Timesurfers by Rhonda Sermon Read Free Book Online Page B

spluttered, wiping her mouth with the back
of her hand. The other cheerleaders stared in astonishment.
    “I never joke about
cheerleading,” Brittany replied. “We meet on the oval Thursday
after school.”
    “Nice going.” Rose high-fived Rafe.
    “I aim to please.” Rafe winked.
    “So Eve, are you up for some cheerleading?”
Rose smiled. Red crept along Eve’s latte cheeks as she stared at
the table, pushing strands of white-blonde hair behind her
ears.
    Eve has such a crush on
Rose! Cate thought.
    “You two are prettier than all those
cheerleaders; how come you aren’t on the team already?”
    “Well”—Eve preened as she spoke—“I am
gorgeous but disliked because I hang with Cate, who is more gorgeous than me, but has a foul temper she often
has trouble controlling. People keep their distance. So pretty yes,
but popular, not so much. I’m also extremely uncoordinated.”
    “Cate!”
    Well, well, well. “What do you want?”
    “I wanted to say hi,” Zach replied.
    His eyes were puffy and his blonde ringlets
rumpled. That could be his new popular style though. Her desire to smack him around dwindled as she took
in his shabby look. She still wanted to get even, but not like
that.
    “Oh,” she replied. “Well, hi.” Zach’s eyes
followed Austin’s fingers, which had begun to trace circles on her
neck. Cate’s entire body below the waist filled with butterflies.
She was surprised and a little pleased at how unpleased Zach looked. She snuggled a little closer to
Austin. Hello, new boyfriend !
    “Well, bye,” Zach finished.
    “Bye.” Cate mustered the brightest “I am so
over you” smile possible.
    “Bye, Jack,” Austin called.
    “It’s Zach,” Zach replied.
    “I always get that wrong. Sorry.” Austin
didn’t look remotely sorry.
    Zach’s eyes flashed with anger.
    “Eve, could you be a dear and get me a glass
of water?” Rose asked with a dazzling smile. “I feel a little
warm.”
    “On it!” Eve’s face lit up, and she zoomed to
the servery .
    Austin’s hand dropped from Cate’s neck as
Zach sat next to Brittany. “That would be our cue to report
back.”
    “I have questions,” Cate said.
    “And when we confirm who you are, we’ll
consider answering them.” Austin stood and hoisted his leg over the
back of his chair. “Oh, Cate?”
    “Yeah.”
    “I guess we’re an item now.”
    She took a deep breath, but the three of them
were already halfway to the door.
    “I really like them.” Eve’s face beamed as
she watched Rose leave. At five foot five, Eve was three inches
shorter than Cate and far more slender. Her lack of curves and
boobs was a constant source of angst. “So you and Austin looked cosy . Now you two
together makes far more sense than you and Zach ever did.”
    Cate gave a noncommittal shrug.
    ***
    She stewed through the afternoon about all things
Austin. Eve left straight from school for an appointment, so Cate
headed to homework club to finish a pesky essay. She left school at
a different time and from a different building each day. Witness
protection frowned on routine.
    As the sun disappeared behind the buildings,
she shoved her books away and headed home. She’d make a loop around
the boarders’ house for the required deviation as she left the
school grounds.
    The minute she stepped out of homework club,
the short hairs on her neck stood up. She put her head down and
power walked to the iron gates and hesitated. After checking behind
her, she deliberated whether to call her mum to collect her.
    “You’re being paranoid,” she muttered,
crossing the road at a jog. A huge ginger cat raced past her. It
looked like Polka Dot, the neighbourhood stray. She glanced behind again.
Someone with a tangle of white-blonde hair disappeared around the
corner.
    The shadows from the old boarding house
started dancing, extending dark, damp fingers her way. One
particular shadow held her attention. It crept along the ground
toward her. She froze. Was that someone