Read Online Nowhere Boys by Elise Mccredie - Free Book Online
Authors: Elise Mccredie
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said. ‘Give me a leg up, Sam.’
Sam looked surprised, but linked his hands.
Jake pulled himself up. He rolled the lid of the dumpster back and threw one leg over the metal side. It stank like hell in there. He lifted his other leg over and landed with a thump in a foul, moist mess of rotting food. But Jake didn’t care. It was a welcome distraction. It took his mind off his mum kissing Bates, and her whole new perfect life. Plus he could avoid the others asking him questions. They’d find out soon enough, but for now he wanted to keep it to himself. He didn’t like talking about personal stuff. When his mum and dad split up, everyone wanted him to talk about it. He hated that.
He checked out a box of doughnuts. Only two days past their use-by date, with a little bit of mould. He chucked them out to Felix and scrounged around some more. A carton of custard. He threw it over the side.
Jake reached deeper into the dumpster. This was why they must call it diving. To get the really good stuff you had to dig deep. He pulled out a packet of unopened biscuits, some yellowing broccoli and a bunch of black bananas. Over the side they went. He dug even deeper and emerged with some bread and squashed jam rolls. He tossed them over the side and could hear Andy, Sam and Felix cheering.
Suddenly the laughing stopped and Jake heard a voice.
‘What the hell’s going on here?’
Jake peered over the side of the dumpster. A man was standing at the back door of the Mini Mart.
‘Holy crap, it’s Dad,’ said Felix.
‘This is private property,’ shouted Felix’s dad, moving towards them.
Felix hesitated for a second, then yelled, ‘Run!’
With a quick pull-up, Jake was out of the dumpster and taking a flying leap from the top. The others grabbed as much loot as they could carry and all four of them bolted off down the street.
They sped down the back streets of Bremin. Felix’s dad soon gave up the chase and they found themselves running down the street behind Bremin High.
‘The oval,’ panted Jake. ‘No-one will be around on a Sunday.’
They ducked under the fence and, dumping their stash of food, collapsed laughing onto the grass.
Jake looked at all the food they’d salvaged. It wasn’t a bad spread. Especially when you hadn’t eaten properly for two days.
Sam gave Jake a friendly shove. ‘Good diving, man.’ He ripped open the pack of doughnuts and offered them around. He took a bite and chewed thoughtfully, as if he were a judge on a cooking show. ‘It has a distinct aroma, with a certain intense rubbishiness.’
The others laughed and Andy picked up a bread roll. He took a small bite, considered it. ‘Mmm, full of surprises. Chewy interior, slightly mouldy aftertaste, with a hint of cigarette butt.’ He pulled a cigarette butt off the bottom. ‘Oh, that explains it.’
Jake smiled. The nerd was actually quite funny when you got to know him.
Sam gulped his second doughnut down and reached for a third. ‘I’m giving these three out of ten.’
Jake peeled a sloppy-looking banana. ‘Definitely two for me.’
Felix picked up a doughnut and held it up. ‘A big fat zero.’
The boys laughed. With their stomachs full for the first time in days, they lay back in the grass. The sun was shining and Jake felt the warmth spread through him.
‘You know what really freaks me out?’ said Sam.
‘Felix’s BO?’
‘How everything is exactly the same,’ Sam went on. ‘Like, my parents are still fitness freaks, and Felix’s dad still runs the supermarket and Andy’s family still have the same restaurant.’
Jake felt the warmth disappear from his body. He sat up. Maybe things were the same for the others. But for him, everything had changed. His mum was married to Bates and his dad was a cop.
‘Exactly the same. Except they don’t know who we are,’ said Andy.
‘Yeah,’ said Sam. ‘It does my head in.’
‘It’s like we don’t exist,’ said Jake angrily.
Felix looked at him. ‘We do
Sam looked surprised, but linked his hands.
Jake pulled himself up. He rolled the lid of the dumpster back and threw one leg over the metal side. It stank like hell in there. He lifted his other leg over and landed with a thump in a foul, moist mess of rotting food. But Jake didn’t care. It was a welcome distraction. It took his mind off his mum kissing Bates, and her whole new perfect life. Plus he could avoid the others asking him questions. They’d find out soon enough, but for now he wanted to keep it to himself. He didn’t like talking about personal stuff. When his mum and dad split up, everyone wanted him to talk about it. He hated that.
He checked out a box of doughnuts. Only two days past their use-by date, with a little bit of mould. He chucked them out to Felix and scrounged around some more. A carton of custard. He threw it over the side.
Jake reached deeper into the dumpster. This was why they must call it diving. To get the really good stuff you had to dig deep. He pulled out a packet of unopened biscuits, some yellowing broccoli and a bunch of black bananas. Over the side they went. He dug even deeper and emerged with some bread and squashed jam rolls. He tossed them over the side and could hear Andy, Sam and Felix cheering.
Suddenly the laughing stopped and Jake heard a voice.
‘What the hell’s going on here?’
Jake peered over the side of the dumpster. A man was standing at the back door of the Mini Mart.
‘Holy crap, it’s Dad,’ said Felix.
‘This is private property,’ shouted Felix’s dad, moving towards them.
Felix hesitated for a second, then yelled, ‘Run!’
With a quick pull-up, Jake was out of the dumpster and taking a flying leap from the top. The others grabbed as much loot as they could carry and all four of them bolted off down the street.
They sped down the back streets of Bremin. Felix’s dad soon gave up the chase and they found themselves running down the street behind Bremin High.
‘The oval,’ panted Jake. ‘No-one will be around on a Sunday.’
They ducked under the fence and, dumping their stash of food, collapsed laughing onto the grass.
Jake looked at all the food they’d salvaged. It wasn’t a bad spread. Especially when you hadn’t eaten properly for two days.
Sam gave Jake a friendly shove. ‘Good diving, man.’ He ripped open the pack of doughnuts and offered them around. He took a bite and chewed thoughtfully, as if he were a judge on a cooking show. ‘It has a distinct aroma, with a certain intense rubbishiness.’
The others laughed and Andy picked up a bread roll. He took a small bite, considered it. ‘Mmm, full of surprises. Chewy interior, slightly mouldy aftertaste, with a hint of cigarette butt.’ He pulled a cigarette butt off the bottom. ‘Oh, that explains it.’
Jake smiled. The nerd was actually quite funny when you got to know him.
Sam gulped his second doughnut down and reached for a third. ‘I’m giving these three out of ten.’
Jake peeled a sloppy-looking banana. ‘Definitely two for me.’
Felix picked up a doughnut and held it up. ‘A big fat zero.’
The boys laughed. With their stomachs full for the first time in days, they lay back in the grass. The sun was shining and Jake felt the warmth spread through him.
‘You know what really freaks me out?’ said Sam.
‘Felix’s BO?’
‘How everything is exactly the same,’ Sam went on. ‘Like, my parents are still fitness freaks, and Felix’s dad still runs the supermarket and Andy’s family still have the same restaurant.’
Jake felt the warmth disappear from his body. He sat up. Maybe things were the same for the others. But for him, everything had changed. His mum was married to Bates and his dad was a cop.
‘Exactly the same. Except they don’t know who we are,’ said Andy.
‘Yeah,’ said Sam. ‘It does my head in.’
‘It’s like we don’t exist,’ said Jake angrily.
Felix looked at him. ‘We do
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