by Rob Keeley
Luke’s Mum viewed him doubtfully for a second. She knew that look.
There was the slightest hint of suspicion on her face as she closed the door.
“Better get off before her,” Luke said. “Then she won’t see me. My turn to be you.” He turned to the tray. “And you get to be me. What’s in ‘em? Bet it’s peanut butter again.” He peeled back a slice of bread experimentally. “Yeah.”
“Yeah, that is actually my tea now,” Adam reminded him.
“Sorry.” Luke put the slice back. “Anyway, she’s made it for us both. So you get to eat two teas.”
“See you tomorrow, then?” Adam asked.
“Yeah.” Luke grabbed the Fax-R-Fab personal organiser he was using to map out their grand strategy. The whole plan was written in smudgy blue pen across the pages laid out for notes on How I’m Going To Save The Environment. “Checkpoint One is tomorrow, nine a.m. We meet at yours. Then we’ve got to leg it over here before Mum and Dad get up, so they see us both here for breakfast too. Good job your two get up early.”
“We’ve got to fit Cricket in somehow,” Adam reminded him.
“We will,” Luke assured.
“And don’t forget that rehearsal tonight,” Adam said. “Remember what we agreed. And make sure you answer Mum’s texts or she’ll think something’s wrong.” He took the phone from his belt and handed it to Luke. “That’s your lifeline.”
“Relax, will you!” Luke demanded. “That’s what you’re here for.” He grabbed the phone and stuffed it into his tracksuit jacket.
They paused. They were about to part, and it felt rather strange.
This was the first sleepover ever to be held in two different houses.
Then Luke smiled. “Have fun, Luke.”
Adam returned the smile. “Cheers, Adam.”
The door closed, a foot on the stair, and Luke was gone.
Adam waited a moment.
Then he switched on Luke’s TV.
Grabbed the sandwiches and chocolate.
And, slowly, very satisfyingly, stretched out on the bed.
Yes!
Adam reached for another slab of chocolate, then paused.
He didn’t really want it. He’d already eaten about three quarters of the big bar, along with both lots of sandwiches and all the crisps, and had swilled it all down with both big glasses of cola, and was now starting tofeel slightly sick.
He wondered what Mum had been cooking for tea. Busy every night he might have been, but he always had a hot meal first. Most nights, anyway.
He flicked through the channels on Luke’s TV. Luke had digital. All those channels, and still there was nothing on.
The phone rang on the desk – Luke had his own phone, as well! – and Adam paused. The agreed signal was two rings. If it cut out after two –
It did.
He hopped up from the bed, moved to the phone and rang his own mobile, the one he’d given to Luke.
“Hey!” Luke sounded maddeningly happy. “How’s it going, Luke?”
“It’s all right.” Adam tried not to sound grumpy. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” Luke said. “Had my tea, round yours. Your Mum’s food’s really nice.”
“What’d you have?” Adam asked, plaintively.
“Steak and kidney pie,” Luke said cheerfully. “I never got that at home. Mashed potato, and carrot and swede – creamed up, you know? And then she’d made trifle! We were lucky. She had to go out, soon as she’d dished up, to see some old lady about the Ladies’ Luncheon Club.”
“Mrs Aspinall,” Adam remembered. “The one with the two Airedales.”
“So she doesn’t know you didn’t come for the food,” Luke finished. “And I had your trifle as well.” He paused. “How was your tea?”
“Great,” said Adam acidly.
“Then I did your Drama Club,” Luke said. “It’s good fun. Don’t know what you moan about. They liked me. They’ve given me a part in the play. I’m playing a tree.”
“The environment play?” Adam’s eyes widened. “I was in the Club nearly a year before they gave me a proper part in anything!”
“Ah, well.” Adam could almost see Luke grinning, even over the phone. “You’ve got to get noticed in this life, mate. Anyway, I’ll see you Checkpoint One tomorrow. Cheers!”
The line went dead.
Adam replaced the receiver in silence.
“Are you two up yet?”
Adam jumped. He leapt out of bed.
