The Set Up by Sophie McKenzie Read Free Book Online

know how terrifying it was for you when your telekinesis started. Imagine living with that for months . . . even years. I have to find the poor girl, even if it’s just to pass on the information about the Medusa gene, like I did with Edward O’Brien.’
    I nodded.
    ‘Of course, if you don’t want to go through your step-dad’s things I’ll understand,’ Jack went on. ‘But you are – without doubt – in the best position to do it.’
    My hand fingered the bundle of notes in my pocket again. This money was my passport to Ketty. And Jack had helped me to get it. The least I could do now was help him help someone else. Anyway, Fergus didn’t deserve my loyalty after keeping quiet about the Medusa gene all these years.
    ‘Sure,’ I said. ‘No problem.’
     

    ‘For you.’ I handed over the envelope.
    Ketty opened it, a puzzled expression on her face. She drew out the Youth Marathon entry confirmation.
    I bit my lip, waiting for her response. I’d gone online and booked her onto the marathon as soon as I’d got back from Jack’s. It had been straightforward enough to fill out the entry form – I knew Ketty ran about three miles a day, which was above the entry requirement.
    I’d printed it out and posted it with the necessary forty pounds cash and now, three days later, here was the confirmation that she was actually signed up for the race.
    At last Ketty looked up. It was morning break and we were standing in the entrance hall. People were rushing past us in every direction, but all I could see were Ketty’s golden-brown eyes.
    ‘Wow, Nico.’ She looked up at me, full of wonder. Then she wrinkled her nose. ‘I don’t understand . . .’
    ‘There’s nothing to understand.’ I shrugged. ‘You said you wanted to enter the marathon and I’ve registered you.’ I pushed four fifty-pound notes into her hand. ‘This should cover all the other stuff you need – travel and food and staying in the designated youth hostel. You’ll need your parents’ permission to go, but you said before they were only objecting to the cost, so that shouldn’t be a problem.’
    Ketty’s mouth fell open. ‘But . . . but where did you get all this money?’
    I shrugged. ‘Been saving for ages,’ I said.
    Ketty raised her eyebrows. ‘Don’t lie to me, Nico. This is loads of money. We both know you don’t have any savings or get this kind of allowance.’
    Crap.
    ‘Okay, okay.’ I sighed. ‘If you want the truth, I won it on a bet and I thought you could use it more than me.’
    ‘You’re kidding.’ Ketty frowned.
    ‘You’re welcome,’ I said, sarcastically.
    Ketty’s face softened. She reached up and kissed my cheek. I could feel myself reddening and coughed to cover my embarrassment.
    ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘It’s amazing you’ve done this . . . like I said, I just don’t understand . . .’
    I rolled my eyes. ‘I bet you don’t give Billy such a hard time when he buys you something.’
    As soon as the words were out of my mouth I knew I’d said something wrong.
    ‘Billy’s never bought me anything,’ Ketty said.
    I raised my eyebrows. ‘Really? What about your new phone and those fancy earrings you were wearing last Friday.’
    ‘What are you talking about?’ Ketty took a step away from me. ‘The phone was a giveaway with some bank account Billy’s parents set up for him. He’d just got a new upgrade, so he let me have the mobile from the offer.’ She shook her head. ‘And the earrings belong to his older sister. I was borrowing them because Billy offered . . . Just for the night. I didn’t really want to, but he kept going on about them. You should know they’re not my kind of thing at all.’
    ‘Oh.’ My throat felt tight. Ketty was looking at me like I had ten heads.
    ‘Is that what this is about?’ She frowned. ‘Trying to look big by competing with Billy Martin?’
    ‘No . . .’
    There was a long pause. The school bell rang right above our heads. Ketty looked at her