Freaks Out! Read Online Free

look?”
    â€œCos even games have rules. There’s no point playing, if you don’t have rules. I’m going to go now, I promised Mum I’d be back by five. You coming?”
    â€œIn a minute,” said Jem.
    â€œI’ve got to go now. I’ll take these with me.” Skye scooped up all the bits of paper, neatly stuck with Sellotape. “Cos I know what you two are like.”
    â€œAre you saying we’d cheat ?” said Jem.
    â€œWell, you would, wouldn’t you?” Skye opened her schoolbag and stuffed the bits of paper into one of the inside pockets. “They’ll be safe there. I won’t look.”
    To be fair to Skye, we knew that she wouldn’t. After she’d gone, Jem giggled and said, “D’you want to know what I picked?”
    I struggled for a few seconds with my conscience. There wasn’t any reason I shouldn’t know. Just cos Skye had decided it had to be kept secret. Me and Jem hadn’t decided. But it was true that Skye was honourable, and we weren’t, so I very nobly said no.
    â€œBetter not tell me.”
    â€œDon’t see why not,” said Jem. “What right’s she got to dictate?”
    None at all, really, except that she was our friend and if she wanted to make up rules – well! That was just Skye. At least she’d joined in.
    â€œWouldn’t be fair to go behind her back,” I said.
    Jem looked for a minute as if she might go off into a sulk again, but then she gave me this mischievous grin and said, “If I was doing your horoscope now, know what I’d say? I’d say, Keep an eye on Daisy Hooper. ”
    â€œWhy?” I couldn’t resist asking.
    â€œSee if she gets a clonk on the head!”
    â€œIs she likely to?”
    â€œWell…” Jem cackled. “Someone’s going to. Hope it’s not you! You didn’t pick that one, did you?”
    Before I could stop myself I said, “No.”
    â€œThat’s good,” said Jem. “Means it could be her!”
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    Me and Jem watched eagerly the next couple of days, waiting to see if Daisy Hooper would getclonked on the head. See if anyone got clonked on the head. Just cos Jem had written it for one of her horoscopes, didn’t necessarily mean it was going to happen.
    â€œSkye could be right,” I said. And Mum, and Tom. And Dad. “ Could all just be coincidence.”
    It wasn’t what I wanted to believe, cos I like to think there’s stuff going on that’s a bit mysterious. But if you’re conducting a scientific experiment it’s important to keep an open mind. Jem already seemed to have made hers up.
    â€œIf it’s all just coincidence,” she said, “why would anyone bother? There’s got to be something in it. I mean, look at my auntie! You’re not telling me that was just coincidence?”
    I didn’t wish to talk about Jem’s auntie. Rather sternly I said, “We are conducting an experiment. We must wait for proof.”
    â€œBut that is proof!”
    â€œ More proof.”
    Jem giggled. “Want to know another one I wrote? Beware the hairy monsters… I thought I might as well use it. Wonder who got that one? Wasn’t you, was it?”
    â€œWe’re not supposed to be telling,” I said.
    â€œOh, pooh!” Jem tossed her head. “What’s it matter?” She danced round me, waggling her fingers. “Big hairy monsters! It was you, wasn’t it?”
    â€œNot saying.”
    â€œIt was, it was! You’re going to get a bunch of huge enormous spiders marching across the ceiling!”
    â€œYeah, or I might get mugged by a load of huge hairy muggers. Might end up in hospital. Then what’d you have to say?”
    Jem’s face fell. She looked at me, suddenly uncertain. “It wasn’t really you, was it?”
    â€œWell, if it wasn’t,” I said, “it’s someone else,