The Lost Treasure of Annwn Read Free Page B

that Nutty Nora you’re talking about?’
    Jack gulped and summoned up all the courage he had to speak.
    â€˜She’s not nutty. Nora is a very nice person.’
    â€˜Ooooh! Get him,’ laughed the goalie.
    The other boy Jack had seen before joined in.
    â€˜Taking your girlfriend out to lunch are you? Aren’t you going to introduce us?’
    Elan fixed the boy with a look. There was an uncomfortable silence before Jack spoke again.
    â€˜This is Elan.’
    The goalie released the chair. He laughed as Jack lurched forwards.
    â€˜Well Elan, you’ve got a right wimp for a boyfriend. Has he told you we’ve got some unfinished business with him? Isn’t that right Max?’
    The boy who’d had the bloody nose nodded and stood up. Jack could feel beads of sweat running down his forehead even though the rest of his body felt cold. Max took a couple of steps towards their table. Jack was sure he was going to start a fight when he saw his clenched fist. Should he stand up and face him? The decision was taken out of his hands when the waiter came out with their order. There was a scraping of chairs before all the boys ran off. The waiter sighed.
    â€˜Were they bothering you? That lot are always causing trouble.’
    â€˜We’re fine thank you,’ replied Elan.
    Jack didn’t say a word. The boys did bother him. The waiter put their rolls and drinks down and collected two empty teacups from another table before going back inside the café.
    â€˜Do you know them?’ asked Jack.
    Elan laughed.
    â€˜Everyone knows them. Your grandad and dad will know them too; they’ve got quite a reputation. The one who calls you pixie boy is Frank Smedley. They call him Tank because he’s so big. His dad owns the scrap metal yard on the other side of Newton Gill. There are four boys in the family and Frank’s the youngest.’
    â€˜What about the one he called Max, the tall one with blond hair, the one who’s got it in for me?’
    â€˜That’s Max Wratten, he lives in one of the big houses at the end of Church Road. The other tall boy with the long dark hair is Danny Westbrook. His dad owns the music shop round the corner. I don’t know the other two. It’s Max and Tank who usually cause all the trouble. Tank got caught throwing stones over the hedge into Nora’s garden not so long ago.’
    â€˜He really doesn’t like me.’
    â€˜He’s just a bully. Don’t let him bother you.’
    â€˜But he’s twice as big as me and three times as strong.’
    Jack wondered if Elan really knew what the boys could be like. It was alright for her, she wasn’t the one who’d been pushed around. If he could use his magic it would be different, he’d be able to tackle all five of them at once and they’d never bother him again. He tried to put the boys out of his mind and concentrate on his lunch. Before he took the first bite he looked up at the yew tree. Thankfully Camelin had gone.
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    When they’d finished eating they set off up the High Street towards the homewares shop that they thought would sell everything on their list. By the time they got there, Jack was feeling hot and bothered. It was a relief to step inside the cool shop and be out of the sunshine. They loaded up the shopping trolley with six scrubbing brushes, twenty bottles of silver nail varnish, two packs of jam covers and three tubs of beeswax.
    â€˜What’s the beeswax for?’ asked Jack.
    â€˜I thought we could rub it into Ember’s scales and polish them up. We ought to take some dusters too. They’re down the other end. I’ll go and get them while you make your way to the till.’
    Jack wheeled the trolley to the bottom of the aisle and turned the corner. In front of him stood Max. He turned the trolley to the right only to see Tank standing there with his arms folded. A quick glance to the left told him Danny was