Read Online Dreamrider by Barry Jonsberg - Free Book Online

forehead. My heart raced. The yellow flashed across the glass towards the bottom left-hand corner, then dimmed. In that brief instant, I could see a shape moving within the surface. I felt its panic. Then, with a dull roar, like a far off explosion, the colours pumped towards me – deep orange, mingled with fire-red and harsh, violent yellows. They came in waves, as if to swallow me. I tried to scream, but no sound came. For a moment there was nothing but blazing colours. They swamped the world.
    My body jerked into a sitting position and my eyes snapped open. I felt the stiffness of my limbs. A string of drool was draped over my chin. My body was a frightening weight. I had difficulty raising myself up on an elbow. It always happened like this. It was as if I was in someone else’s body, dragging a strange carcass.
    After a few moments my heart slowed and breathing became easier. I noticed that someone had pinned a note to the leg of my shorts. It read ‘Beeched whale’. Not Martin, I thought. He wouldn’t make a spelling mistake like that.
    Jamie.
    The oval stretched out around me. I forced my eyes, heavy with sleep, to look at my watch. I had slept through twenty minutes of the afternoon’s first lesson. No one had woken me. Why should they? It must have given them a good laugh. I didn’t feel like laughing. Not when I saw that the oval wasn’t quite deserted. One person was watching as I struggled to my feet, plucking the note from my shorts. Miss Palmer, the Assistant Principal, was walking towards me.
    I hadn’t made the best start at Millways High.

3 .
    â€˜I don’t care that you fell asleep, Michael.’ Miss Palmer ran her hands through her hair. Her eyes were tired. ‘Though, having said that, you need to make sure you’re getting a decent night’s sleep. Are you drinking enough water?’
    I nodded.
    â€˜It’s the note that bothers me. This is exactly the kind of bullying I was talking about. Let me ask you again – do you know who wrote it?’
    I shrugged.
    â€˜I’ll find out. Even if I have to check the handwriting of every student. I won’t let this behaviour go unpunished in my school.’
    I wanted to tell her to forget it, that a fuss was only going to make my life more difficult. But I didn’t. She kept me in her office until the start of the last lesson. That was okay. I didn’t like the idea of going into class halfway through. So I turned up to SOSE, hoping no one would notice me. No chance. Kids pointed at me, laughed and sniggered. The whole school, it seemed, knew about my lunchtime nap and found it funny. Apart from Leah. She was in my SOSE class and she sat next to me. That was good of her, particularly since her friends were in a group having a good laugh at my expense. It takes courage to be seen with a loser. She leaned towards me.
    â€˜Bloody hell, Michael,’ she whispered. ‘You don’t exactly help yourself, do you? I mean, falling asleep at lunchtime!’
    â€˜Yeah, well . . .’
    â€˜I didn’t find out about it until last lesson. I don’t want you to think that I’d have left you there if I’d known.’
    â€˜I don’t think you’d have done that.’
    â€˜What’s this I heard about a note pinned on you?’
    â€˜Nothing. No big deal.’
    â€˜Yeah, well, if I find out who did it . . .’
    We didn’t finish. The SOSE teacher suddenly slammed his fist down on the desk.
    â€˜There seems to be an unnecessary amount of noise in this classroom today. School has not finished yet, so I suggest you get your textbooks out and turn to page 35. The ecology of the Murray River system. Right . . .’
    When the bell rang I stayed behind to ask about our homework, but only because I didn’t want to leave with the rest of the students. The teacher answered patiently, even though he had already clearly explained the assignment. When I