Cliffhanger Read online

  'Don't let go of the rope, right?' said Jake.

  I felt as if my head was going to burst right out of my personalized safety helmet.

  This couldn't be real. It couldn't be happening to me. If I closed my eyes maybe it would all turn into a nightmare and then I'd wake up in bed at home with Walter Bear.

  'Tim?' said Jake. 'Open your eyes! Come on. Start backing towards the edge.'

  I backed one step. Then another. Then I stopped.

  'I can't!'

  'Yes you can,' said Jake. 'You'll see. Over you go. Don't worry. You can't fall. You just have to remember, you don't let go of the rope.'

  I stared at him and started backing some more. Then my heels suddenly lost contact with the ground. I slipped backwards and suddenly . . . there I was! Suspended. In mid-air. . .

  Cliffhanger is adapted from the author's original scripts for a two-part Channel 4

  Schools TV programme.

  Also available by Jacqueline Wilson Published in Corgi Pups, for beginner readers: THE DINOSAUR'S PACKED LUNCH

  THE MONSTER STORY-TELLER

  Published in Young Corgi, for newly confident readers: LIZZIE ZIPMOUTH

  SLEEPOVERS

  Available from Doubleday /Corgi Yearling Books: BAD GIRLS

  THE BED & BREAKFAST STAR

  BEST FRIENDS

  BURIED ALIVE!

  CANDY FLOSS

  THE CAT MUMMY

  CLIFFHANGER

  CLEAN BREAK

  THE DARE GAME

  DOUBLE ACT

  GLUBBSLYME

  THE ILLUSTRATED MUM

  THE LOTTIE PROJECT

  MIDNIGHT

  THE MUM-MINDER

  SECRETS

  THE STORY OF TRACY BEAKER

  THE SUITCASE KID

  VICKY ANGEL

  THE WORRY WEBSITE

  Available from Doubleday /Corgi Books, for older readers: THE DIAMOND GIRLS

  DUSTBIN BABY

  GIRLS IN LOVE

  GIRLS UNDER PRESSURE

  GIRLS OUT LATE

  GIRLS IN TEARS

  LOLA ROSE

  LOVE LESSONS

  This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  Adobe ISBN: 9781407045917

  Version 1.0

  www.randomhouse.co.uk

  CLIFFHANGER

  A CORGI YEARLING BOOK : 9780440863380

  First published in Great Britain PRINTING HISTORY

  Corgi Yearling edition published 1995

  19 20 18

  CLIFFHANGER was orignally written as a two-part drama for the Channel 4 Schools series Talk, Write and Read.

  Cliffhanger was produced by Central Television for Channel 4

  Schools, first broadcast January 1995.

  Text copyright © 1995 by Jacqueline Wilson Illustrations copyright © 1995 by Nick Sharratt The right of Jacqueline Wilson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

  Condition of Sale

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  Set in 14/16pt Linotype New Century Schoolbook by Phoenix Typesetting, Ilkley, West Yorkshire The Random House Group Limited makes every effort to ensure that the papers used in our books are made from trees that have been legally sourced from well-managed and credibly certified forests. Our paper procurement policy can be found on

  www.randomhouse.co.uk/paper.htm.

  Corgi Yearling Books are published by Random House Children's Books, 61–63 Uxbridge Road, London W5 5SA, A Random House Group Company

  Addresses for companies within The Random House Group Limited can be found at: www.randomhouse.co.uk/offices.htm

  THE RANDOM HOUSE GROUP Limited Reg. No. 954009

  www.kidsatrandomhouse.co.uk

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  Printed and bound in Great Britain by Cox & Wyman Ltd, Reading, Berkshire

  For Tim and Joanna

  Chapter One

  I knew I'd hate it. I kept telling and telling Dad. But he wouldn't listen to me. He never does.

  'I like the sound of this adventure holiday for children,' said Dad, point-ing to the advert in the paper.

