T.J. and the Hat-trick by Theo Walcott Read Free Book Online Page B

said Joey.
    ‘Right,’ TJ replied. ‘And look. We’ve hardly done anything.’
    ‘Why did Burrows have to make such an enormous pond?’ groaned Tulsi.
    ‘OK, everyone,’ Mr Wood said. ‘Take a break. It’s going to take a long time, this. I was hoping more people would come, but we’ll do it on our own if we have to.’
    TJ could see that no one believed it. Every time he looked at the hole it seemed bigger, and then there were all the other holes where weeds and brambles had tangled among the dead trees. They would never do it on their own.
    Then he heard a clattering on the playground and saw Tommy’s red hair zooming towards him on a skateboard, and Tommy wasn’t alone. He slid elegantly to a halt and flipped the board up into his hands. ‘I brought some mates,’ he said with a grin. ‘They all want to help.’
    There were at least ten of them, teenagers mostly, but some of them were even older.
    One of them was nearly as tall as Mr Wood. They all parked their boards and grabbed spades. Other people were arriving too, kids from their class, and their mums and dads, and they’d all brought garden tools. But there was still no sign of TJ’s mum and dad.
    Then TJ saw their car edging slowly in through the gate. He put his spade down and ran across the playground. ‘You’re late!’ he said. ‘I thought you were never coming.’
    TJ’s dad just smiled and opened the back of the car. He pulled out boxes of drink and cakes and biscuits. ‘It’s a big job, this,’ he said. ‘You’re going to need refuelling. This lot will get you through the morning. Tulsi’s mum and dad are bringing their barbecue. Look, here they are!’
    More people were arriving all the time now. ‘Your dad’s been on the phone all week,’ his mum said. ‘Everyone’s dead keen to help. Look, here’s a whole crowd of them.’
    Janice and her team of dinner ladies had arrived, and TJ was amazed to see the Reception class teacher following them though the gate. ‘It’s about time something like this happened,’ she said to Janice as they went by. ‘That Mr Wood has really stirred things up. This was a jolly good school when I first came here. And I don’t see why it shouldn’t be a good school again.’
    ‘Exactly,’ TJ’s dad said. ‘People power, that’s what we’ve got here. Who knows what we could do next. Paint some of those windows , maybe? Smarten the place up a bit. We could—’
    ‘We need to fill in these holes before we do anything else, Dad,’ TJ interrupted. ‘Are you going to help, or are you just going to stand there talking?’
    ‘You’ve got a nerve,’ laughed his dad. ‘OK, son, give me a spade and I’ll show you how it’s done.’

C HAPTER 15
    THEY WORKED HARD all morning. So hard that TJ never even noticed the tall man in the woolly hat who wheeled barrow after barrow full of weeds and dead plants and rubbish to a heap near the fence. Then he saw that a couple of the mums were nudging each other and giggling. ‘It’s him,’ one of them was saying. ‘I know it is.’
    ‘You talk to him, then.’
    ‘I can’t!’
    Mr Wood put down his spade with a grin.
    ‘Hey, Marshall,’ he called. ‘There’s a couple of ladies would like to meet you!’
    TJ thought he had never seen anyone turn red so fast. But Marshall asked the mums all about their children and the school, and soon they were chatting happily to him while all the other parents and helpers gathered round. When Marshall had finished signing autographs he sat down next to TJ. ‘Great food,’ he said.
    ‘Mmmmm,’ was all TJ could reply with his mouth full of burger.
    ‘Looks like you’re going to have a pitch then,’ Marshall said. ‘Hey, there, nice to meet you.’ TJ looked up and saw Tulsi standing there. ‘I saw you the other day, didn’t I? On the playground?’ Marshall said.
    Tulsi couldn’t speak as Marshall held out a hand. Finally she shook hands with him, but she still didn’t say a word. ‘You must be