In the Deep End by Pam Harvey Read Free Book Online Page B

what he’d seen.
    Hannah was puzzled. She gathered her pencil case and bag, and walked to the exit. Behind her, Dave Kelly put his sweat-drenched paper on the table in front of Mr Taylor and a paper catastrophe that was meant to be his model next to that. Hannah looked around and saw him. She shook her head. Dave Kelly, she thought to herself, hasn’t got a chance.
    Hannah walked towards her home. It was a hot day, one of the first for the term. She thought longingly of a cool, blue swimming pool—and veered off to Gabby’s.
    Gabby’s house was on the edge of town, next to Angus’s. It was like looking at the Taj Mahal compared to someone’s garden shed. It was two storeyed and shone white in the sun. Immaculate gardens curved their way right around the house and the swimming pool glittered like a large jewel. Hannah went straight around the back.
    Gabby was swimming. Since her loss to Andrea, she’d been training more than usual. Her coach, Pat, was at the side of the pool, hands on hips, watching Gabby intently. Hannah stood back so she couldn’t be seen and watched her friend as well. Gabby swam easily, powering through the water like she had a motor in each leg. Hannah was amazed. I can barely dog-paddle, she thought. Maybe I should get some tips from Gabby. She makes it look so easy.
    It wasn’t until Gabby stopped at one end of the pool, red-faced and chest heaving, that Hannah realised that it wasn’t easy. Gabby was working hard, really hard. Hannah heard Pat say, ‘Don’t strain yourself, Gab. You’re doing reallywell. You don’t need to injure yourself to prove a point. We know you swim like a champ.’
    ‘But it didn’t get me into the finals.’ Gabby wiped the water from her face with one hand.
    ‘You’re an emergency. You might be racing, it just depends on what happens. Don’t wear yourself out beforehand. You don’t want to peak too early.’
    ‘I’m at my best right now. Why couldn’t I beat her? I’ve done my best times ever. Last year Andrea Simpson didn’t even have a look in. So what’s going on this year?’
    Pat shook her head. ‘I don’t know. I really don’t know. Andrea used to swim like a one-legged turtle. Even now I can see she’s inclined to turn her left foot out. Her technique isn’t one hundred per cent. I don’t know what’s going on.’
    ‘She’s turned into a freak.’
    ‘Well, we can’t be worried about that. We’ll just keep going the way we are. You have fabulous technique and the power to go with it.’
    ‘Pat?’ Gabby looked up at her coach. ‘You don’t think Andrea is using any…you know…performance-enhancing drugs?’
    Pat looked shocked. ‘She’s only a kid. And this is the state championships, not theOlympics.’ She crouched down to Gabby but her voice still travelled over to where Hannah was standing. ‘I don’t think her coach would be so stupid. They can trace all sorts of drugs these days—it’s not worth the risk. Andrea wouldn’t be taking anything illegal.’
    ‘Then how is she doing it?’ Gabby slapped the water with her hand, sending a spray up and wetting her coach’s face. ‘Sorry.’
    Pat laughed. ‘Come on. Let’s not worry about it. We’ve got the Gabriella Mean Machine here, doing the best she can and more. Keep going.’
    Gabby turned and adjusted her goggles. Hannah saw how upset she looked but Gabby pushed off from the wall and set out to do another kilometre of laps. Hannah moved out from where she’d been standing, waved to Pat, and sat down on a wooden bench at one end of the pool.
    It didn’t make any sense. Gabby trained hard. It seemed like Andrea didn’t train at all. Gabby had a special coach. Andrea was going to the newly opened Kids’ Head Start instead of training. Gabby got great times at the races. Andrea did better.
    What was going on?

Chapter 7
Teasdale Secondary School: Monday morning
    The Teasdale Secondary Whatever, Wherever competition was held in the library on Monday.
    ‘No, I