  'Abseiling, canoeing, archery, moun-tain biking. . .'

  'Sounds a bit dangerous to me,' said Mum.

  I didn't say anything. I went on watching telly.

  'How about it, Tim?' said Dad.

  'What about an adventure holiday, eh?'

  'You can't be serious! Tim's much too young,' said Mum.

  I still didn't say anything. I went on 7

  watching telly. But my heart had started thumping under my T-shirt.

  'He's nine, for goodness sake!' said Dad.

  'But he's young for his age,' said Mum.

  I still didn't say anything. I went on watching telly. I stared hard at the screen, wishing there was some way I could step inside.

  'Tim?' said Dad.

  I didn't look round quickly enough.

  'Tim! Stop watching television!'

  Dad shouted.

  I jumped.

  'Don't shout at him like that,' said Mum.

  'I'm not shouting,' Dad shouted. He took a deep breath. He turned his lips up into a big smile. 'Now, Tim – you'd like to go on an adventure holiday, wouldn't you?'

  8

  'He'd hate it,' said Mum.

  'Let him answer for himself,' said Dad. He had hold of me by the

  shoulders.

  'I – I don't really like adventures much, Dad,' I said.

  Dad went on smiling, but I think he wanted to give my shoulders a shake.

  Well, what do you like, Tim?' asked Dad.

  Watching telly,' I said.

  Dad snorted.

  'And drawing and reading and

  doing puzzles,' said Mum. 'And he comes top in all his lessons at school.

  Apart from games. You know he's hopeless at sport.'

  'Only because he doesn't give it a try,' said Dad. 'I was Captain of football and cricket when I was a boy.'

  Dad had tried to teach me football.

  Dad had tried to teach me cricket.

  He had tried. And I had tried. But it hadn't worked.

  'Tim can't help being bad at games,'

  said Mum, pulling me away from Dad.

  9

  She gave me a cuddle.

  'It's because you've turned him into a right Mummy's boy,' said Dad. 'I think an adventure holiday would do him the world of good.'

  He wouldn't listen to Mum. He

  wouldn't listen to me. He booked the adventure holiday.

  'You'll love it when you get there,'

  said Dad. Over and over again.

  He bought me new jeans and

  T-shirts and trainers and a stiff soldier's jacket to make me look tough.

  Mum bought me a special safety

  helmet to wear all the time to keep me safe.

  I didn't feel tough. I didn't feel safe.

  I needed to hug Walter Bear very hard when Dad drove us to ther />
  Adventure Centre. Dad said I

  shouldn't take a teddy bear with me because the other kids might laugh at me. Mum said I couldn't get to sleep without Walter Bear. I didn't say 10

  anything. I hugged Walter even

  harder, sniffing in his sweet dusty smell.

  Dad looked in his driving mirror and saw what I was doing.

  'Tim!' said Dad, turning round to frown at me. 'Come on, you're doing it deliberately. Put that silly bear down.

  You'll be sucking your thumb next.'

  He was watching me, not watching the road. An old banger suddenly overtook us, making Dad swerve.

  'Idiots!' Dad shouted, peeping his horn.

  A girl leaned out the open window of the car and yelled right back.

  'Slowpokes!' she shouted, and

  pulled a silly face.

  'I hope that girl's not going on the adventure holiday,' said Mum.

  I hoped she wasn't going on the

  adventure holiday too. I wished I wasn't going on the adventure

  holiday.

  'Look, Tim! I think that's it,' Dad said excitedly.

  I didn't look. I shut my eyes tight. I hoped if I wished hard enough I'd somehow whizz through space and end up safe at home. But Dad was already parking the car. Mum kept going on at me, asking why I had my eyes shut and did I feel sick, and I couldn't concentrate hard enough on my wishing. Then Dad opened the car door and yanked me out and hissed at me to stop messing about and say hello to the lady.

  'Hello! You must be Tim. I'm Sally.

