Read Online Angel Creek by Sally Rippin - Free Book Online Page A

the day before had disappeared, swallowed by the storm.
    Before they turned down the side of the school, she checked for Jack or Budgie, but there was no one about. As they drew close to the shed, Jelly heard a soft banging and scraping against the tin wall. They paused and Gino looked at Jelly.
    â€˜I think we should take it back to the creek,’ she said.
    â€˜No way.’
    â€˜It doesn’t belong to you, Gino.’
    â€˜Finders keepers. Remember?’
    â€˜That’s stupid. I don’t mean that. It doesn’t belong to me either. What if it has a mother or something that’s looking for it?’
    â€˜Angels don’t have mothers.’
    â€˜How do you know? It’s only a baby, Gino.’
    â€˜I can look after it.’
    â€˜How?’
    â€˜Same as you. I can look after it as good as you.’
    â€˜Look after it then!’ Jelly thrust the plastic bag into Gino’s hands. ‘And if it dies it’s your fault.’
    She marched across the playground. At the fence, she turned to see Gino open the shed door and slide in. There was a wild flapping. She heard Gino shouting, then a crash. Jelly darted over. She opened the door just a crack, but the angel spotted her. It swept over and caught her hair in its hands, dragging her into the shed.
    â€˜Don’t let it out!’ Gino leapt up from where he was cowering on the floor and pulled the shed door behind her. The angel squatted on Jelly’s shoulders, its mouth and fingers in her hair, toes digging into her shoulders. Jelly tried to shake it off, but the angel’s wings rose and flapped wildly each time she moved. With every powerful swoop Jelly was nearly lifted off the ground. Then the angel squealed.
    Jelly covered her ears and stumbled around the room. ‘Let me go,’ she begged the angel. ‘Please let me go.’ She tried to bat it from her head but it held on tightly.
    Eventually the angel stopped its infernal shrieking. It clambered down her back and crawled in between her legs, wrapping its fingers around her ankles and glowering at Gino. Jelly lifted it to her chest. Both their hearts were pounding.
    â€˜What did you do to it?’
    â€˜I didn’t do anything,’ said Gino, still flattened against the door. There was a long pink scratch down his cheek and he was breathing fast.
    Jelly carried the angel to the blanket and sat down. In the corner of the shed she noticed a small pile of shredded bandages. ‘Well, at least its wing seems better.’
    She couldn’t help smiling as she handed a bunch of grapes to the angel. She had no idea why it had become so attached to her and not Gino. Right from when they had found it in the tunnel it had never let Gino or Pik get close. Perhaps it saw her as a mother figure? But that wouldn’t explain why it shied away from the boys.
    â€˜We’ve got to be careful it doesn’t get away,’ Gino said, his eyes fixed on the angel fossicking around in the fruit bag. ‘Now that it can fly again.’
    â€˜It’s better, Gino. We should let it go. That’s what we said.’
    The angel spat grape skins and stalks into Jelly’s lap and shoved a ripe apricot into its wet mouth. Jelly brushed the rubbish off her shorts.
    â€˜I told you, I’m keeping it. It only wants you ’cause it sees you. Yesterday it was fine with me after you left.’
    â€˜Even if that was true, what are you going to do with it? You can’t keep it forever, Gino.’
    â€˜Why not?’
    â€˜Because it’s…it’s…it’s not a pet.’
    Gino flared up. ‘Stop telling me what to do all the time. I’m sick of it. You’re always bossing me around. It’s not like you’re even my friend—you’re just my stupid cousin. You say my dad bosses me around but you’re worse.’
    Jelly stood up and shoved the angel into Gino’s arms. ‘Fine. Take it