7 Awooga awooga awooga awooga awooga awooga awooga!

CHAPTER SEVEN Awooga awooga awooga awooga awooga awooga awooga! Ted and Willow were so excited after their audition with Anoushka Wispy that they both bounced out of the Grimwood Players' Theatre giggling and holding paws. 'That was so cool,' said Willow. 'We were deffo the best dancers there. We're totally going to go on tour with her.' 'I… I just can't imagine it, Willow,' said Ted. 'Wouldn't it be the best thing ever?' Willow nodded and bounced even higher. Ted thought about it a bit more. 'Except,' he said. 'Wouldn't that mean we'd have to leave Grimwood?' Willow nodded. 'Yes!' she said. 'We'd travel the world!' 'Oh,' said Ted. 'And I suppose we'd… we'd have to leave behind all our friends and family?' 'Yes!' said Willow, punching the air. 'No more sharing a bed with nine other bunnies for me.'

'Woah,' said Ted. 'You share a bedroom with nine other bunnies?' 'No, no, no. I share a bedroom with way more bunnies than that,' said Willow. 'I just share a bed with nine other bunnies.' 'Wow,' said Ted. 'No wonder you're always hanging around our place.' 'Huh?' said Willow. 'Well, no it's fine, just… I've never been round to your place, now I think about it,' said Ted. 'So what?' said Willow, frowning. 'Nothing! It's just… we've never hung out there, that's all.' 'AND? Is that a PROBLEM?' barked Willow. 'No!' said Ted, flattening his ears down. 'No, it's fine.' They heard a harmonica in the distance. 'That's Rufus!' said Ted, his ears pricking up. They scampered towards the noise. Ted looked around for his big brother but couldn't see him anywhere. 'Up here, laddie!' came a voice, and Ted and Willow looked up to see Rufus sitting in the branches of an oak tree, casually twirling a harmonica about. He had a great big grin on his friendly, ruffety-scruffety face. 'Hiya, Roofy!' said Ted. 'What you doing up there?' Rufus hopped down to the ground, his landing cushioned by piles of leaves. 'Taking a break and looking out for you, kid,' said Rufus with a grin. 'Because me and your sis have got something very cool to show you. Wanna see?' 'CAN I COME CAN I COME PLEASE CAN I COME???' shouted Willow.

Rufus laughed. 'Course you can, little bunny,' he laughed. 'Follow me.' They weaved their way down a muddy little track Ted hadn't noticed before. As they got further, their paws got muddier and the ground got squelchier. 'Where we going, Roofy?' asked Ted, trying hard not to sound scared as unfamiliar dark branches swayed over his head. 'Almost there,' murmured Rufus. 'Just around the corner…' Ted's heart lifted the second he saw Nancy, who was on her hands and knees scrubbing the roof of… a something. 'Hey!' yelped Ted, running towards her and waving. 'Nancy!' Nancy looked up and grinned. She hopped down from the roof of the narrowboat, which she had been scrubbing clean with a stiff brush and some hot soapy water. 'Pretty cool, ain't it?' she said, ruffling Ted's fur as he hugged her. 'Oh my gosh! It's a boat! Is it a boat?' said Ted, keeping his arms wrapped around her. Nancy nodded. 'Oh, my giddy goat,' said Willow. 'A boat! Where the jiggins did you find that?' 'It was just sitting in this dingy little stream, hidden under a load of dead old branches,' said Nancy. 'Wiggy helped us pull it out with his Jeep.' Rufus was grinning from ear to ear.

'It's in pretty good nick,' he said. 'We just need to clean it up; fix a couple of holes.' Ted and Willow were already scampering all over it. 'Cor, imagine when it's all painted and looking nice!' squeaked Ted. 'And you could put some flowerpots around it, and I could make some nice little curtains and… ooh! Ooh, there's a little kitchen inside! Willow, look!' The excited friends explored every last nook and cranny of the narrowboat. 'I'm gonna help Rufus make the boat all nice,' said Nancy. 'And then he's gonna move in.' 'WOW!' said Ted. 'Really? That would be SO COOL!' Rufus grinned. 'Yeah, I could do with moving out of that tent,' he said. 'And I don't think there's room for me in the den. But this way you get two places to hang out, Ted. Sound all right to you?' Ted bounced up and down, ran to Rufus and gave him a massive squeeze. 'It sounds amazing, Rufus!' said Ted. And he yanked Nancy over by the paw so that he was sandwiched between his big brother and big sister. Willow chewed on her paw thoughtfully. 'Erm… can… can I come and hang out on the boat, or is it just, like, a fox only thing?' she mumbled. Nancy laughed. 'Since when have you asked permission to hang out with us, bunny? You practically live with us! You might as well be a fox.' Willow crossed her arms and frowned.

'Not true!' she said, and she stuck her tongue out. Ted giggled. 'It is a tiny bit true, Willow,' he said. Willow suddenly looked very awkward. And then she looked even more annoyed. 'What exactly are you sayin'?' she shouted. 'Am I hanging around your place too much, is that it?' Ted looked surprised. 'N-n-no, Willow!' he spluttered, confused by his friend's angry outburst. 'That's not what I'm saying at all.' 'Yeah, chill out, Bunny,' said Nancy. 'I just mean, it is a bit weird that I've never seen where you live, that's all,' said Ted, softly. 'Cos I'm your best friend, aren't I? But I don't think I've even met your mum…' 'WHAT'S MY MUM GOT TO DO WITH ANYTHING??' shouted Willow. 'YOU TAKE MY MUM'S NAME OUT OF YOUR SNOUT, DO YOU HEAR?' Now all three of the foxes looked confused. Ted's eyes filled with tears. He hated it when anyone lost their temper, but especially when it was his best friend in the whole wide world. He shuffled behind Rufus's tail. 'Oh, boo hoo,' said Willow. 'Don't be such a big WIMP, Ted. Just because you've got a new big brother doesn't mean you need to hide behind him all the time.' 'Woah there,' said Rufus, frowning. Willow put her hands on her hips and pulled a face at the foxes. 'You're being so MEAN!' shouted Ted, still standing firmly behind Rufus.

'Yeah, well, you're BORING!' shouted back Willow. 'Rufus this, Rufus that! Ever since he turned up you don't ever stop going on about him!' Nancy was fed up by this point. She stepped forward and picked Willow up by the ears. But Willow wasn't in the least bit scared and just blew a great big raspberry in Nancy's face. She wriggled free and plopped to the floor. 'Don't worry, I ain't coming to your stupid den again, or your stupid boat!' she yelped. Then she pointed at Ted. 'And you and me… we ain't best friends any more.' What just happened? Was it a fight? I think it was a fight. I hate it when that happens. Titus was sitting outside his caravan, karate chopping open a row of baked potatoes. 'Ow! Oooh! Aargh! Ow!' he cried, as his hoof got covered in hot steam. 'You could just use a knife, you know,' remarked Frank, from the caravan roof. 'No, no, this is the best way if you want the potato to be all floofy– and I know you like it all floofy,' said Titus, now inserting big golden squares of butter into each spud.