  I'm in charge of the Adventure

  Centre,' she said.

  She smiled at me. Dad prodded me

  in the back to make me say hello.

  The slowpoke girl was dashing

  about showing off.

  'Now you behave yourself, Kelly,'

  said her mum, but she didn't sound a bit fierce. She sounded friendly.

  Kelly just laughed at her and gave her a hug.

  'You can clear off now, Mum,' she said. 'Bye.'

  'I think we should make ourselves scarce too,' said Dad. 'Cheerio, Tim.'

  He bent down and whispered in my ear. 'Now you're really going to try to be a big boy, not a silly baby, eh?'

  I didn't say anything. Dad chucked me under the chin.

  'You'll have a great time,' said Dad.

  'But if you really don't like it then phone and we'll come and get you straight away,' said Mum. 'And write me lots of postcards too. One every day?'

  She gave me a hug and a very wet kiss. I wriggled. I was sure Kelly was watching and laughing at me.

  13

  'Mum! I'll be OK. Honestly,' I said.

  Though I didn't feel OK. It was awful seeing them get back in the car without me. I waved like crazy. There was someone on the back seat waving back. Walter Bear! I'd left him in the car!

  'Come on then, Tim,' said Sally, putting her arm round my shoulders.

  'Hey, Kelly, wait for us.'

  Kelly had gone charging through the doors and down the hall of the Adventure Centre.

  'Where's all the other children then?' she shouted. When are we going to start the adventures, eh? Can I go canoeing first? No, wait a minute, what's that thing called when you dangle down a cliff?'

  'Abseiling,' said Sally.

  I muttered the words 'dangle' and

  'cliff and felt sick.

  'I'm going to love abseiling,' said Kelly, and she threw down her bag and started miming it, rushing

  backwards.

  14

  She rushed backwards into me,

  nearly knocking me over.

  'Simmer down, Kelly,' said Sally.

  'I'm not very good at simmering,'

  said Kelly, laughing. 'I generally bub-ble over.'

  'So I see!' said Sally, shaking her head. 'OK, you'd both better get unpacked. Your bedrooms are up the stairs at the end. Girls on the right, boys on the left. You'll see a Tiger poster on the doors.'

  Kelly and I went up the stairs

  together. I didn't know what to say to her. I felt silly and shy. She pulled another funny face.

  'What did Sally say? Girls to the left? So you go thataway,' said Kelly, giving me a little push to the door on the right.

  I was sure she'd got it wrong but Kelly isn't the sort of girl you argue 15

  with. So I knocked on the right-hand door and then peeped round.

  Two girls stared at me, outraged.

  They were trying on each other's clothes.

  'No boys allowed in here!' said the pretty one, tossing her long hair.

  'Clear off.'

  'Yes, clear off, you,' said her friend.

  I cleared off rapidly.

  Kelly was being shouted at too. She didn't seem to care.

  'Oh oh! Swopsies,' she said, shrug-ging cheerfully.

  I tried the left-hand door this time.

  Inside, there were two boys messing about with their bags.

  'Hello, I'm Giles,' said the taller one. His voice was very posh and he acted very pushy. 'You're going to be 16

  in our team. The Tigers. What are you good at then?'

  I thought hard.

  'Um. Well, I'm OK at Maths a n d . . . '

  'Games, you berk!' said Giles, sneering. What school teams are you in?'

  'I'm not,' I said.

  'You're not in anything? Oh great!'

  said Giles sarcastically. We've got three girls, old Fatso here, and you.'

  The fat boy was sprawling on his bed, eating a biscuit.

  'Less of the Fatso, Piles' he said, munching.

  I giggled. I know what piles are. My dad had them once.

  The fat boy giggled too. 'Hi, I'm Biscuits,' he said. What's your name, then?'

  'Tim,' I said, putting my bag down on the bed next to Biscuits.

