Page 48 of Everything That Kills Me
“I don’t have a bank account.”
“Liar.”
“I’m not.”
“Then give us your phone.”
“My father took it.”
Zeph found himself elbowed into a hedge as Rufus wrenched off his backpack. Zeph tried to retrieve it but with two of them pushing and shoving him, he ended up on the ground. Scott held up the phone Jack had given him.
“Fucking liar,” Rufus snarled.
“It’s not mine. It’s borrowed.”
“What’s your password?”
“I’m not telling you.”
Scott put his foot on Zeph’s chest. “Yes, you are.”
“Fuck off.” Zeph had no idea where his bravery had come from. “If you don’t give it back, I’m going into school to tell them you’re bullying me again. Two strikes and you’re out.” No one had ever said that. It most likely wasn’t true but Scott removed his foot.
“You wouldn’t dare.” Rufus scowled.
Zeph pushed to his feet, grabbed his backpack, left the phone, and ran. He sprinted to the office and banged on the door.
“Come in!”
The head was in there with one of the secretaries.
“What’s wrong, Zeph?”
Zeph took a deep breath. Did he want to do this? He’d make matters worse. Rufus and Scott wouldn’t get excluded. Even if they were suspended for a while, it would all start again when they came back. They’d just be sneakier. But if he didn’t speak out, it would never end. They had his phone. That would count.
Even as he opened his mouth to speak, there was a knock on the door behind him and Rufus and Scott burst in.
“We found your phone,” Rufus said. “It fell out of your pocket when that boy grabbed you.”
“What boy?” Mr Carter asked.
“Dunno.” Rufus shrugged. “He doesn’t go to this school.”
Zeph took the phone from Rufus’s hand.
“Do you know who grabbed you?” Mr Carter asked.
“No,” Zeph said quietly. A coward again.
“If any of you see him again, let me know. Well done, Scott and Rufus. Have a good weekend, boys.”
Zeph didn’t know whether he’d made the right decision or not. But if he’d spoken out, he knew his parents would be contacted, they’d find out about the phone and he could guess what would follow. Maybe Rufus and Scott would be grateful he’d not landed them in trouble. He zipped the phone into his bag and headed back towards the bus stop with the pair on his heels.
“Try that again and you’re dead,” Scott snarled.
Zeph ignored them. Well, not exactly. He pretended to ignore them, but he felt as if he’d swallowed a large stone. It was only a threat but…
He sat downstairs on the bus while the pair went upstairs. He worried all the way to his stop that they’d get off with him. A lot could happen between the main road and his house, but Zeph was the only one who got off. He called Jack again but he didn’t answer. How sick was he?