He looked at the diamond-shaped clock on the wall. It was ten to nine!
He had to be at his house in ten minutes!
“If you want breakfast - ”
Adam cringed. If Luke’s Mum was making breakfast, she wouldn’t need a knife, or any utensils. Her voice could have cut through anything.
“There’s toast on, and jam and marmalade’s in the fridge.”
Adam found his voice, just.
“OK!” He fought to sound calm.
“Is Luke up?” Another shriek came.
Adam froze.
Then he had an inspiration.
He grabbed the pillow from the bed and shoved his face into it. Through the pillowcase, he gave a muffled shout.
“Yeah!”
“Oh, don’t lie to me, Luke!” Luke’s Mum didn’t sound surprised. “You’re still in bed. I can hear you, I’m not daft! Get your backside up and get dressed! I’ve got to get down the Community Centre! I’m doing head massage this morning!”
Adam’s heart was thumping. Suppose she came in?
There was sudden silence. A long pause.
Then Adam heard the front door close.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
He’d better go out the back way.
There wasn’t time to do anything but change out of his night things into the t-shirt and tracksuit trousers he’d had on the night before. At home, he would have showered, put deodorant on, Mum would have had clean clothes ready for him. He was already in a sweat with the panic of all this, and the t-shirt was soon clinging to him horribly.
And this was meant to be a break!
He grabbed Luke’s mobile from the bed and ran.
“Morning!” Luke was cheerfully stuffing down bacon and egg, when Adam arrived looking like a marathon runner who’d gone off course.
Wild-eyed, Adam collapsed into a kitchen chair.
Luke sniffed. “Did you shower this morning?”
“I overslept,” Adam panted.
“No!” Luke sounded more amused than worried. “Did Mum and Dad catch you?”
“Your Mum’s gone down the Community Centre.” Adam put his hand to his head wearily. “Don’t know where your Dad is.”
“Probably out the back, doing something.” Luke speared a grilled mushroom with his fork, and smeared it in the ketchup remaining on his plate. “We’d better get back there in a minute. We’ll have to run.”
Adam stared at him in horror.
The back door opened, and Adam’s Mum entered. “Saving the world is one thing,” she said, more or less to herself. “But why we need three differentcoloured bins, I do not know.” She caught sight of Adam. “Ah, you’ve finally condescended to getup. I thought you’d taken root in that bedroom. You ught to be up and about, getting exercise.”
Adam gulped.
His mother sniffed.
“Did you shower this morning?” Another sniff answered her question. “Go and take a shower at once! And put some clean clothes on! I don’t know what’s the matter with you boys!” She paused, as if to reload with ammunition. “You’d better get going. Cricket practice starts in an hour. There’s no time for you to laze around!”
With that, she turned and viciously started cleaning the sink.
Luke’s grin disappeared as soon as he saw the look on Adam’s face.
“I shouldn’t be running straight out again!” Adam whined. “Not after a shower! It’s cold! The sun’s not out yet!”
He had showered and changed,
too quickly to appreciate his own bathroom or his own wardrobe. Now he and Luke were running all the way back he had just come. Back to Luke’s house.
“Oh, don’t be such a wimp!” Luke was faster, and Adam was struggling to keep pace with him. “We can’t risk Dad missing us. We’ll have to go to mine, have some toast. You can eat another breakfast, can’t you?”
“I haven’t had one yet!” Adam moaned.
“Then,” Luke announced. “Cricket!” He paused, in mid-flight. “So, how d’you play the game again?”
“Checkpoint Two,” Luke reminded. “After this.” They had arrived at the cricket ground in time for nets. Adam was batting, and Luke was proving remarkably quick in learning how to bowl. Not that he faced much of a challenge. Adam was too tired to pay much attentionto the ball.
“We go back to yours.” Luke delivered another ball, and Adam slashed at it resignedly. “Say how good cricket was, all that stuff. Then back to mine. So both the parents have seen us together a second time. You’ve got a treat in store, by the way. Mum’s taking us out for a meal tonight.”
