Voices in Stone - Emily Diamand Page 0,54

was a rash, although it looked like normal skin to me.

It seemed like half our geography class was there already, plus a load of Year Sevens who were busy crying. The staff were looking really hassled, and one of them was doing nothing but ringing parents.

I’d gone with Jayden and Gav, not because I thought we’d been covered in slow-acting poison, but because there was no way I could find out what was going on if I stayed in school. I needed to access Dad’s Network of super-freaks by hacking into his email account, like I had before. But he’s so paranoid about security, I could only do that from his computer. If anyone had information about this kind of weird stuff, it was the Network.

The trouble was, the staff weren’t actually sending that many people home, not compared to how many there were. It was only the really bad ones. Everyone else was given, “Why don’t you sit quietly until you feel better?” or, “Have a glass of water.”

I needed something better than Gav’s rash to get out of school. I needed the old standby. I walked over to Mrs Bhatnagar.

“Yes?”

“I feel sick.”

“Well go and sit over…”

“No, really—” And I clapped my hands over my mouth, bent over a bit and made this retching noise, then I looked up all panicky, like the only thing I cared about was not spewing down myself.

“Get to the toilet!”

I ran there, making loads of sick noises, and dabbed a bit of water on my forehead so I’d look clammy. When I got back, Mrs Bhatnagar was too busy to check me over properly.

“I’m going to ring your mother,” she said crossly. “The last thing we need is a sickness outbreak as well.”

“No!” I said panicking, “Mum’s… interviewing people for a job all day, her phone’ll be switched off. Call my dad.”

It had to be Dad; Mum doesn’t have any of Dad’s geeky-freak mates in her email address book, plus she’d know straight off that I was pulling one.

So Mrs Bhatnagar rang Dad, and told me to wait at reception.

I should’ve known of course. We’re talking about my dad here.

“I told you, Gil asked me to come here and pick up his son because he’s working.” Stu had his anorak pulled right up around his face, even when he was talking to the school secretary.

“Could you lower your hood please, so I can get a clear look at you,” she said suspiciously.

“You’ve got CCTV,” he said, pointing at the camera above reception. “So no, I couldn’t, because I can’t afford to get on the system.”

The secretary muttered something I couldn’t hear and carried on double and triple checking everything about Stu. I’m not surprised, because he looked like the last person you’d want to send a kid off with. While she was checking him out, Gav arrived in reception and sat down next to me.

“You going home too?” I asked him.

He nodded. “With the rash, and feeling sick, and… the rest.” He watched Stu for a minute. “Who’s that nutter?”

I didn’t answer, pretending Stu was nothing to do with me.

“Hey,” said Gav. “Have you heard about Isis and her seance mates?”

I shook my head.

“They’re all in massive trouble, and Isis has been chucked out of school! The head said this is all their fault.” He inspected the invisible rash on his arm.

I tried to get more out of him, but that was all he knew. And by then the secretary had finished checking Stu.

“All right,” she said, “Gray’s father did ring to confirm you could collect his son.”

Stu nodded inside his coat, making this crinkly noise. “I’ll look after him, don’t you worry. Had kids of my own.”

The secretary looked like she didn’t quite believe him.

“Come on,” Stu called at me.

I got up from my chair, wishing Gav wasn’t there.

“Why couldn’t Dad come?” I asked Stu as we headed for the doors.

“He’s halfway through chopping a dead tree down. Said he couldn’t leave until it was safe.” Stu glanced at me. “You should have rung your mum.”

“She’s busy too,” I lied.

Stu pushed open the door and I stood in the doorway, my heartbeat suddenly drumming in my ears.

“Come on,” said Stu. “I haven’t got all day.”

“Where’s your car?” I asked, trying to spot his manky old Volvo in the car park.

“Up on the road – I couldn’t get any nearer,” said Stu. “Do you know how many cars there are at this school, and half of them are double-parked! How can one school