Mind Games Read Online Free PDF Page A

group of brain-dead fashion clones as your new friends. How was I supposed to take that?’
    She turns, faces me. ‘Not everyone can get by with just themselves, Luna. You were impossible. You deliberately alienated everyone – you were so prickly. Still are. Look, it’s fine you wanted to Refuse and do your own thing, not go along with the crowd. Even though you wouldn’t talk to me about it. But you went out of your way to avoid me . Not the other way around.’
    She stares back at me and somewhere inside I start to get an uncomfortable feeling. Was it really like that? I’d felt like a camel with two heads that first year at high school, segregated into the freak show others pointed at in the hallways. But was that because of me, not them? And then I remember something else. I had avoided talking to Melrose about all of this. Because I couldn’t tell her the reasons. Maybe I’d avoided her altogether without realising that was what I was doing.
    ‘I… I…’
    She half smiles. ‘You haven’t changed, Luna. Your face looks like it is going to crack because you can’t say I’m sorry , can you?’
    ‘I’m sorry.’ I manage to get the words out. ‘I didn’t see things that way at the time, but I’m sorry.’
    ‘I’m sorry, too. I knew things weren’t right with you, and I should have tried harder. I gave up.’ She holds out a hand. ‘Friends again?’
    I swallow. There is part of me that doesn’t believe this. That wonders if she is just here because now that I have a Test appointment I’ve crossed the line from socially unacceptable to OK to acknowledge in public.
    Then Nanna pushes me from behind. I ignore Melrose’s hand and give her a hug.
    ‘Aw, sweet. Have you two made up at last?’ Sally stands in the doorway, and we spring apart.
    ‘You didn’t tell me she was coming,’ I say, blinking furiously.
    Sally raises an eyebrow. ‘Thought things might work out better this way. Are you staying for lunch?’ she asks Melrose.
    ‘Yes, if that’s OK. We’ve got a lot to talk about. Come on.’ She pulls me by the hand to the stairs.
    ‘Did you tell her?’ I whisper on the way to my room.
    ‘What?’
    ‘Did you tell Sally about my appointment?’
    ‘No.’ She frowns. ‘You’re not telling me she doesn’t know about it, are you?’
    ‘It kind of hasn’t come up,’ I admit, as I open the door to my room. Shut it firmly behind us.
    ‘Luna, honestly. You think she might notice when you’re away next week?’
    ‘I’ll tell her. Eventually.’
    ‘When?’
    ‘Dad said he’d come for lunch tomorrow. I wanted to leave it until then. She’ll be all over me if she knows. This way gives me some peace and quiet until then.’
    ‘Really? You’re not just keeping it from her because you know it would make her happy? She’s not that bad.’
    ‘You don’t have to live with her.’ Sally had always liked Melrose, so she didn’t get the sharp side – Melrose’s dad is in the House of Lords and a NUN representative, and that put her in a more-than-acceptable-to-Sally social range. ‘Actually I’m surprised she even let you come over: I’m supposed to be grounded.’
    ‘I’m not surprised. That you’re grounded, I mean.’ Melrose looks disapproving. She was always one for following the rules, doing what everybody else did, but she still used to see the funny side. On the quiet.
    ‘And? Your thoughts on my…misplaced artistic abilities?’
    She muffles a laugh. ‘That, was BB, babe. Beyond brilliant. Now. Before we get distracted, what are you going to wear tomorrow night?’
    ‘Tomorrow? But my appointment isn’t until Monday.’
    ‘We have to go the day before, and meet the other candidates at a big formal dinner – there are a number of schools at this one centre. Ours and three others, so about 200 of us all in.’
    ‘Formal?’ Horror must be etched on my face; Melrose smirks.
    ‘Yes.’ She hesitates. ‘I can tell you what we’re all wearing. If you want me