Time and Again Read Free Page A

answer.
    â€˜First law of shopkeeping, lad. The customer is always right,’ Dad said and then gave a grin. ‘Even when they’re wrong. Business is business.’
    Having worked a little quicker this timearound, Chris was already dealing with the cereal boxes when Dad called him over to help.
    â€˜Come and give us a hand a minute, lad. Need you to hold these steps steady while I tidy that top shelf.’
    â€˜Isn’t it about time we got some new steps, Dad?’ Chris said for the second time.
    â€˜If they were good enough for your old grandad, they’re good enough for me.’
    That was the cue for Chris to take decisive – and dramatic – action. Before his dad could mount the steps, he jumped up onto them and deliberately made them wobble.
    â€˜Be careful!’
    Dad’s warning was to no avail. The steps tottered and then collapsed, but Chris was ready, leaping off and rolling away across the floor so they wouldn’t land on top of him. The crash brought everyone running, as before, and a noisy, nosy Tan was soon on the scene, licking Chris’s face.
    â€˜Get off, daft dog,’ he cried, struggling to get up.
    â€˜Are you all right?’ asked Dad anxiously as Mum fussed over him too.
    â€˜I’m OK,’ Chris insisted, putting on a brave act, but slipping Becky a sly wink. ‘Just a few bruises in the morning, I expect, that’s all.’
    â€˜What on earth were you doing?’ said Mum.
    â€˜Just
doing my bit
,’ he said. ‘Y’know, trying to help Dad, like.’
    â€˜Aye, well,’ Dad sighed. ‘You were probably right about those old steps. Should’ve got rid of ’em years ago.’
    â€˜I’ve been telling you that, too,’ said Mum. ‘If it’d been you falling off them, you might have broken your neck.’
    â€˜Or a leg,’ put in Becky. ‘Dead easy!’
    â€˜Right, come into the kitchen, Chris,’ Mum told him, ‘and let me have a look at that arm, just to make sure there’s no real damage done.’
    â€˜Oh, just one thing before you go, lad.’
    â€˜What’s that?’
    â€˜Put that tin of soup the right way round, will you.’
    Chris grinned. ‘Sorry, Dad.’

CHAPTER FOUR
Extra Time
    â€˜What’s this?’
    â€˜Er … it’s my homework, Mr Samuels,’ said Chris.
    The teacher held up the dirty, crumpled sheets of paper for the rest of the class to see. ‘It looks like something the dog’s dragged in.’
    Chris reddened as he felt all eyes turn towards him, with Luke’s laughter louder than anyone’s. The teacher wasn’t far wrong. It was true that Tan’s wet paws had walked over the top page that morning when it had fallen onto the floor at home, but the real damage had been done by Luke.
    As Chris had been sorting through the pages in the classroom, hoping that Mr Samuels would not mind the paw prints too much – and perhaps even make a joke of it –Luke had snatched the sheets from him, screwed them up and then tossed them into the waste bin.
    â€˜Sorry, Mr Samuels,’ Chris said, running a hand through his hair. He had no intention of telling tales. He wasn’t like that, as Luke knew only too well.
    â€˜I should think so, too, Christopher,’ said the teacher. ‘But I’m afraid being sorry isn’t enough. You will have to stay in at lunch and write this out all over again.’
    Luke sniggered. ‘Serves you right, Jacko,’ he hissed across the table. ‘And I haven’t finished with you yet.’

    Chris glanced across the room at Becky. She was about the only one not smiling at his discomfort. He wished now that she hadn’t persuaded him to leave the Timewatch at home.
    â€˜Who wants to have an extra hour of school?’ she had said to convince him that she was right.
    It was a fair point, but he could have gone back an hour and made sure