him! I’m getting soaked here,” he growled to Poppy.
    “Thanks, Alex!” Poppy started rubbing the mud off Billy’s legs, and Izzy tried to swoosh water over his back, while Billy moaned miserably. The smell of wet dog rapidly overpowered the lavender oil.
    “I think he’s clean,” Poppy said at last. “Or at least the water’s so dirty there’s no point washing him any more.”
    “Do we have to lift him out now?” Izzy asked, looking anxiously at Alex. He was going to get even wetter, heaving a soaking wet dog out of the bath.
    Alex laughed. “Nope.” He let go off Billy’s collar, and stood back, pulling Izzy with him.
    Billy took about two seconds to realise he no longer had to be in the bath, and launched himself out with an expression of great joy on his face. Water slopped everywhere, and as soon as he hit the bath mat, he shook himself madly, spraying more all over the place.
    “Now you see why there was no point changingfirst,” Poppy pointed out, holding her arm across her face. “Have you stopped yet, Billy?” She smothered him in an old towel that she’d pulled out of the bottom of the airing cupboard. “Mum keeps the worst towels just for him.”
    They rubbed him dry all over and eventually a spotless and offended-looking dog burst out of the bathroom, and hurtled down the stairs.
    “He’s going to hide in his basket,” Poppy explained. “Look, I’ve rinsed the mud out of the bath now, you have a quick shower. I’ll just go and find you some stuff to borrow.”
    “Thanks.” Izzy eyed her school dress and cardigan – they were even wetter now.
    Ten minutes or so later, she headed downstairs, still damp, but much warmer, and wearing Poppy’s jeans and a cute purple T-shirt.
    Poppy’s mum pushed a mug of hot chocolate towards her.
    “Thanks. Poppy is just having her shower. Alex might want some chocolate too, Billy got him really wet.”
    Billy heard his name, and glared suspiciously over the edge of his basket.
    The door opened, and another teenage boyclumped into the kitchen. Poppy’s mum sighed. “Between you lot and the dog, I’m going to be spending the weekend cleaning mud out of this house. It’s all very well taking your boots off, but look at your socks, Jake!”
    “Sorry, the field was a bit muddy,” he admitted.
    Izzy stared at him over her mug. If Poppy’s mum hadn’t called him Jake, she would have been sure he was Alex, somehow muddied up. They looked exactly the same.
    “This is Poppy’s friend, Izzy,” Poppy’s mum added. “Billy jumped in the river, you’ll have to queue for a shower after your sister.”
    “Is he OK?” Jake peered at Billy, who was huddled up in his basket, as if he didn’t want anyone to notice him.
    “I think he’s sulking because he had to have a bath,” Izzy said, feeling quite amazed at herself. She hardly ever spoke to people she didn’t know. But there was something about this mad, muddy