Spurt by Chris Miles Read Free Book Online

said Sampson. He flashed a dark look at Jack, which went unnoticed by Vivi, then walked off down the corridor.
    ‘What are you doing getting him involved in this?’ hissed Jack.
    ‘In what?’ said Vivi.
    ‘In this! In … us .’
    ‘I … don’t think there is an “us”, Jack.’
    ‘Not us us. I mean all of us. Me and you and Reese and Darylyn.’ Again, Jack wondered if Vivi knew about Reese and Darylyn’s secret pairing. If she did, she didn’t show it.
    ‘Look, Jack,’ said Vivi, ‘things aren’t always going to stay the same …’
    (Jack wanted to mention that he had three terms’ worth of looking down his pyjama bottoms that suggested otherwise.)
    ‘… and anyway, Oliver actually seems like an okay guy when you get to know him. Plus the only reason we got talking yesterday after PE was because you disappeared on me.’
    Disappeared , thought Jack. That’s exactly what he felt was happening. He wondered how long it would be before nobody saw him at all.

The tables in the student centre had been cleared to one side. Jack counted about twenty Year 7s and 8s sitting in two half-circle rows of chairs facing the guest speaker from Upland City Council. Jack deliberately sat in the row behind Vivi and Sampson, so he could eavesdrop on them without drawing attention to himself.
    He wasn’t sure what he expected to hear. Some accidental confession? Some careless hint confirming his suspicion that they’d become an oddly matched romantic couple overnight? ( King Kong and the lady from King Kong, thought Jack.)
    All that actually happened was that for the whole first ten minutes of the session, Jack kept having to lean from side to side to see past Sampson’s ox-like shoulders.
    The other kids in the room were junior school’s best and brightest: the high achievers, the popular kids, the all-rounders, the online petition-makers and rally-marchers. For a moment Jack was reminded of the cast meetings for Bigwigs , when the contestants would all be crammed into a dingy production office and briefed on their workplace challenge for the week. An office like the one where Jack had been told the real reason he wouldn’t be making it any further in the finals.
    ‘We’re looking for someone with the maturity to represent their school in the community,’ the woman from the mayor’s office was saying, ‘but also someone who can learn from having the town’s top job for a week. If you think that person is you, I’d encourage you to find someone to nominate you and choose one of the essay topics listed on the application form. And I think that’s all I need to tell you, except to say: good luck!’
    Jack and Vivi’s home room teacher, Mr Jacobs, led the assembled students in applause.
    Vivi turn to Sampson. ‘Essay topics?’ Jack heard her say. She looked confused, as though she couldn’t work out whether to be annoyed or not. ‘They must have changed the rules. I guess it’s not just a popularity contest after all.’
    Meanwhile, the junior school deputy head Ms Liaw had stepped off into one of the offices adjoining the student centre to fetch the next speaker. It hadn’t even occurred to Jack who it would be, but suddenly there she was: Natsumi ‘Nats’ Distagio.
    There were murmurings of disapproval from some of the Year 7s and 8s. Jack half expected Vivi to turn around and make another joke about him marrying into the Distagio family. He almost wished she would. Any attention would be better than no attention at all.
    Nats glanced quickly down at the index cards in her hand, cleared her throat, then straightened her back and lifted her chin. ‘Imagine being able to walk a week in someone else’s shoes. To see the big picture.’ She gazed earnestly at the assembled Year 7s and 8s. ‘Imagine being given the opportunity to bring people together. To make a difference. That’s what it felt like the week I was Mayor for a Week for a week. It’s an experience I’ll always remember – even in five