Mutation by Chris Morphew Read Free Book Online

doubt he even heard me.
    â€˜You reckon I don’t get what’s going on here?’ he spat, looking slightly crazy now. ‘All this stupid freaking don’t-tell-Peter crap?’
    Luke sighed. ‘Peter –’
    â€˜No, you shut up and listen!’ said Peter, shaking him. ‘This is my fight too, and I’m bloody sick of –!’
    â€˜ENOUGH!’ I shouted, grabbing each of them before things could get any more out of hand.
    Peter let go of Luke’s shirt, shoving him back against the wall.
    â€˜You think this is helping?’ I hissed, lowering my voice so I wouldn’t be overheard by the kids who were stopping to watch us. ‘Three people against this whole town, and you want to start fighting each other ?’
    No response from either of them. Not that Luke had anything to answer for, but right now taking sides was only going to wind Peter up even more.
    It wasn’t the first time he’d blown up like this. We’d all lost it at some point. Hardly surprising, given everything we were going through.
    But there was something different in Peter’s anger. Something out of control. And it seemed to be taking less and less to set him off.
    I let go of them both.
    Peter blinked, like even he was surprised at the force of his outburst. ‘Sorry,’ he said, finally. But he was looking at me, not Luke.
    â€˜I need something out of my locker,’ I said, taking off towards the English block.
    The others followed. Peter sped up to walk next to me, and I noticed a smudge of brown on his collar. I looked down at my hand. Some of the concealer had smeared off on his shirt when I’d grabbed him.
    â€˜We should track Jeremy down,’ I said. ‘See if –’
    â€˜Shh!’ said Peter, putting his arm out to stop me. He’d stepped halfway round the corner, then darted back.
    â€˜What?’
    But then I heard them. Hushed voices in the next corridor. Voices I recognised.
    â€˜What’s the time?’ asked Cathryn, sounding anxious.
    â€˜Twenty-one past,’ said Tank.
    â€˜Check it again.’
    â€˜We just did,’ said Mike. ‘It’s empty.’
    â€˜Check it again,’ said Cathryn. ‘They said it was important.’
    â€˜You think I don’t know that?’ said Mike.
    â€˜Both of you, shut up,’ Tank hissed. ‘Someone’s going to hear us.’
    Mike sighed. He waited another few seconds.
    â€˜All right,’ he said. ‘Go on. Check it.’
    There was a clank of metal. I risked a look around the corner and saw the three of them crowded in front of an open locker about halfway down the hall.
    â€˜There!’ said Tank.
    Mike’s hand shot into the locker and pulled out a yellowing envelope, sealed with black wax that matched his fingernails.
    I flinched as someone gripped my shoulder. Peter, leaning past me to see down the corridor.
    â€˜That’s the locker!’ he whispered as Mike ripped the envelope open. ‘The one we caught Cat going through.’
    â€˜Get back,’ I said. ‘They’ll see you.’
    â€˜Yep,’ said Peter. ‘Reckon you might be right.’
    And then he was taking off down the corridor toward them.
    Cathryn saw him coming and clutched Mike’s shirt sleeve, colour draining from her face.
    Great, I thought, following Peter around the corner. And you say I’m the reckless one.
    Mike looked up from the letter in his hand. Without missing a beat, he slipped it back into its envelope, stuck it in his pocket and said, ‘Hey, Pete. What’s up?’
    â€˜What’ve you got there?’ Peter asked, gesturing at Mike’s pocket.
    Mike’s head turned towards Luke and me. ‘It’s personal,’ he said.
    â€˜Yeah,’ said Peter, ‘I bet it is.’
    He lunged forward, knocking Mike back into the open locker and making a grab for the envelope.
    â€˜Hey – Weir – c’mon