You've Got a Friend

by Judi Curtin

  * * *

  There were heaps of spelling mistakes, but ‘Advenshur in the Jungle’ was a great story. Every now and then the handwriting changed, and I figured that was where one boy got tired of writing, and the other one took over. The hero of the story was a boy called Hector, who was afraid of everything, but still managed to do incredibly brave stuff, like rescuing babies from tigers, and swimming through crocodile-infested waters to deliver important messages to the queen. Some of the story was funny and some of it was sad, and all of it was really exciting.

  When I was finished reading, I closed the book and put it on the rug next to me. I wondered if Eddie had any clue that one day he was going to grow up and leave his darling little girl behind and go and live in the jungle. Did he ever guess that he’d come back from the jungle years later, and be all mixed up and sad and lonely?

  After the jungle story, I read one where Hector was on a pirate ship, and one where he went trekking to the North Pole, and then five or six more.

  I felt sad when I got to the last line of the last book. I felt like Hector was a real boy, and I wanted to know more about him. I wanted him to have more adventures. Eddie and Stephen were only little kids, but already they were great at writing. Dad sometimes wrote me letters when he was away, and they were always hilarious, but how come I’d never heard about these stories? How come Dad and Stephen hadn’t gone on to be writers? They could have been like JK Rowling, and we’d all have been famous.

  Had Billy the bully managed to ruin everything?

  I carefully put the books back into the box and closed the lid. Then I noticed the corner of a page sticking out from under the box. I was excited as I pulled it out – maybe I could have one more Hector story before settling down to sleep.

  But this wasn’t a long exciting story about a boy adventurer, with different handwriting every few lines. This was just one page, with only one kind of handwriting, and on the top it said – ‘THE BOY WHO DISAPPEARED, BY ONLY EDDIE’.

  I sat back and started to read.

  Once upon a time there was a boy called Eddie who lived with his mammy and daddy and big brother Stephen and his cat called Pablo who only had three legs but was still brillyant. Everyone was happy cept on the days when Billy called them names and sometimes Eddie cried then and Stephen told him jokes until he wasn’t sad anymore. Then Stephen went to hostipal and it was very bad. Stephen got lots of toys and Beano comics and fizzy drinks and a pet rock and an eevil kneevel stunt bike and Mammy and Daddy didn’t love Eddie anymore but only Stephen the sick boy.

  The end

  By the time I came to the last lines, I was crying so much I could barely read. That poor, poor little kid! Did he really believe his mum and dad didn’t love him anymore?

  And that story had to have been written before Eddie knew that Pablo had to go. How was he supposed to feel when Stephen came back home, and the price for that was losing his precious cat? He must have thought that the whole world was ganging up against him.

  I sat up and wiped my eyes and tried to think straight. My mum was probably right when she said that Eddie’s parents were good people, but how did good people manage to get things so wrong? They were worried about Stephen, but how come they couldn’t see that their other little boy was so sad?

  The light from the torch was getting dimmer, and I guessed that the batteries were running out. I didn’t want it to go dead completely, so I switched it off and then curled up in my blanket, rested my head on Pablo’s pillow, and fell asleep.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The sound of birds singing woke me up – I guess that’s the downside of sleeping in a tree.

  I had no clue what time it was, but it was just starting to get bright. I peeped out the door of the treehouse, but everything was quiet. I was stiff and hungry, and I really, really wanted to get to Beth so I could tell her about the Hector stories – and have a hug.

  I folded up the blanket, and put Pablo’s cushion back where I had found it. Then I opened up the box of stories. I picked up one story and looked at it for a long time. I felt like I had a lot of power in my hands and I wasn’t sure how to use it. Would young Eddie be really sad that the story was gone? Or would old Eddie be really happy to see it again?

  In the end, I folded the little book, and shoved it into the pocket of my hoodie.

  I climbed down the ladder and was heading for the gap in the hedge when I remembered – if Beth was going to escape from hospital, I had to bring clothes for her. I thought about bringing the rug, but then remembered how stubborn Beth can be. I was fairly sure I couldn’t persuade her to escape if all she had to wear was a woolly rug.

