Lost Boy by Linda Newbery

Author:Linda Newbery
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780375849336
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2008-03-11T04:00:00+00:00

ELEVEN

Persuasion

Wednesday, the day of the mountain walk; Matt was up early, looking out of his attic window. The sky was grey and overcast, but it wasn't raining. That looked hopeful. Adam said they'd wait for a better day if the weather was really bad.

Mum went out early, to the shops. Her way of dealing with arguments, like the one about Tig, was to pretend they hadn't happened; she wasn't like some people's mums, who could go all stern and huffy for days on end when things went wrong. With her first Bed and Breakfast guests due to arrive, she'd been double-checking everything, cleaning toilets that were already gleaming, and dusting speckless furniture.

While Matt ate his cereal, she unpacked her shopping bags. ‘Brown sauce!’ she exclaimed, clapping a hand to her forehead. ‘Oh no, I forgot the brown sauce!’

‘Can't they make do with tomato?’ Dad said, pouring coffee.

Mum shook her head emphatically. ‘Make do? Our guests? That's not the way to get my Tourist Board stars, is it? No, I ought to have both. Matt, you couldn't nip down and get some, could you?’ She looked at her watch. ‘You'll have time, before the twins get here. I'll do your packed lunch while you're gone. And maybe I should have more kinds of jam – could you get a jar of blackcurrant?’

Matt took the five-pound note she gave him and jogged down to the Spar shop. Going in, he almost bumped into Tig, who was paying for a Coke and a bar of chocolate.

‘Hi,’ Matt said, uneasily.

Tig looked at him without smiling. ‘Where'd you get to, yesterday?’

‘Had to help my dad.’

‘We waited, me and Robbo. Waited half an hour. You could've told us.’

‘Forgot, didn't I?’ Matt tried to sound offhand; he headed past, towards the shelves.

Tig blocked his way. ‘Not so fast. How about it, then?’

‘How about what?’ Matt bluffed.

‘You know.’ Tig lowered his voice. ‘Going up Dan-y-fforest.’

‘Can't,’ Matt told him. ‘Doing something else today. Anyway, I've changed my mind.’

‘Oh, you've changed your mind, have you?’ Tig echoed, putting on a prissy voice. ‘Mummy and Daddy don't like you playing with nasty rough boys, is that it?’

This was uncomfortably close to the truth. ‘You go, if you want,’ said Matt. ‘Leave me out of it.’

‘Oh, but I can't.’ Tig had managed to manoeuvre Matt with his back against the fruit and veg, his tallness blocking Matt from the view of anyone in the shop; he'd created a little huddle of privacy for the two of them. ‘Can't do it without you, can I? How's it going to work if you don't join in?’

‘Don't know what you mean.’ Matt tried to slip past him, but Tig stepped closer, penning him in.

‘Yes, you do. This is what. We all go up there, but only you go in.’

‘What for?’

‘Pretend to be Martin,’ Tig said. ‘That'll really send him mental.’

Matt glanced away. ‘No! I'm not doing it.’

‘Yes, you are.’ Tig looked at him steadily. ‘Because if you don't, something worse'll happen. Up at Wil's. I promise you.

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