Nowhere Boys Read Online Free PDF

had thrown them out. He must have known he’d have a better chance if Jake wasn’t around, because Jake sure as hell wouldn’t have let this happen. Phil had probably organised for Jake to get lost so he could do this. The lying, conniving –
    Jake heard footsteps coming down the hall. He quickly ducked behind a couch. The footsteps grew louder and heavier. Jake peered around the side of the couch. An enormous biker wearing a leather-fringed waistcoat with buttons straining over his tattooed stomach walked into the lounge room, cracking open a tinnie. He reached for the remote control to turn on the TV.
    Jake shuddered. How was he going to let this dude know he was watching TV in the wrong house? He was totally into defending his territory and all, but against this giant?
    The biker let out an almighty belch. Jake looked around for an escape route. If the biker saw him he’d be cactus.
    A mobile started to ring. Jake’s hand instinctively went to his pocket, but then with a curse, the bikie made his way back down the corridor to get his phone.
    Jake took his chance and, in one leap, reached the windowsill and hurtled over it, landing awkwardly in a hydrangea bush.
    He raced back out onto the street. His six-year-old neighbour, Telly, was sitting on his broken fence, playing on his mum’s phone.
    ‘Telly! What the hell’s going on?’ Jake asked breathlessly. ‘Have you seen my mum?’
    ‘Huh?’ Telly looked up, but his face was blank. Two rivers of snot ran from his nose.
    ‘My mum? Did you see what happened?’
    ‘Who are you?’
    ‘Don’t be an idiot.’ Jake grabbed the phone from Telly’s hands.
    ‘Hey, give that back.’
    ‘Shut it, okay? I need to make a call.’
    Jake punched in his mum’s number.
    ‘The number you have called is not connected.’
    He slammed the phone back at Telly. ‘You must have seen something,’ said Jake.
    Telly just looked at him.
    Telly’s BMX was lying on the ground beside him. Jake picked it up and rode off.
    ‘Hey, that’s mine!’ Telly called after him.
    Jake didn’t care. He didn’t care that Telly had started crying. He didn’t care that Telly’s bike was so small his knees were almost knocking his chin. What he did care about was the fact that not only had his mum been kicked out of their house, but she hadn’t had the money to pay her phone bill.
    Maybe he should go to his dad’s? But the thought of going to his dad’s seedy apartment filled him with dread. And besides, it was his fault they were in this mess. His dad never paid his mum a cent, and yesterday morning he’d even had the nerve to come over asking to borrow money. Jake had made his mum promise not to loan him anything, but he knew his dad could wheedle his way around her. She was too nice. She’d probably lent him fifty bucks and now her phone had been cut off. His dad was probably sitting on his couch watching the footy and drinking the money away in beer. There was no way he was going there – he’d probably end up punching the lazy douchebag.
    Jake pedalled faster. Going uphill on this midget bike wasn’t easy. He stood up and pushed hard on the pedals.
    Okay, so logically where would she be? Either out looking for him or at work. Yes, Scaly Jim’s. He’d try there.

    ‘Oil’s not hot enough for orders yet, mate,’ said Jim, the owner, looking up from the fryer.
    ‘I don’t want to order anything. I’m looking for Mum. She had a shift today.’
    Jim looked him up and down. ‘Your mum had a shift here?’
    ‘Yeah. She always works Saturdays.’
    ‘Just between you and me, mate, I’m not in the business of employing mature-age ladies. Got to keep costs down you know, so –’
    ‘But she works here every day.’
    Jim looked at him strangely. ‘What did you say her name was?’
    ‘Sarah. Come on, Jim, this isn’t funny.’
    ‘Got a Sue, but if she was your mum she’d have had you at two,’ he laughed.
    Jake bit his lower lip. ‘It’s not a joke.’
    ‘No mate, and