  I peeped around the hedge into the garden of Eddie’s house – and saw a miracle. There was a washing line full of clothes that I guessed had been out all night. I looked towards the house, but all the curtains were still closed; there was no sign of life.

  ‘You owe me, Beth,’ I muttered as I ran up the path to the washing line and grabbed a woman’s top, a pair of flared jeans and two spotty socks. Luckily they were only a small bit damp. I was just about to escape when I remembered that Beth didn’t have any shoes either. In the corner of the garden was a small shed, and when I pushed the door, it opened with a loud squeak that nearly gave me a heart attack. The shed was full of boring gardening stuff, but right at the back I found a pair of bright yellow wellies that looked like they might fit Beth. I picked them up and put them into a plastic bag that I found on a shelf, and only had a few dead spiders in it. Then I put the clothes on top. For a minute I felt bad. Maybe my granny had really bad taste, and these were her favourite clothes in the world. Technically, I was stealing them, but this was an emergency, and I told myself that in an emergency, stealing isn’t all that bad. Then I headed for the gap in the hedge and set out for the hospital.

  * * *

  It was breakfast time and people were rushing around with trollies full of lumpy-looking porridge, and toast that was either very pale or very burned. Luckily, no one seemed to notice me as I made my way up to Beth’s room. I peeped through the open door, and saw Beth sitting up in bed, drinking a glass of milk. I was just about to walk in when I saw a nurse standing in the corner of the room, writing something on a chart. Neither of them saw me, and I thought maybe it was best to keep it that way until I could figure out what was happening.

  The nurse hooked the chart on to the end of the bed, and sat down next to Beth. She didn’t look like she was in a hurry to be anywhere else.

  ‘I know we haven’t managed to contact your parents yet, Beth,’ she said. ‘But you must try not to worry.’

  ‘I’ll try not to worry too much,’ said Beth in a small voice. ‘But it’s hard. Where could they be? Why aren’t they coming to get me?’

  ‘You poor little thing,’ said the nurse, patting her hand. I smiled. Beth wants to be a software developer when she grows up, but if that doesn’t work out she’d be a great actor. ‘I’m sure your parents must be worried sick about you too,’ said the nurse. ‘Maybe they heard about the accident and went to the wrong hospital. I bet you they’re going to come rushing in here very soon – and won’t they be glad to see you all well again?’

  Beth sniffed a bit and wiped her eyes.

  ‘But in the meantime we’re still trying to phone them,’ said the nurse.

  That wasn’t good news. Presumably Donna and her parents were going to come home at some stage, and if they answered the phone …?

  ‘This probably won’t happen,’ said the nurse. ‘But if your parents don’t come here, and if we can’t get them on the phone, well, then we will have to contact the police.’

  Beth gasped and this time I knew she wasn’t acting. ‘The police?’ she said.

  The nurse patted her hand again. ‘Don’t you worry, dear. You haven’t done anything wrong and you’re not in any trouble.’

  I wondered about that. Was it wrong to come back in time? Was it wrong to hang out with your dad and try to change his life, even tho
ugh he was just a little kid? Beth and I try not to tell too many lies, but we definitely hadn’t told a whole lot of the truth since we’d arrived in 1975. There’s something about time-travelling that makes honesty a bit complicated.

  ‘What will the police do?’ asked Beth.

  ‘Well, I’m not an expert on police procedure,’ said the nurse, and then she gave a little laugh. ‘Most of my knowledge comes from watching Kojak on TV. But I expect the first thing the police will do is go to your house – you said you live on Castle Street, didn’t you?’

  Beth nodded.

  ‘Well, they’ll go there and ask a few questions, I would imagine,’ said the nurse. ‘They’ll talk to the neighbours, see if anyone knows where your parents might be.’ Suddenly the nurse stood up. ‘Time for me to see to my other little patients,’ she said as she headed for the door. ‘You have a nice rest, Beth, and I’m sure everything will be fine.’

