Read Online Timesurfers by Rhonda Sermon - Free Book Online Page B

ambled down the
road. The moon slid out from behind the clouds. Its bold glow made
a mockery of his grim situation. How could such a normal kid do
something so horrendous?

Chapter 6
    Extreme Makeover
    C ate sauntered into the kitchen and came to a
screeching halt.
    “Morning,” her mum chirped.
    “Umm...” This wasn’t the same kitchen Cate
had breakfast in yesterday.
    “I’ve made pancakes. There’s honey in the
fridge.”
    With a sideways glance at her mum, she opened
the door of a stainless steel fridge. Their retro yellow fridge had
vanished overnight.
    She closed the door, poking at the new cork
floor with her toe. Eating her pancakes, she tapped the granite
bench tops with her fingernails. This was an entirely new kitchen.
Her stomach churned at a frenetic pace, and her mouth felt packed
with cotton wool.
    “Hurry with your breakfast. The girls will be
here to pick you up in four minutes.”
    She leaned back and watched her mum walk to
the living room. What the...? Her arms flailed as she grabbed the
bench to avoid overbalancing.
    Their cottage style living room was now
silver, grey, and black. A glittering chandelier hung from the
ceiling. That wasn’t there yesterday. Curious, she went into the
living room. She sat on the heavily embossed couch, and hugged a
black cushion with shiny silver stripes smothered with
crystals.
    Why could her mother not see these humungous
differences in their house from yesterday? Cate buried her head in
the very sparkly and sharp cushion. “Mum.”
Three sharp blasts of a car horn made her jump.
    “The girls are here. Get a wriggle on.”
    “But, Mum.”
    “Not now—it’s impolite to keep people
waiting. Your lateness is a bad reflection on you and on me as a
principal.”
    For the millionth time she said a silent
thank you her mother wasn’t the principal at Socrates Private
School. Queasiness wriggled in her stomach as she traipsed into the
kitchen to grab her school backpack. Maybe some fresh air would be
good. She yanked the door open, and a metallic, red convertible Jag
stood where her mum’s black Range Rover normally sat. The students
at her mum’s detention centre would be able to strip that during
their lunch break.
    A car horn blared in one continuous blast.
Polka Dot, the neighbourhood stray cat, bolted across the driveway
and under the house. She stalked past the sports car into the front
yard, and her jaw dropped. A pink Jeep stood in the driveway. Eve
waved from the backseat. Her white-blonde hair was in a sleek, low
ponytail fixed with one demure green ribbon. Very unlike Eve. Brittany sat in the driver’s seat.
    “Catester, come on,” Brittany hollered.
    Catester? She was
going nowhere with that whore.
    “Hey, Catie,” said an unknown girl in the
passenger seat.
    “Hey yourself.” She scratched her head. “I
think I’ve fallen into a parallel universe.”
    “Cate, we’ll be late. Come on!” Eve
yelled.
    Maybe Eve could clear this up. Cate clambered
into the backseat and nudged her friend. “What’s the story?”
    Eve gave her a quizzical look. “Huh?”
    Cate spread her arms wide and pointed at
Brittany and the girl in the front seat.
    “Are you pretending to be an air hostess?”
Eve asked.
    “What?”
    Eve mimicked her. “You know, the exits are here and here .”
    “No. Why are we riding to school with
Brittany?” Cate growled through her teeth.
    “She always drives.”
    “She’s a boyfriend stealing tart.” Why was
Eve looking at her like she was
insane?
    “Brittany’s dating Zach, and has been for
months. She didn’t steal him from anyone.”
    Cate slumped back and watched the carefully
maintained houses and lawns fly past. Eve focused on texting.
    Who was she texting with Cate sitting next to
her? They had no other friends. The sun glinted on metal badges
fixed to Eve’s school blazer, and Cate grabbed her lapel. “Since
when have you been head girl, debating captain, and all those other
things?”
    “Since all year.