Drake the Dragonboy Read Online Free PDF Page B

amazing,” said Juniper.
    â€œWe can’t believe how great you are at this!” exclaimed Ronan.
    â€œEspecially given how terrible you are at sports … oh, sorry!” Juniper put her hand over her mouth.
    â€œThat’s fine,” said Drake, smiling. He knew how bad he was at sports and always dreaded any kind of sports day. But this was different, for some reason.
    They spent the rest of the night practising. Drake gave them both lessons and by dawn they were all flying well enough to be able to get themselves through the wasteland and out of Dragonland. They hoped they were flying well enough. It would be a long trip and their wing muscles were very under-developed. But Drake felt hopeful. They had made it this far and he hadn’t thought they would. Maybe they would be able to rescue his dad after all.

    Drake sneaked into his bedroom just as his alarm was going off and clambered into bed as his mother walked into the room to hurry him up.
    â€œCome on Drake, you’ll be late for school.” She threw his clean clothes on the bed and walked back down the stairs to make his breakfast. Drake sighed and dragged himself out of bed. He hadn’t slept and he was physically exhausted. He would have pleaded sick but they’d all agreed not to draw attention to themselves or look at all suspicious before the big day.
    He knew he could get through the day because they were only a day away from THE DAY. They would leave first thing the next morning, after a solid night’s sleep, at around nine when school started. Although this was a dangerous time to leave in terms of being seen, it was the best way to avoid the Quintas, who were most likely to be out in force hunting for food at dawn and dusk. They’d decided that even if they got caught leaving, they’d be up in the air and no-one would be able to do anything about it. Drake wondered if they’d left it too late. It had almost been a week since his message but their plan had taken time to put into action. You can’t just grow wings overnight.

    At school, the three stayed close together, excitedly whispering, and keeping their capes tucked tightly around each arm to hide their wings. It would be devastating if someone noticed their wings now.
    â€œCan you believe we’re really going to do this?” whispered Juniper excitedly in Drake’s ear. Her warm breath tingled on his cheek.
    â€œI can’t! Who would have imagined we’d be doing this? A week ago we didn’t even think there was anything outside Dragonland.”

    The next morning at breakfast, Drake’s mum looked at him strangely.
    â€œAre you okay, Drake? You seem very jittery today.”
    â€œI’ve got a big test today, Mum,” he said, awkwardly.
    â€œIt’s not like you to worry about a test.” She placed a bowl of cereal in front of him and poured milk on it. He wondered how old he would be before she let him pour his own milk. I mean, seriously, was she worried he’d spill it? Would it matter that much if he did?
    â€œYou’re right … I’ve got sports today and we have to do rope climbing in teams.” That was more like it. He hated sports and especially hated team sports where there was all this pressure not to let the team down. And he always did. He was always the one who dropped down before he hit the top knot. What nonsense, anyway. Now if he could do it with his wings fully grown …
    â€œOh, why didn’t you say so?” his mum said and went and made herself toast.

    Ronan and Juniper were already waiting for Drake in the girls’ shower when he arrived. They’d decided to go there and make sure they had everything organised before they slipped out the side gates to the oval just after the bell went and everyone had gone to class.
    â€œBackpacks,” said Juniper. She had her hair pulled back into a long plait that sat down the middle of her back beneath her cape,