FIVE RUN AWAY TOGETHER - by Enid Blyton

06 JULIAN DEFEATS THE STICKS

THERE was a slam. The kitchen door shut, and Mrs. Stick could be heard telling the news triumphantly to Edgar and Mr. Stick. The children went into the sitting-room, sat down and stared at one another gloomily.

"Father's awful!" said George, furiously. "He never will listen to anything."

"Well, after all, he is very upset," said Dick, reasonably. "It was a great pity that he rang before nine, so that Mrs. Stick got her say in first."

"What did Father say to you?" said George. "Tell us exactly."

"He said that if we couldn't put up with the Sticks, Anne and Dick and I were to go back to our own parents," said Julian. "But you were to stay here."

George stared at Julian. "Well," she said at last, "you can't put up with the Sticks, so you'd better all go back. I can look after myself."

"Don't be an idiot!" said Julian, giving her arm a friendly shake, "You know we wouldn't desert you. I can't say I look forward to the idea of being under the thumb of the amiable Sticks for a week or two, but there are worse things than that. We'll "stick" it together."

But the feeble little joke didn't raise a smile, even from Anne. The idea of being under the Sticks" three thumbs was a most unpleasant prospect. Timothy put his head on George's knee. She patted him and looked round.

"You go back home," she said to the others. "I've got a plan of my own, and you're not in it. I've got Timmy, and he'll look after me. Telephone to your parents and go home tomorrow."

George stared round defiantly. Her head was up, and there was no doubt but that she had made a plan of some sort.

Julian felt uneasy.

"Don't be silly," he said. "I tell you we all stand together in this. If you've got a plan, we'll come into it. But we're staying here with you, whatever happens."

"Stay if you like," said George, "but my plan goes on, and you'll find you'll have to go home in the end. Come on, Timothy! Let's go to Jim and see if my boat is ready."

"We'll go with you," said Dick. He was sorry for George. He could see below her defiance, and he knew she was very unhappy, worried about her mother, angry with her father, and upset because she felt the others were staying on because of her, when they could go back home and have a lovely time.

It was not a happy day. George was very stand-offish, and kept on insisting that the others should go back home and leave her. She grew quite angry when they were as insistent that they would not.

"You're spoiling my plan," she said at last. "You might go back, you really might. I tell you, you're spoiling my plan completely."

"Well, what is your plan?" said Julian impatiently. "I can't help feeling you're just pretending you've got a plan, so that we'll go."

"I'm not pretending," said George, losing her temper. "Do I ever pretend? You know I don't! If I say I've got a plan, I have got a plan. But I'm not giving it away, so it's no good asking me. It's my own secret, private plan."

"Well, I really do think you might tell us," said Dick, quite hurt. "After all, we're your best friends, aren't we? And we're going to stick by you, plan or no plan... yes, even if we spoil your plan, as you say, we shall still stay here with you."

"I shan't let you spoil my plan," said George, her eyes flashing. "You're mean. You're against me, just like the Sticks are."

"Oh, George, don't," said Anne, almost in tears. "Don't let's quarrel. It's bad enough quarrelling with those awful Sticks, without us quarrelling too."