  'Not that one! That's my bed,' said Giles, knocking my bag on to the floor.

  'Your bed's that one over there,' said Biscuits. We're supposed to get 17

  unpacked. They're going to ring a bell when it's teatime. I can't wait, I'm starving.'

  He unwrapped another biscuit and started serious munching again.

  Giles unzipped a tennis racquet and started swinging it wildly in the air, practising his serve.

  I started unpacking all my stuff.

  My T-shirts and pyjamas smelt all clean and flowery of home. I had to bend over my bag so that Giles and Biscuits wouldn't see my watery eyes.

  Then I felt a sudden bang on the head.

  Watch out!' I squeaked.

  'Sorry. Just practising,' said Giles.

  'Oh goodness, you're not blubbing, are you? I hardly touched you.'

  I sniffed hard.

  'Have you brought your tennis

  racquet then?' Giles asked.

  I started to worry some more.

  'I thought they were meant to pro-vide all the racquets and that,' I said.

  18

  That's right,' said Biscuits. He quietly passed me a tissue. It was a bit chocolatey but it was still fine for mopping operations.

  'It'll be just ropey old stuff,' said Giles scornfully. 'I've brought my own equipment.'

  He started rifling through his bags, showing us. It all looked brand new and very expensive.

  'I've brought my own equipment

  too,' said Biscuits, grinning. He nudged me and pulled open a big picnic bag. I saw bags and bags of biscuits, crisps, apples, sweets and cans of cola.

  'Yummy,' I said.

  Biscuits rubbed his tummy.

  Giles sighed in a superior manner.

  'I've brought one bit of equipment,'

  I said, showing him my safety helmet.

  I knew it was a mistake as soon as I'd got it out. Especially as Mum had painted TIM in bright pink letters on t h e front.

  Giles did a deliberate double-take.

  'What's t h a t , then?' he said.

  Though of course he knew.

  'Well. It's a safety helmet,' I said. />
  'I see,' said Giles. 'When are you going to wear it then?'

  'When I'm . . . when . . .' my voice tailed away.

  Giles was serving madly and I had to dodge sharpish.

  'When little baby diddums is playing tennis?' Giles jeered. 'In case he gets banged on t h e bonce, is t h a t it?'

  I pretended to ignore him. I wanted to keep well out of Giles's way so I went over to t h e wardrobe and put all my stuff away. Then I hunched up on my bed and wrote my first postcard.

  Biscuits offered me a bite of his biscuit while I was writing it. The 20

  biscuit was a bit slurpy and soggy, b u t it was still nice of him.

  I added a P.S. to my first postcard.

  P.S. But I have got a f riend called Biscuits.

  21

  Chapter Two

  That first evening at the Adventure Centre was awful. Awful awful awful.

  Well. Tea was OK. We had beef-

  burgers and chips and peas. There was tomato sauce on the table.

  Biscuits and I messed about, pretending the tomato sauce was blood. The pretend started to get a bit real and I stared at the scarlet pool all over my plate and decided I wasn't really hungry any more.

  It didn't matter though. Biscuits ate my tea as well as his own.

  We sat with Giles. Kelly came and squashed in beside us too. She said hi to me. Giles thought she was my girl-friend!!!

  23

  Jake came and talked to us at tea.

  Jake was our Special Helper. He was tall and sporty and good-looking. All the girls were crazy about him

  because he looked like some pop star.

  I thought he might be a bit bossy and big-headed, but he talked to me just like a friend. I didn't want to be in any stupid team but if I had to be in a team then I was very glad it was Jake's team. The Tigers.

  G-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r.

  That's the Tiger Grand Roar.

  There were six of us. Giles and Biscuits and me. And Kelly. And Laura and Lesley. They were the girls in Kelly's bedroom. She said they weren't much fun. They just went whisper whisper, giggle giggle. They left Kelly out of things. But she didn't care. Kelly's the sort of girl 24