Tim Te Maro and the Subterranean Heartsick Blues by H.S. Valley

Author:H.S. Valley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hardie Grant Children's Publishing
Published: 2021-06-10T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 16

BE MINE TONIGHT

We both turn and find Sam silhouetted in the bright light of the doorway.

‘Gimme a second,’ he hisses down the hall, gaze averted just long enough that Elliott has a chance to put some platonic distance between us before Sam turns his attention to the room. He startles when he sees me. ‘What the hell are you standing around in the dark for?’ he says. ‘I thought you were going to bed?’

A valid question when we’re both still fully clothed, but the lights are off. Shit.

‘Shush, we’re trying to settle Meggan,’ Elliott whispers before I can come up with anything. I admire his quick thinking – he’s turned to lean over the little purple cot, lending legitimacy to his claim and also hiding the fact his belt is undone. ‘Could you keep it down?’

‘Sorry.’ Sam raises his hands in surrender, grabs the blanket off the end of his bed and leaves, though not before shooting me a very curious look. I really, really wish he was a bit stupider – I’d be getting away with this a lot better. I also probably wouldn’t be doing quite so well in some of my classes, though, so it’s a double-edged sword. The door clicks shut behind him.

‘Did you not think to maybe lock the door?’ Elliott asks, and I hear the telltale sound of his belt being refastened. ‘That was very nearly very bad.’

‘I did lock the door. He still has a key.’

Elliott lets out a long-suffering sigh. ‘You staff kids are a law unto your own. I gave my key to Manaia, and I assumed you’d given me Sam’s. Nice of you to mention there was a third one.’

I wonder if I should tell him we all have master keys, Sam, Silvia and I. Not legitimately – we really, honestly, shouldn’t – but when you teach a bunch of teenagers to replicate small, inanimate objects and someone (Silvia’s mum) happens to leave a master key lying around (OK, it was in her handbag) then what do you expect? Maybe I’m better off distracting him.

‘Sorry. I have somewhere else we can go if you want. Somewhere a bit more private.’ At least, I think it is. I’m pretty sure Mum gave me the only key to those rooms. There’s still the masters, but at least no-one has any reason to go looking for me in there.

Elliott raises an eyebrow. ‘I’m not having sex with you in a tunnel.’

‘That’s not where I’m taking you. Come on.’ I get up and put my hoodie back on, wondering if we can get away with taking a blanket, since I don’t know what’s left in Dad’s rooms. I pull a light woollen one out of the wardrobe and hold it out. ‘If we wrap Meggan in this, no-one will question us taking it with us.’

‘Where are we going that we need a blanket?’ He scowls at me.

‘We can stay here and just go to sleep if you want.’ I shrug to prove I don’t mind, just in case he’s getting cold feet.

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