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This is Jack. Today Jack is in a cranky mood. His parents are going away for the night.

Jack’s cousin Sue is coming to look after him. Jack doesn’t want Sue to come. He hasn’t even met her before. He wants to go away with his mum and dad.

They always take him away with them! ‘You’ll have fun with Sue,’ says Jack’s mum. ‘No, I won’t!’ says Jack. ‘I want to come with you.’ ‘You can come with us next time,’ says Jack’s dad. ‘This time we want to do something different.’ Jack crosses his arms and stomps his foot. ‘It’s not fair!’ he shouts.

Then he runs upstairs and hides under his bed. Maybe if Mum and Dad can’t find me, they won’t go away, he thinks. It is dark and squeezy under Jack’s bed. The dust tickles his nose. Jack breathes through his mouth so he won’t sneeze. They’ll be sorry when they see that I’m gone, he thinks. Just then, Jack’s dad pokes his head under the bed. ‘Hey, Jack,’ he says. ‘Sue is here. Come out and say hello.’ Jack shuffles out from under the bed. He brushes the dust balls off his tummy. ‘Hello,’ he says, looking down at the ground. ‘Hey, Jack,’ says Sue. ‘Nice to meet you.’

‘OK, it’s time for us to go,’ Jack’s dad says. ‘See you tomorrow.’ ‘Bye, darling,’ Jack’s mum says. ‘I love you.’ No you don’t, thinks Jack. If you loved me you wouldn’t go without me. Jack listens to his parents walk downstairs with Sue. He hears them talking in the kitchen. Then he hears the front door close. The house is very quiet. Jack sits on his bed and tries not to cry. He feels sad and lonely and a little bit grumpy.

Suddenly Jack hears Scraps, his dog, barking. And then he hears another noise too. It sounds like a dog howling, mixed with a walrus snorting. It is the strangest sound he has ever heard. Jack hops down off the bed and creeps down the stairs. The sound is coming from the lounge room. Jack peers around the doorway. There, in the middle of the room, is a very odd sight! Sue has changed into a sparkly leotard. She is standing on her head and singing – very loudly!