Read Online Opal Dreaming by Karen Wood - Free Book Online Page A

you playing at? I’ve rung half the town trying to find you. We’ve been worried sick.’ She stopped and looked at her daughter. ‘What happened? Are you okay?’
    Jess didn’t look up from the ground in front of her.
    â€˜Don’t ever, ever do that to me again, do you hear me?’ Caroline put her arms around Jess’s heaving shoulders, and swore as she rubbed her back. Craig came marching across the front garden but his wife held up a hand. He surveyed the situation, did an about-turn and went back up the steps.
    â€˜Everyone’s sticking up for Lawson,’ Jess cried, wiping her nose on Caroline’s dressing-gown sleeve. ‘They think Opal’s a dud horse. They’re just going to let her go out onto a station and die.’
    â€˜Crikey, Jess,’ said her mother. ‘It’s one thing for a foal to die, but it’s entirely another for you to. Anything could have happened to you. How the hell did you intend to get to Blakely Downs on your own?’
    â€˜I was going to go with Luke.’ Jess started sobbing. ‘But he wouldn’t take me. He’s mad at me.’
    â€˜You can’t drag other people into your troubles,’ said Caroline. ‘He was right to send you back home.’
    â€˜But he did it. He ran away,’ sobbed Jess. ‘I thought he would understand.’
    â€˜Luke was a troubled kid, Jess. You can’t begin to compare his life with yours.’
    â€˜No, because he’s a boy and I’m a girl!’ said Jess angrily. ‘He comes home a hero and gets given an expensive colt, and I get my filly taken off me!’
    â€˜He’s also two years older than you, Jess.’
    â€˜No, he’s not. I’m nearly sixteen.’
    â€˜You’re not sixteen yet, Miss Fairley, and you’re most certainly too young to be driving off around the outback with an older boy. Especially one with a past like Luke’s.’
    â€˜What do you mean by that? ’
    â€˜He’s a wild boy with a wild past,’ said Caroline. ‘I’m worried about this friendship you have with him, Jess. I don’t like it.’
    â€˜Why?’ demanded Jess. ‘Just because he has no parents? You pretend to be all open-minded and peace, love and lentils, but you’re not. You’re as judgemental as anyone else. You’re such a hypocrite!’
    â€˜He’s violent, Jess.’
    â€˜He is not ,’ said Jess, raising her voice. ‘He’s the most un violent person I know!
    â€˜I just want you to be careful,’ said Caroline.
    â€˜Well, you don’t have to worry about him anymore because he hates my guts ,’ Jess screamed as loudly as she could. She stormed past her mother, flew up the stairs of the house and slammed herself inside her room with a thunderous crash of her door.
    As she threw herself onto the bed she ripped her phone from her pocket and began thumbing a text message to Shara, Grace and Rosie.
    I hate all men!!!!!
    Within minutes, it buzzed back at her.
    Grace: join the club.
    Shara: omg, Ws^?
    Rosie: Huh?
    Lawsons taken opal, he wont sell her 2 me,
    luke stuck ^ 4 him, we had a fight.
    Buzz, buzz, buzz, rumble.
    Grace: yep, the boys always stick together,
    told you!!!
    Shara: omg, why? when? what did luke say?
    Rosie: What time is it???
    Luke wouldnt take me droving, said opals a dud,
    bad advertising for marnie, theyr all misogynists,
    if opal was a colt theyd save her!
    Jess’s phone began having epileptic fits in her hand.
    Grace: told u they r all pigs!
    Shara: omg! I can’t believe he said that!
    Rosie: wotz a misogynist? too early, head hurts,
    groan.
    Buzz, buzz, rumble.
    Grace: they r all girl haters – derrr rosie!
    Rosie: shut up dog breath.
    I’m never gona c opal again

    That afternoon, Jess lay on her bed listening to the angriest music she could find on her iPod and thinking about Luke out droving, male, as free as a bird, and