London Art Chase

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Book: Read London Art Chase for Free Online
Authors: Natalie Grant
Tags: Ebook
for the ride!”
    Just then, one of Lulu’s favorite songs started playing over the speakers. She jumped up and started to dance and sing along.
    â€œLulu,” Mia said, glancing back at the rest of the bus. “I don’t think . . .”
    Across the top level of the bus, everyone turned to watch and clap along with the music. Lulu wasn’t going to stop now with so many people egging her on. As she always did when she had a captive crowd, Lulu turned on her extra-special charm. She pranced up and down the aisle, singing specifically to one group and then to another.
    â€œAren’t you going to stop her?” Mia said.
    Miss Julia snapped a photo. “She’s not bothering anyone.”
    â€œShe’s . . .” Mia said, and then she looked over at Maddie and shrugged.
    The song rose to a crescendo, and Lulu’s voice rose along with it all the way to the end. Then she dropped into a low curtsey and started blowing kisses at everyone.
    â€œTips, tips?” she called.
    â€œAnd that’s the end of that,” Miss Julia said, jumping up and sweeping Lulu back to their seats.
    â€œWhat?” Lulu asked. “What did I do?”
    â€œYou can’t ask random people on the bus for tips, Lulu,” Mia said, eyebrows raised in what she probably hoped was an I’m serious face.
    Even so, Maddie could see a smile threatening to break through. Lulu got away with things by leaping into them so quickly that no one had time to stop her. And who knew? If Miss Julia hadn’t pulled her back to her seat, someone might even have given her a tip. That was just the way things went with Lulu—all part of the fun of having her for a little sister.
    Lulu climbed onto her seat, scooting close to Miss Julia. “How much longer?”
    â€œWe’re almost there,” Miss Julia answered. “I think we’re just a few blocks away.”
    â€œWhat are you drawing, Maddie?” Lulu asked.
    Maddie turned her sketchbook so Lulu could see. She’d drawn her little sister, arms stretched up to the London sky, her mouth open as she sang, and the other bus passengers clapping along.
    â€œCan I have that one?” Lulu asked.
    â€œI don’t think she should pull out pictures from her sketchbook. Her drawings should all be together—a record of our trip,” Mia said.
    â€œLike a travelogue,” Miss Julia said.
    â€œI want one,” Lulu said, and then grinned at Mia. “A sketchbook, I mean, not the picture.”
    â€œYou want to draw?” Miss Julia asked.
    Lulu bit her lip. “Well, no. I don’t know. Maybe.”
    â€œIf you want a sketchbook, we might be able to find you one at the National Gallery. But maybe your travelogue could be different than Maddie’s. Yours could have photos with captions, for instance.”
    â€œOh, yes, let’s do that!” Lulu said.
    â€œThere’s an app I’ve been thinking about using,” Miss Julia said. “We could use it on my phone to take pictures and keep some notes about our trip.”
    For the next few minutes, Lulu and Miss Julia were busy with her phone, installing and trying out the app.
    Mia scooted over close to Maddie to look at her drawing again. “I like the way you sketched the faces—loose, but you can still see their expressions. Well, actually, it’s like you can see what they’re feeling, if you know what I mean.”
    â€œReally?” Maddie asked, warmth spreading through her despite the wind. “That’s exactly what I was going for.”
    â€œDo you think there will be any paintings that we like at the National Gallery? Won’t all of them be old?”
    â€œI love seeing old paintings. I’d like to try to draw some of them.”
    â€œBut sometimes old paintings are weird, like in colors I wouldn’t choose, or . . . well, sometimes, they’re naked people.”
    â€œTrue,” Maddie said.

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