Zom-B by Darren Shan Read Free Book Online Page B

civilized.”
    “That was stupid,” Mrs. Reed murmurs.
    I bristle but don’t retort. Because she’s right—it was stupid.
    “Anyway,” I mutter, “Nancy squared up to me. I told her to butt out. She didn’t. Then she slapped me.”
    “She struck first?” Mrs. Reed asks.
    “Yeah. Everyone saw her.”
    “And you hit back?”
    “No. I let her slap me a few times. I tried to make a joke out of it. But then she cut me and I lost it.”
    “I see. Is there anything else you wish to add?”
    I think about stopping there, but Mrs. Reed is looking at me archly, like she still doesn’t think I’m capable of telling the truth. “I made some gorilla noises,” I sigh, my blush deepening.
    Mrs. Reed hums, picks up my file again and glances through it.
    “I know your father,” she says out of the blue.
    “My dad?” I frown.
    “Yes,” she says. “We share concerns about our nation’s disintegrating morals and have attended many of the same meetings over the years.”
    I blink, confusion turning into outright bewilderment. Dad has never talked about Mrs. Reed. I can’t imagine where they could have run into each other, except at parent-teacher evenings.
    “Your father is an upstanding member of the community,” Mrs. Reed continues, and I have to choke back a scornful laugh. “He works tirelessly for the things he believes in. Always there to lend his support when it is needed, giving selflessly of his time and energy.We need people like him. People like you . People who want to make Britain great again, who are prepared to fly in the face of public apathy and political correctness.”
    She pauses to make sure I’m on her wavelength. And I am. Mrs. Reed must share Dad’s low opinion of foreigners. I wouldn’t have thought someone in her position could be as small-minded and bigoted as my old man, but thinking back to the meetings he’s made me attend, there were all sorts present. I guess racists come from every walk of life.
    “This is not where we fight our battles,” Mrs. Reed says as I gape at her. “You achieve nothing by stirring up trouble like this. You merely hand ammunition to those who wish to undermine our cause. When you get into difficulties of this nature, it reflects poorly on your father, and by extension on the rest of us.”
    “I wasn’t fighting any battles,” I wheeze. “I was just having a go at Tyler and then Nancy got in my way and…”
    Mrs. Reed smiles gently. “I know it can be frustrating when people like Nancy interfere. Like your father, I am critical of this government’s immigration policies. They have let in too many people of Nancy’s caliber, and afforded them far too prominent a voice. But we must fight sensibly for a sensible Britain. When you are older, you can vote and campaign and express your concerns politically. The tide is turning. Public opinion is swinging our way, and will continue to do so, but only if people can trust us, if we behave calmly and responsibly. We must rise above insults and petty fights. We’re better than that.
    “You can return to class now,” Mrs. Reed says. “I’ll have a talkwith Miss Price. Since she slapped you first, I’m sure I’ll be able to convince her to let the matter drop. But, to be safe, tomorrow I want you to take her to one side and apologize.”
    “But–” I start to object.
    “It’s that or a suspension,” Mrs. Reed snaps.
    I fall silent. I wasn’t going to argue about the apology. I was going to say that this isn’t fair. I thought she was going to chew me a new arsehole. I didn’t expect her to sympathize with me. I wasn’t fighting for a cause. I’m not like my dad. I don’t give a stuff about any of that crap. I expected her to bawl me out, suspend me, maybe expel me. Instead she’s commending me. For making gorilla noises to a black girl.
    It’s wrong. I lost my head and did something I shouldn’t have. That was bad, but this is worse. It’s disturbing to think that a woman in Mrs.