Nowhere Boys by Elise Mccredie Read Free Book Online Page A

money and how they were going to care for him.
    Okay, so his family didn’t know who he was, but he could live with that if it meant that Oscar had a second chance. That’s what he’d wanted, after all. Maybe it was like in those fairytales where you get what you want but lose something else. Like that mermaid who got to have legs, but whenever she walked it felt like she was walking on knives. He’d do that for Oscar. He’d pretty much do anything.
    Oscar came back with the board and started to set up the pieces.
    The screen door opened again and Felix’s mum put her head out. ‘Oscie, you’ve got some more friends over. Mr Popular.’
    Oscar cringed.
    Felix looked up to see Sam and Andy come out the back door. His mum ducked back inside. What were they doing here? How did they even know where he lived?
    ‘Ah, Oscar. This is Sam and Andy.’
    ‘Are they friends of yours?’
    ‘Er, yeah. Kind of.’
    ‘We need to talk,’ Sam said to Felix. He looked pale.
    Getting the message, Oscar stood up. ‘I’ll go get drinks.’
    Sam and Andy stared in disbelief as Oscar walked to the door and opened it.
    Andy turned to Felix. ‘Your brother can walk ?’
    Felix wasn’t sure what to say. Maybe now would be a good time to tell them. Thank them. After all, he couldn’t have done it without them. But all that came out was feigned surprise. ‘It’s incredible, right?’
    His mum popped her head out of the door. She was holding a handkerchief to her nose. ‘Fergus?’
    ‘Felix, actually.’
    ‘Sorry. Felix.’
    Felix felt Sam and Andy’s eyes on him.
    ‘I was just wondering if you’d like to stay for tea? It’s so nice for Oscar to have a new friend.’
    ‘Sure, that’d be great,’ he said.
    She sneezed again and the door banged behind her.
    Sam stared at him. ‘Your mum doesn’t know your name?’
    Felix shrugged and looked away. Oscar walking was one thing, but how was he supposed to explain that his family didn’t have a clue who he was?
    ‘She just asked you to stay for dinner,’ said Andy.
    Felix took a deep breath. ‘Okay, they don’t know who I am yet, that’s all. But Oscar can walk. It’s a miracle, right?’
    Felix looked hopefully at Sam and Andy. How could he make them understand that even though this family didn’t know who he was, it kind of didn’t matter right now? In fact, things were a lot better than the way they were before. Not only could Oscar walk, but his mum actually seemed to want Felix around. He felt like a human being in her presence again, not the loser son who’d ruined everybody’s lives.
    ‘Yeah, Felix, it’s a real miracle that none of our families have a clue who we are,’ said Sam bitterly.
    Felix took a moment to process what Sam had just said. None of their families?
    Sam was struggling to keep it together. ‘My parents think I’m a nut job, Andy’s grandma chased him with a meat cleaver and Jake’s mum is nothing like Jake’s mum.’
    Felix stared at him.
    ‘And your mum thinks you’re called Fergus,’ added Andy.
    ‘So that means the same thing has happened to all four of us,’ continued Sam.
    ‘Which means it has to be connected to what happened in the forest,’ said Andy.
    Felix felt a wave of panic. Oh God. What had he done?
    He was saved by Oscar reappearing with a jug of cordial and some cups. ‘We’ve only got low joule, so you have to drink three times as much.’
    ‘Sam and Andy were actually just leaving,’ said Felix. He had no idea what was going on, but whatever it was, he couldn’t discuss it now. Not in front of Oscar.
    Sam leant in. ‘Something happened out there, Felix. We need to work out what it was. Find out how to fix it.’
    ‘What happened out where?’ asked Oscar curiously.
    Felix shook his head at Sam. Couldn’t he get the hint? ‘I’ll catch up with you guys later, okay?’
    Sam was looking more and more upset. ‘Dude, this can’t wait. We need to be together. Work out –’
    ‘Later. Okay?’
    Sam shook