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Authors: T. M. Alexander
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fallen out, so Copper
Pie says. Now, I don’t need all this fuss so you need to come with me and sort it out.’
I didn’t know what the other Tribers were thinking but I didn’t want to go. I wanted us to be friends, but not because C.P.’s mum and dad bullied us into it.
‘Sorry,’ said Bee.‘We’re having cakes and then I’ve got to go home. It’s not our fault Copper Pie went off with Callum and left Tribe to —’
‘Rot,’ said Fifty. I was thinking of ‘stew’.
‘No, it’s my fault. I just said that. And the cakes can wait because I’m not going back without you lot, and that’s that.’ Copper Pie’s dad wasn’t
taking ‘no’ for an answer.
‘OK,’ said Jonno.
‘Same,’ said Fifty.
‘Doesn’t look like I’ve got a choice,’ said Bee. She narrowed her eyes.
‘Bee, that face could kill a crow,’ said Copper Pie’s dad. I’d never heard that expression before but I liked it.
We all clambered into Copper Pie’s dad’s van. Bee sat in the front.
‘So how’s your dad?’ Copper Pie’s dad asked Bee.
‘He’s at home for now. But the twins have only got till next Wednesday to find somewhere else to live or he’s off again.’
‘That’s a rum deal,’ said Copper Pie’s dad.
‘For who?’ said Bee.
‘For the lot of you. It’s not fair on you or your mum, but your dad’s got a point. Those brothers of yours are old enough to fly the nest.’
Bee always sticks up for her mum, but not this time. She stayed quiet.
‘Excuse me,’ said Fifty from the back. ‘Why didn’t the talent scout come?’
A big sigh. ‘Everything that could go wrong, did. The game kicked off late. The parents of the player Simon was interested in wanted a word that turned into a blinking book and then we got
stuck in a queue behind an overturned caravan. Crawled along for two hours.’
‘Not your fault then,’ said Jonno.
‘No. Not that bit. But I’m definitely in the frame for the rest. That Charlie’s on your side too, even though his brother tortures him. Last time I interfere – Copper Pie
can be a dustman for all I care. Waste of a good left-footer, though.’
Copper Pie’s dad cut the engine. We were there. But no one got out.
‘Come on.’
We went in through the back door. Charlie was having a snack. It looked like Marmite spread on raw carrot. Copper Pie’s mum was washing up.
‘Hi Charlie,’ I said.
‘Heyyo Keener. Can we pway marble wun?’
‘In a minute maybe.’
‘Copper Pie! Get down here,’ shouted his mum.
We waited.
‘What’s that, Charlie?’ said Bee.
‘Ca-wots.’
‘And what’s the brown stuff?’
‘Choc-yit sauce.’
‘Nice,’ said Fifty.
Copper Pie shuffled in, and his trainers made a squeaky rubber noise as they scraped along the chessboard floor. I was worried he’d leave black streaks on the white squares but I
didn’t spot any. I waited for his shouty mum to tell him to pick his feet up.
‘You’ve made your point,’ said Copper Pie’s dad. ‘Pick those feet up and stop the wounded soldier act. I’ve brought your friends.’
C.P. jerked his head up and we locked eyes. I smiled. I mean, I don’t want to go on and on, but he is my oldest friend. What would you do?
‘Hi there,’ I said.
He nodded.
‘Go on then, Keener,’ said Copper Pie’s dad. ‘Tell him it’s all forgotten and forgiven.’
But it isn’t, I thought. I had a quick recce to see what the others were expecting me to say. It was hard to tell. Bee looked mean. Jonno looked normal (I mean the same as he
usually does, which is actually not normal at all: big mad hair, specs falling off his nose). Fifty looked uncomfortable. Copper Pie’s mum looked scary (the same as normal). His dad was
smiling at me in an encouraging way. I needed some time to think things through. The Tribers were still miffed with Copper Pie so I couldn’t say everything was all right, because it
wasn’t. Say nothing – that seemed the best idea, even though it’s
Pie says. Now, I don’t need all this fuss so you need to come with me and sort it out.’
