Read Online In the Deep End by Pam Harvey - Free Book Online Page A

little concentration. She worked steadily, writing each sentence neatly and underlining all the adjectives in red. Keeping an eye on the clock, Hannah worked through the exercise, finishing seven minutes early. If she could distract Mrs Stevens somehow, then she might forget to lock the drawer. It was all about timing.
    Exactly eight minutes later, just as Mrs Stevens started dismissing the class, Hannah made a beeline for her table, her work book open.
    ‘Mrs Stevens, I was thinking about the word global ,’Hannah began, as Mrs Stevens packed her books. ‘As in global warming. Do you think global would be categorised as an adjective?’
    Mrs Stevens peered over her glasses at Hannah.
    ‘It certainly is an adjective,’ she said, following Hannah, who was making her way towards the door. ‘It’s describing the kind of warming it is.’
    But Hannah had stopped listening. Mrs Stevens closed then locked the classroom door. Hannah nodded politely once or twice, thanked Mrs Stevens, then took off the opposite way down the corridor. When she got to the end she stopped and waited.
    A few minutes later, Mr Benson walked past, but she ignored him. There was no way he’d let her back in to get her jumper from the classroom. Hannah sat on the steps, twisting her hands together, hoping that some nice teacher would appear. Another three minutes and her prayers were answered. Miss Cole, the new Phys Ed teacher, was heading across the oval towards her. Brilliant! She was carrying a softball bag and moving quickly—she was taking a team of students to a school softball competition today.
    Hannah jumped up.
    ‘Miss Cole, I’m freezing,’ she said, shivering. ‘Can you just quickly let me into the classroom so I can grab my jumper?’
    Miss Cole looked at Hannah and smiled. Hannah smiled back.
    ‘Just pull it shut,’ Miss Cole said, relocking the door and leaving Hannah alone in the room. Hannah ran over to her locker and pulled out her jumper. Glancing quickly at the door, she dashed back to the front of the room. Taking a deep breath, she pulled open the drawer, snatched the swipe card, and thrust it deep into her dress pocket.
    Gently she closed the door, then as calmly as possible walked away.
    Hannah was tempted a couple of times during the rest of the day to tell Angus and E.D. what she now had in her pocket, but decided against it. It wouldn’t be fair to involve them. And besides, she wanted to have her own look at Explore! There was something she was keen to find out, and maybe, just maybe, her luck might continue.
    Hannah set off for Explore! after dinner. The sun had set, but there was still plenty of light as she rode up to the door marked KHS. Kids’ Head Start. Whatever that meant, Hannah thought. Head start to what? And who gets left behind? What happens to them?
    Taking a nervous glance behind her, she set her bike down further away from the building and approached the door. To the left of the door handle was a silver console. Above the handle was a small display screen with a keypad next to it. Three red lights glowed beneath the keypad. Hannah swiped the card through the slot and the first red light changed to green. Suddenly the screen lit up.
    Name? Hannah typed in David Kelly. The second red light turned green. Hannah held her breath.
    Password? Hannah froze, then a wave of disappointment flooded over her. How stupid of her! As if she was going to be able to walk into Explore! just because she had his stupid swipe card. And now she’d stolen it for nothing. Unless…
    She punched the first word that came into her head. It was the only possibility with David Kelly. Chickens.
    Hannah stared at the third light, willing it to turn green. There was a clicking sound then it happened. The third red light flashed once, thenchanged to green. There was a hiss and the door clicked open.
    For a moment Hannah stood still, not quite believing what she’d done. She thrust a foot inside, just as the door started to close