Free Bleakboy and Hunter Stand Out in the Rain by Steven Herrick Page A

the family riches.’
    â€˜Sis,’ I say seriously, ‘I don’t think it would work a second time.’
    â€˜I know.’ Beth rolls her eyes. ‘I was joking.’
    She puts her arm around my shoulder again and we keep walking. Ryan is leaning against the fence outside school, admiring the tattoo on his forearm.
    â€˜See ya, klepto,’ says Beth, as she strides ahead to Ryan. He holds his forearm out so Beth can’t miss the tattoo. It looks like a dragon wrapped around a dagger.
    â€˜You did it!’ Beth shouts.
    â€˜Yep. It’s called Warlock Dreaming,’ says Ryan.
    â€˜Is it real?’
    Ryan blushes. ‘It’ll last for two weeks.’
    I give them space to admire the stick-on thinking please, Trevor, don’t let Beth get a tattoo. Mum and Dad have enough worries.

17
    jesse
    All morning in class during quiet reading time, I stare at the same page, going over everything that happened yesterday.
    Helping Kelifa made me feel good.
    Stealing from Dad made me feel bad.
    Helping Watson escape from Hunter made me feel good.
    Being scared of Hunter makes me feel bad.
    Does doing something good always come at a high price?
    â€˜Hunter, what are you doing?’ Sarah asks.
    â€˜Nothing!’ I answer.
    Everyone in class looks at me. Did I just answer to the name of Hunter? I slink down in my chair. ‘Sorry, Sarah, I thought you meant Jesse,’ I mumble.
    â€˜Yes, the names do sound very …’ Sarah lets the sentence hang. ‘But I was talking to the other Hunter.’ Everyone turns toward Hunter who is unknowingly holding his book upside down.
    â€˜What are you doing, Hunter?’ Sarah repeats.
    â€˜I’m not doing nothing,’ he says.
    â€˜Anything,’ corrects Sarah.
    â€˜What?’ says Hunter.
    â€˜You’re not doing anything,’ says Sarah, in a resigned voice.
    â€˜Yes, I am,’ Hunter says. ‘I’m reading.’
    The brave ones giggle. I keep silent. Hunter holds up the book, ‘What’s this then?’
    â€˜It’s a book, Hunter,’ says Sarah.
    Hunter smirks.
    â€˜And …’ Sarah stops speaking and sighs. She leans across her desk and picks up the book she was reading. ‘Five minutes more of reading time, class.’ She then elaborately turns her book upside down and pretends to read it.
    A curse comes from the corner where Hunter is sitting. No-one dares look. Sarah smiles at him. She closes her book and walks behind her desk to sit down.
    I raise my hand.
    â€˜Yes,’ she pretends to forget my name, ‘Jesse, isn’t it?’
    â€˜Sarah, after reading, can we do writing work?’
    Everyone groans, except Sarah and Kate.
    â€˜What did you have in mind, Jesse?’
    â€˜If he says poetry, I’m going on strike!’ calls Hunter.
    â€˜ He has a name, Hunter,’ says Sarah.
    â€˜Yeah, Bleakboy,’ whispers Hunter. A few students behind me titter.
    â€˜Pardon?’ says Sarah.
    Kate raises her hand.
    â€˜Why don’t we practise writing letters, Sarah?’ I suggest.
    â€˜Emails you mean,’ corrects Skye. ‘No-one writes letters anymore, except old people.’
    â€˜And losers,’ adds Hunter.
    â€˜Writing letters it is,’ says Sarah. ‘Anyone in particular you want to write to, Jesse?’
    Kate waves her hand, trying to get Sarah’s attention. Sarah ignores her and looks at me.
    â€˜I thought we could try writing to the Japanese Embassy, Sarah,’ I say. ‘About the whales.’
    â€˜Not the whales again, Sarah,’ pleads Skye.
    â€˜To save the whales,’ I add. ‘A letter, an email to …’ I can’t think of the word.
    â€˜A protest letter!’ Kate calls out.
    Sarah winces. ‘Kate, raise your hand if you wish to speak.’
    â€˜I did.’ Kate raises her hand a little higher and twinkles her fingers as if to convince Sarah.
    Sarah sighs,