Read Online The Betrayer by Kimberley Chambers - Free Book Online Page A

now, Mum,’ Susan said, nicking a biscuit out of the tin.
    ‘Don’t you want any dinner?’ Maureen asked.
    ‘Nah. I’m having some round Tracey’s house.’
    Susan smiled as she left the house. She’d bullied some money out of the kids at school earlier and Tracey and her had gorged themselves on pie and chips. Susan skipped happily down the road. She was becoming an expert at lying and her dopey mother believed every whopper she told.
    Tommy lay stretched out on his bunk. Hearing the four knocks on the wall, he gave two knocks back. Tuesday was games night, and he and Freddie couldn’t wait. Whether it was pool, table tennis, board or card games, they relished the challenge and were determined to be the best at everything.
    Tonight they were more excited than usual. There was a new face on the block and they were desperate to meet him. Leroy Wright was notorious in the borstal system. A Jamaican from Brixton, the kid was a legend with a reputation to die for. He’d been locked up since he was twelve for mutilating an Indian shopkeeper. Since then he’d been shunted around the country and been slung out of five different borstals. Apparently, he had taken over each one, given the screws hell and run the places as though he owned them. Tommy and Freddie had heard he was due at Feltham over a week ago.
    ‘We run this place, and we ain’t letting no new boy take over. We’ve gotta put a stop to him,’ Freddie said.
    Tommy reluctantly agreed. He didn’t like the sound of the newcomer one little bit, but he wasn’t about to voice his doubts. Freddie was brighter than him and what he said went. After all, he was lucky to have been chosen as his best pal in the first place.
    James grabbed his pogo-stick and bounced up and down along the garden path. His nan had gotten him his new toy a few weeks ago and he’d spent hours amusing himself on it.
    ‘Hello, I’m Maria. What’s your name?’
    Shocked that he had a spectator, James swung around to see where the voice was coming from. Unfortunately, he lost his balance, the stick flew out from under him and he landed flat on his face.
    ‘Are you OK?’ asked the friendly voice.
    Picking himself up, James felt a right wally as he spotted the new girl from next door looking at him.
    ‘Course I’m all right,’ he said, as gruffly as he could. He wasn’t really. His knee was pouring with blood and he’d smacked his head on the path, but he wasn’t letting on. As James hobbled towards her, he felt himself go all funny inside. She was beautiful, like a princess. He looked at her enchanting face, took in her long dark ringlets, and was kind of lost for words.
    ‘Whaddya want?’
    Maria smiled. She had the sort of smile that lit up the garden. ‘Do you wanna be friends? What’s your name?’
    Momentarily, James felt short of breath. ‘Me name’s James, but me bruvver calls me Jimmy boy and yes, I’d love to be your friend.’
    ‘Wait there,’ Maria said. ‘I’m gonna ask my mum if I can come in your garden and play with you.’
    James nodded dumbly. He was thunderstruck.
    Tommy potted his ball without even properly looking at it. He couldn’t concentrate, as he knew very shortly things were about to go off. He’d noticed Leroy when he’d first walked in earlier. A tall boy, he was quite good looking, had dreadlocks and, as you moved closer, an evil look in his eye. Word had it that in the past, within days of his arrival at a borstal, he would trample on the top boys and take over as the daddy.
    Tommy glanced at his friend. Freddie didn’t seem to have a care in the world but, personally, he was crapping himself. They were the top boys here and by the look on Leroy’s face, the ones he’d shortly be gunning for. Freddie was an extremely perceptive lad. Noticing the two screws leaving the room to sort out a small fracas outside, he pulled a sock out of his pocket and slid it to Tommy.
    ‘Stick some balls in there, shove it down yer bollocks and we’re