Tunnels by Lesley Downie Read Free Book Online Page B

stuck it in my backpack instead of my pocket. Double crud.
    Ashley bolted and by the time I got to the classroom door, she'd already disappeared into the crowded hallway. It's like all the kids in the school were in on it. I could not break through the wall of people walking as slowly as Sam when he's been told to clean up his seriously messy room. Epic freak out happening right now. What do I do? If I acted like it was a big deal, that what she stole from me was the most embarrassing thing ever, then she'd sense my fear. Then they'd get one of the computer dudes crushing on Kelley to crack the code I'd used in my answer to the daily question. But if I acted like I didn't care, maybe it would all go away.
    "What'd she take?" David asked as he caught up with me.
    Like I could tell him. "Not much," I lied. "Just some class notes. " I mean, if you saw the fat triangle shape, you'd fully know it was not class notes. "Must have fallen out of my backpack, and we didn't see it when we were picking the stuff up. Look, I gotta go."
    I ran off because I couldn't face him. Not before I got back what was private property of me and my friends. I had to find Ashley and use any means of force necessary to get back that paper.
    And today's question of the day?
    WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE YOUR FIRST KISS?
    Theft was bad enough. But the fact my rep might go from nice girl to the biggest loser if they crack the code…well, that's worse, right?

 
    TOP TEN WAYS TO STAY HOME FROM SCHOOL TO AVOID FURTHER HUMILIATION
    Â 
    10.Hold thermometer under hot water for a minute, stick in mouth, get back in bed, groan like you ' re dying.
    9.Eat massive amounts of veggie soufflé and follow it up with spinach and mom ' s energy drink. Hurl loudly in the bathroom nearest parent s ' bedroom.
    8.Tell parents you are majorly stressed out and need a mental health week. Say you want to cancel cable and only watch news shows so they know you ' re seriously sprung.
    7.Totally clean house without being asked and claim the cleaning products have made you feel woozy.
    6.Lie on couch with a heating pad clutched to your abdomen and cry a lot over nothing. Dad will avoid you completely when Mom tells him, " It ' s a girl thing. "
    5.Put on bathing suit and roll in grass so you develop a mysterious rash. Itch a lot so you ' re completely red by the time you show parents.
    4.Lay at bottom of stairs and yell for help. Say you got dizzy and fell. X-rays and MRIs will guarantee a few days off.
    3.Tell brother you love him and only want to spend time with him from now on. Parents will want an immediate mental eval which will take a full day for sure.
    2.Tell mom you only want to wear pink floral clothing she picks out from now on. Another mental eval will be on the way.
    And the #1 way to legitimately stay home a few days:
    Go to Pizza Playground, climb through tubes, get in ball pit, let kids cough and sneeze on you without smacking them, lick hands. Germs galore? Check!

Chapter Eight
    A DATE?
    "Uh, that would be no!"
    Evan wasn't cooperating. He even held his hand up in front of my face for crying out loud. Thanks, Mom and all those judges on TV for teaching my best friend to be the most annoying bestie ever. I'd started to ask him to go with me to the tunnels again and this is how he answered me.
    I knew it was risky going back there. I knew better than anybody. There was a lunatic loose who definitely didn't want me snooping around. But why? What was this tunnel guy trying to keep me away from? For some reason answering this question was more important to me than how scared I'd be going back to the tunnels. Plus, wouldn't he have killed me already if he wanted me dead?
    "But E—"
    "Oops, there's my ride. Tyra won't wait—got a marathon of her and the girls and it starts at four." He jumped in his Mom's station wagon. Thanks for all the support, buddy.
    "Hey, how's it going?"
    Was that whose voice I thought it was? I did a one-eighty. David's eyes were green