Keeper by Alan Gibbons

Author:Alan Gibbons
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781800900653
Publisher: Barrington Stoke Ltd

Chapter 4

Flattened

Shane was in a really bad mood the next morning at school. Nobody knew why. When the first bell went, Shane stamped across the classroom to his seat, dropped into it and sat with his arms folded. His eyes blazed.

“What’s the matter with Shane?” Danny asked. “He looks ready for a fight.”

He wasn’t wrong.

“Shane,” Mrs Ali said, “would you give the books out, please?”

Shane didn’t say a word, and he didn’t move.

“Shane,” Mrs Ali repeated, “would you give the books out, please?”

Still nothing from Shane. Mrs Ali tried again.

“Shane,” she began. “Would you—”

“Fine,” Shane said. He got up suddenly and his chair fell on the floor. “I’ll give the stupid books out.”

Shane marched up and down, slapping the books on the desks. As soon as he had finished, he went back to his seat and stayed there, staring at the floor.

At break-time Shane was following us outside when Mrs Ali called him back.

“Shane,” she said, “is everything OK?”

Danny glanced at me, then we went outside without a word. Shane joined us in the yard five minutes later.

“Are you all right?” I asked.

“Why does everybody keep asking me that?” Shane snapped. “I’m fine.”

But Shane didn’t look fine. He didn’t act fine. He was the same back in class. Mrs Ali asked him things, but he only gave one-word answers.

It got worse at lunch-time. Shane sat on his own to eat his packed lunch. He didn’t want to talk to anyone. But he did agree to play football.

It was a bad mistake. Shane charged this way and that. He came off his line for balls he couldn’t reach. He fell on people. He was like a whirlwind. Danny had some advice.

“Just calm down, will you, Shane?” he said.

Shane touched his nose with his finger. “Keep your nose out of my business,” he said.

Danny turned towards me. “Touchy,” he said.

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