“Nice of her,” Adam muttered dazedly. He had only had time to stuff down one slice of toast and margarine at Luke’s, and was feeling far too empty to be playing sport.
“Not really.” Luke smirked. “She just can’t cook!” He paused. “Not like your Mum. Her fried bread this morning was just…Mmm!”
Adam gave him a murderous glare.
“Not bad.” A tall figure cast a shadow across the cricket strip. It was Chris, a younger member of the adult cricket team who also ran the junior side. He had blond-dyed hair and a loud taste in tracksuits. “Luke, isn’t it?”
“That’s right,” Luke answered.
“I’ve been watching from the pavilion,” Chris continued. “Actually, we need a good bowler for the junior Second Eleven. We’re playing the Chardwell lot in two weeks.” He paused. “Don’t suppose you’d be interested?”
Luke shrugged.
“Yeah.”
“Cool!” Chris paused. “Watch the way you’re holding that bat, Adam. It’s not a shovel, y’know. You’ve been here long enough to know how to play the game properly.”
He paused to give Luke a friendly pat on the back, then moved away.
Luke paused.
Chris was right.
Suddenly, he didn’t like the way Adam was holding that bat either.
“I can’t go on with this!” Adam whinged. It was evening. They were in Luke’s room, changing, having both been ordered by Luke’s Mum to put smarter gear on for the restaurant. Adam had just had time to grab his best shirt and trousers on their last visit to his own home. “I’m fed up with being you!” He paused. “And why are you so flaming good at being me?”
“Who knows!” Luke was still looking irritatingly cheerful. “Maybe I’ve always been talented. Maybe, somewhere deep inside, there’s an achiever struggling to get out.”
“Well, I’ve had enough of it!” Adam was in a real state, and his face was coming close to matching his mauve shirt. “Walking straight into Drama, and cricket, taking over. I’ve a good mind to go lazy for life!” He hesitated. “But I want to be it in my own house.”
“Remember the deal,” Luke reminded. “Sunday night, that’s what we agreed. Ready for us to be ourselves on Monday morning.” He was backcombing his hair in front of the mirror, trying to look sophisticated. “Anyway, it’s changed me, this. Done me good.”
He turned to Adam.
“I think I might come to all your clubs from now on.”
He ducked, and his neat hairstyle was suddenly destroyed, as a pillow narrowly missed his head. He glared aggressively.
“What?”
Like all family restaurants, the steak house was packed on a Saturday evening. Adam, Luke and Luke’s Mum had to stand and wait in the bar area to be allocated to a table. Luke’s Dad had still been reassembling his bike and had refused to come.
“I can’t believe how well it’s all gone,” Luke crowed. “Best plan of my life.”
Adam said nothing. His eyes said it all.
“I feel like celebrating.” Luke looked at the blackboard on which the daily specials were chalked. “I think I’ll have a steak.”
“I’m not hungry,” Adam muttered.
“A whole weekend,” Luke concluded. “With each other’s parents. And none of them had any idea -”
“Ah!”
Adam and Luke turned.
And, as one, their blood ran cold.
Standing there were Adam’s Mum and Dad.
“Surprise!” Adam’s Dad beamed.
“We thought we’d just creep in,” Adam’s Mum explained. “It was quite out of the blue. Luke’s mother rang and invited us to dinner. She said you were coming along here from Luke’s house, after cricket. It’s so kind of her, Luke. I suppose it’s to say thanks for having you.”
“Hiya!” Luke’s Mum had turned to greet the new arrivals. “Good to see you.”
“Haven’t they found a table for us yet?” Adam’s Dad was not one to wait. “I’ll have a word at the bar.”
“I might have a small sherry,” said Adam’s Mum, indulgently. She followed him.
Luke turned slowly to his mother, his eyes asking the question.
What did you do?
As if a mind-reader, she answered him.
“I thought we might as well get together.” She shrugged, and flicked a lock of hair back from her heavily made-up eyes. “And it’s a thank-you, of sorts. Luke’s had stuff to do all weekend, Adam, thanks to you.” She turned to a waiter who had approached them. “Any chance of that table by the clock, sweetheart?” She turned back to her son as the waiter moved off to check. “Dishy, isn’t he?”
