The Secrets We Keep Read Online Free PDF Page B

grins. ‘You?’
    I grin back.
    â€˜I knew we were going to be friends,’ she says, pulling me to where the rest of the class are already standing on the oval.
    â€˜Looks like we have a new recruit,’ says a man about my dad’s age. He has bleached hair and is wearing a skin-tight tracksuit that looks like it’s struggling to stay zipped up. Ellie nudges me and I realise he expects me to answer.
    â€˜I’m Clem Timmins,’ I say quietly.
    â€˜Hello, Clem Timmins. I’m Tom,’ he answers, and then turns to address the whole class. ‘We have athletics practice today, so I hope you’ve remembered your sneakers.’
    There are a few groans but my mouth must have broken into a big grin because Tom looks over at me and asks, ‘Do you like athletics, Clem?’
    I nod. ‘Yeah.’
    â€˜Well maybe you can convince some of these slackers that it’s great fun to run around the oval for a couple of hours. They just want to play football or netball all day.’
    I hear a loud cough and Tam steps forward, her face slightly red. I notice her running shoes and her special black skins.
    â€˜Actually, some of us love athletics. It’s not just Clem.’
    Tom laughs and he makes me think of Dad. ‘Great, Tamara. I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know that the new high jump mats have finally arrived.’
    Tam shoots me a satisfied look and then stands on the other side of Ellie.
    Not even Tam can quash the butterflies that are fluttering around my stomach now that I know I’m going to be spending the next hour doing athletics. I haven’t run for a while. Not this sort of running. I’ve done heaps of the other sort of running, though – you know, the kind that involves running away.
    BTF I used to go to Little Athletics on Friday nights and a training session on Tuesdays. Bridge came too, although she wasn’t as obsessed with sprinting as I am. But she was pretty good at javelin. Then after the fire I decided to stop going because all my athletics stuff got burnt. I knew Dad would find the money to replace it all, if he had to, but I made it easy for him by pretending I’d outgrown it. Besides, in a way it didn’t feel right going back to my old life like nothing had happened. And I hated the way everyone went quiet around me because they didn’t know what to say.
    â€˜Okay, can everyone please set up the equipment?’ calls Tom, over the chatter. ‘Our athletics carnival is in two weeks, so the sooner we start, the more practice we can all have.’
    â€˜You can’t run in those,’ says Tam. I realise she’s talking about my Converse.
    I shrug. They’re the only shoes I have. Not that I’m telling Tam that.
    Ellie stares at her friend and then whispers, ‘Tam, that’s not very nice.’
    Tam shrugs. ‘Whatever,’ she says, and walks off to the high-jump area.
    Ellie looks back at me and I see she’s a bit embarrassed. ‘Sorry about her.’
    â€˜That’s okay. It’s not your fault,’ I say.
    We spend the first ten minutes setting up equipment. There’s a high jump with a mat, a long-jump sandpit and a triple-jump pit next to that.
    â€˜The oval is only 300 metres, so it makes running the 400 a bit tricky,’ explains Ellie.
    I can’t help but laugh. ‘My old school had a mini oval. It was about 120 metres, so this is like paradise!’
    â€˜Those wanting to practise field events you can head over to the equipment,’ says Tom. ‘For those running, I want groups of six to race in each event. Put up your hand if you’re a short-distance runner.’
    Ellie and a bunch of other kids put up their hands, and I do too. Tom numbers us off into groups so we can race against each other. I’m in the first group. So is Ellie. She flashes me a huge smile. We line up and Ellie and I stand next to each other in the middle. We