  I didn’t fancy a chat with this lady who was asking too many hard questions, so I ducked behind a basket of sheets and towels, until she was safely out of the way. Then I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me

  ‘Molly!’ said Beth. ‘I’m so glad you’re here. Were you OK last night? Was it scary on your own? Did you see Eddie? Are you hungry? Did you bring me some clothes?’

  I ran over and hugged her. ‘I’ve got loads to tell you,’ I said. ‘But maybe first we need to—’

  ‘We totally need to get out of here,’ she said.

  ‘You’re so right, I heard some of the stuff that nurse was saying and I think we might be running out of time.’

  Suddenly I remembered why Beth was in hospital in the first place. ‘Are you better?’ I asked. ‘I’m so not helping you to escape if you’re still sick.’

  She nodded. ‘Good as new. A doctor came in earlier and said I’m well enough to go – as soon as my parents come to collect me.’

  ‘Well, we both know that’s never happening,’ I said. ‘Well, not for forty years or so anyway.’

  Suddenly Beth looked scared. ‘What if they really call the police? What if the police come here? I can’t lie to the police, but I can’t tell them the truth either.’

  ‘Look on the bright side,’ I said. ‘Maybe the police won’t come here. Maybe they’ll go to Castle Street instead.’

  ‘Where no adult has ever heard of me? Oh, Molly, we’re in so much trouble.’

  ‘We’ve got to get you out of here before the police get involved,’ I said. ‘And look – I’ve brought something for you to wear.’

  As I said the words, I emptied the plastic bag onto the bed. Beth didn’t look happy when she saw my granny’s clothes and the dead spiders, but she didn’t argue. She jumped out of bed, pulled the clothes on over her nightie, and put on the wellies.

  ‘How do I look?’ she asked, giving a twirl.

  I tried not to laugh. The top was made of weird shiny pink material, and was a few sizes too big for her. Luckily the jeans had elastic in the waist, so even though they looked disgusting, at least they weren’t likely to fall down while we were running away.

  ‘Er, the wellies are cool,’ I said. ‘You look like you’re ready to go to a music festival or something.’

  ‘Thanks – I think. Now have we got a plan?’

  ‘Well, the hardest part will be getting past the desk at the end of the corridor where the nurses sit. The nice nurse was there when I came in, but she didn’t seem to notice me.’

  ‘If she notices me I’m dead – you’ll have to distract her.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘I don’t know, but you need to think of something – and quickly – or else I’ll be stuck in this hospital forever.’

  I knew she was right. If Beth didn’t escape, was I supposed to go back to the present on my own, and cross my fingers and hope that one day she’d follow me? That would be very awkward – and very lonely.

  ‘OK,’ I said. ‘I’ll go first, and when you see me talking to the nurse, you sneak past.’

  ‘Got it,’ said Beth. ‘I’ll wait for you outside the main door.’

  Then I gave her a quick hug and went towards the nurses’ station.

  * * *

  ‘Hello, dear,’ said the nurse when she saw me. ‘You must be happy to see that your little friend is better. I just wish we could track down her parents – I simply can’t imagine why they aren’t answering their phone.’

  I could imagine very well why that was, so I just smiled at her.

  ‘Maybe they went to bed very early or something,’ I said. ‘Or maybe their phone’s battery is dead?’

  She gave me a funny look, and I guessed that 1975 phones didn’t have batteries.

  I looked at the clock over her head. ‘It’s nearly nine o’clock,’ I said. ‘Soon you can try calling Beth’s dad at work.’

  In the corner of my eye I could see Beth coming out of the room. When she got to the desk, she ducked down and crawled for a bit, so the nurse couldn’t see her, and then she ran for the swinging door, and disappeared down the stairs.

  ‘That’s a good idea,’ said the nurse. ‘And when the police get here, I’ll pass it on to them.’

  ‘You’ve called the police already?’ I said, trying not to look scared.

  ‘Just a few minutes ago,’ said the nurse, smiling. ‘It’s for the best. Poor Beth has been very brave, but she needs to be with her family now – and the police will have that sorted out in no time.’

  ‘I guess you’re right,’ I said backing away from the desk.

