The Gospel According to Luke Read Online Free PDF

test.’
    â€˜Don’t be stupid.’
    â€˜Get a test.’
    â€˜You’re fucked in the head, Steve. I’m not even talking to you anymore.’
    â€˜Get a test.’
    Honey turned away. ‘Bell’s about to go. I don’t wanna be late for homeroom again.’
    â€˜Honey.’
    â€˜Gotta go,’ she yelled and started to run. When she got to the dunnies she sat with her head between her legs until the dizziness stopped. Then the tiny amount of liquid still in her stomach came up. Then she checked her undies for the blood that should have come three weeks ago. Then she started to cry.

5.
    Luke was supposed to be preparing a PowerPoint presentation about alcohol consumption, but his mind kept drifting. No, not drifting, jolting. He had dropped a pamphlet discussing the Christian approach to sex education into Aggie Grey’s office earlier, and she had promised to read it and tell him what she thought. But that had been six hours ago; surely she had read it by now? He reminded himself that patience was a virtue and returned to his work.
    He was busy formatting the word DRUNK so the text flashed like a warning, when he suddenly found himself wondering if those super tight curls of hers were natural. He laughed out loud at the absurdity ofthe thought and forced his mind back to the task at hand. But then as he was typing up the Bible verses referring to alcohol use, he was suddenly smiling at how when he’d walked into the clinic, Aggie had thrown her hands in the air and exclaimed ‘ah, my brand new friend,’ loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. And he shook his head in wonder at how in the five minutes he spent there he witnessed Aggie comfort a weeping teenage girl with a few whispered words, calm a raging parent whose son had been found with clinic-supplied condoms in his schoolbag, answer a relentlessly ringing phone, accept a delivery of five boxes of something called
Sylk
and eat three cinnamon donuts. In amongst all that, she found the time to hear Luke’s request, to accept the pamphlet, to smile and look right into his eyes and tell him she would be sure to let him know what she thought.
    â€˜Hey, deep thinker, what’s up?’ Belinda was in the doorway, leaning on the A/V trolley. She had a habit of sneaking up on him, and she frequently entered his office without knocking. He had spoken to her about it before, but she always giggled and punched his shoulder as though he were joking.
    He concealed his irritation with a small, closed smile. ‘I’m in cloud cuckoo land today, I’m afraid. I’m almost done, though. Why don’t you set up the rest of the equipment and I’ll bring the laptop in when I’m finished?’
    Belinda pushed past the trolley and sat on the edge of his desk. Her thighs emerged smooth and tan from her jean shorts. ‘Something’s on your mind, Luke, I can tell.’
    â€˜Like I said, just a bit unfocused today.’
    â€˜You want to talk about it?’ She put her hand on his arm.
    â€˜Last thing I need is another distraction,’ Luke said, not looking at her. ‘You chuff off and get the room set up and let me finish here.’
    Belinda patted him and sighed. ‘You’re a slave driver, Luke Butler.’
    He smiled tightly, typing furiously until the door creaked shut. Then he went back and deleted the gibberish he had typed and hoped that God would forgive him for the small lies he often told to rid himself of Belinda’s attention.
    Like every member of his ministry team, Belinda had been carefully chosen by Luke. He had pored over the academic records and field-work reports of every trainee Christian Revolution pastor in Australia, looking for the four Junior Pastors who would make his vision for the Centre a reality. Each member of his team had to be more than a competent preacher, discipler and counsellor; each had to bring something special to the Centre.