Thirteen Read Online Free

afternoon.
    Before that, there were jobs as a punishment.
    First his dad: “Adam—it hasn’t rained for nearly two weeks. . . .”
    So he had to water the garden. He actually enjoyed this, as the hose didn’t reach the far end, which meant sending a snake of water over improbable distances. He held the hose between his legs and said, “Champion pisser—look, no hands!” until vigorous banging on the window behind him made him stop.
    Then his mum: “The washing machine has finished its second load. . . .”
    So he had to put clothes on the line. It was boring and fiddly,but the sun was out and he could hear the radio playing some good tunes through the open patio door.
    Then Megan appeared through the bushes at the bottom of the garden. She ran up the garden and stood in front of Adam’s parents with her hands behind her back, looking completely innocent, more like she was eight years old than just turned fourteen.
    â€œHello, Mr. Grant. Hello, Mrs. Grant. Is it still okay if we go to Paradise Fields?”
    After they left the house, their conversation was mostly about the fight:
    â€œI bet he won’t try to hassle
me
again.”
    â€œI bet he’ll try to
kill
you.”
    And a few other things:
    â€œI
will
admit to liking Cheryl Cole.
Everyone
does, Meg!”
    â€œAdam, even
you
can tell that new guy on
X Factor
is
way
fitter than Harry Styles!”
    Adam was his usual lively self, turning toward Megan and smiling, his arms waving around as if he was a puppet with a drunken operator.
    Lost in conversation, they didn’t really notice the scruffy teenager on the bench at the corner. He was part of the scenery, like a tree or a passing car. Adam was looking ahead, wondering if Asa would be outside Spar as he had promised.
    So they did not notice the boy hiding his stained hoodie behind the bench and following them, at a distance of about a hundred yards, all the way to the shops.
    Mr. Rawley’s Corner Shop had the best collection of sweets in the area, and was regularly targeted by kids, who nicked their favorites when Mr. Rawley wasn’t looking—even Adam had taken a handful on a couple of occasions, though he’d felt guilty both times.
    Adam and Megan went in with Asa, who was bragging about his performance on Call of Duty and FIFA and trying to explain to Adam how to get around Internet filters. Megan wasmore interested in finding the type of licorice that went around in swirls. While they chatted, the bell jangled and in walked the boy from the bench; he went to an aisle near the back, where he put small items in a basket. Unnoticed.
    Megan didn’t recognize him as the person who had been in the bushes. Equally, he was uninterested in her—or only
indirectly
interested. Asa was of little consequence to him. It was Adam he watched, even as they left the shop and walked up the street.
    As soon as they reached the park, mouths full of sweets, Leo came running over. “Jake’s here and he wants a scrap. He says that only girls sneak up on people in a fight.”
    Megan sighed.
    Leo continued, voice like a tolling bell, shaking his head slowly. “I don’t think you can get out of this.”
    In the middle of the park was a field, and in the middle of the field was Jake, with three of his mates.
    Adam swore. After a brief pause, he said, “Stay here, Meg. I can’t avoid him forever.”
    Insults and swearing drifted across the park toward Adam. Adam couldn’t make it all out, but “orphan” and “complete knob” were certainly near the end.
    Megan put her hand on Adam’s arm. “He’s really not worth it.”
    He pushed her arm away.
    Megan sighed again as Adam strode toward Jake.
    Megan, Asa and Leo all wanted to see Adam beat Jake, but it looked like an unequal contest. Adam was six inches shorter and had a smaller frame, though he was all muscle. Still, he threw