Care Factor Zero by Margaret Clark Read Free Book Online Page B

Bex followed Frantik, dancing like demons in the rain.
    ‘Comma and Bex?’ queried Larceny, her head cocked to one side as she watched them prancing about.
    ‘Comma’s not the full stop. Bex is one big headache.’
    Larceny looked puzzled.
    ‘Bex powders. You know? Like aspirin. For headaches. My mum lived on Bex powders when she was young. Teaching gave her one big headache, but she still did it.’
    ‘Why? If you’re dad was a dentist she wouldn’t need the money.’
    ‘It was her career. Her calling. And if she gave it up it meant she hadn’t heard the right call, eh. And you can’t admit if you’ve stuffed up, can you, because if you live in that sort of world it’s all fake anyway. To admit you’ve stuffed it up means that you’ve got nothing left.’
    ‘That’s deep,’ said Larceny in awe. ‘How old are you, anyway?’
    ‘I told you before, but maybe you’d tuned out just then. Do you know that you tune in and out, Larceny? I’m not sure whether you’re short-circuiting in your head or what.’
    Larceny felt herself closing up, shutting down. She did it whenever she felt threatened.
    ‘Oh, no, don’t disappear into your brain again.’
    Lynx looked dismayed, then suddenly he grinned with a Peter Pan-type charm. ‘Oh, do what you like. It’s cool, babe.’
    His abrupt change threw her off balance.
    ‘Sorry,’ she mumbled.
    ‘I’m seventeen, nearly eighteen. Supposed to be doing my final year. Then uni. They’ve programmed me to be a dentist, only I can’t stand the thought of looking at teeth. A dentist has to like them, don’t you think?’
    He grinned broadly, showing a mouthful of perfect white teeth.
    ‘Do you go home to sleep or what?’
    ‘Sometimes. I go home to get cashed up, then I bail out again when they start wanting to take me around to shrinks. I’ve been to about five.’
    ‘I know the scene,’ Larceny blurted out before she could stop herself. Then she bit her lip. Shit. Why did she say that? Now he’d ask her a heap of questions.
    But he didn’t. He walked quickly down the esplanade, following Frantik, Comma and Bex, and left her to run, panting, after him. Did this mean he was rejecting her? Did he think she was a fruit loop? She caught up, swung her tote bag from her shoulder and started to belt him round the head with it.
    ‘Whoa!’
    He caught the strap and held on. They faced each other, stormy green eyes meeting angry black.
    ‘What’s with you now, Larceny? You nuts or something?’
    The grey mist came down, cloying, evil.
    ‘Kill him,’ screamed the voices.
    He saw the insane rage blazing in her eyes and intuitively recognised her fear.
    ‘Larceny. It’s okay. LARCENY!’
    He knew better than to touch her. He ducked from the swinging bag, but stayed cool, while Comma, Frantik and Bex stood frozen to the spot.
    ‘Lynx. Grab her!’ yelled Bex.
    ‘No. It’s okay, it’s just like a bad trip,’ soothed Lynx, his dark eyes never leaving Larceny’s face. Her sleeves fell back as she raised both arms, and Bex and Comma both gasped as they saw the mutilations.
    Larceny froze at their looks of pure horror. They knew! Defeated, all anger gone, she slumped down on the footpath.
    ‘Look at her arms,’ whispered Bex to Comma. ‘She’s psycho.’
    ‘Bex, shut up!’ Lynx’s voice was tight. ‘If you want to be useful, go and buy two hot coffees, black and strong, with lots of sugar.’
    ‘I haven’t got any money.’
    ‘I have,’ said Frantik, eager to be away from the scene. ‘Let’s go.’
    They took off up the street.
    ‘Stand up,’ said Lynx, not touching Larceny. ‘We need to get out of the rain.’
    Lurching, she got to her feet. She was so cold . Her teeth were beginning to chatter. She half stumbled to a bus shelter and collapsed, shivering, on the seat.
    ‘Have you got any warm clothes in there?’
    He indicated the tote bag.
    ‘No. All dirty.’
    The others came puffing back with the coffees.
    ‘Here. Drink it,’ he said,