car. They were real-estate boards, and emblazoned across the top of them was a picture of his mum and the words SARAH BATES REAL ESTATE .
Sarah Bates? They were married? His mum was a real estate agent? This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t right.
Without thinking, Jake suddenly stood straight up from his hiding place.
Bates looked over at him as he slammed the boot of the car. ‘Who the hell are you?’
Jake was totally sprung but he didn’t care.
He turned to his mum. ‘You’re married to him ?’
His mum took a step towards him.
‘Careful, Sarah, he could be dangerous.’
‘It’s fine, Brian.’ She looked carefully at Jake. ‘Why are you here again?’
‘ Again ?’ said Bates, exasperated. ‘Is this kid harassing you?’
She shook her head. ‘No. Well, we did meet yesterday in rather odd –’ She grimaced, and her hand flew to her head.
Jake watched her, concerned. She’d done the same thing yesterday. ‘You okay, Mu–’ He stopped himself.
‘Who are you, kid?’ demanded Bates.
‘Good question. Maybe I can get back to you on that.’
‘Don’t be smart. I’ve every mind to call the police.’
Jake almost smiled. That he’d like to see. His dad arriving to protect his mum. That would sure be a first.
Bates wasn’t going to let it go. ‘What are you doing, hiding there?’
Jake wanted to yell back, What are you doing married to my mum? But he knew it would just make things worse. He gestured to Telly’s bike lying on the road. ‘Got a flat.’
His mum staggered slightly.
‘Sarah, you all right?’ Bates asked, concerned.
‘Just a migraine coming on.’
That wasn’t like her. She never got sick. Ever.
‘You don’t get migraines,’ said Jake.
‘You’re right,’ she said, surprised. ‘I don’t. How did you –’ She staggered again.
Bates supported her and turned back to Jake. ‘Take your bike and clear off. I don’t want to see you around here again.’
Jake stood there hopelessly, watching Bates lead his mum back to the house.
What was his mum thinking? His dad was bad enough, but Bates? How could she see anything in that uptight schmuck?
Jake rode to his old neighbourhood. He didn’t need the bike anymore. There was nothing left to chase after.
He found Telly, dressed in a Superman outfit, jumping off his garage roof and pretending to fly.
Jake dumped the bike. ‘Thanks for the loan,’ he called.
But Telly was too busy extracting himself from a pile of mulch to respond.
Jake took one last look at his house. He’d always been ashamed of how povo it looked. Most of the footy team didn’t even know where he lived. He was too embarrassed to tell them. But right now he’d give anything to open the front door, go inside and for everything to be exactly the way it was before. It didn’t matter that he and his mum would never be able to afford a big, white house. He’d be happy just to curl up on the ratty old couch in the lounge room and admire the view of the neighbour’s brick wall.
But if he went anywhere near his front door he’d probably get bludgeoned to death by that hairy biker. He took a deep breath and walked determinedly in the other direction.
In town, Jake found the others standing beside two large dumpsters at the back of the Mini Mart.
‘Where’ve you been?’ asked Sam.
He shrugged. He couldn’t tell them about Bates. Couldn’t cope with the humiliation. Sure, the others had their own problems, but at least their parents were still married to each other.
‘Felix is instructing us in rubbish eating,’ said Andy brightly.
Felix sighed in frustration. ‘It’s not rubbish, okay? Food gets thrown out when it reaches its use-by date. It’s perfectly edible.’
‘So, what do we do?’ asked Jake.
‘They call it dumpster diving,’ said Felix. ‘You basically just take anything that’s edible.’
Jake suddenly realised how long it had been since he’d eaten anything other than apples. ‘I’ll do it,’ he
Sarah Bates? They were married? His mum was a real estate agent? This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t right.
Without thinking, Jake suddenly stood straight up from his hiding place.
Bates looked over at him as he slammed the boot of the car. ‘Who the hell are you?’
Jake was totally sprung but he didn’t care.
He turned to his mum. ‘You’re married to him ?’
His mum took a step towards him.
‘Careful, Sarah, he could be dangerous.’
‘It’s fine, Brian.’ She looked carefully at Jake. ‘Why are you here again?’
‘ Again ?’ said Bates, exasperated. ‘Is this kid harassing you?’
She shook her head. ‘No. Well, we did meet yesterday in rather odd –’ She grimaced, and her hand flew to her head.
Jake watched her, concerned. She’d done the same thing yesterday. ‘You okay, Mu–’ He stopped himself.
‘Who are you, kid?’ demanded Bates.
‘Good question. Maybe I can get back to you on that.’
‘Don’t be smart. I’ve every mind to call the police.’
Jake almost smiled. That he’d like to see. His dad arriving to protect his mum. That would sure be a first.
Bates wasn’t going to let it go. ‘What are you doing, hiding there?’
Jake wanted to yell back, What are you doing married to my mum? But he knew it would just make things worse. He gestured to Telly’s bike lying on the road. ‘Got a flat.’
His mum staggered slightly.
‘Sarah, you all right?’ Bates asked, concerned.
‘Just a migraine coming on.’
That wasn’t like her. She never got sick. Ever.
‘You don’t get migraines,’ said Jake.
‘You’re right,’ she said, surprised. ‘I don’t. How did you –’ She staggered again.
Bates supported her and turned back to Jake. ‘Take your bike and clear off. I don’t want to see you around here again.’
Jake stood there hopelessly, watching Bates lead his mum back to the house.
What was his mum thinking? His dad was bad enough, but Bates? How could she see anything in that uptight schmuck?
Jake rode to his old neighbourhood. He didn’t need the bike anymore. There was nothing left to chase after.
He found Telly, dressed in a Superman outfit, jumping off his garage roof and pretending to fly.
Jake dumped the bike. ‘Thanks for the loan,’ he called.
But Telly was too busy extracting himself from a pile of mulch to respond.
Jake took one last look at his house. He’d always been ashamed of how povo it looked. Most of the footy team didn’t even know where he lived. He was too embarrassed to tell them. But right now he’d give anything to open the front door, go inside and for everything to be exactly the way it was before. It didn’t matter that he and his mum would never be able to afford a big, white house. He’d be happy just to curl up on the ratty old couch in the lounge room and admire the view of the neighbour’s brick wall.
But if he went anywhere near his front door he’d probably get bludgeoned to death by that hairy biker. He took a deep breath and walked determinedly in the other direction.
In town, Jake found the others standing beside two large dumpsters at the back of the Mini Mart.
‘Where’ve you been?’ asked Sam.
He shrugged. He couldn’t tell them about Bates. Couldn’t cope with the humiliation. Sure, the others had their own problems, but at least their parents were still married to each other.
‘Felix is instructing us in rubbish eating,’ said Andy brightly.
Felix sighed in frustration. ‘It’s not rubbish, okay? Food gets thrown out when it reaches its use-by date. It’s perfectly edible.’
‘So, what do we do?’ asked Jake.
‘They call it dumpster diving,’ said Felix. ‘You basically just take anything that’s edible.’
Jake suddenly realised how long it had been since he’d eaten anything other than apples. ‘I’ll do it,’ he
Similar Books
