Underworld by Cathy MacPhail Page A

around the room and write something about that person on the card.’ There was a ripple of sniggers. ‘No.No one is allowed to put anything rude, or detrimental, or negative about anyone. You could say someone has a nice smile, or lovely hair.’
    Zesh’s glance fell on Axel. What could anyone possibly say that was positive about him? That would be a hard one. Zesh decided he’d just avoid him.
    Mr Marks went on, ‘No one will know what’s written on their back until the end of the evening.’
    â€˜I’m not playin’ any stupid game!’ Axel said.
    Mr Marks practically ignored him. ‘Game still applies. People can write on your card anyway.’
    There were a lot of giggles and laughing as people jostled to collect their cards, slipped them around their necks and began walking around the room looking for who they would pick on first.
    It was funny to watch. One really long and lanky boy from the other school was walking about with, ‘He’s tall, that’s about it.’
    Someone had written on Fiona’s, ‘She’s a wonderful friend.’ It was Angie’s handwriting.
    And someone else had written, ‘She’s dead funny.’
    Liam’s said, ‘He can draw.’
    Zesh had never known that until today. Why did he hide it?
    Mr Marks suddenly rushed up to Angie and began rubbing something out on her card. He glared at a girl from the other school who had smirked as she’d written it.
    â€˜Was it something rude, sir?’ Angie asked naively.
    Zesh had seen exactly what it said: ‘She couldn’t be much fatter, could she?’
    But Mr Marks covered it up beautifully. ‘They can’t spell “pretty”, Angie,’ he said.
    The girl from the other school sniggered. ‘Aye, pretty fat.’
    And Fiona stepped forward. ‘Aye, but she’s got a pretty face … fat people usually do, and anyway, you’re pretty ugly.’
    The girl pushed her aside. ‘Who are you, the organ grinder’s monkey? You’re ugly enough.’
    Fiona grabbed her by the throat and almost lifted her off her feet. ‘You want me to trail you, hen?’
    Mr Marks roared with anger. ‘That’s enough! Fiona, I thought it would be the boys who would be fighting, not you.’
    â€˜Oh but Mr Marks, she was sticking up for me.’
    Fiona almost went white. ‘No, I wasn’t. I was sticking up for me! She called me a monkey!’ But Angiewouldn’t listen. Nothing would stop her from thinking that once again Fiona had taken her side.
    At the end of the evening when they read their cards, Zesh’s said, ‘He sticks up for people.’ That was the one he liked best. Had Angie written that? Or had she written, ‘He’s dead good-looking’? However, he had a feeling it was Fiona who had written, ‘He looks too clean for my liking.’ Wow! Some compliment.
    Angie was over the moon with hers. She hugged it against herself. ‘I’ll keep this for ever.’ ‘She’s always so positive,’ it read. ‘That’s me,’ she said. ‘Always positive.’
    And Axel? Zesh watched him as he pulled his card off and threw it across the floor angrily. There was nothing written on it. People were probably too frightened to write anything, or were they, like Zesh, unable to find anything good to say about Axel O’Rourke.

Chapter 10
    Liam waited nearly three days to get his own back on Mrs Soames. It took him that amount of time to come up with his plan. It was a beauty. Just the right thing to make that horrible woman regret what she’d done to him.
    He was up early that morning. He had to be. Sneaking out of bed and into the fields. His work done, he climbed back into bed, sure that no one had missed him. So he jumped out of his skin when Axel turned and spoke to him. ‘Where were you?’
    â€˜Toilet,’ he said, and hoped his voice