Friday Barnes 2 Read Online Free PDF

true.’

    Friday pushed open the heavy oak doors leading into the dining room. Even though intellectually she knew it was irrational to be anxious about walking into a room full of school students, she still was. The 70 per cent increase in her pulse rate, the sheen of perspiration on her forehead as well as the overwhelming urge to turn and run away screaming were all evidence of that. She braced herself for the inevitable stares and the mean jibes of her peers.
    As Friday stepped into the room and the doors swung shut loudly behind her, a lot of people turned to see who it was. They registered it was Friday then went back to their meals. There was no staring or whispering.
    This naturally made Friday suspicious that she was being set up for a cruel joke. She had watched enough high school horror movies to know that teenagers could come up with imaginative pranks involving vast quantities of toilet paper or cold custard. Friday carefully walked over to the food line and received her serving of shepherd’s pie and banoffee pudding, thenspotted Melanie on her own in the far corner staring absently into the distance. Friday walked over and slid onto the bench alongside her.
    â€˜Oh, you’re back,’ said Melanie. ‘I’m so pleased. School is a lot harder when you’re not here. I was half an hour into third-period physics before I realised I don’t study physics and I’m not in Year 10. Then I  couldn’t remember where I should be and I got in trouble for taking a nap in the memorial rose garden.’
    â€˜I’m pleased to be back too,’ said Friday. ‘It was fun being taken in and questioned. But I would have been very cross if they’d kept me so long that I missed out on Mrs Marigold’s banoffee pudding.’
    â€˜It’s a particularly good one today,’ said Melanie. ‘She went heavy on the toffee and light on the banana.’
    â€˜I must say,’ said Friday, ‘I’m surprised there isn’t more of a fuss over my return. I was arrested and taken away on terrorism charges this morning.’
    â€˜That was all the buzz for a bit,’ said Melanie. ‘But your arrest is only the second most interesting thing to occur here today.’
    â€˜What was the other thing?’ asked Friday.
    â€˜We’ve got a new Year 10 boy,’ explained Melanie.
    â€˜And that’s a bigger deal than my being arrested?’ said Friday.
    â€˜Oh yes,’ said Melanie. ‘You know how superficial people are. Plus, you do insist on wearing those ugly brown cardigans and that weird green hat, so being dragged off to face a counterterrorism task force seemed to make complete sense. The only surprise was that it hadn’t happened earlier.’
    â€˜I see,’ said Friday.
    â€˜Whereas,’ continued Melanie, ‘the new boy is dishy.’
    â€˜Dishy?’ asked Friday.
    â€˜Totally,’ qualified Melanie.
    â€˜Dishier than …’ began Friday.
    â€˜Your boyfriend, Ian? Yes,’ stated Melanie.
    â€˜Ian isn’t my boyfriend,’ argued Friday.
    â€˜No, of course not,’ agreed Melanie. ‘Not yet. But it’s only a matter of time.’
    â€˜In fact I am very angry with Ian,’ said Friday.
    â€˜Oh good,’ said Melanie. ‘A row is a fun way to spice up a relationship.’
    â€˜Where is he?’ asked Friday.
    Melanie did not get a chance to answer.
    â€˜Friday.’ Ian was standing behind her.
    Friday stood up, which was hard because she was sitting on a bench, so the table was in the way and she couldn’t really stand up straight.
    Ian smiled, which only made him look even more handsome. This irritated Friday. It’s hard to be cross with someone who is distractingly good-looking. She stepped out from behind the bench so she could regain some dignity, then glowered at Ian. Although it’s hard to glower effectively at someone who is ten