Revenge Read Online Free PDF Page B

told that you’re sick.”
    â€œHow are your parents?” Jason asked.
    â€œSame. Dad’s always working, and Mum, well, she seems happy. She asked about you.”
    â€œYour parents are cool, Scott.”
    â€œYour dad is pretty cool too, Jase. Although who knows what he will say when he finds out you did this against his wishes.”
    â€œI had no choice. You know that. George Young wanted me to help, and he made it pretty clear he gets his way. With Dad away, I had to decide. He must know by now. Mrs. Beeton was going to write and tell him, and I’m sure my grandparents are in a total panic. I hope they’re not too upset.”
    â€œI suppose you haven’t heard the news about Colin Wilkes at school?” Scott asked.
    â€œWhat? ‘Wilky’? Our future football superstar? Yeah, he was gonna get signed up for Manchester United as an apprentice.”
    â€œNot now. He failed a drug test, but I find it hard to believe.”
    â€œWhat? Wilky doing drugs? No way. He’s a fitness freak and lives for football.”
    â€œIt’s true, Jase. Last weekend, he was arrested up in Manchester after a routine drug test. That’s his football career over before it started.”
    â€œI still can’t believe it. He must be devastated. What an idiot.”
    The hour visit was over in a flash. Again, Jason was depressed when he watched his friend leave—his only contact with his life away from this place.
    After the visitors left, Andrew took Jason to one side.
    â€œI told my dad about you. He said you may be able to work with us on the outside when we get out.” It was the break Jason was looking for. Finally, this stupid plan was starting to pay off.
    â€¢ • •
    A social services worker waited outside the detention center for Jason. Four long weeks had past. Ms. Pettyfier was going to be Jason’s social and probation officer. She wasn’t in on the secret—all she knew was that Jason was a troubled boy who went from foster home to foster home until he had gotten locked up for shoplifting.
    Ms. Pettyfier was a widow. She was tall and skinny, and she had long, greasy brown hair. She wore black-rimmed glasses and a long dark dress that hung off her stick-thin figure.
    â€œI’ll be in touch,” Jason said to Andrew as they were leaving. Andrew was also being released, and his parents had just arrived to pick him up. As Jason walked down the corridor to meet Ms. Pettyfier, he smiled at Lin Cho, but the man just looked away as if Jason didn’t exist. Jason followed Ms. Pettyfier to her car. She climbed in the driver’s seat while he opened the passenger door.
    â€œUm…what do you think you’re doing?” she asked.
    Is she joking or what?
    â€œI thought you came to collect me, miss,” Jason replied, bewildered.
    â€œChildren sit in the back, not the front,” she snapped.
    â€œThanks for the big friendly welcome,” Jason grunted, slamming the door shut and then climbing in the back.
    â€œI can see how you got in trouble. You have an attitude problem. I only hope you snap out of it or else you’ll be right back here.” Jason sat in the back and silently mimicked her.
    She drove painfully slow to a large apartment complex. Jason pressed his head up against the window and looked out at row upon row of identical houses. She parked her car where some scruffy boys were kicking a football.
    â€œMiss, we use that wall as a goal,” a small boy protested. His hair was messy. He had no front teeth, and he had holes in his vest.
    â€œYou will have to play elsewhere. I need to park my car,” she snapped back at the boy.
    â€œI can see why you choose this job. You are just great with kids!” Jason sniggered.
    She looked down at him through her glasses and shook her head disapprovingly. The children watched as she walked him to the elevator.
    A dirty sign hung at an angle with the words