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Pollen Thomas. I like it!”
    Frankie rolled her eyes. “This place is too hippie dippie for words,” she muttered.
    Anyway Pollen hadn’t. Seen Jewel, I mean. Not recently, anyway.
    But a few minutes later, a girl caught us up.
    “Looking for me, Trav?” she said cheekily
    “These young ladies want’to put you in their film,” grinned Travis.
    Then he strode away without saying goodbye, leaving us staring at each other like lemons.
    I won’t pretend Jewel exactly fell over herself with excitement when she saw us. But she didn’t look totally hostile either. It was more like she was weighing us up. We were probably staring too, weighing HER up!
    Jewel was about our age. She was actually quite pretty, in a scrubbed, freckly sort of way. (Mind you, her hair could have
really
used a good conditioner.) The good news was that Jewel didn’t seem to go in for body-piercing. Well, a little nose stud and a few earrings, but nothing weird.
    “Aren’t you going to tell me your names?” she asked.
    We remembered our manners and introduced ourselves, but I think Jewel could tell we felt dead uncomfortable.
    “Don’t mind me,” grinned Andy. “You girls get acquainted.”
    There was another long silence.
    “So, what’s this about a film?” Jewel asked.
    We all started babbling at once. Then we stopped at the same moment and went into a major fit of the giggles, which Jewel totally joined in.
    “Look, why don’t you guys come back to the van?” she suggested. “And tell me in comfort.”
    “That would be great,” said Kenny.
    “Ace,” said Lyndz.
    Actually, I wasn’t too sure I wanted to go into Jewel’s van, to be honest. I know it sounds snobby, but I couldn’t see how anyone could POSSIBLY keep themselves clean, living like that.
    We trudged across the site to the van Jewel shared with her mum.
    The snow was getting really mushed up with so many people around.
    “Hope you don’t mind,” said Jewel, when we arrived. “But Mum has this rule about boots and shoes. We generally leave them inside the door. Otherwise the van turns into a swamp.”
    “My mum has the same rule,” I said.
    We cautiously followed Jewel inside.
    “Ooh, it’s really cosy in here,” said Lyndz, sounding surprised.
    “Mum’s a heat freak,” Jewel explained. “She insisted on getting the most powerful wood-burner she could physically fit in our van!”
    By this time I think my mouth had actually dropped open.
    Jewel’s home was GORGEOUS!
    I mean, it was quite untidy, but in a really sweet, homey way.
    Everywhere I looked there were lovely things. Tiny paintings, bright cushions with bits of mirror sewn on them, shelves carved with fruit and flowers, gauzy curtains splattered with gold-painted stars, pretty crockery.
    It also smelled lovely. Jewel said her mum always kept lavender oil in a special burner. “She says you can’t be too careful about smells, living in a van!” Jewel filled the kettle from a little dolly-type sink.
    Kenny beamed at everyone. “Don’t you guys LOVE this place?”
    “Where do you go to school, Jewel?” Frankie asked. She sounded as if she was interviewing her for a job or something. Somehow I got the definite idea Frankie didn’t approve of Jewel.
    Jewel put the kettle on the stove. “It depends where we’re living,” she said. “Sometimes I don’t go for months.”
    “Excellent,” said Kenny.
    “Then how will you get an education?” asked Frankie primly.
    “Mum teaches me,” said Jewel. “Up until I was about four, she taught art in this school in Brixton. Then she decided she’d be more use trying to save the planet.” She grinned. “I know it’s corny! But it’s true.”
    I found myself smiling back. I thought Jewel was ace. But ever since we’d met Jewel, Frankie had been acting dead snooty. The truth is, Frankie likes to think she’s a really unusual person. And I think Jewel made her feel, you know – ordinary.
    “Do you go in for a lot of this protesting lark?”