A Thousand Water Bombs Read Online Free

Callum (number one enemy of Tribe), Jamie (Callum’s shadow), Miss Walsh and Flo (she got my vote).
    ‘Somebody absolutely has to bomb the Head,’ said Fifty.
    Well, it won’t be me, I thought. I’d get caught (or miss completely more like). As usual, Copper Pie thought differently. ‘Sounds like a job for me. I could use my
catapult to lob the bomb. More speed, better aim and I could be further away – less chance of getting caught.’
    I could see there was going to be trouble at the fair.
    ‘Do you think we should go over to Bee’s after school?’ said Fifty.
    ‘I can’t,’ I said. I could, but I didn’t want to. I’m no good at the soppy stuff. I mean, what do I know about dads leaving home?
    ‘Me neither,’ said Copper Pie.
    ‘Looks like it’s only me then,’ said Fifty.
    ‘Let us know what’s going on,’ said Copper Pie.
    I wasn’t that bothered. It’s not like her mum and dad were splitting up. It seemed simple to me. Patrick and the other twin (I can’t remember his name. I’ve only seen him
about twice, and even then he might have been the other one as they both look the same) should move out and it would be fine again. Better, in fact, because of all the things Bee said about washing
and money and telly.
    At home I got on with buying the water bombs. I found a better site, selling a hundred for 99p. Billy bargain! All I needed was credit card details so I got Dad. He finishes
early on Friday.
    ‘What’s this about then?’
    He never knows what’s going on. One of us could leave home and he wouldn’t notice for a week. He’s always away somewhere doing something that nobody knows about (or wants to).
I don’t mind because when he is here he hangs round with me, which Mum never does. Our family is sort of divided. Mum and Amy (my big sister) and Flo (my little sister) go and watch girly
films and Dad and I watch action movies. They go shopping and we go off for the day, surfing (or skimboarding if there’s no swell). It’s great because there’s a long car journey
– we listen to music, eat snacks we buy from the garage, and chat – and then we get changed into our wetsuits, and we stay in the sea till we’re blue and can’t grip the
leash. Then it’s time for hot grub at the café on the beach and a hot chocolate. I fall asleep on the way home every time.
    Dad’s asked me loads of times if I want to take someone but I like being with him on my own, although I might invite Jonno one day. Fifty’s too puny and Copper Pie can’t swim
very well and Bee’s a girl . . .
    ‘Dad, what’s going on is that we’re having a stall at the fair.’
    ‘Great. You haven’t done that before, have you?’
    ‘You’re only allowed one in Year 6.’
    ‘That explains it,’ said Dad with a wink. ‘And what’s yours?’
    ‘Water bombs.’
    ‘Guaranteed to sell out,’ he said. ‘Top idea.’
    ‘And a “Bring and Buy”.’
    ‘Like the W. I.?’
    I explained Bee’s swap stall.
    ‘All sounds good to me. Except it’s not really “Bring and Buy” if you don’t buy. It’s more like “Give and Take”.’
    ‘Whatever. But I need you to do some buying.’
    Dad tapped in all his card details and asked for next-day delivery, which isn’t actually next day.
    ‘If you order before twelve noon you get the parcel the next day but after that it becomes the day after the next day.’
    ‘Shouldn’t it be called day-after-tomorrow delivery then?’ I asked.
    ‘I can’t be bothered to answer that,’ said Dad.
    He always says that when I make a picky point. He says I’m pedantic. I thought that meant I had feet with toes, which I do, but it doesn’t. It means I like things to be correct.
    We all went out for supper, and Amy’s spotty boyfriend came too. I didn’t say anything to him. He talked to Dad about rugby, which I hate. I told Mum about Bee’s dad. She
looked really shocked and said I should have told her before, so she could ring and see how things were. I was