In the Deep End by Pam Harvey Read Free Book Online

around the edge of the door. Andrea Simpson and her mother were walking across the car park towards their car. Andrea was licking an ice cream. And her hair was totally dry.

Chapter 6
Teasdale Secondary School: Wednesday morning
    ‘Sssssssssss!’
    Hannah jumped, knocking her pencil case off the table. ‘E.D.!’ she growled back at him. ‘Stop it.’
    He’d been doing it all day, sneaking around behind her, pretending to be a snake.
    ‘Mr Emilio De Lugio,’ said Mr Collins, their Maths teacher, ‘if you wouldn’t mind sitting down. I have an announcement.’ Mr Collins watched E.D. over the rim of his glasses until he was satisfied that E.D.’s backside was on his seat. ‘Now.’ He straightened the piece of paper in his hands. ‘Mr Taylor has asked me to remind you all of the practice session being held in the library after school for the Whatever, Wherever competition. He has requested that all personsinterested meet in the library as soon as they can after the bell. Any questions?’
    Hannah put up her hand. ‘When’s the actual competition, Mr Collins?’
    ‘It says here that the Teasdale secondary school-based competition, sponsored by Kids’ Head Start, is to be held on Monday next week. The winners will be announced at a special assembly on Friday morning.’
    ‘Another assembly?’ E.D. groaned, not quite softly enough.
    ‘It won’t kill you, Emilio. And are you going to enter this competition?’
    E.D. leaned back in his seat. ‘Yeah, I thought I might.’
    ‘Then you’d better go to the practice session.’
    ‘Yeah, good idea.’ E.D. frowned and leaned forward. ‘Does anyone know where the library is?’
    ‘I wasn’t joking,’ said E.D. after school, heaving his bag onto his back.
    ‘Well, Collarbone Collins thought you were.’ Angus chuckled. ‘Have a nice recess?’
    E.D. shook his head hard so that his black hair spun around his head. ‘He made me do algebra. Whatever that is.’
    ‘Doesn’t matter now,’ said Hannah. ‘Come on, we’ll be late.’ She sped off down the corridor. The boys followed more slowly.
    The library was full. There hadn’t been so many people in the room since the day Andy Griffiths had visited. The Whatever, Wherever prize was a huge lure. Hannah found a table at the back and waved Angus and E.D. over.
    ‘Check out all these…books!’ E.D. goggled dramatically at the bookshelves.
    Hannah frowned at him. ‘Now I know you’re joking.’
    ‘Good afternoon, boys and girls.’ Mr Taylor appeared at the front of the library, smiling broadly and holding a bunch of papers in his hand. ‘This is an impressive turn-out indeed. It’s good to see so many of you willing to have a shot at this competition.’
    ‘We’re only here for the prize,’ muttered Angus.
    ‘Look,’ whispered Hannah. ‘Jon Hodgkins is here. So’s Sarah Townsend. What a laugh! They’ve got no chance. And Dave Kelly’s here.’
    ‘Dave? Where?’ Angus turned to see where Hannah was pointing. A small boy with short spiky hair sat huddled at the corner of the table, glancing around at the crowd. He looked almostfrightened. ‘Poor Dave. I don’t think this is his scene. He must be really desperate.’
    ‘Like the rest of us,’ said E.D., leaning back to pull a book off the shelf. ‘ Camels in the Desert. ’ He nodded. ‘Wow. I didn’t know there was anything in a desert except sand.’
    ‘Put it back, E.D. Here comes Mr Taylor.’ Hannah nodded towards the principal.
    ‘I’m giving out the practice papers now.’ Mr Taylor moved swiftly around the tables, placing a paper face down in front of each student. ‘The questions are divided into Maths skills, problem-solving and vocabulary. And there’s a practical component at the end. Remember, this paper doesn’t have an essay question on it, although it will in the actual competition. When it comes to the 3D model building, there is a choice of building materials in the middle of each table. When I say it’s time, you