The Secret of the Stone by Kathryn Lefroy

Author:Kathryn Lefroy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fremantle Press
Published: 2024-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

A GOOD PLAN

Olive was in such a state of shock on her way to school that she didn’t remember the bus ride, or getting off at her stop, or walking through the gates with the throng of other students. She didn’t even notice as Jake Webster fell into step beside her. ‘Hey, Olive Selverston-Myers.’ He peered at her. ‘You okay?’

Olive blurted everything out about the green jacket guy. By the time they reached her locker, his face was ashen. And then, because Lola and Theo were already there waiting for her, she repeated the story again. ‘And I don’t think he’s a journalist,’ Olive concluded. ‘I mean, if he was a journalist, wouldn’t he have written about the trial?’

Lola had set up an alert, and if anything was published online about the Lands End trial, they’d know about it.

‘You think he’s got something to do with the stone?’ Theo asked. ‘You think he knows you’ve got it?’

Olive shrugged. ‘Why else would he have been there?’

‘But he can’t know for sure, right?’ Lola said. ‘You definitely didn’t say, “hey, I’ve got the stone” or anything like that?’

Olive gave her a look. ‘I’m not an idiot.’

‘I know, I know. I’m just trying to figure out what we should do.’

‘Maybe you should just give him the stone,’ Jake Webster said.

Lola glared at him. ‘Yeah, that is so not going to happen.’

The bell for first period rang. ‘We’ll regroup at lunchtime,’ Lola said. She squeezed Olive’s hand. ‘We’ll come up with a plan. It’s going to be okay.’ Then, she glared at Jake Webster again. ‘Giving the stone back is not an option, so are you going to help us or not?’

Jake Webster flicked a look at Olive. ‘Yeah, I guess so. I’ll help.’

The morning dragged on and when Olive grabbed a table in the far back corner of the cafeteria at noon, she felt like the day should be done already. She’d been twitchy all morning, Green Jacket’s creepy face always in the back of her mind. Was he the only one looking for the stone? Or were there others? What would they do once they knew for sure that Olive and her friends had it?

Her phone buzzed and she jumped. She half expected the message to be from an unknown number, with someone making demands about the stone. But it was just GK. Can’t get to baseball training this afternoon. Raincheck on batting practice?

Olive was relieved. There was no way she’d be able to hit any baseballs today, even with her eyes open.

Jake Webster arrived and put a small bag of potato chips and a sad-looking banana on the table.

‘That’s your lunch?’ Olive asked.

‘My parents don’t really do grocery shopping. And I’ve tried the food from the cafeteria.’ He pulled a face. ‘I’ll grab a burger after school.’

Olive almost blurted out another invitation to Spaghetti Night, so was grateful that Lola and Theo got there before she could. She wasn’t sure if she was more worried about Jake Webster accepting or rejecting it.

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