A Royal Adventure [Ongoing]

Three

I watched England disappear out the car window.

Saunders, as was his custom, was humming along to the radio, and I wondered how I would survive twenty hours of this. Saunders would tell anyone who listened – and indeed, the first day that I met him, sitting next to him in class by mistake, he told me that he was destined to be a famous rock star. He never elaborated on how he would achieve this, but I assumed that taking his sixth form exams was all a part of it.

He was still singing now as we cruised down towards the south coast of the country.

Pen was painting her nails, which was an impressive feat in a moving car and the look of concentration on her face made me want to giggle. As always she was dressed in an incredibly stylish outfit – today she looked more set for a day out in the city than a long car journey. She wore high waisted floral skinny jeans, with a denim shirt, a white vest top, and a tall pair of beige wedges.

My own baggy grey t-shirt, white denim shorts, and sneakers seemed quite scruffy. I couldn't imagine what my brother would think of my new informal style. If we ever got there.

Charlie was on hold with the Channel Tunnel people and again I wondered if this was a sensible idea at all. If I had called my brother I could be sorted with something and be half way back home already. But no, even my brother couldn't defy air strikes.

I knew there must be another way, but it was too late now. I just had to go with it. I just hoped that nobody panicked. So I settled back into my seat and watched the countryside whiz by, all the while hoping that Saunders would find a good song to sing along to.

*

'White cliffs of Dover up ahead,' Charlie called, waking me from my light doze. I opened my eyes to see the cliffs peeping around the corner – and lots of cars all heading towards the same place that we were.

'Wow,' I said leaning forward between the two front seats and taking in the odd view.

'Plenty of time,' Charlie said cheerfully. 'We're going to make it. First leg of the journey nearly done.'

'And still nearly a good eighteen hours to go,' I said miserably.

'Cheer up,' Charlie said brightly, glancing back at me. 'This is all for you.'

And that was exactly what I was worried about. I wasn't sure that they'd be so happy about this when we got there.

The queues seemed to take forever, and I was worried that they would turn us away at the tunnel, but miraculously we got on, and soon we were whizzing deep under the sea to France.