I didn’t know what the other Tribers were thinking but I didn’t want to go. I wanted us to be friends, but not because C.P.’s mum and dad bullied us into it.
‘Sorry,’ said Bee.‘We’re having cakes and then I’ve got to go home. It’s not our fault Copper Pie went off with Callum and left Tribe to —’
‘Rot,’ said Fifty. I was thinking of ‘stew’.
‘No, it’s my fault. I just said that. And the cakes can wait because I’m not going back without you lot, and that’s that.’ Copper Pie’s dad wasn’t
taking ‘no’ for an answer.
‘OK,’ said Jonno.
‘Same,’ said Fifty.
‘Doesn’t look like I’ve got a choice,’ said Bee. She narrowed her eyes.
‘Bee, that face could kill a crow,’ said Copper Pie’s dad. I’d never heard that expression before but I liked it.
We all clambered into Copper Pie’s dad’s van. Bee sat in the front.
‘So how’s your dad?’ Copper Pie’s dad asked Bee.
‘He’s at home for now. But the twins have only got till next Wednesday to find somewhere else to live or he’s off again.’
‘That’s a rum deal,’ said Copper Pie’s dad.
‘For who?’ said Bee.
‘For the lot of you. It’s not fair on you or your mum, but your dad’s got a point. Those brothers of yours are old enough to fly the nest.’
Bee always sticks up for her mum, but not this time. She stayed quiet.
‘Excuse me,’ said Fifty from the back. ‘Why didn’t the talent scout come?’
A big sigh. ‘Everything that could go wrong, did. The game kicked off late. The parents of the player Simon was interested in wanted a word that turned into a blinking book and then we got
stuck in a queue behind an overturned caravan. Crawled along for two hours.’
‘Not your fault then,’ said Jonno.
‘No. Not that bit. But I’m definitely in the frame for the rest. That Charlie’s on your side too, even though his brother tortures him. Last time I interfere – Copper Pie
can be a dustman for all I care. Waste of a good left-footer, though.’
Copper Pie’s dad cut the engine. We were there. But no one got out.
‘Come on.’
We went in through the back door. Charlie was having a snack. It looked like Marmite spread on raw carrot. Copper Pie’s mum was washing up.
‘Hi Charlie,’ I said.
‘Heyyo Keener. Can we pway marble wun?’
‘In a minute maybe.’
‘Copper Pie! Get down here,’ shouted his mum.
We waited.
‘What’s that, Charlie?’ said Bee.
‘Ca-wots.’
‘And what’s the brown stuff?’
‘Choc-yit sauce.’
‘Nice,’ said Fifty.
Copper Pie shuffled in, and his trainers made a squeaky rubber noise as they scraped along the chessboard floor. I was worried he’d leave black streaks on the white squares but I
didn’t spot any. I waited for his shouty mum to tell him to pick his feet up.
‘You’ve made your point,’ said Copper Pie’s dad. ‘Pick those feet up and stop the wounded soldier act. I’ve brought your friends.’
C.P. jerked his head up and we locked eyes. I smiled. I mean, I don’t want to go on and on, but he is my oldest friend. What would you do?
‘Hi there,’ I said.
He nodded.
‘Go on then, Keener,’ said Copper Pie’s dad. ‘Tell him it’s all forgotten and forgiven.’
But it isn’t, I thought. I had a quick recce to see what the others were expecting me to say. It was hard to tell. Bee looked mean. Jonno looked normal (I mean the same as he
usually does, which is actually not normal at all: big mad hair, specs falling off his nose). Fifty looked uncomfortable. Copper Pie’s mum looked scary (the same as normal). His dad was
smiling at me in an encouraging way. I needed some time to think things through. The Tribers were still miffed with Copper Pie so I couldn’t say everything was all right, because it
wasn’t. Say nothing – that seemed the best idea, even though it’s
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