The usual kaleidoscope of colours whizzed past as they rushed more than two thousand years into the future. Frankie’s eyes were as wide as saucers as Ariana Grande did a perfect bottle-flip, while Oprah Winfrey clapped wildly. Beside him, Lou’s arms were stretched out for miles and she was wearing the hugest grin Frankie had ever seen. Meanwhile, Grandad appeared to be wearing a hula skirt and a bra made out of coconuts (yep, time-travel never ceases to be weird!).
The trip back to their timeline was infinitely more enjoyable than the trip away. As the whirlwind died down, Frankie could almost taste Nanna Fish’s homemade biscuits and blueberry pancakes – but they weren’t heading back to Grandad’s just yet.
Paper, well-worn carpet and a faint trace of dust.
Those were the things that Frankie could smell when he and the others landed with a thud in the history section of St Monica’s library.
One by one, everybody sat up and shook their heads.
‘Where are we?’ Grandad mumbled, trying to get his bearings, which was difficult given he’d never been in St Monica’s library before.
‘More importantly, when are we?’ asked Drew, who had only been in the library a few more times than Grandad.
‘Sssssh,’ Frankie cautioned, pressing his index finger hard against his lips. ‘I have a feeling I know who did the flour prank, but I want to be sure,’ he explained in a low voice. ‘If we’re quiet, we should be able to see them and then go without disrupting any timelines.’
He pushed aside a thick copy of Ancient Egyptian Tombs, then gestured for Lou to look through the gap.
There was nothing to see except the empty front desk of the library. The ceiling fan hung right above it, still and silent.
‘Um, what am I supposed to be looking at here?’ said Lou.
‘Good question,’ said Drew, who had removed a book about World War II aircraft to give himself a good vantage point.
Not wanting to miss out, Grandad pulled out a book about the Russian Revolution. He wasn’t impressed. ‘If I wanted to stare at an empty room,’ he muttered, ‘I could do so from the comfort of my bath. Which I’m overdue for, by the way,’ he added as he gave his armpit a sniff, which he instantly regretted doing.
‘I know, I can smell you from here,’ said Frankie. ‘But just wait a bit longer!’
The library was always quiet, but the pale light streaming through the windows made one thing clear: it was so early that the library wasn’t even open yet.
Just then there was the sound of the library’s doorhandle turning.
Lou looked at the nearby clock on the wall in surprise. ‘It’s only ten to seven,’ she whispered. ‘Miss Davis never gets here before seven-thirty.’
The group fell silent as the sound of the doors opening echoed through the empty library. It was followed by the sound of footsteps, and then a chair being dragged across the floor.
They all craned their necks, but they couldn’t see who it was. Until suddenly …
… the chair, and the intruder, appeared right in front of the lending desk. The intruder was carrying a large bag of flour, and yet it wasn’t Mosley triplet one, two or three. Oh no.
It was none other than Lisa Chadwick.
That’s right! Lisa Chadwick – teacher’s pet Lisa Chadwick, school prefect Lisa Chadwick, Miss Goody-Two-Shoes Lisa Chadwick, future President of the World Lisa Chadwick. That Lisa Chadwick.
Frankie glanced at his sister. Lou’s eyes were so wide open they were in danger of rolling out of their sockets and onto the library floor.
Unaware of the group of time-travellers watching her, Lisa Chadwick quickly but carefully began scooping flour onto each wing of the ceiling fan.
Lou’s face was now bright red, and Frankie could tell she was about to lose it. But just as she opened her mouth, he grabbed her arm. ‘Don’t say anything,’ he mouthed. ‘You can’t!’
Lou glared at him, her eyes blazing. ‘But she’s to blame for all of this!’ she whisper-yelled, so quietly that Frankie strained to hear. ‘For Miss Davis quitting, for me running away to Ancient Greece, and for you getting the blame. She nearly ruined everything!’
‘I know,’ whispered Frankie. ‘But there’s another way of busting Lisa Chadwick. You just have to trust me.’
Lou struggled silently, and finally nodded. ‘I trust you, little bro.’
When they turned back, Lisa had finished depositing flour on the fan. With a satisfied smirk, she rolled up the flour bag and dragged the chair back into place. Then she sneaked out of the library, none the wiser that her prank had been witnessed.
‘OK, then,’ Frankie said, breathing out loudly as the door swung shut. ‘Let’s do this!’ And once more, he reached for the Sonic Suitcase.