  Was the corridor soon going to be filled with policemen?

  What was I supposed to say if they started to ask hard questions?

  ‘I’ve got to go now,’ I said to the nurse. ‘See you later.’

  Then I ran through the swinging doors and down the stairs as if hundreds of policeman were on my trail.

  Chapter Fourteen

  ‘Do we actually know where Rico’s door is going to be?’ asked Beth as we walked towards Castle Street. ‘I know it was here, but that doesn’t mean it’s still going to be here, does it?’

  It was hard to take her seriously in her shiny shirt and too-big flares, but I wasn’t brave enough to say that.

  I shook my head. ‘It always just – shows up, doesn’t it?’

  ‘I guess. I think maybe Rico makes up the rules as he goes along.’

  ‘A bit like your dad on the Saturday Challenge,’ I said, ducking as she tried to punch my arm.

  ‘Surely Rico wouldn’t let us down,’ she said. ‘After all, we’re practically besties by now.’

  We were walking past Eddie’s house, and I couldn’t resist looking into the front garden. I wanted to see my cute little dad one more time. The sun was shining, and I could see Stephen, all wrapped up in blankets, sitting on a deckchair. At the other side of the garden, Eddie was kicking a football against a wall, with his back to his brother.

  ‘That’s so sad,’ I whispered. ‘Those two have been apart for so long – now they should be doing stuff together. They should be writing another “Hector” story, or coming up with something new. They should be planning their great writing career, and instead they look like they can’t bear to be near each other. Let’s get out of here, Beth – I can’t look at this anymore.’

  ‘I’d love to pick those two boys up and shake them and make them be friends,’ said Beth as we walked away.

  ‘Me too – but I guess friendship doesn’t work that way. I’m friends with you because I want to be – not because someone said I have to.’

  ‘You’re right. If we weren’t best friends before my dad and your mum got together, we’d probably hate each other right now.’

  That was a terrible thought, and I hugged her quickly. ‘I’m so glad things turned out the way they did,’ I said.

  ‘Me too,’ she said, hugging me back. ‘Me too. Hey, Moll, look!’

  We were going round a corner, and I looked up to see a door and the most beautiful words ever written – ‘Rico’s Store – Em
ergency Entrance’.

  I grabbed Beth’s arm. ‘Come on,’ I said. ‘Let’s go, before it disappears again.’

  We ran through the door, past the warm dark room and seconds later we were standing in Rico’s shop, feeling breathless and dizzy. For a minute, I felt like I’d woken up from a dream, and was caught half way between stuff that was happening, and stuff that couldn’t possibly have happened – or could it?

  Rico looked up, and as usual, he didn’t seem surprised to see us.

  ‘Back already?’ he asked.

  That’s one of the things about time-travel that I’ll never get used to. Beth and I had spent a day and a night in 1975, but in the present, it was like no time had passed at all.

  ‘Er, yes,’ I said. ‘Here we are.’

  Rico looked at Beth’s clothes. ‘Hmm,’ he said. ‘1975, I would think. Am I right?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Beth. ‘You’re right – and I’m so not loving the way they dressed back then.’

  I wanted to get out of there, and didn’t fancy a chat about fashion through the ages with Rico. Then I felt kind of sorry. Because of Rico, Beth and I had had all kinds of adventures. She’d got to spend time with her mum, and we’d changed the life of her Uncle Graham. I hadn’t managed to help my dad, but at least I’d learned something about him and his brother. So I smiled at Rico.

  ‘It’s very nice of you to let us use your door,’ I said. ‘Thank you.’

  He smiled back, and for the first time ever I didn’t feel afraid of him. ‘You are very welcome,’ he said. ‘Goodbye.’

  * * *

  ‘So,’ said Beth as we walked home. ‘That was fun – except for the hospital bit.’

  ‘Agreed,’ I said. ‘And wait till I tell you what I found in the treehouse last night.’

  So I told her all about the Hector stories. Then I told her about the story my dad had written after Stephen got sick.

  ‘That has to be the saddest thing I’ve ever heard,’ said Beth when I was finished. ‘The poor little kid.’