Read Online The Switch by Anthony Horowitz - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Anthony Horowitz
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while they did all these tests and they only let me out a couple of days ago. Now your mum—or I should say my mum—has brought me down to London to go shopping. We’re going on vacation in a couple of weeks . . .”
“A safari in Africa,” Tad said gloomily.
“That’s right! First-class flight. Five-star hotel. It’s like winning the friggin’ lottery!” He finished the chocolate and dropped the wrapper on the floor. “How about you?” he asked. “What do Eric and Doll have to say about the new Bob Snarby?”
“They think I’ve been sniffing glue,” Tad said.
Bob thought about this for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed. “I bet they have!” he said. “Yeah. That’d explain everything.”
Tad moved closer to the bed. “Listen to me, Bob,” he pleaded. “We’ve got to straighten this out . . .”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ve got to tell them what’s happened. Your parents and my parents. If we both tell them, they’ll have to believe us and maybe they’ll be able to find a way to turn us back into ourselves.”
Bob stared at Tad as though he were mad. “But why should I want to do that?” he demanded.
“What?” Tad felt something cold reach out and touch the back of his neck.
“Why should I want to change back?” Bob said.
“Because you’ve got to!” Tad cried. “I can’t be you and you can’t be me. We’ve got our own parents and our own lives. We’ve got to put things back the way they were.”
“Forget it!” Bob exclaimed. “I’m better off now than I’ve ever been in my entire life, and if you imagine I’m going to let you spoil it, you’ve got another think coming.”
“It’s all wrong . . . !” Tad began.
“It’s perfect!” Bob shouted the words. “I never had a chance. I never had anything. Not from the day I was born. Eric and Doll, they made me what I was and I was stuck with it. And do you know what made it worse? All around me, in the newspapers, on TV, in the stores, I saw all the things I could never, ever have. Computer games and iPods. Fancy clothes. TVs and videos. I’d never have them—not in my whole life—just because of who I was . . .”
“That’s not true—”
“It is true! But you wouldn’t understand that. You had it all, didn’t you. It was all just given to you on a plate. Yeah—well, now you’re finding out what it’s like on the other side of the fence and I’m not surprised you want to switch back again. Only you can’t. Because I won’t let you.”
“You have to!”
“I won’t!”
Something inside Tad snapped, and before he knew what he was doing, he had thrown himself on top of Bob Snarby, his fists flailing, his face twisted with anger and hatred. He expected the other boy to defend himself, but Bob just fell back onto the bed with Tad on top of him, not even trying to push him off. Tad hit him, again and again, but his fists seemed to make no impact, slapping against the skin and sinking into the soft folds of flesh. He only realized now that Bob was shouting, calling for help. Suddenly the door crashed open. Out of the corner of his eye Tad saw a great bulk in a blue-and-gray uniform descending on him. Two hands reached out and grabbed him; one around his neck, the other under his arm. He was pulled off Bob and into the air as easily as if he were nothing more than a set of empty clothes.
“Are you all right, Master Tad . . . ?”
“Yes, Spurling. Thank you.” Bob got unsteadily to his feet. His shirt was rumpled and there were tears welling up in his eyes.
“Spurling . . .” Tad twisted around in midair, his feet six inches off the ground. As much as he squirmed and struggled, he couldn’t free himself from the chauffeur’s grip.
“Who are you?” Spurling demanded. “What are you doing here?”
Tad opened his mouth to answer, but before he could speak, before he could find the right words, Bob moved forward. “He was here when I came in,” he sobbed. “He was
“A safari in Africa,” Tad said gloomily.
“That’s right! First-class flight. Five-star hotel. It’s like winning the friggin’ lottery!” He finished the chocolate and dropped the wrapper on the floor. “How about you?” he asked. “What do Eric and Doll have to say about the new Bob Snarby?”
“They think I’ve been sniffing glue,” Tad said.
Bob thought about this for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed. “I bet they have!” he said. “Yeah. That’d explain everything.”
Tad moved closer to the bed. “Listen to me, Bob,” he pleaded. “We’ve got to straighten this out . . .”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ve got to tell them what’s happened. Your parents and my parents. If we both tell them, they’ll have to believe us and maybe they’ll be able to find a way to turn us back into ourselves.”
Bob stared at Tad as though he were mad. “But why should I want to do that?” he demanded.
“What?” Tad felt something cold reach out and touch the back of his neck.
“Why should I want to change back?” Bob said.
“Because you’ve got to!” Tad cried. “I can’t be you and you can’t be me. We’ve got our own parents and our own lives. We’ve got to put things back the way they were.”
“Forget it!” Bob exclaimed. “I’m better off now than I’ve ever been in my entire life, and if you imagine I’m going to let you spoil it, you’ve got another think coming.”
“It’s all wrong . . . !” Tad began.
“It’s perfect!” Bob shouted the words. “I never had a chance. I never had anything. Not from the day I was born. Eric and Doll, they made me what I was and I was stuck with it. And do you know what made it worse? All around me, in the newspapers, on TV, in the stores, I saw all the things I could never, ever have. Computer games and iPods. Fancy clothes. TVs and videos. I’d never have them—not in my whole life—just because of who I was . . .”
“That’s not true—”
“It is true! But you wouldn’t understand that. You had it all, didn’t you. It was all just given to you on a plate. Yeah—well, now you’re finding out what it’s like on the other side of the fence and I’m not surprised you want to switch back again. Only you can’t. Because I won’t let you.”
“You have to!”
“I won’t!”
Something inside Tad snapped, and before he knew what he was doing, he had thrown himself on top of Bob Snarby, his fists flailing, his face twisted with anger and hatred. He expected the other boy to defend himself, but Bob just fell back onto the bed with Tad on top of him, not even trying to push him off. Tad hit him, again and again, but his fists seemed to make no impact, slapping against the skin and sinking into the soft folds of flesh. He only realized now that Bob was shouting, calling for help. Suddenly the door crashed open. Out of the corner of his eye Tad saw a great bulk in a blue-and-gray uniform descending on him. Two hands reached out and grabbed him; one around his neck, the other under his arm. He was pulled off Bob and into the air as easily as if he were nothing more than a set of empty clothes.
“Are you all right, Master Tad . . . ?”
“Yes, Spurling. Thank you.” Bob got unsteadily to his feet. His shirt was rumpled and there were tears welling up in his eyes.
“Spurling . . .” Tad twisted around in midair, his feet six inches off the ground. As much as he squirmed and struggled, he couldn’t free himself from the chauffeur’s grip.
“Who are you?” Spurling demanded. “What are you doing here?”
Tad opened his mouth to answer, but before he could speak, before he could find the right words, Bob moved forward. “He was here when I came in,” he sobbed. “He was
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