Read Online Conrad Cooper's Last Stand ePub by Leonie Agnew - Free Book Online Page B

now.’ Shaking her head, she runs a hand through her hair. ‘If anyone complains I’ll have to call your parents and that’s the last thing I want.’
    Well, that makes two of us, Miss Cody. Just thinking about her calling Gaz makes me feel tired, which is weird. I’ve had a good night’s sleep.
    She turns her head to one side. ‘Conrad?’
    ‘Um … yes, Miss Cody?’
    ‘Did Jasper Harris put you up to this?’
    ‘What? No, miss.’
    ‘Really?’ I shake my head again, because it’s the truth, and she sighs. ‘Well … all right. But I’d watch that one, if I were you.’ She nods, giving me the ‘clear off’ look, so I turn around and head for my bag.
    Wow, Tane. You learn something new every day. I never knew I was being mean. Sometimes it’s tricky working out what’s good or bad, but I’m never talking to Mere or James again. I don’t want to bully them by accident.
    On the way home, I pass kids from my class by the crossing. They’re waiting for the bus and Steve McIntyre calls out, ‘Hey, Conrad, what’s with all this Bastion Point stuff? You’re not Maori, are you?’
    I try to keep my head down, focusing on my feet. But it’s not easy. I almost walk into a concrete lamppost.
    Someone shouts, ‘What are you? White bread or brown bread?’
    And then other kids start laughing about sandwich bread, which makes no sense, and Steve gets braver, seeing as others are joining in. He starts shouting, ‘And he’s been told off, too! I saw him!’
    ‘Shut up,’ I say, my face burning. I try to walk past, but there’s heaps of kids and it’s hard to get away from them without pushing.
    He laughs. ‘Yeah, you’ve been picking on kids … Ow, hey!’
    Steve’s body jerks forwards and he falls on one knee, his long fringe sliding into his eyes. Someone must’ve pushed him. Swinging around, he snaps, ‘You did that on purpose!’
    Jasper stands behind him, hands on hips, his red hair shining like a lit match.
    ‘No kidding? I must’ve tripped.’ He throws up his hands. ‘Come on, Conrad, let’s get out of here before I have another
accident
.’
    Glaring, he grabs my arm and drags me out of the crowd. Storming over the kerb and across the zebra crossing, he growls at the painted white stripes. ‘Steve’s an idiot.’
    I assume he’s speaking to me. ‘Uh … I guess so.’
    But Jasper doesn’t answer, and I remember his talk in the principal’s office. He’s still giving the evils to the pavement, and I don’t want to make him angrier, so we walk in silence. When we reach the top of the road, he sticks his hands in his pockets and kicks loose stones across the footpath.
    ‘Um, Jasper? Are you okay?’
    He shrugs at the ground. ‘It’s usually me.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘I’m just saying.’ He digs his fists deeper into the pockets. ‘It’s usually me getting in trouble. Even when other kids join in, I still get the blame.’
    I shrug. He’s right, but I don’t know why.
    ‘Yeah, it’s weird. Miss Cody thought I was picking on Mere and James. She even asked if you had put me up to it.’
    ‘Typical.’
    ‘Well, I told her you didn’t.’
    He looks up. ‘Yeah?’
    I check over my shoulder; Steve’s too far away to hear. ‘Yeah, but I didn’t mean to get in trouble. I didn’t even know I was doing anything wrong – it just kind ofhappened.’
    Jasper blinks and then grins, so hard his freckles fly across his face like shooting stars. ‘Well,’ he says, ‘now, I guess I’m not the only one.’ And he slaps my shoulder, laughing.
    I never thought of that before. Maybe Jasper doesn’t have a clue when he’s doing something wrong; maybe he’s just being Jasper … and it mightn’t feel good.
    You know what, Tane? I’ve made up my mind, me and Jasper
are
friends.
    I think he might need me.

15
    Hey Tane,
    I went over to Mrs O’Leary’s after dinner, just in case she had fresh tarts. She served me a gooey piece on a napkin and said, ‘Guess what, Conrad? My papers