This was really boring. Really, really boring. Ben sat on his bed and wondered how a Bank Holiday Monday could be so dull. All his friends were out, Mum was at a school reunion, Dad was busy working in the garden and his sister and brothers were all out playing with their friends. How did it come to be like this? Ben cast his mind back to exactly a week ago.

"Mum! Did you know the new giant waterslide's opening at the pool in Sillworth?"

"That sounds exciting Ben - did you find out about it at school?"

"Yeah, and I think there's loads of people going. Can we go, Mum? It opens on bank holiday Monday."

"Oh, I'm really sorry, Ben I can't take you then – I'm going to be out all day."

"Well what about Dad?"

"He's going to repair the broken fence - it really needs fixing, I'm afraid."

"Awww."

Ben flopped down in a chair and squashed his hands into his cheeks with disgust. "But where are you going that Monday, Mum? Can't you rearrange it?"

Ben's Mum sat down next to him and explained that she was going to a school reunion. It was a chance to see lots of very special old friends - people she had known since she was Ben's age.

"These friends are really important to me, Ben – I wouldn't miss this day for anything." Ben groaned.

Mum saw someone walking up the garden path. "Oh look - Linford's coming round to play, Ben. That'll cheer you up."

"But I always play with Linford - I don't want to this time. Tell him I'm reading my comics." Ben rushed up the stairs before Mum could reply.

Ben knew that Mum would follow him upstairs and tell him that he needed to treat his friends much better - and sure enough, she did! She said that she wouldn't want to go to a school reunion if her friends had behaved like that.

"Maybe we can go to the waterslide next weekend?" she said. "That's less than a week later. Why don't you arrange to do something else with Linford on Monday?"

"Ok, I might."

When the bank holiday arrived, Ben went round to Linford's in the morning. There was no one there, and the car was gone. He wondered where they'd gone. He tramped back home and sat on his bed. As usual, Mum was right. He should have arranged something with Linford. "I bet she's having a really good time," he thought to himself. "I wonder why she's got so many friends."