The second day in Blackpool was even better. The weather was cool but dry, which was reasonable for October, but everybody wrapped up warmly. First on the agenda after breakfast was a healthy walk down to the Pleasure Beach. Mr Keogh sneaked in a couple of calls to Doggy Day Care while the others went on the Wallace and Grommit ride.
"I'll sit with you and Zoe", Jacob said to Max as if he was trying to be helpful.
"It's for four people so we need one more. JESS! Can you come and sit next to Jacob?" Max shouted. Jacob sighed. Max didn't miss a trick.
Jess wished Jacob would stop mooning over Zoe and look at her, Jess, just once.
Mrs Beauchamp and Miss Freeman, sitting with Cal and Ethan on the ride, giggled and giggled. Ethan didn't get why because the ride wasn't that funny. But Cal knew. Even though he was a Junior now he still believed in Lebsion Magic.
Then it was the Ghost Train. Once again Jacob stationed himself between Max and Zoe and once again Max shouted to Jess to come and sit with them. Jess tried to pretend to be scared, but Jacob just said cheerfully: "Ah, you're tougher than those ghosts, Jessie. You show 'em!" Jess liked being called Jessie at least, but was still sad that Jacob didn't fancy her.
Ethan remembered how he'd been a baby at Phantom Manor and was determined to be brave this time. So when Dracula came looming up, Ethan said, as naturally as if he'd not been practising for weeks beforehand "Oh get out of our faces, you toothy bugger!"
"Ethan Hardy!" gasped Mrs Beauchamp. Ethan wondered if she was getting a cold because she didn't have much breath to shout with.
But Cal took him aside and told him he was 'almost brave enough for the Juniors' and Ethan preened for the rest of the day.
Then after another walk and, as a treat, a sit-down Pizza lunch, it was time for the Waxworks. The format had changed, and the infamous Chamber of Horrors was long gone, but there was still plenty to enjoy and plenty of waxy celebrities to see. Mr Keogh had his photo taken with Lady Gaga; Mrs Dixon preferred to pose with Madonna, and the actually-not-dragonish-at-all Mrs Bateman couldn't wait to get her arms round The Wolverine.
But the high spot of the evening was back to the Pleasure Beach for the half past six Ice Show, despite Ben's having a little heartache. A couple of rough-looking boys came past and noticed him holding Mr Keogh's hand as the crowds were huge.
"Yah, look at Daddy's Boy there! At his age!"
"At least Ben behaves himself" snapped Mr Keogh.
But Ben was ashamed.
"Hey, don't let those two losers get to you" Cal chimed in, "I still like holding hands with Mrs Beauchamp and Miss Freeman and I'm a Junior!"
"I like holding hands with lots and lots of ladies!" Ethan chimed in, causing the whole group to laugh.
The show was wonderful, glittery costumes, great skating, and nice music. Cal wondered if Mrs Beauchamp and Miss Freeman had been doing some Lebsion Magic about the show because sometimes the skaters just flew up into the air and skated there for a while. He didn't spot the invisible wires.
Then it was back to the flats for supper and bed. Tonight the boys played host.
"We were going to do cheese toasties but then we've had Pizza so it's Jacket spuds and Caleb's special salad", Cal, wearing a pinny with Masterchef on it, announced. Mr Keogh went into the kitchen to supervise the boys to make sure there were no injuries.
"Now what we'll do to let your food settle before bed is have a grand Monopoly championship" said Mrs Bateman.
Everybody took their places round the huge table, except for Eric Chiltern, who was snoozing near the radiator.
Jacob grabbed the spare seat next to Zoe, seeing as it was unoccupied and Max had been on dishwashing duties that night.
Max, normally a sweet-tempered lad, was not pleased to say the least.
"Get away from Zoe or I'll rip your bum out by the roots!" he shouted.
Miss Freeman made a chokey noise and had to run out of the room.
"I'm not a PROCESSION!" snapped Zoe.
Jacob remained seated, but a warning look from Mrs Beauchamp made him slink off to the other side.
"Max, I'm not sure whether to make you stay in and miss the big trip round the illuminations tomorrow", she told the still-enraged Master Walker.
Something broke in Max and he behaved totally out of character. There was only so much a boy in love could take.
"You do and I'll… I'll strangle Eric Chiltern!" he yelled.
Then tears ran down his face in horror at what he'd said.
"I wouldn't! I wouldn't, honestly, Ben, I love cats. I love our Sarah!"
Lofty thought of Max's big ginger cat back at home. Max loved to brag about how gorgeous Sarah Cat was. She was a pretty cat but not a patch on Eric Chiltern.
"I know you didn't mean it", he said sadly, "But you could dramatise Eric if he hears you, so don't say it again."
Max got out his hanky and tidied up his face.
"I'll not. I'm sorry, everybody."
Jacob knew it was up to him to step up to the mark.
"It was my fault. I was trying to be clever", he said, adding:
"I'll not bother Zoe no more."
Max offered his hand, then apologised to everybody, the crisis was averted, and the game started.
Ethan was thrilled. A big squabbly drama sorted out – and he wasn't in trouble for any of it! Magic!
