Minus Me by Ingelin Rossland Read Free Book Online

going to die soon,’ whispers Henrik, with a sneer.
    ‘I can always hope some idiot meets with an accident. You, for example,’ Linda says spitefully.

Chapter 12
    When the class plays indoor hockey Linda has to sit out up in the stands. She’s brought a book with her, but instead of reading she finds herself looking down at Henrik and secretly wishing someone could give him a hearty jab in the ribs with their elbow. If only she could have played too, then she’d have done it herself. She can’t help smiling at the thought of him doubled up on the ground.
    Oscar is running about down there too, with his freckled legs poking out from under his knee-length shorts. Suddenly he gives Henrik’s shin an almighty whack with his stick. Henrik howls with pain. Oscar shouts an apology, before looking up at Linda. He did it for me, thinks Linda. He’s really rather sweet, she thinks, smiling and waving down at her new boyfriend.
    Suddenly a pair of Dr. Martens boots appear beside her, and wearing them is a boy. Linda eyes travel up to his face. It’s the boy. He offers her his hand.
    ‘I’m Zak,’ he says.
    She takes his hand.
    ‘Linda.’
    ‘You’re the best,’ says Zak, sitting down beside her.
    ‘How do you mean, the best?’
    ‘At indoor hockey.’
    ‘No better than the boys.’
    ‘Being aggressive isn’t the same as being good. You strategize.’
    ‘How do you know that? How long have you been following me?’ asks Linda, feeling a sudden pang in her chest. She’s nervous of this Zak guy, and yet she feels drawn to him. Which is why she doesn’t get up and go, but remains sitting.
    Zak ignores her questions. He just looks at her. It’s the same look as he had on the tram and at the swimming pool.
    ‘What do you want?’ she asks.
    ‘Let’s go outside,’ says Zak, getting up and buttoning his long black coat. It’s the coat that makes him look like some sort of emo kid, along with his pale face and the fact he looks like he’s wearing make-up.
    ‘I’m not allowed. I’ve got to sit and watch.’
    ‘Just leave.’
    ‘The teacher will go ballistic.’
    ‘Nobody will say anything, I promise. Just get up and leave,’ says Zak, winking at her.
    Linda shuts her book and puts it in her rucksack. When she looks up again, Zak has gone and the door onto the playing field is sliding quietly closed. She stands up with her rucksack in her hand and gazes at the door. Then she swings her rucksack onto her back and very quickly, so she can’t change her mind, sneaks over to the exit.
    ‘Look, Miss! Linda’s leaving!’ shouts Henrik. She’d like to shove his face in dog turd.
    ‘Henrik, let’s concentrate on what we’re doing. Come on,’ says the teacher before blowing the whistle. Linda glances over her shoulder, and sees the teacher dropping the ball to continue play. So the sports teacher has erased her from future consideration too, thinks Linda.
     
    It’s freezing cold out. Linda stops on the steps outside the gym, pulls up the zip on her jacket, and puts on her woolly hat. Squinting in the sharp winter sunlight she catches sight of Zak. He’s over by the fence with his back to the sun. She walks towards him. As she gets closer, she can see that he’s playing with a lighter.
    ‘So, what do you want?’ asks Linda.
    ‘To remind you that you’re going to die.’
    ‘Thanks, but that’s really not necessary.’
    Zak succeeds in igniting the lighter and holds one hand over it, lowering it towards the flame and holding it there. Linda feels sure she can hear it hissing.
    ‘Doesn’t that hurt?’
    Zak doesn’t answer. He just looks at her as she watches his hand. It’s almost as if she can smell burnt flesh. He closes his hand around the flame and extinguishes it. Then he puts the lighter in his inside coat pocket, before showing her the palm of his hand. It looks totally fine.
    ‘I thought you’d be more grateful,’ he says eventually.
    ‘Hmm. Thank you for saving me,’ says Linda. ‘It