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

said Mr Burrows gloomily.
    ‘Your classmates say they’ll help, young man, but you’ll find that they won’t turn up on the day. They’ll be far too busy playing computer games in their bedrooms. And as for their parents . . .’
    ‘Mine will help,’ TJ said stubbornly. ‘I know they will.’
    ‘Mine too,’ said Jamie.
    ‘Mr Coggins would have to open the school,’ Mr Burrows said thoughtfully. ‘On a Saturday morning. He wouldn’t like that.’ For some reason, that thought seemed to please Mr Burrows.
    ‘I’ll ask him,’ Miss Berry interrupted. ‘I’m sure Mr C will do it for me. I think it’s a marvellous idea.’
    ‘Will he?’ said Mr Burrows. ‘You amaze me, Miss Berry. Well, in that case I really can’t see any reason why you shouldn’t go ahead.’
    Mrs Logan pursed her lips and looked disapproving.
    ‘Thanks, Mr Burrows,’ said TJ and Jamie together.
    ‘Don’t blame me if the whole affair is a disaster,’ Mrs Logan said as they left the room. ‘And it will be, you mark my words.’

C HAPTER 11
    ‘YOU’RE REALLY TAKING this seriously, aren’t you, TJ,’ his mum said that night, when TJ told her about the plan to repair the pitch.
    TJ could only nod, as his mouth was full of spicy chicken.
    ‘Well, we’ll all help. Your dad’s already been talking to loads of people. He’s got this idea about starting a Parents’ Association. We might even have some fun.’
    ‘Fun!’ said TJ’s big sister, Lou. ‘It sounds like hard work.’
    ‘Jamie’s got a big brother,’ TJ said. ‘He goes to your school. He’s called Matt. He said he’d be there.’
    ‘Oh. Well, I suppose I might come,’ Lou said. ‘If I have time.’
    TJ grinned to himself. Jamie had told him that Matt liked his big sister. It looked as if his big sister liked Matt too! Not that TJ was bothered about that, just as long as they both came along to help. ‘Thanks, Mum,’ TJ said, jumping up from the table. ‘The chicken was great!’
    ‘Where are you going?’
    ‘I have to practise,’ TJ said. ‘We’ve got training tomorrow night. I think a lot of people are going to come. I want to make sure I get in the team.’
    ‘What about your homework,’ his mum called after him.
    ‘I’ll do it later,’ TJ called back.
    Out in the garden TJ practised catching and diving. He hit the ball against the wall, trying to catch himself out. It didn’t take him long to grow bored. And he had to admit, he hadn’t really enjoyed being in goal during training either. It occurred to him that, actually, goalies hardly ever had to save penalties, or even shots. Most of the time they just stood around waiting for something to happen. It would be much more interesting to be on the pitch.
    He dropped the ball, caught it on his foot and held it there. Then he flicked it up and caught it on the other foot. He’d been practising doing this secretly in his bedroom, and he was getting good. He began to practise keepie-uppies. His record so far was 139, but he was sure he could do a lot more.
    He had reached 250 when he heard the door open behind him. He took his eye off the ball for a split second and it dropped to the ground.
    ‘You shouldn’t be wasting your time in goal ,’ Joey said. ‘You’re mad.’
    ‘I want to be in the team and no one else wants to do it,’ TJ said. He wasn’t going to admit to Joey that he was having doubts. ‘I need to practise. Come on, take some shots at me.’
    TJ saved everything Joey hit at him. ‘Can’t you shoot harder?’ TJ asked him.
    ‘How about I go in goal and you show me how,’ said Joey.
    TJ laughed. ‘OK,’ he said. He placed the ball carefully, took four steps back, then ran up and hit it. It slammed into the wall before Joey could move and rebounded into the garden fence. Joey looked worried.

    ‘You want to be careful doing that,’ he said. ‘What if it had hit me?’
    ‘It wasn’t that hard, was it?’ TJ said, looking down at his foot.
    Joey shook his head.