Chapter 1. The Monster Horse

January 1973

Hello. My name's Michael, but everyone calls me ‘Egghead' at school. It's true, my head is bigger than anyone else's and my body is quite small. Everyone agrees that it's the right name for me. The other children call me this name all the time.

That's why I don't like going to school. The children in my class are horrible to me, and make me feel bad. They never call me Michael. They always call me, ‘Egghead.'

But I'm lucky. I've got a friend who I talk to all the time. He's not real. I can't touch him or see him. Nobody can see him. He's invisible. He's inside my head, you see. His name's Andrew, and he helps me. Nobody else knows about Andrew. He's my secret friend. He's the only one who doesn't call me Egghead. He hasn't even got a head because he lives inside mine.

Andrew is my best friend. He always tries to help me. When I have a problem, I ask Andrew what I can do. He tried to help me at school the other day.

‘Our class is going to read a poem for the school assembly next week,' said our English teacher, Miss White. ‘The headteacher will be there. One of you can read it to everybody in the school. It's called, ‘The Monster Horse,' and it's by Ian Serrailler. Who would like to read it?'

‘Do it! Do it!' said Andrew. ‘You can do it. I know you can.'

My hand went up. ‘Miss, Miss, I'll do it,' I said. I liked reading.

Then I could hear people in the class laughing.

‘No, Egghead can't do it. I'll do it,' said Stephen Foster.

‘Well,' said Miss White. ‘You can't both read it. I know, why don't you both read it now? Then the class will decide which one is the best.' Bad idea, Miss White.

I had to speak first. ‘Read it as if you're a horse,' said Andrew. So, that's what I did. I read all the poem like a horse.

‘Theeeee Mooonsteeer Hooooorse byyyy Ian Serraileeerrr.'

Now I could hear more people in the class laughing. Miss White told them to be quiet. But when people start laughing, it's difficult to stop them. In fact, if you tell them to stop, they laugh even more.

When I finished, Stephen Foster read the poem. It was boring. He read it in a normal voice. He didn't try to sound like a horse at all.

‘Thank you, Michael, thank you Stephen,' said Miss White. ‘Now let's decide. Who do you want to read the poem? Hands up who wants Michael to read it.' My hand went up. I looked around the class. Nobody else put up their hand.

The teacher looked a little bit confused. At first, she didn't know what to say. ‘OK er…' she said, ‘What about Stephen?'

Everybody except me put their hand up.

‘Hooray' shouted the class.

‘Down with Egghead!' shouted a boy.

‘Quiet,' said Miss White again. ‘That's decided then. Stephen will read the poem at the school assembly.' Miss White could see my face. I was trying not to, but I was about to cry. I remembered what my dad said, and what Peter said in my favourite book, The Railway Children , “Big boys don't cry.”

‘I think that Michael, you did so well, why don't you read the title of the poem at the assembly,' said Miss White.

The class started laughing again, but I didn't feel unhappy this time. Andrew was right. Now I was able to read, at least the first bit of the poem. The title. That really is the most important bit. Without the title you have no idea what the poem is going to be about.

So, thanks to Andrew I read the title at the school assembly, in front of the whole school. Even the headteacher was there, smiling.

‘Theeeee Mooonsteeer Hooooorse,' byyyy Ian Serraileeerrrrr. That little bit. And then Stephen read the rest. Andrew thought I was very, very good.

Mr Wilson teaches us art. He's very old. He's got white hair, and he wears a big winter jumper, even when it's really hot. I like him very much. He teaches us to draw. Drawing seemed so difficult before I met Mr Wilson. He taught me to draw this picture. All you have to do is draw the number 3, and then add a line to the top part of the number. Then you add some more lines, some going up and some going down. After this you just have to add a few more things, like a boat, and the sun, and that's it. Can you see what it's?

Can you see a boy on the cliff ? That's me. I'm reading my favourite book, The Railway Children. One thing I like even more than drawing is reading. I spend a lot of time in my bedroom, reading books like Treasure Island, Anne of Green Gables, Robinson Crusoe and Gulliver's Travels. When I read these books, I forget that I'm an egghead. I live inside the story.

I love my books. They always tell you the same story. But you can add things to it. You can imagine that you're there as well, looking for secrets, or discovering an island. Andrew is always there with me as well.

I also play football by myself. I'm both teams. My bedroom door is one goal, and the kitchen door is the other goal. All the different teams play, except England, of course. How can I be both teams if England play? England will always win.

Freeman has the ball, he passes to Andrew, Andrew shoots, Gooaaaallllllll!!! !

I use a balloon when I play, so I don't break anything and I only play when my Mum and Dad are out.

I never tell Mum and Dad about school. I want to tell them, but I don't want them to know that all the other children call me Egghead. Then maybe they'll call me Egghead as well. So, it's a secret, just between me and Andrew.

Now it's Sunday evening. The weekend is nearly at an end. I've got to go back to school again tomorrow. ‘Another five days of school,' I say to Andrew. ‘What am I going to do?'

‘Don't worry,' says Andrew. ‘I'll be there with you. Everything will be OK.'

‘Thank you Andrew,' I say. I try not to worry, but it isn't easy.

Every Sunday evening, Mum makes me a hot chocolate drink and she lets me watch, Planet of the Apes on TV. It's always a special moment. But, even though I really enjoy it, I can't stop thinking about school. Tomorrow I'll have to go back to that place. I can't wait to be old like Mum and Dad. Then I can stay at home, read my books, play football, and watch the TV as much as I want.