Tremor: If your world was falling apart, how far would you go to save it? (The Tremor Cycle) Read Online Free Page B

into the hall. All was quiet. They raced around the corner towards a bank of classrooms at the back of the building.
    ‘Sorry,’ William panted. ‘Stupid thing to do.’
    ‘You should be. We could’ve been fined electricity rights or food for that one.’ She grinned as she caught her breath. ‘Meet you back here after class, OK?’
    He nodded and Althea skipped off down a dusty hall.
    William wandered off in the opposite direction. He opened the door to G1, where he had science, though he could have easily stepped through the huge, gaping crack in the wall to the left. He did it out of normality, trying to forget about the reality that surrounded him.
    Eight other students sat in the room, poor sods whose parents thought, like William’s mum, that there was still hope. He sighed, and pulled the journal and some pencils out of his bag.
    ‘Hey Willy, still alive then,’ said a greasy-haired boy slouching against a table at the back of the room. His tone was one of complete disappointment.
    ‘Yeah, suppose I am, Chris,’ replied William, biting his tongue to try to stop himself from throwing back an insult.
    ‘That dump of a house you live in can’t last much longer, can it?’ Chris said, snickering. ‘Can’t imagine what it’s like to live in such a tip.’
    William ground his teeth. Chris had to be the most arrogant little creep left on the planet, which wasn’t helped by the fact that his father was mayor, and that they had one of the sturdiest mansions in town, complete with an underground bunker.
    ‘If your dad didn’t suck up to Terrafall like he does, you’d be living like the rest of us, you know that?’ William couldn’t help himself.
    Everyone knew that Chris’s dad, Mayor Greystone, did a rubbish job as mayor. Nothing would happen until someone complained to Terrafall, and even then the complaints never made it far, because hardly anyone saw or even knew who was in charge of the covert company. The mayor was known as The Puppet, for he simply did exactly what the huge company told him to do.
    The other kids began to laugh behind their hands, some silently encouraging Chris to get up and start on William. William rolled his eyes and turned his back.
    ‘I’m gonna permanently bury that geeky face of yours in that stupid book you’re so obsessed with. Don’t you dare talk about my dad like that!’ Chris moved forward, face blood red, but he quickly sat back down when the door began to rattle.
    William settled into his seat, deliberately ignoring his nemesis.
    ‘Good morning class!’ boomed the familiar voice.
    A heavy-set man entered the room and slammed the door shut. The doorframe shook slightly. He was large, very large. William always wondered how he’d managed to stay that size since the rationing had started and Terrafall had taken control of the food supply. Even Chris’s family didn’t seem to overindulge. You worked for your food, and got what they thought you needed. He’d probably stockpiled the contents of some grocery shop or something, William guessed.
    ‘Now, we got onto renewable powers last time. Yes, well it is my strongest belief that you, you mere children of what – fourteen, fifteen? – hold the keys to this crisis! You are the ones who will lead us into a brave new world!’
    The teacher stood behind the desk, straightening the stained white shirt he wore, which really didn’t fit. It was tight around his gut, and the buttons were ready to pop. He turned to the whiteboard and scratched his thinning black hair before pulling out a black pen and beginning to write.
    William opened his journal and started to read. Mr Blobby couldn’t teach him anything new, so he figured he had an hour of undisturbed reading. Perfect. He sank back into his seat. All he needed now was a cup of tea. He smirked. Dream on.
    ‘Mr Hoarden,’ said Chris, raising his hand and shaking it. ‘I don’t think William’s listening.’ He smirked when William glared back at him.