Luke was in no mood to answer.
As his Mum moved off towards the table, he remained where he was. He turned to Adam.
“If they get talking -?”
“And they will,” Adam said.
Luke paused.
“I’ve gone off that steak.”
“How far to the nearest chippy?” Adam said suddenly.
Luke paused. “‘Bout five minutes. Greenfield Road…”
His eyes met Adam’s.
“Come on!”
“OK, they’ve found one -” Luke’s Mum had returned, and stopped suddenly.
Luke and Adam were already halfway to the door.
“Changed our minds!” Luke called. “Off to the chippy. We’ll see you later!”
“You know…” Luke gasped, as he and Adam sped in the direction of Greenfield Road. “That was a good plan of yours. Real quick.”
He paused for breath, and glanced at his friend as they fled.
“Maybe you learned something from being me… after all.”
Lunch
On the corner of the little street stood a lamppost. Once, men had come round every evening to light the gas lamp inside. But none came now.
The street itself was old, narrow, cobbled. The houses had been built in Victorian times. They were so small that they were barely big enough for a family of four to live in their cramped and dirty rooms, let alone the much bigger families still living there in the 1930s.
For a few minutes, late that morning, the whole place had lain deserted.
Then, along the cobbled street, Liam and Justin came.
They were carrying clipboards and had their rucksacks on their backs. They were followed by the rest of Juniper Class.
“Not bad, is it?” Justin asked his friend.
“Well.” Liam shrugged. “If you like History.”
An attendant in a black t-shirt hurried ahead of them to unlock a door just beyond the lamppost.
A moment later, they were back in the present day.
Liam and Justin sat down at a table in the Work Room to eat their lunch.
Just above them, the display board on the wall proclaimed:
“MUSEUM OF TWENTIETH CENTURY LIFE.”
“What you got in yours?” asked Liam. The
y were taking plastic sandwich boxes out of their bags, like everyone else in the room.
Justin ripped the lid eagerly from his box.
“Can of cola,” he announced. He placed the can on the tabletop. “Cake. Crisps…”
“Beef and parsnip flavour?” Liam asked.
“Of course.” Justin pulled the crisp packet open. “And I’ve got some chocolate…”
“No sandwiches?” Liam looked into the box.
“Nah.” Justin sniffed. “Well, what’s the point? I don’t like ‘em. Just something to get through before you get to the interesting stuff.”
“Ah, you can’t have a packed lunch without sarnies.” Liam opened the foil-wrapped package he had taken out of his own box. He took out the first sandwich and groaned. “Ah, no.”
“Ham?” Justin looked at the floppy purplish slice hanging out of the pieces of dry wholemeal bread.
“And cucumber,” Liam moaned. He opened the sandwich up. “She knows I don’t like cucumber.”
“I’ll have it.” Justin reached across and plucked the cucumber from the sandwich.
“Hey!” Liam looked indignant at this invasion of his food. “Get your hands off! I’ve got to eat that sandwich!”
“Only trying to help.” Justin popped the cucumber into his mouth.
Liam tutted.
“Cheers.”
They went on with their food in silence for a short time.
“Don’t you like this place, then?” Justin asked.
“S’all right.” Liam was halfway through the second sandwich. He had taken the cucumber out and wrapped it in the silver foil. “Bit boring. They want to make it…what-d’you-call-it…interactive.”
“Mm,” Justin agreed.
“Like,” Liam went on. “In the war bit, you can hear all the bombs going off and everything. And a few people, dummies…But you don’t see much. You could have a button to press, like. And everyone drops down dead.”
“Yeah!” Justin enthused.
“Then there’s Winston Churchill,” Liam suggested. “‘Stead of him just standing there. Have buttons on his waistcoat. Number one makes him talk. And number two makes smoke come out his cigar.”
“Yeah,” Justin agreed. He took a mouthful of cola. “OK trip, though.”
“Oh, yeah,” Liam nodded.
There was another moment of silence.