T.J. and the Hat-trick Read Online Free PDF

space next to the goal.
    ‘Are you talking about me?’ said Tulsi. ‘What are you looking at?’
    They explained Rob’s picture to her.

    ‘I estimate that you ran about a hundred metres in total,’ Rob said. ‘Most strikers in the Premier League run about twelve kilometres in a match.’
    ‘We’re not in the Premier League, Rob,’ Tulsi said angrily. ‘And I don’t need to run if people pass the ball to me properly, do I? Who said you could spy on us anyway?’
    ‘What’s all this?’ None of them had noticed Mr Wood entering the classroom. Now he was looking over Tulsi’s shoulder at Rob’s book. ‘It looks like Prozone. Did you do this, Rob?’ Rob shut the book quickly. ‘Clear off, the rest of you,’ Mr Wood said, sitting down beside him. ‘Get your work out and get on with it. And no talking.’
    TJ had already figured out that theirs was the only classroom in the whole school where people worked in silence. In fact, he had sometimes had the feeling that it might be the only classroom in the school where anyone worked at all. He had walked past the Reception classroom one morning and seen the teacher knitting while the little kids did exactly as they liked. The noise from the rest of the school echoed along the corridors now, as Mr Wood spoke quietly to Rob. After a few moments, TJ was amazed to see Rob open his book and show something to Mr Wood. Then Mr Wood said something and Rob’s face cracked into a smile.
    ‘But Rob never smiles,’ hissed Jamie to TJ.
    ‘Quiet over there,’ snapped Mr Wood.
    When he’d finished talking to Rob, Mr Wood went to the front of the class. ‘I’ve been busy this weekend,’ he said. ‘I had a meeting with the PE teacher over at Hillside School. She seems to think they’ve got a decent football team. Perhaps you’d like to tell everyone about them, Rob.’
    ‘What does
he
know?’ Danny muttered.
    Mr Wood fixed him with a look that made him go bright red, and then pale. It was a look that TJ thought would make a good secret weapon. ‘Go ahead, Rob,’ said Mr Wood.
    ‘They were . . . they . . .’ Rob stopped. His voice sounded trembly and uncertain.
    ‘Shall I read it for you?’ Mr Wood offered. ‘Or one of your friends?’
    Rob nodded gratefully.
    ‘I’ll read it if you like,’ TJ said, and Mr Wood handed him the notebook. ‘Runners-up in the Inter Schools League,’ TJ read. He saw that Rob had made a league table just like the ones in the papers, in very tiny black writing. ‘They won nine, drew three and lost none,’ he said. ‘They scored twenty-five goals and let in twelve. I suppose that means they’re very good.’

    Rob nodded.
    ‘Their PE teacher reckons they’ll win the league this year,’ Mr Wood said. ‘She’s called Mrs Singh and she obviously thinks Hillside School is the best school in town. She didn’t actually say so, but I got the impression that she thought Parkview School was the worst school she’d ever come across. She didn’t like the teachers, or the mums and dads, or the kids.’
    There were loud mutterings from around the classroom, and for once Mr Wood didn’t order them to be quiet.
    ‘I know,’ he continued. ‘I told her she was wrong. I told her you were good kids and this was a good school, and I told her you’re just as good at football as they are. So we’re going to take them on, in three weeks’ time, right here on our own pitch.’
    ‘But, Mr Wood,’ said Tulsi, ‘we haven’t
got
a pitch.’

C HAPTER 10
    ‘I’M GOING TO talk to Mr Burrows this morning,’ Mr Wood said. ‘I’m sure when he hears about this he’ll want to get the pitch repaired. And I’m going to ask him to buy us a proper kit too. All you have to do is train hard and do what I say. Don’t look so scared!’
    ‘But we know them, Mr Wood,’ Tulsi said. ‘We see them in the park. They’re much better than us. That Krissy Barton plays in the Sunday League. She’s brilliant.’
    ‘Now you listen to me,’ Mr