Digger Field by Damian Davis Read Free Book Online Page B

red, it almost matched his hair. All the veins in his neck popped out. His whole body started twitching and wriggling.
    Dean said, ‘I think I’ll take these babies down to the chemist.’
    That was too much for Wrigs. He had a full-on Wrig-out. ‘ Graa-aa-ee-agh! ’ he yelled.
    Dean looked up just in time to see Wrigs jumping from the branch straight onto him. They both went sprawling across the ground.
    Wriggler screamed in pain and clutched at his right wrist. I thought there must be something wrong with it, but then he got up, grabbed the box of cicadas and ran off down the street. Dean just lay on the ground, groaning.
    I had to climb onto the lower branch and jump down from there. By the time I caught up to Wriggler, he was almost at the Pensdale shopping centre.
    He was clutching the cicada box under one arm like it was the most precious thing in the world. His other arm was hanging at a funny angle, but he didn’t seem to notice. He wasn’t going to slow down.
    We raced along the row of shops to the chemist, which is at the top of Queen Street, right next to the train station.
    We barrelled into the chemist, but there was a customer in front of us. We lined up behind him. The man was taking so long to choose a cough syrup that he was more likely to die of old age than a cough. Wrigs was starting to twitch again.
    When the man finally left, Wrigs put the box onto the counter.
    The chemist looked like she was bored of dealing with simpletons all day. She said, ‘What’s this, boys?’
    ‘Twelve Black Prince cicadas,’ Wrigs told her. ‘Twenty-four dollars’ worth.’
    ‘Probably more,’ cause some are females,’ I added.
    ‘Oh, you’re talking about the old Black Prince myth,’ the chemist said. ‘Don’t you know it’s not true?’
    ‘What do you mean? Don’t you put them in medicine?’ I asked.
    ‘Not since the eighteenth century,’ she said. Then she stared at Wriggler for a bit and added, ‘But you better give me a look at your arm.’
    I looked at Wrigs. Even I could tell that his right arm shouldn’t be able to bend that way. He was gritting his teeth and it looked like he was trying not to cry.
    The chemist took Wriggler’s arm and felt along it.
    ‘I think you may have broken it,’ she said to him.
    Wriggler spent the rest of the day in Emergency at the hospital. His arm was broken in two places and the doctor said he would be in a cast for six weeks.
    When I got home Dean was covered in ice packs. He had bruises all over him.
    The only good thing that came out of today was whenever I said Wriggler’s name Dean flinched, like he was scared. I kept saying it.
    The bad news is that we’re no closer to buying the tinnie. And Wrigs won’t be part of the skimming world record attempt if we get to restart it.

CHAPTER 15
DAY 14: Friday
    My skims: 0
    Wriggler’s skims: 0
    Days to becoming world champion: 25 (Feeling the pressure.)
    Found proof that Mr Black is up to something.
    Money made for tinnie: $0 ($725 to go. We need to make some money soon.)
    Wrigs came over early. He raced through the front door and closed it behind him.
    ‘It’s him. He’s everywhere,’ he said.
    ‘Who? Dean?’ I said. ‘He’s gone to the beach.’
    ‘Not Dean, Mr Black,’ he said. ‘He was at the hospital while I was waiting for the doctor to look at my arm. He just walked in on his own. Didn’t sit down, just looked around. He didn’t talk to anyone or anything.’
    ‘He was probably just seeing if someone he knew was there,’ I said.
    ‘Nah, he waved at me, then left again.’
    Wriggler was leaning on the closed front door like he was expecting someone to barge through it.
    ‘What did you do?’
    ‘I ignored him. But then, when I got home, he was standing outside my place,’ Wrigs said.
    ‘Outside your place?’
    ‘It was like he was waiting for me. As soon as he saw our car turn into the drive he just walked off.’
    ‘It could have been a coincidence.’
    ‘No way. He’s following