Skeletal Read Online Free PDF Page B

If I didn’t do it then or at lunchtime, it wouldn’t get done.
    ‘You’re kidding, really?’
    I laughed at the plaintive tone in her voice, and so did the emo girl in a distinctly un-emo fashion. ‘You’re so bad at that I don’t know how you manage to stay in school,’ Emo Girl said. ‘You’d be better off picking up an application for McDonalds.’
    ‘Yeah thanks, Tracy,’ she replied, giving her a push on the shoulder. ‘I’ll bring you into my next career counselling session so you can put paid to my parents’ dreams for me once and for all.’
    ‘Where’re you from?’ Susie asked, ignoring the two of them.
    ‘I live just over on Sawyers Arms Road,’ I replied, but at her screwed up face I laughed in realisation. ‘From Timaru, originally. But we’ve moved all over in the past couple of years.’
    ‘I’ve got a cousin, and an uncle, and an aunt who live in Timaru. Not together, but… They’ve split up. They still live round the corner from each other though.’
    ‘Dude, everybody lives around the corner from each other in Timaru,’ the mousy-haired girl joined in. She gave me a sly glance from under her lashes to see how I’d react, so I didn’t.
    ‘True,’ I agreed. ‘My name’s Daina, by the way.’
    ‘Shit, everybody knows who you are. You’re the one Michelle’s gunning for. Better you than me,’ Susie stated with passion.
    ‘I’m Vila,’ said the girl still trying to figure out her maths homework. She’d already given up on my calculator and was writing numbers down by hand. She gave a pointed glance at Susie, who clicked.
    ‘I’m Susie, that’s Tracy, and that’s Melanie.’
    ‘Mel,’ she immediately corrected.
    I waved at them, and felt a smile start to form. It had been a long time since I’d spoken to anyone my own age for anything other than the shortest of commands, or politeness.
    ‘Where the hell d’you get the split lip from?’ Melanie said with interest. ‘It looks like someone punched you in the face.’ She glanced around then leaned in close to whisper, ‘It wasn’t Michelle, was it?’
    I shook my head. ‘I tripped going upstairs at home. Caught the step with my lip.’
    The look of admiration faded a bit, but then Melanie perked up again. ‘I heard you booted Michelle in the chest yesterday, is that true?’
    I was about to deny it when I reconsidered the attention I was now getting. I nodded instead. ‘I used her as a springboard to get over the fence. I don’t think she was very happy about it.’
    There was a chorus of quiet giggles, and Susie looked around to make sure no one noticed our little group. Our little group. ‘She’ll be gunning for you even more now, then. I don’t know how you managed to do that to her. I wouldn’t have the balls.’
    I shrugged. ‘Well, my mum always said that if you get hit by a bully you hit back and they leave you alone.’
    Vila shook her head. ‘I tried that one with Michelle when we were back in year five. She beat the shit out of me.’
    Tracy snorted at that one, and I turned to her in surprise, but Vila laughed and altered her statement. ‘Well, she punched me much harder and made my nose bleed and me cry. That’s practically the same thing when you’re ten.’
    Susie leaned in even closer and spoke even lower, ‘I heard that she’s been giving Mr Bond BJs after school. That’s why she’s so upset that he’s taken a fancy to you.’
    ‘Susie! That’s not true,’ Vila exclaimed.
    Susie shrugged and leaned back against the brick wall. ‘It’s what I heard.’
    Tracy just looked nonplussed so Susie helpfully mimed the action using her tongue and her hand, until Tracy looked appropriately disgusted.
    ‘But he’s a teacher. And he’s good looking. Why would he ever let her touch him? It’d be like Brad Pitt marrying Roseanne.’
    ‘She’s thin and blonde. She’s not charging for it. That’s probably enough,’ Susie said.
    ‘Gross. If that’s really true someone should report