The Tornado Chasers Read Free Page B

startled. ‘I-I thought I was supposed to hold your hand.’
    ‘No!’ said Callum. ‘No, you’re not!’
    ‘Oh,’ I muttered. ‘Er … sorry.’
    Callum wiped his hand on his trousers and stormed out the classroom. I watched him leave in despair.
    ‘Hey! Partner! Wait for me!’
    ‘He’ll wait outside,’ said a voice behind me. ‘He always does.’
    I spun round. At the nearest desk, a girl was slowly packing up her bag. She had more hair than anyone I had ever seen in my life, and it was sticking out in all directions. She had even tried to hold it in place with a hairband, and had failed. Stood beside her was a boy. He was huge – a foot taller than me at least, maybe twicemy width. He gazed down at me, calmly and blankly – like a horse. I gulped.
    ‘Er … I beg your pardon?’ I said.
    The girl didn’t turn to look at me, or smile when she talked.
    ‘He can’t walk home without a partner. Not unless he wants to get in trouble.’ She zipped up her bag. ‘Just try to stay on his good side. Not that he has one.’
    ‘Oh. Thanks,’ I said.
    I turned to get my bag from the table, and paused. Perhaps this was the time to make some friends. I quickly finished packing my bag and turned around, my hand held out.
    ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t get either of your names …’
    But I was alone. The girl and the boy had both left the classroom without saying another word.
    Outside, the playground was empty. In the distance I could see the other children sprinting across the village green. Just like the girl said, Callum was waiting for me at the bottom of the steps. He scowled up at me.
    ‘Hurry up.’
    I scurried after him as he strode out of the playground and past the clock tower, crossing over the bridge and turning onto the path that ran beside the stream. I turned around to glance at the clock tower before itdisappeared from sight. A stormtrap jutted out the top like a set of traffic lights. The red light on the front blinked away the seconds until curfew started.
    We walked in silence, the ferns buzzing in the summer air beside us. It was hard to believe that a tornado could touch down in the valleys at any moment. It seemed so calm.
    ‘So,’ I said cheerfully, trying to make conversation. ‘Are you looking forward to the class play?’
    ‘No,’ said Callum. ‘It’s stupid.’
    ‘Oh,’ I said.
    We kept walking.
    ‘What about … Presentation Day?’ I tried. ‘Is that … also stupid?’
    Callum nodded. ‘Yeah. Everyone has to do a presentation, in front of the whole class.’
    ‘Oh, I see,’ I said, nodding. ‘That’s very interesting. What are you going to do yours on?’
    ‘I’m not going to do one,’ said Callum bluntly.
    I looked at him with confusion. ‘Isn’t it for homework?’
    He stopped, and glared at me.
    ‘Of course it’s for homework,’ he snapped. ‘That’s why I’m not going to do it.’
    He looked at me for a while, as if he was weighing me up. Finally he sighed, and folded his arms.
    ‘Look,’ he said. ‘Let’s get this sorted. From now on, you can’t look like you’re with me. If anyone comes near us, you hide in the bushes. Got it?’
    I looked at the ‘bushes’ beside the path. They were big patches of stinging nettles. Callum grabbed me by the shoulder and leant in.
    ‘Let me explain,’ he said. ‘I’m kind of a big deal round here. Truth is, I’m the hardest kid in Barrow. So I can’t be seen walking around with a dweebus like you – everyone would lose respect for me, wouldn’t they?’
    I frowned. ‘
Dweebus
? What do you mean, dwee—’
    ‘Glad you understand,’ said Callum, patting me on the back. He glanced round nervously. ‘Now let’s get out of here quickly, before …’
    ‘Well well well,’ said a voice behind us. ‘Look who it is!’
    Callum’s face visibly drained of colour. I turned around. Three boys were standing on the path behind us. Instead of school uniform they wore neon yellow tracksuits, strapped at the elbows